You might know him as the creator of such horror flicks as Cabin Fever, Hostel, and The Green Inferno. But now Eli Roth is back with something completely different – a documentary film titled FIN.
Written and directed by Eli Roth and executive produced by actors and activists Leonardo DiCaprio and Nina Dobrev, FIN follows Eli Roth on a journey to discovering the truth behind the deaths of millions of sharks all over the world as well as uncovering the criminal element that’s causing the extinction of these creatures.
But it’s more than just your average documentary.
FIN dives deep into the subject matter and truly tries to examine the world of sharks from every aspect of it.
From shark fin markets and restaurants that serve shark fin soup to activists all over the globe trying to curb the needless massacre of sharks on all levels to Eli Roth himself experiencing the beauty that are sharks in the Bahamas, FIN isn’t afraid to show the beautiful and the horrible of this world. Often interlaying the two to create a visual experience like no other.
The film is cinematic and visually dynamic. However, what strikes me most about FIN was the lengths Eli Roth was willing to go to expose the truth about the killing of sharks.
He wasn’t afraid to really commit to the cause and found like-minded people to help him uncover the truth behind things like shark finning and illegal shark fishing.
One of the more striking characters of the documentary besides Eli Roth himself was the director of Sea Shepherd Asia, Gary Stokes, who took Eli around Hong Kong where over half of the world’s shark fin passes through.
Gary’s passion for exposing the horrors of the shark fin trade truly shone in every scene he was in. And the adventure Gary and Eli went on in Wing Lok Street, where a large portion of the shark fin is sold in Hong Kong, only solidified Gary’s devotion to the cause and Eli’s dedication to educating people about all the atrocities that are being committed against sharks.
And there were many more from organizations like Oceana, Wild Aid, who helped show us what exactly is happening, why it is so unacceptable and what can we do about it.
One of the most intense moments in the film came at the end of it when Eli Roth embedded with a crew from Sea Shepherd Global who, with the help of the Liberian coast guard, raided a notorious illegal fishing ship.
With action film-worthy shots of guys with guns climbing aboard the poachers’ ship and the intensity of the situation so high that it could escalate at any moment, shots like this truly showed how dangerous the film was to make. But Eli Roth did it anyway with the hope that it will scare people into social action to save the sharks. And for that alone, this film needs to be celebrated and talked about.
Overall, FIN is a timely documentary that provides plenty of valuable information to help us understand how serious the situation with sharks really is all wrapped in a neat little bow of beautiful cinematography and editing, compelling characters, and a misunderstood lead – the shark – that’s just waiting to myth-bust the assumptions we have had about it since Jaws came out.
FIN really has everything you might want in a movie-watching experience. It’s educational yet not preachy, factual yet also heartwarming and it is certainly visually pleasing.
However, the true beauty of this film lies with how real it feels and how necessary it is.
So, if you want to learn more about the misunderstood creatures that are sharks and the threats they are facing right now, make every day your Shark Week and go check out FIN. I don’t think you will regret it!
You can watch FIN now on discovery+!