Bad in the Best Way Possible

Thoughts by Jos

In 2021 I got to meet Tommy Wiseau in New Orleans at a screening of “The Room” and it was magical! At that same screening I also got to see the first trailer for Big Shark and I was so excited and couldn’t wait – and yet I did wait, for a long time. It’s now been almost five years and I have finally seen Big Shark and on Tubi of all places. You may be thinking “Tubi is a streaming service, of course it’s on there!” But no, Tommy famously had never streamed any of his work, his films have only ever existed in theaters and on Blu-ray format, so for him to partner with Tubi for the streaming premier of Big Shark, it’s a BIG deal!

Big Shark is a complex film. Is it a disaster movie? Not really.

Is it a rom com? It tries to be.

Is it a creature feature? Sometimes, when they remember to put the shark on the screen!

Big shark opens with a burning building and we are introduced to our main characters, Patrick, Tim and George. They are the heroes of this story even though George disappears constantly throughout the film. Sometime later we learn that a giant shark is causing chaos in the city of New Orleans – and how do we learn this? A boxing champion is recalling his encounter with the shark in a scene I won’t spoil, but boy will it stick with you!

We are then taken on a journey as Patrick (played by Wiseau) is trying to convince everyone around him that the shark is real. Once he convinces people he is joined by his friends and they are told by their bizarre fire chief that they (Patrick, Tim and George) are the only line of defense that NOLA has because the National Guard can’t help them. And the whole time this is happening, Patrick’s girlfriend is always fussing at him and at one point tells him he has a curfew and that if he isn’t home in time she will change the locks on the house?!?!? He’s like “sure thing babe I’ll kill this shake and be home in time I swear!” It’s wild!

The rest of the film takes you on a wild ride that is part shark movie, part party scenes and a whole lot of really bad improv lines. Like seriously, the whole thing is mostly improvised and it’s insane to witness. There’s also more singing in this movie than you would imagine. The craziest part of it all is that it will make you appreciate “The Room” script more because at least there was a script for that!

Overall this movie is a Wiseau fans dream come true. It’s bad in the best way possible and so incredibly funny. I hope that someone reads this and decides to watch it and that this is their introduction to Tommy Wiseau. And if that’s the case, then please go watch The Room next and you can thank me later!