An alien ship nears Earth, releasing a probe that slips into the atmosphere and crashes into the Pacific where it is swiftly swallowed by a great white shark. The shark convulses, and within moments the probe imprints a red-lined robotic simulacrum of the ocean predator onto its form. A nearby American nuclear submarine detects the robotic threat in the water, labeling it an unknown hostile entity. The captain orders an attack, but the attack fails in a brutal twist of fate: the shark’s newly enhanced teeth breach the hull and claim all hands aboard.
In Seattle, a viral video of dubious authenticity circulates online, depicting a seaplane being attacked in the harbor. Trish Larson, Alexis Peterman, a television reporter tired of her “wacky weather girl” persona, defies orders and takes her cameraman Louie, Isaac Haig, to Discovery Park to chase a real story. They witness the so-called Roboshark as it invades a coffee shop and consumes a customer who livestreams his own gruesome end. Trish’s story quickly gets hijacked by her colleague Veronica, Laura Dale, while Trish’s husband Rick, Matt Rippy, who supervises at the Seattle public works department, tracks the alien’s progress through the city’s sewers and keeps her informed as Roboshark begins trending online. The Navy steps in, determined to destroy the creature by any means, even if bystanders must pay a price.
Navy SEALs engage Roboshark in the Pacific Place mall. Its metal frame proves resistant, and though the troops slow it, they are ultimately overwhelmed as the creature kills multiple operatives. Trish and Melody capture the confrontation and post the footage to YouTube, driving massive viewership, though many viewers resist believing what they’re seeing. Melody, Trish’s daughter, discovers that Roboshark is following her on Twitter, and she comes to understand that the alien is not acting out of malice but reacting defensively to perceived threats. In a tense moment, the robotic form’s colors shift from its usual aggressive red to a calmer green during a close encounter with Melody.
Desperate to interpret Roboshark’s intent, Trish, Melody, and Louie press Admiral Black, Nigel Barber, arguing that the creature’s actions are protective rather than hostile, but their concerns fall on deaf ears. A powerful tech entrepreneur, Bill Glates, Steve Sires, arrives and attempts to help by communicating with Roboshark via a small quadcopter with the goal of reverse engineering the alien. The plan fails when Roboshark traces the signal back to its source, and Glates is dragged through a park, crying out, > It’s full of stars! The attempt ends in tragedy as he is killed. Veronica’s ambition also proves fatal when she pushes too far for a Peabody Award and meets a deadly fate. A final confrontation unfolds at the Space Needle, where Roboshark intends to use the iconic tower to “phone home,” leading to the Needle’s collapse, Admiral Black’s death, and the disappearance of the alien.
In the aftermath, Rick is reunited with Trish and Melody, and the city begins to recover from the shock of the encounter. Some time later, a woman walking in the park near the wreckage with a small dog notices the animal’s eyes glow red. The closing moment hints that Roboshark’s consciousness has survived, having transferred into the dog and leaving open the possibility that the threat could reemerge in an unexpected form.
> It's full of stars!
