Dangerous Animals
June 5th, 2025
MOVIE: DANGEROUS ANIMALS
STARRING: HASSIE HARRISON, JAI COURTNEY, JOSH HEUSTON, ELLA NEWTON
DIRECTED BY: SEAN BYRNE
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 ½ STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 98 MINUTES
The shark attack horror genre has long needed a new twist. Jaws recently marked its 50th anniversary, and no film can top its legacy, but we can still try. Dangerous Animals, the latest from director Sean Byrne, offers a refreshing and unexpected evolution of the genre. Most surprising is the film’s showcase of a side of Jai Courtney we haven’t seen enough of: a deeply sinister villain layered with nuance and menace. His performance, paired with a gripping survival narrative, makes Dangerous Animals a shocker both above and below the surface.
The story blends serial killer horror with aquatic terror, but there’s a surprising undercurrent of loneliness. At its heart is Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), a solitary surfer who finds solace in the ocean’s isolation. Living out of her rundown pickup truck, she drifts through life until a chance encounter with Moses (Josh Heuston) at a gas station offers a brief spark of connection. Their romance is fleeting—Zephyr’s instincts push her back to the safety of the sea. But safety proves to be an illusion when she’s abducted by Tucker (Courtney), a shark tour boat captain hiding monstrous intentions.
Behind the camera, Byrne—known for The Loved Ones and The Devil’s Candy—shows impressive range. While his previous films delivered nightmarish intensity, Dangerous Animals feels more restrained, but not in a bad way. Byrne channels his knack for portraying psychological darkness into Tucker, a chillingly emotionless antagonist. The result is something like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo at sea—slick, stylish, and nihilistically intense.
Narratively, the script could use tightening. At just 98 minutes, the film drags slightly toward the end, with several false finishes that sap some momentum. Still, that flaw is easy to forgive thanks to Courtney’s magnetic performance. He commands the screen with a quiet, calculating presence—his Tucker is a predator as brutal as any shark. Harrison also impresses as the film’s “final girl,” holding her own against Courtney’s physical and psychological dominance.
Ultimately, Dangerous Animals is original, intense, and thrilling—qualities sorely missing from much of modern horror. Like 28 Years Later did for zombies, Byrne’s film proves there’s still plenty of blood left to draw from tired genres. With a sharp script, fearless performances, and striking imagery, Dangerous Animals throws blood in the water—and goes straight for the kill.
3 ½ STARS
DANGEROUS ANIMALS IS AVAILABLE TO RENT AT HOME NOW.
Written by: Leo Brady
