Djimon Hounsou attends the Miami Poolside Special Screening of Thrash hosted by Netflix at Andaz Miami Beach on April 08, 2026 in Miami, Florida. Picture: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Netflix/AFP
Image: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Netflix/AFP
The new Netflix disaster movie Thrash is a deliciously entertaining thrill-a-minute offering that certainly is worth a watch.
Well, that’s at least true for most of the film. If you’ve watched any of the trailers, you’ll know this movie combines a hurricane and sharks.
While this plot doesn’t sound all too dissimilar to the B-movie franchise Sharknado, it’s actually a whole lot better than that. Lending credence to the suspicion that this might be a good movie is the acclaimed Djimon Hounsou starring as a marine biologist, but his part is mostly a supporting role.
This is a genuinely engaging and tense disaster movie that engages the viewer right from the start with the warnings of the looming hurricane set to hit land in the coastal American town.
Though the script itself will certainly not win any awards, the special effects and cinematography are where this film really shines.
The main story centres around young and heavily pregnant woman Lisa, who does not heed the warnings of the coming storm, and agoraphobic Dakota, who are thrust together as floodwaters engulf the town.
Just as the surge of water hits the town, a tanker carrying some kind of meat is also broken in two, releasing fresh meat into the water that is not connected to the ocean. That attracts the sharks in the ocean instantly, as the water immediately becomes a kind of - the floor is lava - scenario.
Early on, Lisa is clearly going into labour, and being trapped in her car as the water level keeps rising provides the chance for Dakota to leave her house in a rescue mission. All this while the water levels are constantly rising and sharks are everywhere.
There’s also a B-story of three orphans who have been adopted by their callous foster parents who do not hide the fact that they house the children simply for the maintenance cheques. This story is not quite as captivating, but the movie cuts between the two plots to keep things interesting.
Going in, movies like this, of course, do require a suspension of disbelief, as would a Star Wars film, and if you can manage this, Thrash is a mostly enjoyable experience, especially if you like natural disasters.
Though I didn’t care for the final 15 minutes or so, as my suspension of disbelief broke pretty much the moment Lisa gives birth (you will see why if you watch), Thrash was well worth my time, and I’d recommend you give it a chance instead of debating what your next watch will be.