The Devil’s Mouth Review: Kathryn Newton vs. Shark

Shark attack movies have truly come back in vogue over the last few years. Earlier in 2026, we saw Phoebe Dynevor in Thrash and last year, Jai Courtney got to show off his villain skills in Dangerous Animals. The Devil’s Mouth comes from veteran director Jeff Wadlow and features a surprisingly loaded cast of up-and-coming actors. At its center, Kathryn Newton continues to shine as a scream queen horror icon, but can the effects live up to the cast?

What happens in The Devil’s Mouth?

A tight-knit group of college friends takes a trip to Thailand after they graduate. Still healing from a loss, Sara (Kathryn Newton) finds herself on the outs within the group. Her best friend, Max (Lana Condor), does little to help the situation, continually pushing for everyone to have a good time, even when things are bad. Within the first days of the trip, Max rents a yacht, but the friends accidentally leave Sara to get stung by jellyfish.

Trying to fix the situation, Max pushes Sara to join their other friends (Nico Hiraga, Gavin Casalegno, Tommi Rose) on a freshwater cave dive. However, once inside the cave system, they discover a bull shark lurking in the depths. Their fight for survival pushes everyone to their limits, both physically and emotionally.

Kathryn Newton keeps The Devil’s Mouth afloat.

Most of your opinion about The Devil’s Mouth will depend on your attitude towards its star. Newton’s slow rise as a scream queen has put her squarely into some of horror’s biggest gems of the last ten years, including Freaky and Lisa Frankenstein. Yet at the same time, she’s found her niche as a comedic, likable leading actress as well. Blockers hinted at her capabilities to steal the screen from established actors. Her recent performances in Hacks, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania have opened the door for more consistent leading work.

In The Devil’s Mouth, she keeps the audience engaged with a likable, brave character despite some of the story’s repetitive nature. Of course, a shark attack movie will have the same creature attacking humans several times over, but the claustrophobic nature of cave diving allows for few options in terms of set pieces and visually unique experiences. With one notable exception, the burden falls entirely on Newton to remain a compelling screen presence.

Meanwhile, the other actors are given carte blanche to create some strange and silly versions of a college-age breakfast club. Condor thrives as the mean girl who wants to control everyone, and when her brat-like antics go too far, you wonder if the others will actually ignore her. Instead, The Devil’s Mouth knows that peer pressure and manipulation can be a deadly tool in the right hands, and Condor crafts Max into an easy-to-hate figure we need to root for. Her relationship with Newton drives The Devil’s Mouth, and opens the door for some interesting moments in the final act.

Jeff Wadlow does find some cool moments in The Devil’s Mouth thanks to general setup. There appear to be plenty of makeup and practical effects throughout the movie, which stand out from the CG shark lurking below. However, because of the lack of light, Wadlow can effectively portray the shark as a bully who throws its victims against rock formations to kill them, or simply tear them in two. There’s one sequence in a chamber room featuring hundreds of dead fish, and each one looks like a new disturbing prop. The tactility of these sequences overshadows the weaker CG moments, which makes this a watchable experience even if it’s an imperfect one.

At the same time, the meandering nature of the caves makes for few unique moments. Wadlow does capitalize on the opportunities when they present themselves, but much of The Devil’s Mouth is repetitive. Young co-ed screams, shark appears, eats someone, rinse and repeat. The pacing is off in the first act as well, taking a little too long to get us into the action, while characters act like sociopaths early. If there were more effective storytelling in act one, we might care a little more when the first victims arise in Act 2. Instead, we’re rooting for the shark to mow through the selfish young adults.

Is The Devil’s Mouth worth watching?

Yes, but do not expect Jaws walking in. Instead, The Devil’s Mouth is more akin to a summer slasher set in the world of The Rescue. The kills are crazy, the actors are having a great time, and the effects hold up just enough to entertain. Wadlow never falls into the borderline cartoonish nature of other shark attack movies, and the self-seriousness in tone complements Newton’s performance.

The Devil’s Mouth releases on Prime Video on July 29, 2026.

The Devil’s Mouth Review: Kathryn Newton vs. Shark