After the Bite is a 2023 American documentary film directed and produced by Ivy Meeropol. It follows the local community of Cape Cod, as they grapple with the alarming amount of sharks being spotted, while investigating the science behind it.
| After the Bite | |
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 Official poster | |
| Directed by | Ivy Meeropol |
| Produced by |
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| Cinematography |
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| Edited by | Seth Bornse |
| Music by | Morgan Visconti |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | HBO |
Release dates |
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Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
It had its world premiere at the Provincetown International Film Festival on June 15, 2023, and was released on July 26, 2023, by HBO.
Plot
editFollowing the death of young man at a local beach in Cape Cod, the local community and vacationers grapple with the amount of rising shark spottings while local scientists and researchers investigate the reason for their appearance. Lisa Sette, Greg Skomal, Meg Winton, Alec Wilkinson and Crocker Snow appear in the film.[1]
Production
editFollowing the death of a young man at a local beach in Cape Cod, Ivy Meeropol was aware and noticing the changes and effects with sharks in the community, having the idea for a film.[2] Meeropol followed fishermen, researchers and lifeguards.[3] Meeropol, cinematographers Stephen T. Maing and Soren Nielsen would go out shooting in the water with fishermen, with the chance they wouldn't capture anything. Maing used an underwater GoPro on a stick to capture footage of sharks, seals, and fish.[4] Meeropol was unable to obtain permits to film researchers at work, researcher Milton Levin contributed footage of seals.[5] During post-production, Meeropol picked subjects who were essential to moving the story along, with some subjects being cut.[6]
In May 2021, it was announced Meeropol would direct the film, with HBO Documentary Films producing, and HBO distributing.[7]
Release
editThe film had its world premiere at the Provincetown International Film Festival on June 15, 2023.[8][9] It also screened at the Nantucket Film Festival on June 22, 2023.[10][11] It was released on July 26, 2023, by HBO.[12]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 6 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.40/10.[13] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 70 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[14]
Nick Allan of Roger Ebert gave the film a three and a half out of four stars, writing: "An impressive tapestry of conflicting perspectives—man and animal—that's far more entertaining and insightful than your average Shark Week fare."[15] Chase Hutchinson of Collider gave the film a B+, writing: "Through the eyes of a Cape Cod community where disaster strikes, director Ivy Meeropol gently moves beyond the spectacle that defines the history of sharks to immerse us further in their world while grappling with many pressing questions on the journey."[16]
References
edit- ^ "HBO Original Documentary AFTER THE BITE Debuts July 26". Warner Bros. Discovery. July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Schaefer, Stephen (July 26, 2023). "HBO's 'After the Bite' spotlights Cape Cod's shark scene". Boston Herald. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Sobey, Rick (June 2, 2023). "Cape Cod shark documentary 'After The Bite' will stream on HBO Max this summer: 'We can find ways to coexist'". Boston Herald. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Saito, Stephen (July 26, 2023). "Ivy Meeropol on the Confronting the Complexities of Coexistence in "After the Bite"". The Moveable Fest. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Zarra Aldrich, Anna (July 19, 2023). "UConn Researcher Gets a Bite of Upcoming Documentary". University of Connecticut. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Rooney, Alison (July 21, 2023). "The Shark Attack That Changed Everything". The Highlands Current. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Pederson, Erik (May 27, 2021). "Pic About Great White Shark Surge Off Cape Cod Lurking At HBO Documentary Films; Ivy Meeropol Directing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ "After the Bite". Provincetown International Film Festival. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ M. Alvin, Rebecca (June 13, 2023). "Beyond the Postcard". Provincetown Magazine. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ "After the Bite". Nantucket Film Festival. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Lidner, Larry (May 26, 2023). "Taking the Bate". Nantucket Magazine. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (July 18, 2023). "HBO's 'After the Bite' Is a Smart Doc Complement to Shark Week — Watch the Trailer". IndieWire. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ "After the Bite". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ^ "After the Bite". Metacritic. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
- ^ Allan, Nick (July 26, 2023). "After the Bite". Roger Ebert. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ Hutchinson, Chase (July 25, 2023). "After the Bite Review". Collider. Retrieved July 27, 2023.