Meg 2: The Trench (2023)

This is not the film you would have expected Ben Wheatley to be behind considering his directorial back catalogue but if you read some of his interviews, you'd understand his love for this kind of blockbuster, including his huge affection for Jaws (1975). It seems he had a huge amount of fun making it, and that's proven by the output; despite the pretty negative critical response, Meg 2 has sat very nicely with the punters, already raking in over $300 million worldwide.

If you've seen the 2018 original, you'll know what you're getting, and yes, it is partially Jason Statham fighting giant sharks. The first two thirds of the film however, play much more like James Cameron's The Abyss (1989) or even Sphere (1998) but without their seriousness.

After the natural barrier that separates prehistoric creatures from the rest of the ocean is breached, it's up to Statham and co to rectify the situation as more megs and previously unseen prehistoric creatures hurtle their way to the surface.

Wheatley's never had such a budget to work with before; his debut Down Terrace (2009) was shot in just eight days, and one of his more recent outings, 2016's Free Fire was shot almost entirely inside an abandoned warehouse, but Wheatley makes the most of the money here. The films' finale takes place in and around 'Fun Island', a retreat for the seemingly rich and narcissistic which is attacked by a range of creatures including three megs, and looks like what Jaws 3-D (1983) had the potential to be had it not been so abundantly dreadful.

All in all and in spite of what the majority of critics suggest, Meg 2: The Trench is a huge amount of fun, and while we've seen promising indie directors given huge budgets before, it feels like it's almost always for yet another Marvel or Star Wars outing, resulting in...well, yet another Marvel or Star Wars outing. Wheately's foray into the mainstream isn't one forced upon him, he loves this sort of thing and it shows on screen, adding yet another string to his ever-expanding bow. 6.9/10