Sharkwater Extinction (2018)
I don’t often shed tears while watching documentaries but when I do, “crying” is too little a word. I wept openly during Sharkwater Extinction. This sequel builds upon the first, making it even more personal, emotional, and effective than the original.
Beginning in 2016, Rob Stewart isn’t celebrating the victories that followed the release of Sharkwater. While many countries have now banned shark finning, the unscrupulous exploit loopholes and the industry has never been more profitable.
At one point, Costa Rica's then-President Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera describes their water's hammerhead shark population as a resource, while a scientist describes them as a heritage. These words summarize the whole film. “Resources” implies something to be exploited, a thing to be mined until we're done and move on. Sharkwater: Extinction argues these creatures should be preserved and cherished. You’ll be convinced by the time the film is over. Overwhelmingly, the beautiful underwater footage shows sharks as worthy of awe and wonder in the same way that lions or tigers are. They can even come off as - dare I say it? - kinda cute. Over and over, the villains of this picture are shown to be big companies who do not care or individuals solely interested solely in further fattening their wallets at any price. They think they can get away with it by skulking in the dark but Rob Stewart and his allies won't let it stand. They refuse to do nothing.
Due to unforeseen circumstances during the film's production - you may be aware of them but I won't say what happened – there are points where the picture feels like it isn’t quite finished. Rob test a variety of products for traces of shark meat: cat food, fish burgers from a fast food restaurant, cosmetics, etc. We're told the results (which are jaw-dropping) but no brands are actually named. It leaves the viewing feeling slightly powerless.
Coming off as quiet and reserved, but passionate and determined, Stewart also shows incredible restraint. A scene in which he interviews a professional shark hunter – another one of these microphallus overcompensators who kills for sport – and never flinches says a lot about his willingness to fight. Myself? I would’ve chopped the man into bits and thrown them overboard for a bit of karmic justice. Everything pushes you to act.
Throughout, I had this lingering feeling that something big was coming up, a revelation that would change everything. There are many points where a detail about who is behind the shark finning and what they're prepared to do to make money make you tense up. You wonder what's next. The last fifteen minutes of Sharkwater: Extinction hit like a tidal wave. It’s emotional, infuriating, thrilling and inspiring all at once, even if you haven't seen the original film. If you don’t care about sharks going in, Sharkwater: Extinction will change that. (Theatrical version on the big screen, October 20, 2018)
