The Meg
A disgraced naval diver races to save a trapped submersible crew while hunting a colossal prehistoric shark unleashed from the Mariana Trench.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Moderate
- propulsive
- tense
- spectacular
- summer blockbuster night
- shark movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film to be a polished but formulaic creature feature whose effects and entertaining premise were undermined by muted thrills and generic writing.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The central threat is a supposedly extinct 70-foot megalodon emerging from the Mariana Trench.
Jonas Taylor returns to service after being disgraced for reporting the creature that attacked his vessel.
The film presents a giant shark premise with large-scale effects, international casting, and accessible blockbuster pacing.
The rescue mission and repeated attacks unfold around a disabled submersible, deep-sea facility, and oceanic expedition.
Films like The Meg, and why
Jaws
shared giant marine predator, oceanic peril, suspenseful creature-feature structure, and accessible blockbuster thrills
Deep Blue Sea
shared underwater survival adventure, scientific expedition, and high-stakes confrontation with an enormous sea creature
Jurassic World
shared kaiju-scale animal threat, ensemble action, spectacle-driven storytelling, and ocean rescue mission
The Abyss
shared deep-sea setting, science fiction adventure, monster suspense, and trapped-team survival premise
Movie Details
- Director
- Jon Turteltaub
- Release Date
- 2018-08-08
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (8410)
Cast
- Jason Statham
- Li Bingbing
- Rainn Wilson
- Cliff Curtis
- Ruby Rose
- Jessica McNamee
- Masi Oka
- Winston Chao
- Shuya Sophia Cai
- Page Kennedy
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Meg about?
- A disgraced naval diver races to save a trapped submersible crew while hunting a colossal prehistoric shark unleashed from the Mariana Trench.
- What is The Meg like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Meg as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Meg violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Meg as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Meg?
- Critics broadly found the film to be a polished but formulaic creature feature whose effects and entertaining premise were undermined by muted thrills and generic writing.
- Which films are like The Meg?
- Films with a similar feel include Jaws, Deep Blue Sea, Jurassic World, and The Abyss.
- How long is The Meg?
- The Meg runs 113 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Meg?
- In United States, The Meg streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel.
