The Meg, released in 2018, is a pure summer blockbuster: there's an all-star cast (led by Jason Statham), a big monster and bloody action sequences that are simultaneously scary, outrageous and hilarious. A pulpy creature feature about a prehistoric shark known as a megalodon that emerges from the deepest section of the Mariana Trench, it was a hit at the box office and a hell of a lot of fun — sidestepping the inevitable Jaws comparisons with its sense of larger-than-life excitement. As actor Rainn Wilson told Exclaim! at the time, "I think this is a little closer to Deep Blue Sea meets Jurassic Park."
Wilson isn't back for the sequel for reasons that will be obvious to anyone who saw the original (spoiler alert!), but Statham returns as the rescue diver Jonas Taylor, who once again heads to the ocean depths. In Meg 2: The Trench, his research time encounters a deep-sea mining operation — which, inevitably, given that this is a Meg move, disturbs some prehistoric sharks. It's a canny commentary on environmentalism and the people who attempt to plunder Earth's resources, as well as being a popcorn romp arriving at the height of summer blockbuster season.
To celebrate the arrival of Meg 2: The Trench — in theatres on August 4 — Exclaim! has compiled a playlist of our favourite oceanic songs about deep-sea predators.
Kicking off the playlist on a very literal note is Montreal horrorcore rapper Backxwash with the searing "BLOOD IN THE WATER" and Jimmy Buffett with the easygoing shark ditty "Fins," plus Weezer borrowing the "Crazy Train" riff for their aquatic adventure banger "Blue Dream."
Some artists convey the menace of ocean predators with whisper-quiet indie folk, as Big Thief do on "Shark Smile" and Alex G achieves with "Big Fish." M. Ward compares a music industry executive to a "Shark" on his folk noir ballad, while Wintersleep add bursts of jagged noise to acoustic balladry on "Orca."
On the more abstract side of things, Fever Ray's instrumental "Bottom of the Ocean" sets a spooky deep-sea vibe without any words, while George Benson's soulful guitar jam "Shark Bite" is a funky spin on the subject matter. Speaking of upbeat fun, we included "Shark in the Water" by V V Brown, "Sharkbait" by Teddy Geiger and "The Shark Fighter!" by the Aquabats! — we took mercy on listeners by not including "Baby Shark."
Hear the playlist below, and be sure to catch Meg 2: The Trench in theatres starting August 4.
Wilson isn't back for the sequel for reasons that will be obvious to anyone who saw the original (spoiler alert!), but Statham returns as the rescue diver Jonas Taylor, who once again heads to the ocean depths. In Meg 2: The Trench, his research time encounters a deep-sea mining operation — which, inevitably, given that this is a Meg move, disturbs some prehistoric sharks. It's a canny commentary on environmentalism and the people who attempt to plunder Earth's resources, as well as being a popcorn romp arriving at the height of summer blockbuster season.
To celebrate the arrival of Meg 2: The Trench — in theatres on August 4 — Exclaim! has compiled a playlist of our favourite oceanic songs about deep-sea predators.
Kicking off the playlist on a very literal note is Montreal horrorcore rapper Backxwash with the searing "BLOOD IN THE WATER" and Jimmy Buffett with the easygoing shark ditty "Fins," plus Weezer borrowing the "Crazy Train" riff for their aquatic adventure banger "Blue Dream."
Some artists convey the menace of ocean predators with whisper-quiet indie folk, as Big Thief do on "Shark Smile" and Alex G achieves with "Big Fish." M. Ward compares a music industry executive to a "Shark" on his folk noir ballad, while Wintersleep add bursts of jagged noise to acoustic balladry on "Orca."
On the more abstract side of things, Fever Ray's instrumental "Bottom of the Ocean" sets a spooky deep-sea vibe without any words, while George Benson's soulful guitar jam "Shark Bite" is a funky spin on the subject matter. Speaking of upbeat fun, we included "Shark in the Water" by V V Brown, "Sharkbait" by Teddy Geiger and "The Shark Fighter!" by the Aquabats! — we took mercy on listeners by not including "Baby Shark."
Hear the playlist below, and be sure to catch Meg 2: The Trench in theatres starting August 4.
