What happens when you combine the raw thrill of shark movies with a dash of Silence of the Lambs? You get a pretty solid flick called Dangerous Animals.
Dangerous Animals
Directed By: Sean Byrne
Written By: Nick Lepard
Starring: Hassie Harrison, Jai Courtney, Josh Heuston
Release Date: June 6, 2025
Since Jaws hit the screen 50 years ago, shark movies have enjoyed something of their own sub-genre within horror/thriller films. There are a plethora of them out there, and I tend to eat up every single one of them even if only a handful of them manage to be “good.” By and large, shark films go firmly within the realm of B-movies and aside from going bigger, or smarter, aren’t all that different. The ones that try something news tend to be the ones that stand out (The Shallows, the first Deep Blue Sea, Under Paris). We can now add Dangerous Animals to the list.
The film puts the focus on Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), a solitary drifter who lives out of her van while traveling Australia and spending her days surfing. Her nomadic ways may have shifted when she (begrudgingly) helps out a local man, Moses and sparks up a one-night stand that could change her outlook on being alone. Unfortunately, she’s then abducted by Tucker (Jai Courtney), a local boat captain.
Tucker, having “miraculously” survived a shark attack when he was a child, has turned into an eccentric serial killer who ritualistically feeds his victims to sharks while recording their grisly deaths. Zephyr, along with another recently captured victim, struggles to find a way to escape her attacker even as she finds herself in the middle of the ocean and surrounded by sharks. Meanwhile, Moses endeavors to find out what happened to Zephyr, with almost no leads to go on besides a gut feeling that something is wrong.
It’s an interesting mix of things going on. There’s a more traditional serial killer horror story at play, especially with Moses trying to track her down and figure out what’s going on. On top of that, there’s the more prominent survival aspect as Zephyr continually finds new ways to try and escape. Then sprinkle in a dash of creature feature where the sharks are concerned. The result is a movie that manages to feel distinctly within the shark movie genre, while offering something very different from what you’d expect.
Jai Courtney is undeniably the highlight of the film. He’s absolutely unhinged in this role, managing to straddle the lines between normal, maniacal, and genuinely terrifying expertly (and sometimes all within the same scene). It’s an impressive performance that has clear nods to Silence of the Lambs‘ Buffalo Bill, while still feeling unique to the story being told here.
His introduction, which serves as the film’s general opening, does a phenomenal job of setting the tone and showcasing his particular brand of dangerous. He goes from being charismatic, charming even, to menacing in a blink. A transition that manages to be shocking even though you know something sinister is coming.
Dangerous Animals manages to be genuinely chilling. Despite the “kill count” being relatively small for a horror film/shark movie, each one is memorable and haunting in their own ways. As the depth of Tucker’s depravity comes into focus, along with the ever increasing desperation of the escape attempts, the overall experience becomes even more scary/anxiety inducing.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s a still a cheesy factor in play to this film. It’s almost impossible not to, but the directors go a little overboard with the musical cues and the love at first sight subplot. I don’t think it necessarily lessens the overall viewing experience, as it remains highly engaging throughout (with a 90 minute run time that breezes by). But it’s enough to keep Dangerous Animals within B-movie territory.
