1. Plot Summary

A freak coastal tsunami strikes an Australian seaside town, flooding a supermarket and trapping a motley group of people—including ex-lovers, robbers, and shoppers—inside. As the water rises, they realize they’re not alone: 12-foot great white sharks are circling the flooded aisles and parking garage, turning a routine store into a nightmarish death trap.

2. Notable Elements

• Setting & Concept: The claustrophobic, submerged supermarket setting makes for a fresh shark-attack scenario—combining disaster horror with creature-feature chills.

• Visual Effects: Featuring a mix of animatronic sharks and CGI—some scenes are effective and tense, though the CGI can be uneven.

• Tone: Bait leans into B-movie territory with campy dialogue and over-the-top scenarios. Critics described it as “more Corman than Spielberg,” noting its blend of absurdity and dark humor.

• Cast & Characters: The ensemble includes a range of archetypes—from survivors and robbers to stranded shoppers—led by a standout performance from Sharni Vinson as Tina.

3. Themes & Messages

• Chaos & Survival: The film explores how a disparate group responds to a sudden apocalypse—a tsunami and shark attack forcing cooperation or conflict in equal measure.

• B-Movie Commentary: Embracing low-budget thrills, the movie plays with genre expectations, turning implausibility into entertainment.

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4. Personal Impressions

Strengths:

• The setting is clever and visually striking—shark attacks amidst grocery aisles are delightfully surreal.

• The film’s willingness to be absurd and entertaining gives it a guilty-pleasure charm.

Weaknesses:

• Thin character development—many feel like expendable archetypes.

• Uneven CGI and pacing issues detract from tense moments.

5. Audience Recommendations

Who will enjoy it:

• Fans of campy, creature-based disaster flicks and B-movie madness.

• Audiences looking for shark horror with a quirky twist—“Jaws in a supermarket” with added tsunami.

Who might not:

• Viewers seeking deep characters or polished effects may find it lacking.

6. Conclusion & Rating

Bait is unapologetically absurd—a flood-drenched supermarket full of bloodthirsty sharks wrapped in a tsunami disaster narrative. Charmingly outrageous, it’s a genre mash-up that knows exactly what it is and leans into the chaos.

Final Recommendation: Watch with low expectations and a sense of humor—it’s a riot if you’re in for outrageous thrills.

Rating: ⭐ 3 out of 5 stars

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