The Devil's Mouth: Is the Prime Video Shark Movie Worth Watching?
In short: The Devil's Mouth (Prime Video, July 29, 2026) is a shark-in-a-cave thriller from Jeff Wadlow, with Kathryn Newton and Lana Condor. Critics were lukewarm: 40% on Rotten Tomatoes and 46 on Metacritic. The common verdict is a watchable, good-looking setup with too little shark and too few scares. Fine for a lazy night; if you want the best of the genre, watch The Shallows or 47 Meters Down instead.
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- Released: July 29, 2026, on Prime Video.
- Director: Jeff Wadlow (Truth or Dare, Fantasy Island, Imaginary).
- Writers: Aja Gabel and Myung Joh Wesner.
- Runtime: 104 minutes.
- Reception: 40% on Rotten Tomatoes (47 reviews), 46 on Metacritic.
- Filmed in: Krabi, Chiang Mai and Bangkok, Thailand.
What it's about
Five college friends on holiday in Thailand sign up for a guided swim through an underwater cave system known as the Devil's Mouth. When they're cut off underground, a bull shark is in the water with them. Kathryn Newton plays Sara and Lana Condor plays her best friend Max, with Gavin Casalegno, Nico Hiraga and Tommi Rose as the rest of the group.
What critics said
Reviews were mixed to negative. Variety highlighted the extra claustrophobia of setting a shark movie in caves. Newton's performance and the production values were widely praised. The main complaints were consistent: a slow build, a PG-13-friendly lack of gore, and surprisingly little time with the shark. One review summed it up as a shark movie that "forgets to be scary." It still drew a big audience on Prime Video in its first week.
Better shark movies
- Jaws (1975): the original, and still the best.
- The Shallows (2016): Blake Lively, one rock, one shark, 86 tight minutes.
- 47 Meters Down (2017): two sisters trapped in a shark cage on the seabed.
- Deep Blue Sea (1999): ridiculous, self-aware and very fun.
- The Reef (2010): an Australian survival thriller, small and frightening.
Our verdict
Skip it unless you've already seen the shark movies above. Based on the reviews, The Devil's Mouth has a good premise and a capable cast but doesn't deliver the tension the setup promises. If you do watch, keep expectations at "background Friday night."
Frequently asked questions
Is The Devil's Mouth based on a true story? No. It's an original screenplay by Aja Gabel and Myung Joh Wesner, set in a fictional cave system in Thailand.
Is The Devil's Mouth scary? Not very, according to most reviews. Critics praised the claustrophobic cave setting but said the shark appears for only a small part of the 104-minute runtime.
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