This is less of a review and more of a...comment? I realize that I'm getting picky at my old age, but Sharksploitation (currently available on Shudder) perfectly embodies an obstacle I face whenever I watch a horror documentary. If you're new to this title, it's a fervid slice of infotainment that chronicles the popularity of shark movies. To be a little more specific, it zeroes in on the kind of b-flicks you see shelled out by companies like Asylum (their well-chartered "mockbusters" are on the docket at one point). And it's a fine film. It covers appropriate territory with knowledgeable talking heads chiming in here and there. For me, the most interesting parts looked at the state of ocean-bound fright fare pre-Jaws.
While Sharksploitation clicks as simple textbook fodder, it commits a crime that pretty much every genre documentary commits. Scholarly voices of reason wind up giving their theories on why we - both nerds and commoners alike - watch these movies. Apparently, all of us go to horror for base thrills or there is some deeper psychological catalyst behind our interests. Maybe that's true for the Karens that frequent shopping malls and AMC multiplexes, but am I the only one who still rents monster mashes because...they're cool? Why does there need to be a rationale beyond digging this stuff for what it is? I know, I'm thinking too much here.
If there are underlying motivations for consuming horror across all mediums, couldn't it be something other than, "Derp, I like to be scared!"? I'm struggling to drive my point home. It's just a trait I notice in most documentaries that purport to explain the appeal of, say, Jason Voorhees. Carry on.
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