#creature-feature

#creature-feature

Marine researcher Johanne (Sara Khorami, cementing her Norwegian creature-feature credentials after Troll 2) is summoned to the Sognefjord after reports of mass salmon strandings. Her first port of call is the local fish farm run by Erik (Mikkel Bratt Silset), an old flame with whom she developed sonic delousing pods now used to keep the pens clean. But in a bid to impress Japanese investors, owner Avaldsnes (yvind Brandtzg) has cranked the tech up to the max, harshing the vibe not just for the wild salmon but the fjord's deep denizen too.

Anything can happen on the open road at night. One minute, you're staring through a bug-speckled windshield following the hazy glow of your headlights and a handful of reflective guidelines into an infinite black expanse. The next, you're standing ankle-deep in the mud beside a dead vehicle (or deer, if you're on the east coast) just desperately trying to get a call through to your mechanic... and maybe mom.

It's a good thing Anaconda isn't meant to be a horror movie, because the few times it tries for such moments, it's not great at it. The first reveal of the titular giant snake feels like an afterthought. The jump scares, while certainly startling in the moment, are pretty well-telegraphed in advance. However, the end result is a movie far less scary than its campy 1997 predecessor, but far funnier - on purpose.