Bait

Directed by Andrea M. Catinella

July 22, 2025 85mHorror

3.53.9

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On their way to a family gathering, mother Angela, father Drew and their kids Lucas and Josie wake up in a dark, ominous basement after a car accident. Trapped with a ravenous creature, caged and hungry for human flesh, they must work together to find a way to escape with their lives. As the family struggles to survive, Angela's brother desperately searches for them, needing to identify their captor and uncover his dark past before it's too late.

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Cast of Bait

Connor Powles
Paul Marlon
Natalie Hughes
Andrew Rolfe
Ingrid Evans
Giselle Parker
Johnny Fleming
Zach Devereux
Lydia Fitzwilliams
Andrea M. CatinellaDirector
Sam GurneyScreenplay
Becca HiraniProducer
Caitlin Rachel MillsProduction Design
Mike MyshkoEditor

Bait Ratings & Reviews

jackmeatAugust 15, 2025
My quick rating - 3.1/10. If you’ve ever wanted to see what happens when a monster movie, a family drama, and a bad driver's ed simulation collide, Bait is here to answer the question nobody asked. The Herring family (yes, that’s their actual name… subtlety died in pre-production) sets off for a family get-together, only to get into a car accident so bizarrely staged it looks like the director borrowed someone’s GoPro and filmed it in their driveway. Instead of airbags, the wreck delivers them straight into a basement of doom, complete with a caged monster and its very committed human zookeeper. From here, you’d expect tension, panic, maybe a little screaming, but the Herrings react to the flesh-eating abomination like it’s just another awkward family dinner guest. “Oh, that’s Gary, the cannibal monster in the corner. Don’t make eye contact, kids.” Watching them sit stone-faced as the creature chews through its victim is almost as unsettling as the creature itself. Almost. To the film’s credit, the monster’s design isn’t half bad—its face has that good old-fashioned “nightmare fuel” quality. The practical effects mostly work, too, though the CGI blood splatters scream, “We only had $49 left in the budget.” The story, meanwhile, didn't exactly keep me on edge. It’s more of a “background noise while folding laundry” experience. The family inside debates how to escape; the family outside searches for their missing sister; and somehow, neither storyline manages to generate much suspense. And then there’s the mysterious overseer, who treats the monster like a pet. Feeding time is his big scene, but don’t expect answers like what the monster is, where it came from, or why anyone thought this script needed a sequel setup. Yeah, yeah, I know what they were alluding to about the creature, but there is never anything to put these pieces together. The only real mystery is why everyone involved seemed so calm about it. Ultimately, Bait is exactly what the poster promises: a B-budget basement creature feature that’s about as scary as a damp sponge. Forgettable, a little goofy, and nowhere near terrifying. But hey, if you’ve ever wanted to watch a family quietly vibe with a hungry monster, here’s your chance. Do I recommend it? Only if you need something to make you appreciate the acting skills in Sharknado.

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