Dangerous Animals

I was not familiar with any of the 3 leads and found them all to be excellent. Hassie Harrison seems like a young slightly prettier Jennifer Lawrence and that is a huge compliment. Jai Courtney was terrific as the villain He delivered some great speeches and in one scene channeled his inner Buffalo Bill to great success. Josh Heuston was also new to me and he had great charm and elicited tons of empathy in his role. About 15 minutes in I was thinking, "OK, now what are they going to do with this setup." It seemed like it would be claustrophobic and limited with where it could go. Was I ever wrong. Kudos to Sean Byrne for a great script and solid direction that really kept he tension high. Most of you are going to see this when it lands on Shudder. I think it is not going to be as great as on a bigger screen for sure. I would have rated this higher, but an 8 and up film is somewhat exceptional. Comes very close, but I think I will have forgotten the film in a year or two and that kept my score a 7. Try to catch it at your theater if you can.

Couldn't take my eyes off the screen! Drama, action, psychologically thrilling, this movie delivers it all. The pacing was great too, it pulls off the perfect balance for a thriller. It draws you in throughout the entirety of the movie without having too much going on at any given time. I loved the ending too, there's so many twists that you just genuinely aren't expecting to happen. I'll definitely be rewatching after it comes out on streaming services & I can't wait to watch it again. This movie is a definite underdog coming up that deserves to be a blockbuster, absolutely great movie & worth the watch!

This is a great option if you have already went to the high budget movies this summer and need a Plan 'B.' You will be nicely surprised though, as this isn't a 'B' movie. I kept waiting for my review meter to drop, but it never happened. I also recommend for couples night, the mixed elements will please both sides.

This film has a classic horror feel with modern touches. Courtney, Harrison, and Heuston all delivered on their parts.

The limited dialogue was just right to keep you engaged. Shark action scenes were well done and didn't go over the top or leave you wanting more. A new couples sexy survival romance was intriguing. Zephyr as the gritty lead character is easy to root for and will continue to surprise. Tucker as the serial killer will keep you on the edge of your seat with his deranged/insane behavior.

Dangerous Animals is a scrappy Australian horror-thriller that's pure fun, proving a tiny budget can deliver big thrills. This indie gem keeps you hooked with raw energy and a cast of unknowns who bring real heart, making you root for them. Clocking in at a tight 90 minutes, it's lean, mean, and never drags.

Smart pacing and a chilling atmosphere pull you right in. It shows what a small, passionate team can do, making Hollywood's bloated blockbusters look foolish.

Compare that to those $200 mill+ Hollywood flops packed with A-listers and CGI, lazy scripts, and overblown visuals that prioritize flash over story (yes, I'm looking at you, Jurassic World: Rebirth).

Dangerous Animals crafts a gripping experience with minimal resources. It's a thrilling reminder that you don't need big budgets to make something truly entertaining.

Directed by Sean Byrne in his third feature film and written by Nick Lepard, Dangerous Animals takes us on a twisted journey through the lives of a shark-obsessed serial killer.

Its protagonist, Zephyr, played by the beautiful Hassie Harrison, finds herself trapped by the sadistic and unhinged Tucker, played by the fantastic Jai Courtney, who gives us a new villain to remember with a totally unhinged and extravagant performance by the Australian actor.

The film is a horror thriller that holds up quite well in its 93-minute running time. Its director knows how to immerse himself in the story without going too far, so that you, the viewer, are fully immersed in the madness surrounding the villain in question. The setting, featuring the idyllic Australian locations, is accompanied by impeccable photography by Shelley Farthing-Dawe.

The film's cleverness lies in making us care about Tucker's victims. Its script is clever enough to give us, amidst all this madness involving sharks and a serial killer, a sense of humanity within its victim characters, allowing us to connect with both Zephyr and Moses, played by Josh Heuston. This pair's excellent work allows us to care about what happens to them, thereby making the suspense that the film offers so well from all angles even more effective.

Of course, it's a film with its flaws and some more or less questionable decisions, but they don't stop us from having an extraordinary time watching this shark thriller. It's a sickening journey thanks to the brilliance of its villain and memorable scenes that define Tucker's character, but it has the absolute intelligence to not ridicule a character, but rather give us absolute solidity in a completely unhinged character.

For genre fans, this is a good and highly recommended bet. It delivers on its promise, has hilarious moments, and a villain who makes a statement. For those less inclined to gore, this film will be a bit uncomfortable, and for those expecting something a lot crazier, this isn't the case, as the film is quite restrained in what it wants and needs to tell us.

A rewarding film from Australia that is worth a try.