Film Review – Above and Below (2026)

      Above and Below, 2026.

      Directed by Jesse V. Johnson.

      Featuring Laura Marano, Christina Ochoa, Mario Tardón, Antonio Banderas, Ryan Bertroche, Jess Liaudin, Timothy V. Murphy, Louis Mandylor, and Diego Llinás.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A group of friends sets out on a dream vacation filled with parties and diving, but their getaway turns nightmarish when criminals attack them at sea.

      One thing is clear about Jesse V. Johnson’s Above and Below: it surpasses some recent low-budget shark movies, yet still presents a tiresome, frustrating, and at times dull experience. Although the film features characters with defined relationships, these dynamics are quickly disregarded in favor of embracing absurdity, underwater shark attacks, and drug cartel drama on the surface. Laura Marano’s character Tatiana is enjoying the trip with her boyfriend in Mexico, accompanied by her best friend Kayle (Christina Ochoa) and brother Kyle (Diego Llinas). This vacation appears to be an unofficial farewell for her relationship, as they will soon attend universities on opposite coasts of America, and Tatiana has decided it's time to end things.

      However, this backstory is ultimately insignificant (which is somewhat fortunate given the lackluster performances). Kyle, while gambling with the enigmatic Burns (Antonio Banderas), loses the card game but is promised a reward: a private boat trip for deep-sea diving in a shark cage. The group is far too easily swayed into thinking this is a good idea (thanks to the flimsy screenplay by Tony Giordano), only to discover they are not alone on board. While the captain seems unremarkable, the presence of some serious men quickly makes the women uneasy.

      One of the film's major flaws is its painfully slow pacing. There are attempts at suspense when one of the vacationers foolishly leaves the cage to retrieve his phone, but genuine excitement doesn't occur until one of them accidentally discovers cartel cocaine on the boat. This leads to a few unexpected deaths, including one that sends the cocaine to the ocean floor. Burns is called to manage the crisis (regardless of how unsuitable this role may be for Antonio Banderas, he does more than just make a cameo), arriving with armed goons in pursuit of his drugs, threatening the vacationers for their retrieval.

      That's essentially the premise, with stakes both above and below the surface, which aims to bring a fresh perspective to the shark subgenre while keeping within the director's comfort zone of generic action. There are moments of tension that breathe life into the film with unpredictability, and it might be Jesse V. Johnson’s most technically proficient work to date (the action sequences are well-executed, the shark's appearance is not embarrassing, and the scenario holds some intrigue, even if the premise is utterly ridiculous).

      Nevertheless, Above and Below consistently fails to maintain its momentum, veering into sluggish moments and perplexing shark attacks that inflict far less damage than would realistically occur (one scene shows a character's leg being bitten, resulting in merely scratches and minor bleeding). Moreover, any hints of characterization vanish as it awkwardly tries to equate gambling with money to gambling with one’s life through shark cage diving or boating. Aside from sporadic bursts of violence and a threatening Antonio Banderas, the film's quality frequently drops back down.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

      Robert Kojder