The mayor of La Pointe is not much, but at least he moves quicker to close the beaches than Murray Hamilton did in the Jaws movies. People did not want to believe Bordenave’s initial reports, because they already lost one season to Xi’s Covid, but it is hard to argue with the body parts in the water. Frankly, this is the sort of crisis she has been preparing all her career for, but not so much her junior colleagues Blaise and Eugenie. Throughout it all, her devoted husband Thierry loyally stands by her, even when the town turns against her.
The Boukhermas never hide the inspiration they took from the great granddaddy of all shark movies. In fact, they even quote directly from Jaws, in a way that makes sense within the dramatic context. There is definitely a shark out there eating people, but Year is sort of a shark movie with a pinch of Ibsen, focusing just as much on the implications for the Bordenaves' marriage and the divisions that start tearing the community apart. In that respect, the Covid references make sense, because they further raise the stakes for the beleaguered local business owners.
Year definitely reminds us sharks are something you never want to take halfway measures with. Sometimes containment just isn’t an option. It is also interesting to see a shark movie do something a bit more emotionally complex with the genre than cookie-cutters like Great White, which rely on crude manipulation. Although the balance is somewhat off, it is still a likable man vs. shark underdog story. Recommended for the shark hunting and workplace comedy, Year of the Shark screened as part of this year’s Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.
