Why is the blue marlin the favorite target for sport fishermen? When you hook ‘em, they’ll put up a good fight. Director Sean Byrne (The Loved Ones, The Devil’s Candy) wants us to know that it’s all about the show. Dangerous Animals sends Shamu’s SeaWorld spectacle to the depths. The problem isn’t malpractice on this shark diving tour. It’s even more dangerous than that.
This isn’t your typical killer shark sub-genre situation. Sharks don’t actually have the petty gene to drive the serial violence seen in Jaws or The Shallows, but the alpha-male ego sure does. Sure; I guess a silver lining looks like turning the nasty trait into an over the top slasher recital we can have fun with.
Dangerous Animals: A New Spin on Shark Horror
Dangerous Animals is about Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), the alternate version of the American manic-pixie dreamgirl; she’s tough as nails, living in her sprinter van, and spending as much time as possible on her surfboard- a real apex predator of a chick. However, a run-in with a shark-obsessed maniac sends her through the ‘ol slasher song and dance, although we haven’t seen one this wacky yet.
Byrne doesn’t waste any time illustrating how psychotic this killer’s feeding fetish is. The 15 minutes before the title card alone makes the whole experience an instant classic, starting with Jai Courtney (Terminator Genisys, Suicide Squad) at his zaniest. He becomes Tucker, the perfect archetype. He’s charming and handsome, but of course, the hinges will fly off.
His front is ‘Tucker’s Experience’, an Australian boat excursion service that offers the opportunity to cage dive with sharks. If you’re a conventionally attractive woman, an even more immersive shark experience is available at no extra charge- or warning. There’s no waiver for that one either.
A Standout Apex Performance from Jai Courtney
Jai Courtney and his character Tucker will be magnetic to fans. Gone are the days of the slow, soulless Myers-esque killers that exist without much performance or perspective. The alpha-bro worldview influences a parasocial relationship from Tucker, who claims himself as an alpha male, to sharks, as many species are apex predators.
Courtney gives us a ridiculous amount to chew on, from kitschy-dude dialogue (the kind that works) to his delusional dance number after a dose of misogynistic-flavored serotonin (y’all are going to love that scene). The remaining cast’s involvement weighs down the story to a ground level, which feels out of place against a faithfully ridiculous concept. We aren’t buying a ticket to Jurassic Park to see a humbling story about love and loneliness; we came to see who’s opening up the cage, and what consequences come of it.
Dangerous Animals Redefines the Killer Shark Genre
Horror on the open water is convincing, but again, we’ve got a whole sub-genre on that. All the genre-bending going on is pushing me to a comedic crossroads of the obvious Jaws, and Takashi Miike’s Audition for its bits of ‘cat and mouse’ against a sharp and inviting character who is thorough in action, but not overexplained.
Misogyny is a fragile beast, and that part is fed to us clearly. He’s got a trap, gadget and routine for every ounce of infatuation to allow him to enjoy every detail of the show alongside the viewer, too. This seems like a lot of serial killing, but the sharks get the screentime they’re owed.
What would normally break me, surprisingly, doesn’t bug me this time. I wouldn’t consider myself the harshest of critics, but it ain’t the easiest for me to get past the combination of “good enough” character motivation and eye-roll dialogue when they align as they do with Zephyr, and the meet-cute love interest Moses (Josh Heuston).
What Makes Dangerous Animals an Instant Classic
Dangerous Animals is a concept king, and I don’t think anything else realistically needs to hold as much weight as the execution of the main idea. What’s important is the killer, his environment, and the violence that comes with it. All three of those aspects are hit with 100% accuracy.
That being said, the film’s classic score pivots and blends in all the different ways its genre aspects do, inciting the watch from a 45 degree angle in your seat. Its flexible edits are the glue to every beat, which is why Dangerous Animals is so solid. Welcome aboard. There’s chum in the water, and summertime horror is back.
Dangerous Animals releases in theaters on June 6th.
