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Beneath the Surface
Movie

Beneath the Surface

2022 • Unknown

Woke Score
2
out of 10

Plot

A young woman survives a great white shark attack, whilst on a family boating vacation, however soon realizes the nightmare is far from over. Those around her can not be trusted, and she must face her demons, if she is to step back in the water.

Overall Series Review

The film "Beneath the Surface" is a British drama thriller centered on Lexy, a young woman who survives a shark attack that kills her father and sister. The main plot follows her struggle with PTSD, survivors' guilt, and the gradual realization, with the help of a counselor, that the attack was not an accident but part of a conspiracy involving her boyfriend and stepmother. The narrative is driven by personal tragedy and the suspense of uncovering a murder plot, rather than social commentary. The lead character is flawed and traumatized, not a flawless "Girl Boss" archetype, but her strength is found in overcoming her psychological distress to confront her manipulative antagonists. The core themes are trauma, betrayal, and uncovering a dark family secret. There are no notable political or cultural themes related to race, sexuality, or religion. The conflict is purely interpersonal.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics2/10

The film's narrative focuses on personal trauma, survivors' guilt, and a family conspiracy surrounding a shark attack. Character merit is judged by personal guilt, deception, or honesty. The main conflict is not presented through the lens of race or intersectional hierarchy.

Oikophobia1/10

The story is a contained family thriller, not a critique of a society or civilization. The crime is born of personal greed and malice, not systemic Western corruption. The setting in South Africa serves as a backdrop for the attack, not a commentary on the homeland.

Feminism4/10

The female protagonist, Lexy, is depicted as a survivor grappling with significant psychological trauma (PTSD, depression), which contradicts the 'perfect instantly' trope. However, the key antagonists are her deceitful boyfriend and stepmother, portraying the only surviving male in the immediate family circle (Isaac) as a toxic, evil figure, which skews the gender dynamic toward the high score end of the spectrum.

LGBTQ+1/10

The narrative solely concerns a conventional heterosexual relationship and a family tragedy. There is no inclusion of alternative sexualities, deconstruction of the nuclear family beyond a standard broken-home dynamic (deceased mother, remarried father), or presentation of sexual or gender theory.

Anti-Theism1/10

The movie is a secular psychological thriller. The moral issues revolve around murder, betrayal, and greed, which are standard, universal crime tropes. No elements suggest hostility toward religion, specifically Christianity, or an explicit embrace of moral relativism beyond the implicit amorality of the villains.