Jaws traumatised generations of film fans when it came to sharks, so much so that it irreparably damaged their reputation. The marine creatures that so seldom attack humans were painted as cold-blooded killers, negatively impacting shark populations due to the intense fear and a rise in shark fishing. A legion of shark films have followed since, from The Meg to 47 Metres Down, Deep Blue Sea, and last year's Netflix hit Under Paris, to name but a few. But Dangerous Animals breaks the mold, holding a mirror up to the real monster we should be scared of, and you guessed it, it isn't sharks.
Dangerous Animals begins with Greg (Liam Greinke) and Heather (Ella Newton) trying to get a last-minute diving tour with Tucker (Jai Courtney), who takes the tourists out into the middle of the sea to experience a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with sharks. Their breathtaking outing soon takes a turn, however, when the charismatic and entertaining tour guide cuts Greg down where he stands, and imprisons Heather on his boat. In the same Australian town, drifting surfer Zephyr (Hassie Harrison) meets real estate agent Moses (Josh Heuston) when he asks for jumper cables for his car, a meet-cute that turns into a night of passion before Zephyr, spooked by intimacy, flees for an early morning surf. She runs into Tucker, who takes Zephyr as his latest captive on his boat of horrors, revealing himself to be a serial killer who has somewhat trained the sharks in the local waters to be his own personal weapons of bloody destruction, feeding his victims to them while videoing the whole ordeal.
Byrne's unique mashup of serial killer thriller, slasher, sharksploitation, Ozploitation, and even rom-coms makes for a ludicrous thrill ride from start to finish. In one moment you can be rooting for Zephyr and Moses' budding romance, to hiding behind your fingers as another of Tucker's victims is lowered into the water toward certain doom in the next. The narrative never feels overstuffed, with Byrne hitting each comedic, romantic, and terrifying beat with expert precision to ratchet up the tension.
The central performances are the anchors that keep the good ship Dangerous Animals stable, with Jai Courtney delivering a career-best turn as the deeply unsettling Tucker. We never get too much of an insight into his psyche and exactly why he turned into the vicious killer he is apart from learning of his deep respect for sharks after being attacked by one himself, but this grey area makes him all the more chilling. His backstory and motivations do not stop his reign of terror, nor would knowing them help the women he has in his clutches. Despite his brutal methods, however, its hard not to feel charmed by Courtney's terrifying villain. He may be brutal, but he's entertaining every time he graces the screen, and this is all down to Courtney's methodical, all-encompassing portrayal of the complex character.
Hassie Harrison is similarly stellar as the punchy and frightfully determined Zephyr, who tirelessly fights against her captor in a bid for freedom. She is the latest in a line of badass female protagonists gracing the horror genre, and one you'll never get tired of rooting for as the plot twists and turns with deadly obstacles thrown in her path at every turn. Josh Heuston's Moses offers an unlikely love interest in Dangerous Animals, whose keen attention to Zephyr's routine after only just meeting her gifts her a lifeline.
Creature feature meets slasher values in this unique and blood-thirsty genre film that turns shark film conventions on their head. Man is the real monster in this impossibly tense eco-thriller that sees Byrne continue his run of edge-of-your-seat horror. The clear blue waters and picturesque beaches of the Australian coast coupled with the upbeat, punchy soundtrack contrast starkly to the cruelty and chaos enacted on Tucker's boat, culminating in a balls-to-the-wall third act that really push the ridiculousness of the central concept to its extreme. Dangerous Animals is sure to make a splash with avid horror fans and those that just want to dip their toe into the pool alike, while introducing them to their new favourite big screen villain.
Dangerous Animals is released in cinemas on June 6
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