Even though shark movies are a dime a dozen these days, they remain one of the most popular sub-genres within horror. Whether it’s a believably realistic take like Open Water or a ridiculous piece of low-budget silliness like Sharknado, there’s something for everyone in the deep blue sea. While we’ve seen a welcome return to big budget shark pics, 2023’s biggest and dumbest creature feature has surged up the ranks and laid waste to the competition. Yes, that’s right, we’re talking about Meg 2: The Trench, which is trending hard on streaming right now.
Meg 2: The Trench Takes a Bite Out of the Streaming Top 10
According to streaming aggregator Flix Patrol, the aquatic techno-thriller has managed to lodge itself into HBO’s global Top 10, nabbing Top 10 spots across 19 different countries including Denmark, Finland, and Poland. Not only that, but the sequel has also snagged a number one spot on Netflix in Japan and a number three spot on the iTunes chart in Slovenia. In short, it’s performing surprisingly well all around the world as streamers watch the blood-drenched flick in droves.
Based on the 1999 novel The Trench by Steve Alten and directed by cult b-movie maestro Ben Wheatley, Meg 2: The Trench is a typical big budget sequel that goes big in almost every way. Featuring a returning ensemble cast that boast a surprising amount of chemistry, the sequel takes place five years after the original pic and centers on the exploits of Jonas Taylor (portrayed by martial arts whiz Jason Statham) who is now a single dad to his teenage step-daughter Meiying Zhang (Sophia Cai). Meiying’s uncle (Wu Jing) now oversees his father’s research facility from the original pic, and his main scientific goal is to find a way to communicate with Megalodon sharks. Oh, and they even have a baby Megalodon on site. What could possibly go wrong?
While it’s fair to say that critics absolutely panned Meg 2: The Trench — it holds a rather ropey 27 percent ‘Rotten’ critical rating over on Rotten Tomatoes, after all — audiences, on the other hand, were actually quite enamoured with the deep-sea thrill-ride, reflected by its more impressive 73 percent Audience Rating on the same site. On top of that, Wheatley’s critical misfire was a huge box office hit, raking in $397.7 million off a $139 million budget. This obviously adds some credence to its positive reception among regular Joes.
On a more personal note, I actually really enjoyed Meg 2: The Trench. Yes, it’s undoubtedly a turn-off-your-brain popcorn flick, but sometimes that’s exactly what you’re after, right? With nods to Alien, Sphere, and Jules Verne novels like Journey to the Center of the Earth, there’s plenty to enjoy here. Admittedly, it may not be a cerebral, thought-provoking experience per se, but that’s okay. To be honest, I found its fishy brand of big, dumb silliness to be unpretentiously captivating and refreshing. And from the looks of things, I’m not the only one, eh?
