Depending on who you ask, Ocean Ramsey is either a serious marine conservationist with an unorthodox approach or a crazy woman and self-aggrandizer who risks her life for online clicks and likes. Netflix’s new documentary—co-directed by Harrison Macks, James Reed (My Octopus Teacher), and JT Stiles—lets you decide for yourself.
Whether you’re ultimately for or against what Ramsey’s doing, there’s no denying this is a remarkably beautiful film with incredible underwater camera work. Ramsey trained herself to hold her breath for more than six minutes so she could swim with sharks without disturbing them with bulky, noisy, scuba gear. Much of the controversy surrounding her activism centers on photos she posts of swimming with sharks in revealing swimsuits, but she argues that the photos draw attention to her activism to protect dwindling shark populations.
The documentary explores horrors like the practice of shark finning, but it also explores Ramsey’s long fight to get Hawaii House Bill 553 passed to protect sharks. I was worried this film might go in the direction of Grizzly Man—the 2005 documentary about grizzly bear activist Timothy Treadwell, killed by grizzlies in 2003—but Ramsey seems to have a deep understanding of shark behavior. (90 min.)
—Glen Starkey
This article appears in Aug 7-17, 2025.