Jai Courtney delivers a delightfully unhinged performance in Dangerous Animals, transforming what could have been a standard slasher into a campy romp. As a shark-obsessed serial killer, Courtney clearly relishes the opportunity to fully embrace the character's deranged eccentricities, playing the role with an infectious, almost theatrical glee.
Director Sean Byrne creates a tale of survival following Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), a surfer living out of her van, chasing the thrill of the waves in the Australian gold coast. After a brief romance with local lad Moses (Josh Heuston), Zephyr is abducted by Tucker (Courtney), a charming yet utterly deranged serial killer who takes his childhood obsession with sharks to a morbid level. Tucker feeds his victims to the creatures and enjoys the thrill of it. Held captive on the boat, Tucker's Experience, Zephyr tries to outsmart him by relying on her resourcefulness to escape before she becomes shark food.
Harrison fiercely carries the role of Zephyr on her shoulders, displaying her tenacity and unbreakable spirit. The film smartly teases the classic damsel-in-distress trope as Moses (Josh Heuston) attempts a rescue, only to fail and become a victim instead. But Zephyr is no victim; her fighting spirit makes her an underdog the audience wants to keep rooting for.
The film leans heavily into its campy nature, offering pure entertainment that thrives on its absurdity. Dangerous Animals builds suspense, repeatedly teasing a great escape for its unfortunate victims, keeping the tension high. It doesn't shy away from gore and chum, serving up exactly what horror aficionados and slasher movie fanatics crave. Even the overtly cheesy lines (and the romance between Moses and Zephyr) add to the experience, eliciting roaring laughter from the audience as the film embraces its farcical nature. This intentional over-the-top approach makes Dangerous Animals a crowd-pleaser.
Courtney showcases a serial killer unlike any other in the way he plays this unhinged yet likeable persona. He can be found singing "Baby Shark" with impeccable comedic timing to soothe nervous divers before their fateful cage dive, or wildly dancing in his underwear, pumped by the adrenaline of a fresh kill. His character's penchant for filming his victims being dismembered adds another layer of gruesome depravity.
The film knows what it's up against: there's only so much one can do in the middle of the ocean trapped with a serial killer and sharks, but it keeps the pace going. As far as genre mashups and creature features go, this one gets points for having an original bite given the vast number of films that follow the same formula.
Dangerous Animals is pure chum for those who appreciate their horror with a generous side of absurdity and a wink to the audience. It's a film that knows exactly what it is and executes its vision with a confident, bloody flourish.