It’s finally here! It’s SHARK WEEK 2026! And who doesn’t love SHARK WEEK? I know I do! To celebrate this time-honored tradition, this week we’re talking sharks and shark movies with director JESSE V. JOHNSON and his new film ABOVE & BELOW.
But first, a little background for you on Shark Week!
Starting as a programming experiment on July 17, 1988 on the Discovery Channel, Shark Week has blossomed into one of the most anticipated viewing celebrations of the year. This year’s Shark Week delivers 20 jaw-dropping, blockbuster premieres across every night, packed with pulse-pounding action, epic breaches, and high-stakes encounters. Featuring pioneering technology, groundbreaking investigations, and unbelievable stunts, each special dives into the mysterious worlds of these apex predators, bringing audiences closer to their raw power and untamed nature like never before.
Thanks to the popularity of Shark Week, National Geographic hopped into the viewing shark cage with their own celebration, Shark Fest, which is now in its 14th year with documentary programming on the National Geographic channel as well as on Disney+ and Hulu, running all during the month of July.
Ever since Peter Benchley’s 1974 best selling novel and Steven Spielberg’s subsequent release of the movie “Jaws” in 1975, the fascination with and celebration of sharks has taken the world by storm. And while Shark Week and Shark Fest honor the scientific and informative aspects of sharks on the small screen every July, did you know that there have been over 400 shark-themed movies produced worldwide since cinema began, be it for theatre or home video/streaming release? Personally, I think that number is a bit low. Let’s face it. People love sharks.
In honor of this special time of year, and although there are several new shark-themed films currently out and/or releasing this week, today we’re talking about one sharktastic movie – ABOVE & BELOW – with director JESSE V. JOHNSON. You already know Jesse’s work thanks to films like Chief of Station, Thieves Highway, The Debt Collector films, and Hell Hath No Fury, but now, with ABOVE & BELOW, the former stuntman-turned-director who has never been afraid to push bodies, cameras, stunt teams, and himself to their limits, dives into new territory, as thanks to Anthony Giordano’s screenplay for ABOVE & BELOW, Johnson was presented with something altogether different. Water. Lots and lots of water. And sharks. More significantly, it gave him a group of young protagonists far removed from the weathered, world-weary characters with whom Jesse generally gravitates. And dare I say up front that ABOVE & BELOW is simply SHARKTASTIC!
A basic premise, but one that has tension reigning supreme above the water and danger lurking below, in ABOVE & BELOW, during a Mexican shark dive, five friends are ambushed after discovering cartel cocaine. Trapped in a shark cage, Tatiana and Kaley are forced by the cartel to retrieve a bag of drugs on the seafloor. Battling legendary Great White sharks, dwindling air, and armed killers, the survivors mount a brutal fight to outsmart their captors and escape.
Directed by Jesse Johnson with script by Anthony Giordano, ABOVE & BELOW stars Antonio Banderas, Laura Marano, Louis Mandylor, Jess Liaudin, Timothy V. Murphy, Christina Ochoa, Donncha Tynan, Ryan Bertroche, and Diego Llinas, while the team behind the lens includes one of my fave cinematographers Maxime Alexandre, editor Matthew Lorentz, and composer Maria Vertiz.
In this interview, Jesse and I get in the shark cage and cover all things ABOVE & BELOW from Maxime’s beautiful lensing to Matthew’s rapier editing that sadly sacrificed some sharks and left them on the cutting room floor to Maria’s score and the musical challenges you face so as not to fall prey and imitate John Williams’ unforgettable Jaws composition. And then there’s the casting with some real surprises courtesy of Laura Marano and Jess Liaudin, and laugh out loud anecdotes about Louis Mandylor, sharks, and a corpse. Plus, another great endorsement for Nu Boyana studios, this time from Jesse.
It’s a fun interview. It’s insightful as to the filmmaking process for ABOVE & BELOW. And it’s revealing into Jesse’s work as a filmmaker and his mindset and considerations.
ABOVE & BELOW is in theatres on July 29th!
For even more new movie shark viewing, make sure to check out THE DEVIL’S MOUTH which takes us deep into the underwater rivers and caves of Thailand. It releases on Prime Video this week on the 29th. And check out my interview with cinematographer James Kniest who discusses the challenges he faced with THE DEVIL’S MOUTH. And for some campy B-movie shark fun, you do not want to miss the new WATER PARK SHARK, also streaming on Prime Video. How can you say no to a film shot in a water park with sharks swimming down the water slides? You can’t. My review of that fun bit of chum will be out this week. Of course, don’t pass up Renny Harlin’s DEEP WATER which is currently streaming in the US on major platforms and is available On Demand, as well as DVD and Blu-ray. And don’t forget the sharktastic programming on Discovery Channel this week!
