This low-budget Aussie film surprised me from the get-go. “Dangerous Animals” is a shark thriller unlike anything you’ve seen in the genre. I’d even argue that it’s technically not a shark thriller, and the sharks were just an added ingredient. This is a serial killer thriller, and its twisted lead antagonist acts as the glue that really holds this thing together.
“Dangerous Animals” (2025) Review | A Serial Killer Thriller With Sharks
Beauty Amidst Horror
Filmed on location in Queensland, Australia, this film has some beautiful shots despite its modest budget. Amidst the anxiety and horror of what’s happening, director Sean Byrne captures the beauty of his native country. But that isn’t what we’re here for.
The script is probably one of the weaker parts of this otherwise very entertaining film. “Dangerous Animals” starts strong and fast, then has some pretty odd pacing, with the love story mixed in. It then picks back up, and it feels like it doesn’t let off the gas from that point forward.
Jai Courtney Carrying the Cast
The aforementioned antagonist of this film is Bruce Tucker, portrayed terrifyingly well by Jai Courtney. With little substance to go off, this actually might be the best role of his career. There was once a time when Hollywood truly thought Courtney was the next big thing, then he got pushed into minor roles. Call him a late bloomer, because he absolutely carries this film. He’s twisted, creepy, sometimes hilarious and will keep you on your toes. Very well done for a character with little to work with.
Hassie Harrison plays our lead, Zephyr, a runaway surfer from the States that comes to Australia to be away from it all. As someone who adored her in the hit TV Series “Yellowstone,” I was excited to see her in a film. She was good, and it was nice to see her portray a different character than the cowgirl I was used to seeing. Harrison’s character is tough as nails, stubborn as hell and has an unwavering will to survive.
A Serial Killer Thriller With Sharks
The shark pieces of this are very well done, even if there aren’t that many. Courtney’s character, Bruce Tucker, is a serial killer who abducts people from the beach, holds them captive in the lower level of his fishing boat and then feeds them ritualistically to the sharks in the ocean. Like I said, this isn’t a shark thriller, it’s a serial killer thriller. You can argue that this is a mix of “Jaws” and “Scream,” but I think it is its own entity. It’s nice to see someone put a spin on the genres, and it worked well. I think that creativity is what made me like it as much as I did.
“Dangerous Animals” has its issues with pacing and some minor plot holes, but they were small enough to be forgiven and don’t wreck the film in its entirety. Truthfully, I thought this was a lot of fun, and the shark scenes were off-the-rails intense and anxiety-driven. I most definitely won’t be able to look at Jai Courtney the same, I think he found his niche as a villain. Hopefully everyone else in the industry notices this and gives him roles in that category in the future.
“Dangerous Animals” is now streaming on AMC+ and available to rent on Prime Video.
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