The Devil's Mouth, Prime Video's new killer-shark horror film, surprises by grounding its scares in a nuanced study of a codependent friendship rather than relying solely on creature-feature thrills. Directed by Jeff Wadlow and written by Aja Gabel and Myung Joh Wesner, the film follows best friends Max (Lana Condor) and Sara (Kathryn Newton) as long-buried tension resurfaces during a post-university trip to a Thai cave system, shortly before a bull shark is unleashed into the flooded tunnels. The emotional depth elevates it above typical genre fare, even if the shark-attack elements remain fairly conventional.

The screenplay, originally titled Apex and featured on the 2019 Black List, was reworked from a love-triangle plot between frenemies into a story about an overbearing, extroverted "CEO of Fun" (Max) and the quieter friend (Sara) she once helped through her father's death and depression. Sara returns to the caves her late father loved, seeking closure, while Max supports her in her own self-centred way, aided by local guide Wat (Tayme Thapthimthong). The review praises Condor's performance for making Max's contradictions believable and notes the Thai setting is visually striking, though it serves mainly as scenic backdrop rather than integral to the story. The film is streaming now on Prime Video.