Reviews: Harpoon (2019) Movie Review
- Play Trailer Now! (Report missing/broken?)
- Related: [ Movie Details for Harpoon ]
Subgenres: Psychological, Survival, Thriller, Dangerous Exploration, Isolation, Road Trip, Tourists, Wilderness, Wildlife
Exploring Harpoon (2019) through our review, we cover its story, scares, and how it fits into the broader horror genre landscape.
Harpoon (2019), written and directed by Rob Grant, is a black comedy-thriller that traps its characters — and its audience — in a tightly confined setting and steadily turns up the psychological tension. With sharp writing, pitch-black humor, and a cast of three delightfully awful characters, Harpoon is a viciously fun descent into jealousy, betrayal, and pure, petty chaos.
Harpoon (2019) – Friendship, Fury, and Blood on the Open Sea
Plot, Themes, and Character Development
The story begins with a seemingly simple setup: three best friends head out on a yacht for a day trip to blow off some steam after a violent misunderstanding. There’s Jonah (Munro Chambers), the awkward and broke “nice guy”; Richard (Christopher Gray), the aggressive, short-tempered rich kid; and Sasha (Emily Tyra), Richard’s girlfriend, who’s trying to hold the trio together. But once they’re stranded in the middle of the ocean with no food, no power, and a whole lot of resentment, their friendships unravel into a deadly game of survival.
The film explores themes of toxic friendship, entitlement, class tension, and suppressed rage, all delivered with wicked irony. What starts as a story about a possibly cursed harpoon (yes, there’s a literal one) quickly morphs into a tightly wound character study — revealing how thin the line is between love, hate, and violent desperation.
Each character is messy, flawed, and increasingly unreliable. Jonah’s meek exterior masks deep resentment. Sasha is more manipulative than she appears. Richard is a walking red flag with a yacht. Their interpersonal dynamics are the true engine of the film, and the tension is driven not by outside threats but by their rapidly deteriorating trust in each other.
Acting and Cinematography
Munro Chambers shines in a role that lets him explore a surprising emotional range — from passive victim to full-blown sociopath. Emily Tyra is quietly compelling, bringing complexity and intelligence to Sasha, while Christopher Gray balances rage and insecurity with just the right amount of sleazy charm.
The film is a masterclass in making a single location visually interesting. The confined setting of the yacht never feels static thanks to tight framing, clever blocking, and strategic use of space. The ocean is simultaneously vast and claustrophobic — a perfect metaphor for the boiling emotions trapped onboard.
There’s also a playful visual style at work, often reinforced by the film’s quirky narrator (voiced by Brett Gelman), who provides darkly funny commentary, breaking the fourth wall and giving the story an off-kilter, almost fable-like quality.
Directing Style, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Rob Grant directs with confidence and clarity. The pacing is lean — the film clocks in at a brisk 82 minutes — and there’s no filler. The tension escalates steadily, with each twist feeling earned and timed for maximum impact. His tone walks a fine line between disturbing and hilarious, and while it occasionally veers into the absurd, it never loses its emotional core.
That said, the film won’t be for everyone. Its humor is dark, the characters are deeply unlikable (intentionally so), and the violence, when it comes, is brutal. It’s more Lord of the Flies by way of Heathers than a traditional survival horror. Viewers expecting a straightforward thriller may be thrown off by the film’s irreverent tone and offbeat storytelling style.
Strengths:
Snappy, wickedly smart script full of irony and dark humor
Strong performances from a compact cast
Inventive direction that keeps a single location dynamic
Sharp themes on friendship, class, and jealousy
Unpredictable narrative with effective twists and moral ambiguity
Weaknesses:
Unlikable characters may alienate some viewers
Tonally jarring at times, blending comedy and violence
Brief runtime leaves a few emotional beats underexplored
Quirky narration might not work for everyone
Final Verdict & Score: 7/10
Harpoon is a fast, nasty little thriller that slices through friendship tropes with a smirk and a splash of blood. It’s not just a survival story — it’s a comedy of errors, a character study, and a satire rolled into one tight, tension-filled ride. If you enjoy your horror laced with sarcasm and moral rot, this one’s for you. Short, sharp, and shockingly smart.
Sources Used to Shape This Review
Insights in this review are drawn from director interviews, fan commentary, production notes, and long-form breakdowns across genre-specific platforms. Content is written uniquely and reviewed for accuracy.
- Harpoon Rating Scores
- Our Score: 7/10
- Overall Score: 7.72/10
- MetaCritic: 6.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 9.7/10
Look here for more movies starting with H and here you can find 2019 movies to watch on your favorite streaming service.