‘Dangerous Animals’ is thrilling from start to fin-ish
There’s no better commemoration of the golden anniversary of “Jaws” than “Dangerous Animals.” Not only does it furnish “a bigger boat,” it also offers a strong female lead with a male chum who might need rescuing, not from sharks, but from a maniacal serial killer with a thirst for blood and snuff films. Crazy, right? You bet! And we’re all the better for it, especially our fine finned friends.
For too long, they’ve been unfairly villainized: painted as man’s mortal enemy, when in actuality, we’ve been a much more lethal threat to them. And “Dangerous Animals” deftly illustrates that injustice with a creature far more deadly in Bruce Tucker (an excellent Jai Courtney from “Suicide Squad”), a worst-case scenario of toxic masculinity. He’s the very definition of a lady killer, luring victims to his hulking fishing vessel and holding them captive until the mood strikes to strap them into a harness and slowly and agonizingly submerge them waist-deep in shark-infested waters. Roll cameras!
Yes, Bruce is a sort of psychopathic Spielberg, using his trusty vintage videocam to record his beloved sharks enjoying their din-din and replaying the grisly footage while devouring his favorite fare – vegemite sandwiches. What kind of “sick mind” comes up with something so vile and disturbing? A couple of very clever filmmakers in veteran director Sean Byrne (“The Devil’s Candy”) and rookie writer Nick Lepard, that’s who.
Together, they’ve hit upon the ultimate summer movie, one that not only mixes and matches genres but is as funny as it is terrifying. You’ll laugh till the victims bleed, grotesquely transforming the ocean blue into a sea of red. What’s most impressive is how Byrne and Lepard manage to prove inventive while adhering to the tropes we’ve come to expect from well-crafted horror movies like “The Shining,” “Misery” and “Split,” which “Dangerous Animals” most reminds me of.
No, Bruce doesn’t dress in drag, but he does drag innocent, unsuspecting young women to his floating lair, imprisoning them in its bowels and subjecting them to psychological abuse until it’s their time to go before the camera. In the on-deck circle (or more accurately, below deck) is the lovely Heather (Ella Newton), who innocently joins her boyfriend on a chartered shark dive with Bruce. At least the captain was accommodating enough to allow them their promised underwater experience before randomly jabbing a knife into her partner’s throat upon his return to the ship.
Heather receives some unexpected company after Bruce makes the mistake of snatching the woman who could well be his downfall in the feisty, self-sufficient surfer girl, Zephyr (“Yellowstone’s” Hassie Harrison). True to her name, Zephyr breezes through life avoiding emotional ties at all costs. The latest to discover this is the gullible, but persistent Moses Markley (the hugely charismatic Josh Heuston), a fellow surf nut who asks her for a jump-start before jumping her bones. The sex is great, but not great enough to prevent Zephyr from sneaking out of his house the next morning to ride the perfect breaker.
Instead of catching a wave, she’s caught by Bruce, and what ensues is a thrilling game of cat and mouse in which Byrne ratchets the tension and suspense up to 11. Bruce and Zephyr play it like 4D chess, both accepting the challenge to raise their game as one attempts to thwart the other. She’s tough and determined; he’s deviously charming and quick with a menacing quip. What’s oddly apparent is how much they have in common: Two immovable land-hating loners who’ve encased themselves in steel-like shells – she in her beat-up van and he in his battered boat.
Their unyielding stubbornness facilitates a multitude of outlandish situations in which the combatants inflict severe harm on one another, be it with harpoons, shivs or blunt-force trauma. No actual human could withstand such punishment, but that level of absurdity is part of what makes “Dangerous Animals” so much fun. It gleefully pulls out all the stops, holding nothing back in its brutality. And the accompanying pop tunes enhance the experience, with Creedence Clearwater Revival’s best-forgotten cover of Roy Orbison’s “Ooby Dooby” playing a pivotal role.
If there’s a beef, it’s that Byrne and Lepard tack on one or two too many endings. But if that allows more time to savor the sparkling chemistry between Courtney and Harrison (the wife of “Crazy Heart” Oscar winner Ryan Bingham), so be it. They are a killer duo, with a bite fiercer than any shark. And you can bet they’re going to leave a mark.
Movie review
Dangerous Animals
Rated: R for language, grisly images, brief drug use, sexuality and strong violent content
Cast: Jai Courtney, Hassie Harrison, Ella Newton and Josh Heuston
Director: Sean Byrne
Writer: Nick Lepard
Runtime: 97 minutes
Where: In theaters June 6 (limited)
Grade: B+
