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Back in shark-laden waters, ‘Dangerous Animals’ is a horror film with tired blood

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Sean Byrne excels at providing a thrilling experience for audiences. Over sixteen years ago, this Australian director made his debut with “The Loved Ones,” a movie he is particularly proud of due to its gruesome content. This film revolves around an outcast teenager seeking brutal revenge on the boy who declined her invitation to prom. It’s a blend of intense horror elements and an examination of adolescent romantic worries, quickly becoming a favorite among late-night cinema enthusiasts. However, it took Byrne six years to create another project.

When he made it, he shifted towards a distinctly different emotional pitch for “The Devil’s Candy”, an unexpectedly psychological thriller in the horror genre about a heavy metal-loving artist who relocates his family to a quaint, rustic abode, eventually succumbing to madness. By drawing on recognizable horror subgenres, Byrne skillfully hooks you with a familiar premise and then meticulously unravels the conventions, leaving you feeling uneasy yet exhilarated by his creativity.

For over 10 years now, Byrne has returned to his filmmaking roots by drawing inspiration from well-known sources for his third feature. “Dangerous Animals” combines elements of serial killer thrillers and survival stories about sharks that attack humans, a common theme in Hollywood. However, unlike previous works, this movie does not offer any unexpected plot twists or profound thematic layers. While Byrne still excels at creating an unsettling atmosphere, this time he seems to have focused solely on generating negative feelings without adding any additional elements to the story.

In this film, Hassie Harrison portrays Zephyr, a lone surfer with a penchant for the perilous ocean depths over the monotony of land existence. An American who spent her formative years in Australian foster homes and now resides in a worn-out camper van, Zephyr crosses paths with Moses (Josh Heuston), a reliable fellow she romantically entangles with. However, she has no intention of fostering his affections; instead, she flees during the dead of night to ride some waves. Unluckily for her, it’s Zephyr who gets nabbed – by Tucker (Jai Courtney), a seemingly friendly boat captain who abducts her. Before long, she finds herself shackled within his ship, far out at sea, alongside another captive, Heather (Ella Newton).

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Similar to numerous film serial killers, Tucker doesn’t merely take pleasure in killing his targets; he seeks to create something aesthetically pleasing from his brutal acts. As such, he binds Heather to a crane and suspends her over the water, using her as a large bait for sharks, while capturing her final moments on tape as the sharks attack. To this warped mind, witnessing his victims’ desperate struggle for survival is akin to watching a movie, and Zephyr will likely be the next unsuspecting character in his macabre production.

Drawing from a script by visual artist Nick Lepard, Byrne (who has written his previous two films) delves into the allure of B-movie style in this story. Though Tucker employs outdated technology to document his killings, “Dangerous Animals” is set in contemporary times, although its gritty, drive-in aesthetic might have made it more fitting for release 50 years ago as a contrast to “Jaws.” Byrne intentionally incorporates genre stereotypes with the tough demeanor of Zephyr and the unsettling atmosphere created by Tucker. This sets up the expected confrontation between the graceful heroine and the menacing villain.

Although the promising premise suggests otherwise, “Dangerous Animals” turns out to be a rather conventional and anticlimactic horror film. It lacks the dark beauty that characterized Byrne’s previous projects, and unfortunately, it delivers more predictable plot points than it should have given its past avoidance of such tropes. The movie does contain some subversive concepts, like being a shark film with minimal actual sharks, but it seems that Byrne’s cleverness has taken a back seat in this project. Instead of exceeding our expectations, “Dangerous Animals” succumbs to them.

In the movie “Dangerous Animals,” Harrison’s character Zephyr often finds herself in a power struggle with her captor, Tucker. Since the film doesn’t show many sharks, it instead integrates shark footage to create tension. The main conflict revolves around Zephyr trying to escape or get help before Tucker creates his next underwater execution video. Harrison portrays Zephyr as fiercely determined and intensely hateful towards this arrogant, psychopathic misogynist. It’s appalling that Tucker desires to kill her – what makes it worse is that he first intends to bore her with pointless shark facts, pretentiously defending these animals that are often misunderstood. Essentially, “Dangerous Animals” is a terrifying encounter with the embodiment of mansplaining at its worst.

Unfortunately, Courtney’s interpretation of the film’s real menacing character seems to derail the story. The actor portrays a good-looking yet slightly expressionless face intended to depict a rugged, charming everyman – someone you’d never think twice about, making Tucker ideal for leaving a trail of victims behind. However, neither Byrne nor Courtney fully grasp this conventionally disturbed horror villain. The movie emphasizes too strongly that we shouldn’t fear sharks; instead, it should be the Tuckers that keep us awake at night. Yet, Courtney fails to convey the chilling malice hidden beneath the scruffy facial hair. Instead, we hope Zephyr can escape Tucker’s grasp not because he’s evil but because he lacks charm.

Despite its flaws, the film showcases a skillful construction that maintains a swift narrative pace. Byrne cleverly employs the consistent suspense of a character stranded at sea pursued by another, with sharks lurking in the surrounding waters. Michael Yezerski’s score amplifies every frightening moment, and as the violence escalates, the tension reaches its peak when Zephyr discovers an unforeseen method to escape from her handcuffs.

Despite Byrne’s efforts, he fails to correct the script’s foolish plot turns or make the central concept more captivating. As Tucker derives pleasure from capturing victims’ terrified screams as sharks attack, “Dangerous Animals” seems to imply a fascination among horror directors like Byrne for portraying unimaginable horrors, urging us to embrace the violence just as passionately as they do. However, Tucker attempts to persuade Zephyr that they’re similar in nature – both predators, in essence – but in reality, Byrne might be subtly suggesting a disquieting connection between himself and his serial killer. Regrettably, instead of delving deeper into this dark association, the director merely provides fodder for further bloodshed.

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2025-06-06 21:01

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