Dustin Ferguson unleashes this Jaws-inspired film that also involved corporate greed featuring some great appearances from genre veterans.

On the shores of Huntington Beach, a new resort is being set to open. However, there have been recent reports of shark attacks on the beach. As the body count piles up, Mayor Robert Clouse Williamson is still intent on keeping the resort open and purposely ignores the warnings. However, his son Kirk wants to find a way to stop the attacks and gets help from expert Dr. Westwin to put an end to the chaos as these sharks seem to have something of a mutation and it makes them more aggressive than ever.

With original titles such as Jaws of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Shark Attack, this Dustin Ferguson film is pretty by the book, but let’s just admit it. If you are a fan of Ferguson’s B-movies, you are going to enjoy this, and this was one I enjoyed thanks to the cast.

You’ve gotten to hand it to horror veteran Brinke Stevens and Vida Ghaffari as they do a good job with their roles of Drs. Brinkman and Ripley. Stevens’ Brinkman is a recurring character in the Ferguson universe while there are small nods to another director and actor in B-movie greatness. Mel Novak’s greedy mayor’s name is “Robert Clouse Williamson”, inspired by the director of Enter the Dragon and Gymkata as well as possibly Fred Williamson. Who knows?

Raymond Vinsik Williams has a bit of a subplot in the lead role of Kirk when he is in a new relationship with Mia Scozzafave’s Rebecca Romaine (great name LOL) and still having to deal with his ex-girlfriend, who clearly has some issues if she has some sidekick with her. There are some great cameos from the likes of Maria Olsen and Dawna Lee Heising, who has a genuine reaction in her scene. The scene has her and adult superstar Alana Evans playing models doing a photoshoot where Evans gives a “money shot” that makes Heising’s character (and the actress) genuinely uncomfortable. The finale leaves it open minded for a possible sequel.

Apex Predators is a fun shark attack movie that makes the most of what it has, even at a low budget, the actors do their best to make it work.

WFG RATING: C+

Wild Eye Releasing and HB Studios present a SoCal Studios production. Director: Dustin Ferguson. Producers: Matthew DiGirolamo and Joe Williamson. Writer: Dustin Ferguson. Cinematography: Chukc Cirino. Editing: Dustin Ferguson.

Cast: Raymond Vinsik Williams, Mia Scozzafave, Brinke Stevens, Vida Ghaffari, Thom Mulligan, Mel Novak, Sheri Davis, Ken May, Shawn C. Phillips, Maria Olsen, Alana Evans, Dawna Lee Heising.