| 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 |
After the Bite is a 2023 Americandocumentary film directed and produced byIvy Meeropol. It follows the local community ofCape Cod, as they grapple with the alarming amount ofsharks being spotted, while investigating the science behind it.
It had its world premiere at theProvincetown International Film Festival on June 15, 2023, and was released on July 26, 2023, byHBO.
Following the death of young man at a local beach inCape Cod, the local community and vacationers grapple with the amount of risingshark 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]
Following the death of a young man at a local beach inCape Cod,Ivy Meeropol was aware and noticing the changes and effects withsharks in the community, having the idea for a film.[2] Meeropol followed fishermen, researchers and lifeguards.[3] Meeropol, cinematographersStephen 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 underwaterGoPro 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, withHBO Documentary Films producing, andHBO distributing.[7]
The film had its world premiere at theProvincetown International Film Festival on June 15, 2023.[8][9] It also screened at theNantucket Film Festival on June 22, 2023.[10][11] It was released on July 26, 2023, byHBO.[12]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes,100% of 6 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.40/10.[13]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 70 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[14]
Nick Allan ofRoger 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 ofCollider 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]