Netflix
Halloween might be over, but it’s never too early to start planning your next homemade animal costume. And if you want to develop the confidence to wear it, don’t watch Eagle vs Shark.
Let me explain.
Lily (Loren Horsley) is a shy, drab employee at a fast food restaurant called Meaty Boy. She’s upset about getting fired even though she does her job with the enthusiasm of a corpse. But everything changes when Jarrod (Jemaine Clement) walks in. His unattractiveness is one of the funniest parts of the movie, but Lily thinks otherwise. She’s smitten. So begins one of the most uncomfortable and unromantic love stories ever created.
The movie has been called New Zealand’s version of Napoleon Dynamite, and although Jarrod shares some similarities to Dynamite, Eagle vs. Shark is a lot harsher. The degree of awkwardness that pervades the entire movie definitely surpasses Napoleon Dynamite, and the characters are more realistic. You’d laugh at them … if they weren’t so helpless.
Lily eventually attends Jarrod’s super-nerdy costume party, where, dressed as a shark, she defeats several rounds of 11-year-olds in a video game contest and places second behind Jarrod, who is dressed as an eagle. In a bit of a standoff, Jarrod tells her: “I almost came as a shark, actually, but then I realized an eagle’s slightly better.”
The costumes are especially ironic. Lily is about as aggressive as a goldfish, and Jarrod has the looks and personality of a turkey vulture.
The film is remarkable in that it’s a comedy, yet it’s so damn depressing. There are a couple funny situations, but the good lines are so far and few between that it’s easy to get lost in the characters’ pathetic lives. Eagle vs Shark just has no bite.
The movie is designed to make you feel uncomfortable. After all, what’s more unsettling than watching a guy in an eagle suit try to kiss a girl through the mouth of a shark. His beak almost pokes her eye out.
Jarrod is a loser, and Lily is a wallflower. Together, they make a pointless movie. There’s no final resolution or funny heartfelt moment to repay you for your time. At least it never promises that; it’s realistically sad from beginning to end.
The cinematography is nothing special, either. The film is clearly low-budget and some of the shots are poorly done. In a way, it almost adds to the gritty feel. Every character is inept in some way, and so is the filmmaking.
It’s hard to know what to make of this film. On one hand, the acting is pretty decent. Jarrod and Lily create a tension that hangs over the movie. Their personalities simultaneously make you cringe and feel incredibly sympathetic. But the plot is weak. You’re left wondering if anything can come out of the situation, and the conclusion does little to ease concerns. If the director is making a point about doomed love, it fails to take flight.
But you shouldn’t necessarily cross this one off your list for good. While it might be a certain shade of mediocrity, there’s a couple redeeming qualities that make it an OK pick for a lazy Saturday afternoon. If subtle humor and pathetic awkwardness might interest you, give it a shot. After all, it’s only 88 minutes long. And if it doesn’t sound like your thing, you’ll only be missing out on some quality costume ideas.
