Courtesy of Lionsgate
Ever since Jaws first swam up to bite audiences in 1975, we’ve seen an abundance of sharksploitation movies. One could even argue too many. Not me, though. I love a good shark horror film. However, one aquatic creature we haven’t seen appear in the genre enough is the Orca whale. Director Jo-Anne Brechin’s Killer Whale looks to change that, as you can see in the newly releases trailer from Lionsgate below!
Virginia Gardner (Fall, Halloween), stars as Maddie, a woman who has just experienced a life-shattering tragedy. Her best friend, Trish (Mel Jarnson), attempts to comfort her by sending them on an adventure to a private lagoon halfway across the world. But they aren’t the only ones looking for an escape. A killer whale seeking vengeance for a life in captivity has set its sights on the pair. And it won’t stop until each has paid for the crimes committed against it.
Watch the Trailer
A slowed-down remix of “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” accompanied by killer whale carnage? I’ll admit, this silly little trailer is tickling my aquatic horror bone. I liked Virginia Gardner in Fall, so her presence here has me curious. Also, credit to the props team for that pizza slice raft. An inspired choice, to say the least.
Now, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a killer whale at the forefront of a horror film. Michael Anderson’s Orca (1977) remains the top-tier in that category. But considering the bevy of sharksploitation films we get every year, it’s nice to see killer whales get a chance to wreak havoc for once. After all, they are our billionaire-boat-sinking heroes of the sea. Rage on, whales. Rage on.
Killer Whale is penned by Brechin and Katharine McPhee. Take a swim with the film when it comes to theaters, On Demand and on Digital on January 16th from Lionsgate.
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