Newlyweds, Tina (Alice Eve) and Tom (Eric Michael Cole) wish to escape their wedding and embark on a seemingly relaxing yacht trip on the Mediterranean with their friends and family. But what they find is much more than the sun and sea. Directed by Jonathan Zuck and co-written alongside Joe Leone, Chum (2026) sees a couple try to survive their marriage amongst double trouble.
With a story by Dick Grunert, Ryan R. Johnson, and James Kondelik, the group meet more than one killer on the water. They must deal with a serial killer fisherman in Roy (Jim Klock) and a ferocious great white shark prowling their every move. Tina and Tom are joined by their suspecting friends, Rachinda (Sarah Siadat), Rick (Johnny Gaffney), Britney (Lisa Yaro), and Captain Mackey (Vince Jolivette) for an excursion on the water that they’ll never forget.
Chum: ‘Guts’ To Take On The Villains
After their boat catches fire, they are miraculously saved by an oncoming fisherman. But he’s nowhere near the hero he seems. Through its premise and opening scene, Chum holds potential to be a shark film with more heart than bite. But with each scene the gore takes over.
Chum’s title cleverly connects its adult bait with that of shark food. Its adult characters seem to act like teenagers and the dynamic between them is rather frosty. Alice Eve plays Tina like Samara Weaving’s Grace Le Domas in the Ready or Not franchise – a strong female character who leads the way among her rather incompetent comrades. She has the ‘guts’ to take on the villains.
Whilst Alice Eve leads the cast into blood-soaked waters, her protective older sister vibe with Sadie (Elle Haymond) adds heart to the story. It also gives nods to Grace’s and Faith’s relationship in Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come (2026). Tina’s relationship with Tom also sees a sweet development where death really does seek their marriage into the vowels of ’til death do us part.’
Two Villains Wreak Havoc
Chum plays out with a dual-antagonist storyline. Two villains are out to wreak havoc on the main characters lives. The primary antagonist being the fisherman who’s faced years of heartbreak after his wife was taken by the shark infested waters. Yet the great white shark is the secondary antagonist here – constantly lurking in the background as a looming threat. This also gives slight nods to Dangerous Animals (2025) where a serial killer obsessed with sharks attempts to feed them with human bait.
However, its bookends within the beginning and ending serve as the best moments. Roy narrates these parts and it’s interesting to see how a shark film plays this out. Usually, this sub-genre offers all-out blood and gore. Yet Chum succumbs to a more human side. Roy’s story is emotional and heart-rendering. The audience are almost meant to side with him as we learn to understand the reasons behind his motive.
It’s interesting how the shark is positioned as a secondary antagonist for what we perceive is such a huge threat. Chum uses a mixture of shark footage. For the attacks it uses CGI but for the narration parts it uses footage from real wildlife photography, which at times makes this film feel like a shark documentary.
Chum speaks on the global climate issues faced today. Rising sea temperatures and climate change cause the great white shark to meander towards the coast of Malta. The unsuspecting characters believe there’s no way the coastline would be faced with such a deadly shark. Despite it’s potential, Chum runs away with much more bite than the heart it originally planned to run with.
Rating: 3 Stars
Chum is available across all major digital platforms in the UK from 17th August 2026.