Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
    Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 But Why Tho 10

    Spider-Man Is Coming To Magic And It’s Just Like The Comics

    08/29/2025
    Star Wars Visions Volume 3 Black

    ‘Black’ Sets The Tone For A Bold New Mixtape In ‘Star Wars Visions: Volume 3’

    08/28/2025
    Olivia Colman in The Roses

    ‘The Roses’ Is A Reimagining, Not A Remake, And That’s Why It Works So Well

    08/27/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘Harpoon’ Shoots Straight Into My Horror Heart

REVIEW: ‘Harpoon’ Shoots Straight Into My Horror Heart

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez01/24/20203 Mins ReadUpdated:04/09/2023
Harpoon - But Why Tho
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Harpoon - But Why Tho

Harpoon was one of Rotten Tomatoes’ top horror films of 2019. Now available on Showtime and VoD, I thought it was time I rectified the fact I had not seen it since it was one of the ones I missed last year. And boy, it did not disappoint. If you’re unfamiliar with this little indie that could, Harpoon is bloody, fun, and the actors deliver some great tension-filled performances that get the worst of what friendship can get to when paranoia and relationships are at play.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Written and directed by Rob Grant, Harpoon is a psychological horror-comedy that is really a survival movie about a bad relationship. In the film, narrator Brett Gelman sets up the story that ominously reveals rivalries, dark secrets, and sexual tensions when three best friends find themselves stranded on a yacht in the middle of the ocean instead of celebrating one of their birthdays. What begins as anger at realizing his best friend Jonah (Munro Chambers) and girlfriend Sasha (Emily Tyra) slept together, Richard (Christopher Gray) loses it, and then everyone else does too.

But with plenty of alcohol and very little food and water, delusions become a reality for each of the friends tries to not only survive but not kill each other — well only after they attempted it first. As the days stretch on and death seems inevitable the truths about their lives reveal themselves and it’s apparent that none of them really knew each other anyway. The hour and the 22-minute film is claustrophobic, dark, funny, and above all else revelatory of what secrets lurk under the shiny surface of friendship.

With a small cast, Harpoon focuses on human horror and how we unravel when the bonds we make with people we see as close fall apart. Chambers, Tyra, and Gray are phenomenal in their roles; they’re crazed, sane, rational, angry, and terrified throughout the film. With nothing to distract the audience from their performances, they carry the film with ease. Their relationships are uncomfortable to watch and their decisions are frustrating to see unfold. Harpoon’s premise is simple, but their performances are anything but.

Additionally, while the cast reels you in with their performances that drive the horror, the narrator adds the comedy, mapping out how the trio has done nearly every single bad luck action they could have done when boarding the yacht. The narrator is the through-line that brings Harpoon together and separates it from other survival horror films in the genre.

Given that the film is so simplistic and not at all in a bad way, I don’t want to go into much more about its plots or its characters because Harpoon is a film that absolutely needs to be experienced. While there are some weird dialogue choices, the chemistry between the cast, the practical effects, and the twist is extremely formulated and executed. Now that Harpoon is on VoD and Showtime, it’s time to make it a Friday night fright for you and your friends. It’s a short watch that packs a lot of punch, in truth, Harpoon shot straight into the center of my horror heart.

Harpoon is currently streaming now on Prime Video.

Harpoon
  • 9.5/10
    Rating - 9.5/10
9.5/10

TL;DR

Now that Harpoon is on VoD and Showtime it’s time to make it a Friday night fright for you and your friends. It’s a short watch that packs a lot of punch, in truth, Harpoon shot straight into the center of my horror heart.

  • Watch Now on Prime Video with Our Affiliate Link

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Star Trek: Picard,’ Episode 1 – Remembrance
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Heartbeat,’ Issue #3
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

Choi Gyu-ri, Shin Eun-Soo in Love Untangled
7.5

REVIEW: ‘Love Untangled’ Is Just Adorable

08/31/2025
Austin Butler in Caught Stealing
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Caught Stealing’ Marks An Exciting Pivot for Darren Aronofsky

08/27/2025
Margaret Qualley stars as Honey O' Donahue in the film Honey Don't
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Honey Don’t!’ Is A Genius Work Of Subversion And Fantasy Fulfillment

08/25/2025
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Roses But Why Tho
5.0

 REVIEW: ‘The Roses’ Lacks A Thorny Edge

08/25/2025
Mert Ramazan Demir in Abandoned Man
6.5

REVIEW: ‘Abandoned Man’ Lacks Depth In Its Take On Betrayal

08/22/2025
Ne Zha 2 promotional still from a24
10.0

REVIEW: ‘Ne Zha 2’ Is One Of The Most Epic Feats Of Animation

08/21/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Cosmic Spider-Man card details Features

[EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

By Kate Sánchez09/02/2025Updated:09/02/2025

An exclusive look at a new 5-Color Spider entering Magic: The Gathering’s Spider-Man set, and Cosmic Spider-Man is going to be a tough one to take on.

Hololive EN at Radio City Music Hall Events

Hololive EN At Radio City Music Hall Was A Pure Expression Of Fandom

By Adrian Ruiz08/31/2025Updated:09/03/2025

Hololive EN turned Radio City in New York City into the pure expression of fandom: chants, penlights, and community in perfect sync.

Karl Anthony Towns in NBA 2k26 But Why Tho
8.5
PS5

REVIEW: ‘NBA 2K26’ Brings Basketball To Life

By Kyle Foley09/03/2025

NBA 2K26 combines improved visuals with some important tweaks to keep the series feeling fresh in the latest yearly release.

Cronos: The New Dawn Nest
8.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Cronos: The New Dawn’ Does Post-Apocalyptic Psychological Horror Right

By Mick Abrahamson09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

While not particularly sacry, Cronos: The New Dawn is a lot of fun as a survival horror that puts you in the futuristic armor of the Traveler.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here