DANGEROUS ANIMALS
Sean Byrne earns an honest-to-goodness “Fuck Yeah,” with the opening of his latest film, DANGEROUS ANIMALS. The plot centers around a shark-obsessed serial killer and the ritualistic murder of tourists. What he doesn’t count on is surfer Zephyr and her survival instincts.
The cinematography is stunning. The score is epic. The soundtrack is perfect. Writer Nick Lepard skillfully navigates tongue-in-cheek jokes, social graces, survival tactics, and one crazy motherfucker. Location is key. Zephyr is trapped.
Josh Heuston is Moses. Relentlessly charming and earnest, Moses tries his damnedest to find Zephyr, but his fate may be closer to any of the boy toys in the SCREAM franchise. Heuston is much more than a vapid heartthrob. He is an admirable scene partner, and you want more of him.
Jai Courtney is diabolical. He is equal parts terrifying and mesmerizing. This is Buffalo Bill-style fuckery, and holy shit, does Courtney deserve all the applause and recognition. I would watch prequels centered on Tucker, but only if Courtney reprises the role. 
Hassie Harrison is a childhood trauma-fueled badass. Harrison commands your attention and takes risks. She could carry any film. She is Final Girl heaven.
DANGEROUS ANIMALS is my actual worst nightmare. I still think a shark will somehow come through a pool drain and eat me. So, obviously, it had me from the get-go. The film is as sadistic as HOSTEL. Think the opening scene of JAWS on steroids. The violence ramps up as the film rolls on, and Zephyr’s escape plans keep us on the hook. DANGEROUS ANIMALS is undeniably one of the year’s most intense films.
Directed by Sean Byrne (THE DEVIL’S CANDY, THE LOVED ONES)
Starring Jai Courtney (SUICIDE SQUAD), Hassie Harrison (YELLOWSTONE), Josh Heuston (DUNE: PROPHECY)
Trapped on a killer’s boat with hungry sharks circling below, a surfer must outwit a predator more dangerous than the ocean itself—will she escape, or become the next offering to the deep? Sean Byrne returns with his third visceral feature, DANGEROUS ANIMALS, exclusively in theaters June 6, 2025.
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