You know how irritating it is, when watching a horror movie, you have to wait an awful long time before something significant or even remotely horrific happens? Tension building is a good thing, but depending on the type of movie you rented, you sometimes just want to see blood and carnage, like it's illustrated on the DVD cover and the stills on the back of the box. Well, "Psycho Shark" brings this sentiment of annoyance to a whole brand new dimension
Please, if you're not familiar with this title, I invite you to perform a search via Google Images and have a good look at the poster image. You will most likely encounter a poster of a shark emerging with wide open jaws, ready to swallow a victim in bikini, as well as stills from a ridiculous over-sized shark practically eating an entire wharf. Looks pretty cool, doesn't it? The painful truth, however, is that all these images are a bunch of shenanigans. "Psycho Shark", or "Jaws in Japan" as it is also known, isn't about raging sharks at all. More than an hour of this already relatively short movie centers on two beautiful and (very) young girls on vacation. The girls have fun and film each other in their too tight bikinis while a sinister young man observes them from a distance. For you see, the shark in the title is probably symbolic as we're dealing with a pervert with a little plastic shark on his key ring. Lame! Until suddenly and completely out of the blue, two minutes before the ending, the worst computer engineered fake shark in the history of bad horror cinema emerges from the water. The few courageous viewers who managed to last this long will be amazed at how awful the digital shark looks. I bet director John Hijiri has a profound explanation about the psychological depth and metaphors hidden in his film, but quite frankly I don't think anyone cares. When people rent a film with a bloodthirsty shark on the cover, they want to see just that!
18 Reviews
Homemade garbage
kiwigoldfish15 January 2013
What can I say about this? It starts like a found footage film, dipping into what could almost be an homage to The Ring. Then loses its way even more. We are subjected to repeated footage and aimless progression towards the inevitable "shark" attack. I don't know if the dialogue was as trite and as forced in the original Japanese as it is in the subtitles, but it's pretty dire.
I can only assume this is someone's backyard attempt at a new take on Jaws. As such, it's probably fine if the intent was to show his mates over a few beers.
If you're going to watch it, I suggest getting the DVD so at least you'll get a nice coaster for your troubles.
I can only assume this is someone's backyard attempt at a new take on Jaws. As such, it's probably fine if the intent was to show his mates over a few beers.
If you're going to watch it, I suggest getting the DVD so at least you'll get a nice coaster for your troubles.
One of, if not the very worst shark movies ever
knifeintheeye26 May 2011
Wow
what a dud.
A word of advice to filmmakers if you have a movie that features many well endowed bikini clad Japanese girls and a script with a bizarre shark cult and a real big shark show the shark for more than five seconds and show some freaking t&a!
What a colossal bore overall. By reusing the same found footage over and over, you may have helped the running time, but not the viewers enjoyment. The viewer will be hard pressed not to use the fast forward button to get to the "action" scenes or scenes that they think may carry some weight or gravity to further the razor thin storyline.
All that being said, the Free Willy moment at the end was a laugh inducer.
A word of advice to filmmakers if you have a movie that features many well endowed bikini clad Japanese girls and a script with a bizarre shark cult and a real big shark show the shark for more than five seconds and show some freaking t&a!
What a colossal bore overall. By reusing the same found footage over and over, you may have helped the running time, but not the viewers enjoyment. The viewer will be hard pressed not to use the fast forward button to get to the "action" scenes or scenes that they think may carry some weight or gravity to further the razor thin storyline.
All that being said, the Free Willy moment at the end was a laugh inducer.
Makes 'Cruel Jaws' Look Like 'Jaws'
chow91327 March 2015
Just to clarify. The film has a running time of one hour and six minutes, which is set entirely on land. Not an exaggeration, just a fact. This should warn you how little shark action there is. NONE!
This film is based on the false premise that even a bad 'Jaws' rip off is still a 'Jaws' rip off. How hard can it be? All you need is a giant killer shark eating people. Cut, print!
After seeing over 30 sharkxploitation films I know this isn't true. 'Jaws' rip offs can be bad. Really really really bad!!! Like 'Cruel Jaws' or 'The Last Shark.' This one takes the prize.
It's more a rip off of 'Paranormal Inactivity' than it is 'Jaws.' Hence it's really really bad. It's a "found footage" film of girls on vacation filming themselves. So it's not as painful as 'Paranormal Activity' because they're speaking Japanese so the characters are less annoying.
Scary music plays when the girls are either taking a shower or alone in their hotel rooms. Begging the question, who's filming this? Why is scary music playing? The killer isn't Jason, it's a shark. The shark isn't going to break into their hotel room! We know this!
This might actually have made sense of the girls were out on a yacht where the shark could attack them. But chartering a boat would require actual money from the film makers.
The rest of the film is also ON LAND! The first rule of a sharkxploitation film is to get your characters out on the water where they can be eaten! The shark can't come ashore!
The supposed "action" scenes are also on LAND! That's right. They're in three feet of water on the beach when the shark shows up! This isn't scary! They can walk away! A great white can't get you in three feet of water! This isn't scary!
Just to clarify. The film has a running time of one hour and six minutes, which is set entirely on land! Not an exaggeration, just a fact. This should warn you how little action there is.
At least the film does barrow from 'Baywatch's success. Silicone, silicone, and even more silicone! This is exploited for all it's worth with tons of scenes of the girls jumping up and down screaming for help and even a scene where a knife is held by cleavage. Yes, they're all Japanese girls which makes this even funnier.
Don't watch this film!
This film is based on the false premise that even a bad 'Jaws' rip off is still a 'Jaws' rip off. How hard can it be? All you need is a giant killer shark eating people. Cut, print!
After seeing over 30 sharkxploitation films I know this isn't true. 'Jaws' rip offs can be bad. Really really really bad!!! Like 'Cruel Jaws' or 'The Last Shark.' This one takes the prize.
It's more a rip off of 'Paranormal Inactivity' than it is 'Jaws.' Hence it's really really bad. It's a "found footage" film of girls on vacation filming themselves. So it's not as painful as 'Paranormal Activity' because they're speaking Japanese so the characters are less annoying.
Scary music plays when the girls are either taking a shower or alone in their hotel rooms. Begging the question, who's filming this? Why is scary music playing? The killer isn't Jason, it's a shark. The shark isn't going to break into their hotel room! We know this!
This might actually have made sense of the girls were out on a yacht where the shark could attack them. But chartering a boat would require actual money from the film makers.
The rest of the film is also ON LAND! The first rule of a sharkxploitation film is to get your characters out on the water where they can be eaten! The shark can't come ashore!
The supposed "action" scenes are also on LAND! That's right. They're in three feet of water on the beach when the shark shows up! This isn't scary! They can walk away! A great white can't get you in three feet of water! This isn't scary!
Just to clarify. The film has a running time of one hour and six minutes, which is set entirely on land! Not an exaggeration, just a fact. This should warn you how little action there is.
At least the film does barrow from 'Baywatch's success. Silicone, silicone, and even more silicone! This is exploited for all it's worth with tons of scenes of the girls jumping up and down screaming for help and even a scene where a knife is held by cleavage. Yes, they're all Japanese girls which makes this even funnier.
Don't watch this film!
But the girls are pretty
tjantus12 October 2011
I don't know about you, but I always enjoy seeing pretty girls on vacation, giggling and posing for the camera in their bikinis. Maybe that's just me, though. Lots of suspense, not much horror, although the evil psycho "shark" is very wicked indeed. And it's a shame the cuties have their vacation spoiled. It just goes to show that if you're going to plan a trip to an exotic local, you really should make reservations and know where it is you are going.
All in all, this movie seemed a lot longer than it was, since nothing much really happened until the very end. And it was odd that those bikini tops never even came off; that might have livened things up a bit.
All in all, this movie seemed a lot longer than it was, since nothing much really happened until the very end. And it was odd that those bikini tops never even came off; that might have livened things up a bit.
Complete pants
inolanzombie18 December 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I wish i could give this movie less. It does not warrant a 'so bad its good' award either, its just total muck. Pretty girls go to the beach, and talk...a lot. Some shady guys seem to be up to no good, but we never really find out much about whats going on. Pretty girls take lots of showers, in their bikini's.
The End
Oh OK so its not the end, but chances are you wont make it to the end. If you do you will get to see the 'Shark' in the title. It makes the syfi movies cgi look like the matrix and its on camera in the whole film for about 15 seconds max.
ZZZZ Shark
The End
Oh OK so its not the end, but chances are you wont make it to the end. If you do you will get to see the 'Shark' in the title. It makes the syfi movies cgi look like the matrix and its on camera in the whole film for about 15 seconds max.
ZZZZ Shark
One of the worst films I've ever seen.
Sleepin_Dragon24 January 2018
If you watch this pile of Crap I promise you'll be annoyed, annoyed that you allowed yourself watch an hour of this so called movie. I can't genuinely think of a positive thing to say, aside from the interesting opening scenery which shows a little bit of imagination. The acting is terrible, the Shark isn't what you'd expect. I understand they ran into some legal problems for using the Jaws name, this would even tarnish Jaws the Revenge, if you're looking for some Shark thrills watch Sharknado instead, this makes it look like Jaws. Horrific hour of my life wasted.
Awful on All Levels
Michael_Elliott3 October 2016
JAWS IN JAPAN (2009)
BOMB (out of 4)
Miki and Mai are on vacation when they go back to the home of a strange man when even stranger things begin to happen.
JAWS IN JAPAN also goes by the title PSYCHO SHARK but no matter what you call it the film is a complete dud that lacks anything good. Well, let me take that back. Both Nonami Takizawa and Airi Nakajima do a good job in their roles as the annoying girl but everything else is pretty awful from start to finish.
The biggest problem is that nothing here makes too much sense. At times there's weird video footage of the friends, which makes you wonder if it's going for THE RING type of rip-off. There's a shower scene, which I'm guessing is meant towards PSYCHO. Then there's the god-awful looking shark that finally shows up. None of it makes any sense and even worse is the fact that this lasts just 69-minutes.
Be on the look out for the shower sequences where it appears the actresses didn't want to be nude so they re-enact the shower motions with their bathing suits on.
BOMB (out of 4)
Miki and Mai are on vacation when they go back to the home of a strange man when even stranger things begin to happen.
JAWS IN JAPAN also goes by the title PSYCHO SHARK but no matter what you call it the film is a complete dud that lacks anything good. Well, let me take that back. Both Nonami Takizawa and Airi Nakajima do a good job in their roles as the annoying girl but everything else is pretty awful from start to finish.
The biggest problem is that nothing here makes too much sense. At times there's weird video footage of the friends, which makes you wonder if it's going for THE RING type of rip-off. There's a shower scene, which I'm guessing is meant towards PSYCHO. Then there's the god-awful looking shark that finally shows up. None of it makes any sense and even worse is the fact that this lasts just 69-minutes.
Be on the look out for the shower sequences where it appears the actresses didn't want to be nude so they re-enact the shower motions with their bathing suits on.
One of the worst movies I've seen but not in a particularly frustrating way.
ofpsmith2 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I had heard of this movie for the first time about 5 or 6 years ago as one of the many examples of the shark movie subgenre that has seemingly existed ever since Jaws so as to ride off of that film's success, not realizing that in order for the film in question to be as successful as Jaws it needs to be as good as Jaws, which these movies mostly all fail at. It wasn't until I watched the I Hate Everything: The Search for the Worst video which covered this film and 3 others (a video I highly recommend you check out by the way) that my knowledge of Jaws In Japan or Psycho Shark was deepened anymore than that. I was somewhat surprised at his declaration that the film was the absolute worst he has ever seen, giving the film the coveted spot of "worst" for a time before being overtaken by Disaster Movie. Naturally then, I had to watch the film for myself. While I wouldn't call Jaws in Japan the worst film I've ever seen there are several reasons why it deserves the negative reception. First and foremost is how boring and forgettable it is. Nothing happens throughout a good portion of the movie. While marketed as a shark movie the shark appears in a total of 2 scenes, one of which is a dream sequence so it doesn't count. The only time the shark actually shows up is at the very end. This film is almost entirely filler of girls talking, frolicking on the beach, giggling, and showing off for the camera (nothing explicit happens but it has a very creepy and sleazy feel to it). One thing that bugged me probably more than it should have is the inconsistent narrative structure. The film is very loosely structured around this girl in a hotel room who's watching footage of other girls who have stayed there, sort of like found footage. What doesn't make sense to me is that the people she's watching also watch the same type of footage while they're staying there, so it almost implies that it's found footage of found footage. What confuses me more is the lack of any transition between a hand held camera and a traditional viewpoint in a way that's coherent, and also that the entire thing wasn't in a found footage like set up. I know that probably sounds confusing and you're probably wondering what I'm talking about, but that's my point. It's a cheap shark movie. It shouldn't be this hard to follow. That's all I really have to say.
Trashy shot-on-video horror from Japan
Leofwine_draca25 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I watched this under the title PSYCHO SHARK although JAWS IN JAPAN is just as appropriate. Shark lovers beware, there's a CGI shark in this but it only appears for a few seconds due to the lack of budget and, yes, the special effects are pretty dreadful.
In all other respects this is no different from the shot-on-video indie trash that American film-lovers have been churning out for years. The plot is about a bunch of bikini-clad girls who visit a beach resort only to mysteriously disappear one by one. An unseen killer is at hand, bumping them off one at a time, but the level of incident is very low. The PSYCHO bit comes from a shower murder featuring the odd sight of girls in bikinis showering, due to this film's no-nudity policy.
The acting isn't of the worst standard but the writing is; for a film which clocks in at under 70 minutes in length, there's a heck of a lot of padding here. Most of it consists of close-ups of cleavage and various bikini footage, mostly from the top heavy model Nonami Takizawa who is very pretty. In the end, though, this is nothing other than a trashy bore.
In all other respects this is no different from the shot-on-video indie trash that American film-lovers have been churning out for years. The plot is about a bunch of bikini-clad girls who visit a beach resort only to mysteriously disappear one by one. An unseen killer is at hand, bumping them off one at a time, but the level of incident is very low. The PSYCHO bit comes from a shower murder featuring the odd sight of girls in bikinis showering, due to this film's no-nudity policy.
The acting isn't of the worst standard but the writing is; for a film which clocks in at under 70 minutes in length, there's a heck of a lot of padding here. Most of it consists of close-ups of cleavage and various bikini footage, mostly from the top heavy model Nonami Takizawa who is very pretty. In the end, though, this is nothing other than a trashy bore.
Crappy pooh pooh monster movie.
jacobjohntaylor111 March 2017
This is an awful movie. It is crap. It has an awful story. It has also has a bad acting. It is not scary. The ending is awful. The story is nothing like Jaws. It is very slow and boring. If you what to get scared see Jaws. Jaws 2 is also a very scary movie. Jaws 3 is also very scary. This is not scary. Do not waste your time. Do not waste your money do not see this awful movie. This one of the worst horror movies of all time. If you what to see something really scary see Jaws the revenge. Also Godzilla is a very scary movie. Godzilla raids again is also very scary. But this is just a pile of pooh pooh.
Sexy and violent movie
jacob_proper16 May 2019
The movie has a lot of bikinis and blood anyway have a man eating shark devouring hot girls ended the bishonen was a Lady killer in the movie which this was having a bishonen and cross between psycho and jaws in the movie had no relation to the 70s movie of the same name
More Psycho than Shark
tropicano-794-5043626 December 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Even though this movie's title may suggest otherwise, as does its alternative title "Jaws in Japan", this movie is much more a psychological thriller than a hardcore, fully-fanged shark flick.
A substantial percentage is hand-made home-video-style footage, shaking and out-of-control camera and all. This is offset though by the quiet shots in between, and the slowness of how the rather minimal plot is built up. Not that I've found it the least bit boring though -- plenty of bikini girl, and tension rises throughout until the climax at the end, which it let's say quite something in its own right again.
Recommended !
A substantial percentage is hand-made home-video-style footage, shaking and out-of-control camera and all. This is offset though by the quiet shots in between, and the slowness of how the rather minimal plot is built up. Not that I've found it the least bit boring though -- plenty of bikini girl, and tension rises throughout until the climax at the end, which it let's say quite something in its own right again.
Recommended !
So bored in your hotel room you watch video footage you just shot on the beach
imagevulture10 May 2020
JAWS IN JAPAN (PSYCHO SHARK) While America has produced 100's of killer shark B-movies Asia surprisingly hasn't. Shark attacks are actually very rare in Japan and this is the only J-shark movie I've been able to find.
Have you ever wanted to watch a film that captures that feeling of boredom of sitting, sleeping in a hotel room with nothing to do? Then this movie is for you! Unfortunately for most who seek out this movie they weren't searching for an Asian or Euro Art film. NO they came for a shark film. And if it weren't for the title you'd be forgiven to think you were watching an incompetent J-horror found footage film, a student film attempt a psychological thriller OR more likely you'd think you were just watching someones raw video footage of their Okinawa beach vacation.
The protagonists are two young women on vacation in Okinawa. They aren't your scrawny Japanese types but full bodied, vivacious women. They're hard to distinguish from each other as they both have similar facial features, body types and long hair. Even tho there's lots of scenes of them bantering with each other we learn nothing about them and we're given no distinct personality traits to tell them apart. Tho we do get lots of cleavage shots.
All the scenes last way too long - with no story points or plot and many scenes are repeated adding more padding to the movie. Most of the movie is video 'found footage' but the movie also switches to locked off omnipresent-view shots. 30 minutes in nothing much happens, it's honestly like watching someones unedited vacation footage. There is a serial killer Psycho POV type shower scene (is it a land shark? the spirit of the shark?). About 36 min we finally see a bad CG shark fin indicating that indeed this is supposed to be a shark movie (filmmakers using VFX pay attention to EYELINE! Where is your actor looking at)
One of the main characters then spends much of her time watching a video tape she finds in the room and in RINGU like scenes watches another group of young Japanese beach vacationers who also become main characters - tho none of the characters are given any personality traits.
The women are seduced by a young local guy named Kenji and we are hinted this has something to do with a shark. Watch out for those charming local beach boys! There's some evil afoot but did the filmmakers really want to make a shark movie?
At 1 hour 10 min JAWS IN JAPAN could prob be re-cut into an artsy 5 min psychological thriller short.
Have you ever wanted to watch a film that captures that feeling of boredom of sitting, sleeping in a hotel room with nothing to do? Then this movie is for you! Unfortunately for most who seek out this movie they weren't searching for an Asian or Euro Art film. NO they came for a shark film. And if it weren't for the title you'd be forgiven to think you were watching an incompetent J-horror found footage film, a student film attempt a psychological thriller OR more likely you'd think you were just watching someones raw video footage of their Okinawa beach vacation.
The protagonists are two young women on vacation in Okinawa. They aren't your scrawny Japanese types but full bodied, vivacious women. They're hard to distinguish from each other as they both have similar facial features, body types and long hair. Even tho there's lots of scenes of them bantering with each other we learn nothing about them and we're given no distinct personality traits to tell them apart. Tho we do get lots of cleavage shots.
All the scenes last way too long - with no story points or plot and many scenes are repeated adding more padding to the movie. Most of the movie is video 'found footage' but the movie also switches to locked off omnipresent-view shots. 30 minutes in nothing much happens, it's honestly like watching someones unedited vacation footage. There is a serial killer Psycho POV type shower scene (is it a land shark? the spirit of the shark?). About 36 min we finally see a bad CG shark fin indicating that indeed this is supposed to be a shark movie (filmmakers using VFX pay attention to EYELINE! Where is your actor looking at)
One of the main characters then spends much of her time watching a video tape she finds in the room and in RINGU like scenes watches another group of young Japanese beach vacationers who also become main characters - tho none of the characters are given any personality traits.
The women are seduced by a young local guy named Kenji and we are hinted this has something to do with a shark. Watch out for those charming local beach boys! There's some evil afoot but did the filmmakers really want to make a shark movie?
At 1 hour 10 min JAWS IN JAPAN could prob be re-cut into an artsy 5 min psychological thriller short.
Young, Japanese Women Frolicking in Their Bikinis
Uriah432 December 2015
This movie begins with three young, Japanese women frolicking in their bikinis on a beach in Okinawa and recording everything on a video recorder. One month later two other Japanese women travel to the same beach and they are also given a free video recorder while they are staying at the same small hotel. Anyway, as the story evolves, one of the young ladies by the name of "Mai" (Ari Nakajima) develops a crush on one of the local men which leaves her companion, "Miki" (Nonami Takizawa) all by herself while Mai strolls on the beach with her new boyfriend. As luck would have it, Miki discovers a video tape of the three ladies mentioned earlier and while watching it she begins to see certain things not meant for public viewing. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film had a number of flaws which really affected the overall quality of the movie. To be more specific, the acting, camera work, dialogue, special effects and just about everything else was quite bad. As a matter of fact, about the only good thing going for this movie was the presence of the five young ladies mentioned earlier who were all quite cute. But even so, none of them could have possibly saved this film from the major flaws listed previously
Extremely uncomfortable to watch
chazzarb14 June 2019
I have watched a lot of shark films, and the vast majority of them are terrible, but this is something else. Jaws in Japan exists only to show a series of creepy scenes of bikini-clad women, that is loosely joined together with an nonsensical shark monster plot. What sets this film apart from all the other shark rubbish is how creepy it and how extremely uncomfortable it is to watch. At numerous times the women look extremely uncomfortable and kind of seem like they are being filmed against their will.
The only redeeming feature of this awful thing is how bad the monster shark looks. It only appears once at the end of the film, and looks spectacularly bad. You can watch this bit for free on YouTube if your curious. Other than that, do not watch this dreadful film.
The only redeeming quality is the fanservice.
Ai-Fan7 November 2019
But aside from the bikinigirls who appear in this B-movie (pun intended), it's a bad film. The plot (if you can call this so) is confusing, they use lots of padding, sound quality is low and so is the picture in the "homemovie within a movie" scenes, which add more confusing elements.
i cant with this movie
ch3wie24 February 2021
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