Chum feels like one of those shark movies that crawled out of the direct-to-video section of the ‘90s and somehow made its way into the modern release calendar. It follows nearly every familiar beat that fans of bad B-horror have come to expect: hokey dialogue, questionable decisions, and continuity errors so glaring that they stop becoming distractions and start turning into the main event. There’s a strange charm in watching scenes unfold where the logic never quite lines up and you can practically feel the production scrambling around budget limitations which forced unrealistic setups and plot holes large enough to swim a great white through.
Alice Eve in Jonathan Zuck’s CHUM. Photo courtesy of Mac Fisken. An Independent Film Company Release.
The lone saving grace here is Alice Eve (Bees Make Honey), who appears to understand she’s operating on an entirely different level than the material around her. She gives the impression of someone trying to inject urgency and personality into a script which rarely earns either. Unfortunately, the cast surrounding her makes it incredibly difficult to stay invested. Instead of memorable characters, the movie offers a collection of people whose decisions and personalities become more exhausting than entertaining. There’s an odd energy to it all that feels less like survival horror and more like being trapped in a marathon of unpleasant reality television contestants.
What makes Chum sting even more is how quickly it falls apart compared to other recent entries in the shark genre. After seeing something like Dangerous Animals (2025) push the concept forward with confidence and tension, returning to something this clumsy is disappointing. It’s not just that Chum is bad — it’s that it feels behind the curve in a genre that already struggles with public perception. Shark movies have spent decades fighting the assumption that they’re automatically disposable entertainment, and efforts like this don’t exactly help change that conversation.
Jim Klock in Jonathan Zuck’s CHUM. Photo courtesy of Mac Fisken. An Independent Film Company Release.
The strangest part is that Chum doesn’t even land in the territory of enjoyable disaster cinema. Movies like Sharknado (2013) or even cult oddities like The Room (2003) have a certain self-awareness or commitment that makes them entertaining despite their flaws. Chum rarely reaches that level of chaotic fun. Instead, it settles into a frustrating middle ground where the effects are laughable, the pacing drifts, and the execution feels more accidental than intentionally ridiculous.
Visually, the movie doesn’t do itself any favors either. The cinematography carries a pale, flat quality that drains much of the atmosphere out of scenes which should feel tense or visually striking.
A scene from Jonathan Zuck’s CHUM. Photo courtesy of Mac Fisken. An Independent Film Company Release.
There’s very little personality in the framing or presentation and, at times, the entire thing carries the energy of a weekend DIY project rather than a feature that wants to leave an impression. Shark horror lives and dies by atmosphere, tension, and spectacle, and Chum rarely creates any of those feelings in a meaningful way.
If your idea of a good night involves gathering friends, making fun of questionable editing choices, and having a few drinks while dissecting every ridiculous moment, Chum might have some accidental entertainment value. But beyond that very specific viewing environment, it’s difficult to recommend. It’s not memorable enough to become a cult favorite, not bad enough to become a must-watch disaster, and not entertaining enough to justify seeking out more than once.
Lisa Yaro in Jonathan Zuck’s CHUM. Photo courtesy of Mac Fisken. An Independent Film Company Release.
Unfortunately, Chum ends up feeling like a forgettable misfire — a shark movie that doesn’t understand what makes bad shark movies fun and doesn’t do enough right to stand alongside the better entries in the genre. One to watch once, laugh at briefly, and then let drift back into the ocean of movies nobody revisits.
In theaters, on VOD, and digital June 5th, 2026.
For more information, head to the official Independent Film Company Chum webpage.
Final Score: 1 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews, streaming
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