Harpoon is a 2019 Canadian comedy horror film written and directed by Rob Grant (Alive.; Fake Blood; Mon Ami; Yesterday). It was produced by Julian Black Antelope (True Fiction), Kurtis David Harder and Michael Peterson.
The 775 Media Corp-Venntertainment production stars Munro Chambers, Emily Tyra and Christopher Gray.
Plot:
Rivalries, dark secrets, and relationship tension emerge when three best friends find themselves stranded on a yacht in the middle of the ocean under suspicious circumstances…
Reviews [click links to read more]:
“These aren’t people we’re meant to root for so much as ants we’re meant to observe frying under a magnifying glass, and the longer Harpoon goes on, the more it leans into this dynamic, the more writer/director Grant is able to let loose with his more sadistic tendencies and make a movie that’s really bleak and really, really nasty.” Bloody Disgusting
“Harpoon is a viciously nasty film in the best possible way. With no true moral centre to the madness this may be a hard watch for some, but the overall film is well worth the suffering. Suffering is the name of the game with Harpoon; the director pushes the trio to the brink for the audience’s amusement and for me it works.” CG magazine
“It’s humorous, yet vaguely realistic since it doesn’t go hog wild on being batsh*t insane. I don’t have any more flowery flair for describing it other than to simply say it’s a great ‘merry mean streak’ movie whose laughs, twists, and acting are overwhelmingly satisfying.” Culture Crypt
“Gelman’s sarcastic voice-over work against the gore and tension on-screen work in unison to deliver one of the year’s best surprises. Fast-paced and full of incredulous moments that will leave you laughing and gasping in equal measure, this movie is one boat ride worth taking.” Daily Dead
“Harpoon is a surprisingly refreshing film; with its smart script and devilishly dark story, it’s far more substantive than what you might come to expect from a typical containment thriller. It’s like the anti-lost-at-sea movie, referencing all these famous stories of yore…” Film Pulse
” …when it gets to the bloody business of violence, it doesn’t skimp. Body parts will be pierced, sliced and exsanguinated. It’s gory and gooey in the best ways. I haven’t gleefully laughed this hard at a dark comedy in a very long time. It’s vicious and nasty in the best way.” Gayly Dreadful
” …it starts off deceptively cocksure and smart-alec, making you think you’re going to watch a comedy, but ever so slowly the film tightens into a knot that had me on the edge of my seat by the end. Another winner.” House of Mortal Cinema
“A multitude of events stemming long into the past combined with the ability to second guess how far the other might go causes a pressure cooker of mistrust. I thoroughly enjoyed may have looked away and gagged the use of uncomfortable scenarios involving an unlucky seagull and various displays of viciousness.” Mother of Movies
“Harpoon is a tense psychological thriller of betrayal, like Roman Polanski’s Knife in the Water (1962), like Phillip Noyce’s Dead Calm (1989) […] but the narrator, on his last take, ensures that no matter how violent and vicious, manipulative and mendacious the crew, their vehicle remains darkly funny.” Projected Figures
“The end is really the highlight of the film. Really very hilarious. “Karma is a bitch” shall we say. You do not expect that end in any case. Just as the entire film is unpredictable and exciting […] The acting could have been a little more convincing, but the film is certainly entertaining and bloody.” De Protagonisten [translated from Dutch]
“Harpoon is a sucker punch in the best possible sense: In the universe of darker genres and subgenres, we’ve become so accustomed to variations on a theme—not that there’s anything wrong with that!—that a truly iconoclastic, stylistically oddball film can be electrifying; it can feel like a revelation.” Rue Morgue
” …a very enjoyable comedy-thriller, with plenty of jet-black humor and the occasional dollop of squirm-worthy gore. At my screening, the audience laughed, groaned, gasped and flinched at the right moments.” Screen Anarchy
“Grant offers a nice balance here between dark humor and genuine tension born of realistic performances. Chambers, Tyra, and Gray offer frustratingly recognizable characters, the kind that make idiotic choices […] The film makes more than a few convenient moves, but it packs a lot of surprises and showcases very solid performances.” Screen Fervor
Choice dialogue:
“That tuna was a weapon!”
Release:
Arthouse orientated sales company Yellow Veil Pictures acquired world sales rights for Harpoon in January 2019. Dread released Harpoon in select US movie houses and on VOD and Blu-ray October 8th 2019.
Yellow Veil Pictures co-founder Joe Yanick said “Rob has an ability to mine the depth of human darkness, and come up with something wickedly funny. As our first foray into the subgenre, we found one with something for everyone. You’re going to laugh…but then it’s going to make feel bad for laughing.”
“Rob Grant has crafted a dark, twisted, funny feature that is unlike anything else on our slate,” said Rob Galluzzo, director of distribution at Dread. “We’re so thrilled and excited to share this unique flick with U.S. audiences!”
Cast and characters:
Munro Chambers … Jonah
Emily Tyra … Sasha
Christopher Gray … Richard
Filming locations:
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
San Pedro, Belize
