Cyclone 1978
"The terror storm was only the beginning... but the SHARKS would be the merciless end"
Cyclone (1978) is a tense, unflinching horror film directed by René Cardona Jr., set against the backdrop of a catastrophic mid-ocean storm that sends a passenger plane crashing into churning waters.
Director: René Cardona Jr.
Cast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cyclone (1978) about?
Cyclone (1978) follows a group of plane crash survivors stranded on a small tour boat in the middle of the ocean after a severe storm. With no food, clean water, or rescue in sight, their desperation pushes them to unthinkable acts to survive, until a swarm of man-eating sharks joins the threat against them.
Who directed Cyclone?
Cyclone (1978) was directed by Mexican genre filmmaker René Cardona Jr., who built a decades-long career crafting gritty, high-stakes horror and action films across Latin American and international cinema.
Who stars in Cyclone?
The film features standout performances from Arthur Kennedy, Carroll Baker, Lionel Stander, Hugo Stiglitz, and Mario Almada, who anchor the film's tense survival narrative with raw, unpolished energy.
Is Cyclone (1978) worth watching?
For fans of unflinching 1970s survival horror, Cyclone (1978) delivers relentless tension and bold, unapologetic thrills that hold up surprisingly well. While its grim premise is unrelentingly dark, its raw performances and high-stakes setup make it a standout entry in the era's creature-feature canon, even without a formal IMDb rating to reference.
How long is Cyclone?
Cyclone (1978) has a total runtime of 118 minutes, or just under two hours of sustained, tense survival horror.
🎥 Trailer
About Cyclone (1978) — Brutal Survival Horror From René Cardona Jr.
Cyclone (1978) is a tense, unflinching horror film directed by René Cardona Jr., set against the backdrop of a catastrophic mid-ocean storm that sends a passenger plane crashing into churning waters. A small handful of survivors scramble aboard a rickety tour boat, only to be swept far from any shore with no rescue in sight, dwindling food supplies, and no access to clean drinking water as the relentless tropical sun beats down on them. Arthur Kennedy, Carroll Baker, Lionel Stander, Hugo Stiglitz, and Mario Almada deliver raw, grounded performances as the group's morale crumbles under the weight of starvation and mounting fear. As their desperation mounts, the survivors are pushed to unthinkable lengths to stay alive, turning to cannibalism as their only remaining option—until rescue planes finally appear on the horizon, bringing a new, even more brutal threat: a swarm of ravenous sharks drawn to the chaos and blood in the water. The film leans into primal, survival-driven horror, exploring how extreme circumstances can strip away societal norms and push people to their absolute limits, all wrapped in a gritty, unrelentingly tense atmosphere that keeps viewers on edge from the opening crash to the final shark attack.