
Given that it’s merging two proven cinematic killers – one serial, the other a shark – it makes sense that Sean Byrne‘s horror-adjacent thriller is suitably tense and highly aware of its own madness.
No stranger to executing unbearable tension and providing an antagonist that we can’t help but be utterly absorbed by (see The Loved Ones), Byrne dives headfirst into the shark-infested waters of Dangerous Animals, where that description isn’t just saved for the finned killers swimming below, perfectly summing up the shark-enthused Tucker (Jai Courtney, going all in), a disarming boat captain who lures unsuspecting tourists to the open water of the ocean under the pretense of cage diving. Less scientific and more psychotic in his appreciation of the great white, Tucker happily feeds his customers to the mother of the sea, viewing it as some kind of balance of power.
The film opens on an absolute banger note. Before the title card drops, Tucker, looking at a soon-to-be-victim whose boyfriend he’s just violently disposed of, chipperly states “Welcome aboard!” It’s a perfect tone setter for what’s to come, letting us in on the mentality Byrne is set to express across the next 98 minutes.
And the majority of those minutes centre around Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), a free-spirited American surfer currently lining the Australian coast (the film set on the Gold Coast in Queensland). She takes no prisoners in conversation, she has a killer hack on how to sneak out ice cream from a service station, and, despite generating serious chemistry with fellow surfer (and buttoned-up real estate agent) Moses (Josh Heuston), is decidedly not looking for a holiday romance; she’ll settle for the occasional bed romp though.
Though the film does allow its post-opening portion to allow audiences to catch their breath and prepare for the onslaught, Byrne makes plenty sure that once we’re dropped into the action, there’s very few moments to let up, as once Tucker abducts Zephyr in the early hours of the morning, Dangerous Animals adopts a slick, cat-and-mouse temperament that’s deliciously pulpy, oddly funny, and consistently intense.
And it all comes down to Harrison and Courtney in driving this ship away from any of its expected tropes. Harrison is a final girl for the ages, layering her could-be-thin archetype of a character with grit, determination, heart and intelligence. Every move she makes is thought out (even when she’s thwarted it’s not for a lack of trying), and as fun as Courtney makes the chase, we are always behind her Zephyr cheering her on to the bloodied end. Courtney, my word does he give it his all. Tucker is the kind of character we shouldn’t like, but through the actor’s immense likeability and unhinged charm, it’s easy to see why characters let their guard down around him. He’s genuinely terrifying, but the glee he’s expressing on screen makes him that much more imposing.
Given what Byrne has created with both of his previous efforts – The Loved Ones and The Devil’s Candy – it should come as no surprise at how well executed Dangerous Animals truly is as a piece of horror. It’s perhaps his most mainstream effort, but that accessibility doesn’t take away from gory, nasty personality the film joyfully adheres to. A killer romp where you’re ultimately safter in the water, the only thing that’s dangerous here is how much fun you’re going to have.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Dangerous Animals is screening in Australian theatres from June 12th, 2025. It will release in the United States on June 6th.