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By Lauren Bradshaw
Lauren’s Review

Remember that meme that was going around, which asked the question of whether you would rather be alone in the woods with a bear or man? Well, ‘Dangerous Animals’ asks the question in a slightly different manner. Would you rather be stuck in the middle of the ocean with a shark or a man? Does it change your answer knowing the man is a serial killer?

Directed by Sean Byrne, ‘Dangerous Animals’ is one of the most surprisingly entertaining films of the year, with a tight, thrilling story that is well-paced in its 90-minute runtime. And I can’t think of a better tribute than to time its release during the 50th anniversary celebration of JAWS!

We’ve seen films where killer sharks are terrorizing a small beach town and we’ve seen serial killers with butcher knives stalking their victims. But I don’t think we’ve ever gotten a shark and serial killer team up quite like this. Zephyr (Hassie Harrison) is a rebellious, free-spirited surfer that has come to Australia to seemingly escape her life back in the United States. She lives out of her van and wakes up before the sun rises every morning to catch the first wave. But little does she know, it’s not the sharks she should be worried about during those early morning surfing hours. Her real threat is Tucker (Jai Courtney), a serial killer that uses his job as a boat captain to take tourists out on boating excursions. Little do the guests know, they will soon become shark chum… much to the delight of Tucker, who revels in recording his victims’ murders as a memento.

Tucker abducts Zephyr, taking her in his boat to shark-infested waters in the middle of the ocean. No one can hear her scream. Zephyr realizes it’s only a matter of time before Tucker tries to sacrifice her for the next ritualistic killing, so she must stand her ground and find a way out. The only problem is, Tucker loves a struggle; it’s a game to him. And he likes to see just how far he can push his latest victim.

If you couldn’t already tell, this film is not for the faint of heart. Yes, it is a lot of fun and never takes itself too seriously, but it is also pretty brutal in its murder scenes. I don’t get rattled by character deaths in horror films that often, but one particularly disturbing killing of a young woman (you’ll know it when you see it) even made me groan. Other filmmakers should take note of Byrne’s uncanny ability to make you care about the characters in an incredibly brief amount of time. This immediate relatability makes it even more affecting when the characters are in danger… or, ya know, die.

Despite the terror evoked from feeding human victims to sharks, I love that ‘Dangerous Animals’ never really makes sharks the villain. Humanity is the villain. As an animal (and shark) lover, I love that instead of leaning into the “sharks are monsters” mindset, the film instead amplifies their inherent beauty. And by the end you will understand that the “dangerous animal” in the title may not be the shark at all.

If you love slasher films and Shark Week, ‘Dangerous Animals’ is the combo for you. It is the perfect summer movie that will make you scared to go in the ocean, but even more scared to get on a random stranger’s boat. And to answer my earlier question of man vs shark, I think I’ll take my chances with the shark.

My Review: B+

LAUREN BRADSHAW grew up in Courtland, graduated from Southampton Academy and double-majored in foreign affairs and history at the University of Virginia. She lives in the Washington, D.C., area and can be reached at flickchickdc@gmail.com.