PLOT: When Zephyr, a rebellious surfer, is kidnapped by a shark-obsessed serial killer and held captive on his boat, she should determine learn how to escape earlier than he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks beneath.
REVIEW: I’ve by no means so shortly been on board for a movie as when the trailer for Dangerous Animals first dropped. There’s simply one thing a few shark movie that all the time excites, even if we’ve just about simply gotten the one good one. And with so many following the identical components, it’s good to see one which detours from the anticipated. Because having a madman (Courtney) who baits sharks with kidnapped ladies has all of the makings for an superior shark movie.
Dangerous Animals follows Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), a transient who lives out of her van and surfs. Unfortunately for her, her nomadic nature makes her the proper sufferer for Tucker, an area tour information who makes a behavior of kidnapping folks and filming the act of feeding them to sharks. Zephyr must try to discover a method out earlier than she turns into chum. There’s a reasonably lame love subplot with Josh Heuston‘s Moses and Zephyr. I get it, they needed someone who’s on the market trying to find her, so it’s not completely hopeless, but it surely results in many corny, stereotypical plot beats. This is the movie’s most important drawback. All of the drama feels so melodramatic and hammy that it’s exhausting to take any of it critically. It clashes a lot with all the stress happening board the boat. A little bit little bit of subtlety would have gone a great distance. Instead, we’re given monologues that don’t work and a few actually convoluted moments meant to increase the narrative.
Like any good shark film, the movie actually stews within the pressure of the primary huge shark look. But there’s by no means that “oh my god” stunning second with the sharks. Instead, the movie makes it clear: Jai Courtney‘s Tucker is the villain, not these sharks. They are simply doing what sharks do: eat when there are signs of food in the water. There’s a second the place we get to search out out simply how lengthy he’s been working, and it solely provides to the upcoming hazard as he’s clearly been getting away with this for fairly a while. The opening ten minutes are the place the movie actually excels, as the stress could be minimize with a knife. But it loses steam at any time when Tucker is offscreen.
What works so nicely with Tucker is that his character is basically a touch upon society’s lust for shark violence. We have Shark Week yearly devoted to those creatures, and it’s typically the tales of once they assault people. It doesn’t occur naturally sufficient on this planet, so Tucker has to make it occur himself to satiate his personal obsession. Jaws actually did a quantity on the general public’s notion of those majestic creatures, and this appears to try to break from the same old mould. And Courtney is completely phenomenal, actually inhabiting the character and making him one of the crucial intriguing villains I can recall.
Dangerous Animals makes use of actual footage of sharks to create some actually lovely visuals. Usually, it’s the Great White or Tiger Shark that will get all the eye, however there are some beautiful Mako’s that get the primary actual showcase of the movie. And it’s a giant ocean, so I’m glad that it’s not the identical shark all through. Different species work together, with a large Great White being the principle occasion. Makes issues a bit extra dynamic, as they aren’t handled just like the villains. Though as a lot because the movie is making an attempt to make a degree about how sharks don’t deliberately feed on folks, it’s virtually instantly upended with a Hollywood-style bombastic ending that appears to overlook that time.
I actually loved the shark puppets which might be used, as they give the impression of being real looking and work nicely. The CGI on the sharks (exterior of 1 second) can be dealt with rather well. But that one dangerous second stands out a lot that it’s exhausting to not be a stain on the movie. The gore is slightly disappointing within the shark assaults themselves, though the aftermath is kind of brutal. There’s one shot particularly of somebody’s higher physique floating within the water that’s really haunting. And there’s a cause for the assaults being how they’re as a result of, exterior of the very hammy remaining kill, they’re presenting these sharks in a sensible gentle. They aren’t these sentient beings which might be inclined to leap scares like each shark film in existence makes them out to be. These sharks transfer at regular speeds and have regular conduct. It was a breath of contemporary air.
It may be me, however I used to be very distracted by how nonetheless the digicam/boat had been throughout a few of the ocean-set scenes. I perceive that these had been probably achieved on a stage for comfort, however there’s not even slightly little bit of sway to the boat. They are completely nonetheless, and it consistently breaks my immersion on this planet. Maybe being pulled out of the world with moments like because of this the drama actually didn’t work for me. You’re telling me you couldn’t simply have a cameraman sway slightly bit to present the impact of being on the water? Instead, it feels overly staged.
I actually needed to like Dangerous Animals, however I simply ended up liking it. Which is completely wonderful. There are some good moments, with Jai Courtney being an absolute standout. But it feels just like the idea isn’t absolutely taken benefit of. I didn’t want the random romance subplot, and it actually took away from the stress on board. I get its function, but it surely feels a bit sloppy in execution. Thankfully, Courtney is so maniacal, and the stress on the boat is sort of a tightrope, that it nonetheless makes for a enjoyable time. You simply have to shut your mind off greater than anticipated.
DANGEROUS ANIMALS IS IN THEATERS ON JUNE 6TH, 2025.
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