If you thought a standard shark movie was stressful, try adding heavily armed cartel executioners to the mix. Get ready to hold your breath, becauseAbove and Below is turning a routine vacation into an absolute bloodbath.
Directed by action specialist Jesse V. Johnson (Savage Dog) and written by Tony Giordano, this high-octane survival thriller hits theaters on July 29, 2026.
Cocaine, Cages, and Apex Predators
The setup is a classic recipe for vacation disaster. Five friends head out for a thrilling shark dive off the coast of Mexico. Things go south fast when they stumble upon a massive stash of cartel cocaine sitting on the ocean floor. Before they can even process what they’ve found, they are ambushed by the ruthless product owners.
Trapped inside a claustrophobic shark cage, the cartel gives friends Tatiana and Kaley a brutal ultimatum. They must swim down to the seafloor and retrieve the missing bag of drugs, or die. What follows is a relentless, multi-front nightmare. To survive, the girls must navigate a gauntlet of legendary Great White sharks, rapidly dwindling oxygen tanks, and trigger-happy killers waiting above the surface.
A Stacked, International Cast
Above and Below boasts a wildly diverse cast that perfectly blends Hollywood star power with grit. The list includes Laura Marano (The Royal Treatment, Austin & Ally), Antonio Banderas (The Mask of Zorro, Desperado), and Christina Ochoa (A Million Little Things). Timothy V. Murphy (Sons of Anarchy), Louis Mandylor (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), and Jess Liaudin (The Substance) also star in the film from Aura Entertainment.
The film also features a stellar supporting lineup including Diego Llinás, Donncha Tynan (Vikings: Valhalla), Ryan Bertroche (Shameless), Ramiro Alonso, Rodrigo Poisón, and Mario Tardón.
Behind the Scenes
This deep-sea pressure cooker is produced by David Hillary, Carmen Aguado, Manu Vega, and Frank Ariza. The powerhouse executive production team includes Christian Mercuri, Roman Viaris, Ameer Fawaz, and Rene Sorensen. Damon Chung and Maria Gruzintceva serve as co-producers.
Make sure to grab your tickets early, because when Above and Below, from Aura Entertainment, hits theaters on July 29, the ocean is going to turn very, very red.
