2025's WWII-Set 'Jaws' Replacement Take a Bite Out of Streaming This Month

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Makuochi Echebiri is a News Writer for Collider. He has been interested in creative writing from as far back as high school, and he would consume pretty much anything that’s film or TV. However, his truest love lies in the presence of historical epics and thrillers.

Lured by the brilliance of Middle Earth from an early age both in print and on screen, his palate has since expanded to other realms including Westeros, Kattegat among others. He also possesses a great appetite for the stories that emanate from the vastness of space. Even though he is no Avenger.

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It's a season of new things. A brand-new year, a freshly minted January, and with it comes entertainment that should set you on your way. Perhaps as a festive gift arriving well into the New Year, Shudder, known for its gripping horror movies, is releasing a WWII feature with a twist. Set in Australia in 1942, the same parameters exist. Hitler has risen to power in Nazi Germany, and the world is at war. However, in this WWII horror thriller, Nazis are the least of the worries of a squad of young Australian soldiers trapped while crossing the Timor Sea. A swarm of sharp-toothed, bizarre-looking creatures swimming just feet beneath their boats is the greater threat to survival. On January 16, Beast of War debuts on Shudder.

Underwater horror stories are not unfamiliar in the entertainment space, with movies like Jaws and The Meg having taken audiences on terrifying rides. WWII has also provided its fair share of movies over the years, including classics like Saving Private Ryan and newer installments like Greyhound. However, a combination of WWII-era parameters and the deep seas, alongside the dangers lurking in their depths, isn't one we often see. Beast of War is directed by Kiah Roache-Turner (Sting) and is the director's latest creature feature. The official synopsis reads:

"When their boat is sunk while crossing the Timor Sea during World War II, a young troop of Australian soldiers must find a way to survive the harsh seas on a quickly shrinking life raft. Hundreds of miles from anywhere, they must confront interpersonal conflicts, enemy attacks, and the advances of one very large, very hungry great white shark. From Kiah Roache-Turner, director of Wyrmwood and Sting, comes this uniquely terrifying tale."

Who Stars in 'Beast of War'?

Beast of War is rated R with a concise runtime of 87 minutes and was released in theaters and on VOD on October 10 to much critical acclaim. The film's cast stars Joel Nankervis (Your Fault: London) alongside Mark Coles Smith (Mystery Road), Sam Delich (Territory), Lee Tiger Halley (Boy Swallows Universe), Sam Parsonson (Love My Way), Maximillian Johnson (Fear Below), Tristan McKinnon (Zoe’s Security Service), and Aswan Reid (The New Boy).

Beast of War will not be the only new arrival on Shudder this January. New Year's Day saw the arrival of several titles, including Cillian Murphy's 28 Days Later and Jeremy Renner's 28 Weeks Later. January 9 will see the arrival of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, even as its successor arrived with the previous batch. January 10 brings In the Mouth of Madness with it. January 12 has Founders Day and The Severed Sun, with Mother of Flies wrapping up the new arrivals on January 23.