The trailer for Killer Whale delivers a new twist on aquatic terror. Co-written and directed by Jo-Anne Brechin, the upcoming horror film embraces the stranded terror of The Shallows with the killer whale released from captivity, much like Free Willy. However, this killer whale appears to be dealing with trauma stemming from its time before being released into the wild, which sets the stage for the misfortune about to befall the film’s protagonists.
Lionsgate shared the trailer for Killer Whale on YouTube, teasing the horror that awaits genre fans. What begins as a trip for fun and relaxation to heal from a recent tragedy quickly plunges its two leads into a deadly situation, where they are under threat from an angry killer whale. There’s no shortage of tension and blood in the Killer Whale trailer, which quickly adds to the body count and grim circumstances. However, the movie also looks to feature some humorous elements alongside the killer-creature action. The synopsis shared with the Killer Whale trailer release reads:
Hold your breath as you witness revenge rise from the deep. After a life-shattering tragedy, Trish tries to comfort her best friend, Maddie, by taking her on a spectacular adventure in a private lagoon halfway across the world. Their peaceful retreat soon becomes a terrifying fight to stay alive when the ocean’s most bloodthirsty predator seeks vengeance for a brutal life in captivity.
Virginia Gardner, star of the tense thriller The Fall and 1923, and Mel Jarnson, whose credits include Witchboard and 2021’s Mortal Kombat, are front and center as the leads. Killer Whale also stars Mitchell Hope, Mia Grunwald, Aliandra Calabrese, and Isaac Crawley. The horror feature is slated for release on January 16, when it will debut in theaters and on demand, offering audiences another terrifying ocean thriller like The Shallows.
‘Killer Whale’ Is Putting a Unique Spin on Creature Terror
Killer Whale is continuing a trend of creature features that have found success in recent years. While the movie bears comparison to The Shallows, it also features elements akin to other monsters-from-the-deep-style hits. Under Paris was a massive hit for Netflix, featuring sharks terrorizing the waterways of the French city, with plenty of bloody kills to go along with it. The shark attack movie even has a sequel on the way.
Other shark-themed hits, like Jason Statham’s The Meg films, have also been a draw for big ocean spectacles. Movies like 47 Meters Down have also proven successful, featuring similarly trapped protagonists under threat from sharks. Even other monsters are looking to shake things up with audiences, as an Anaconda reboot is set to hit theaters this Christmas, with Paul Rudd and Jack Black putting a humorous spin on the killer snake franchise. While Killer Whale is putting a new twist on notable genre elements, whether it can stack up to the competition remains to be seen. Still, the forthcoming horror film offers a distinct new idea that is sure to play on audiences’ oceanic fears.