Back in the mid-2010s, Jai Courtney was the latest face that Hollywood was hellbent on making the next big thing, casting him in big tentpole movies such as Terminator: Genisys, Divergent, and A Good Day to Die Hard. It was no fault of Courtney’s, of course, but it mainly felt that Hollywood was casting him in the wrong roles. Once he was given more opportunities to be goofy and less stoic, he proved himself to be a compelling performer. He was even one of the few highlights in the otherwise dismal Suicide Squad. Outside of reprising his role as Captain Boomerang in The Suicide Squad, Courtney has mainly been taking smaller roles, ones that have let him embrace his inner weirdo. Courtney’s latest role has him playing the shark-obsessed serial killer, Tucker, in Sean Byrne’s new horror movie Dangerous Animals. It’s the kind of over-the-top B-movie that you would have rented from your local Blockbuster for a fun Saturday night of beer with the boys. Ever since Steven Spielberg’s Jaws became a phenomenon, many of the killer shark movies since have veered into cheesier territory, and for good reason. Why would anyone want to attempt the impossible feat of topping Spielberg’s 1975 classic? Dangerous Animals is not high art, but it does feature an irresistibly diabolical turn from Courtney and plenty of violence involving sharp teeth.
What Is ‘Dangerous Animals’ About?

Dangerous Animals opens with two tourists (Ella Newton, Liam Greinke) stumbling upon an exciting opportunity to swim with sharks after being left behind by their friend group. Unfortunately for them, their guide just so happens to be Tucker (Courtney), who already seems eccentric and strange, but there’s also something so enticing about him. After telling his soon-to-be-victims about how he fell in love with the dangerous sea creatures after surviving a brutal shark attack as a child, his true nefarious nature comes to the surface, all while gleefully singing “Baby Shark” (yes, you read that part right). That’s when the free-spirited surfer, Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), comes into the picture, who has just spent the night with the adorkable Moses (Josh Hueston), and is heading out for a morning surf. Before she can even reach the beach, Zephyr is kidnapped by Tucker, who holds her hostage on his boat and plans for her to become shark food. What transpires is a game of survival, as Zephyr must outwit her captor, even if that means that both of them will have to swim with sharks. Back on the shore, Moses realizes that something is seriously wrong and attempts to go on a mission of his own to save his new love.
Jai Courtney Has Never Been Better Than He Is in ‘Dangerous Animals’

Despite its B-movie nature, Dangerous Animals still proves to be tense at certain moments, largely because Harrison and Courtney are just so damn good at playing their characters. Nick Lepard’s screenplay is full of your typical horror movie tropes, with little characterization, fake-out deaths, and a ridiculous third act that further blurs the line of believability in an already over-the-top movie. Yet, both Harrison and Courtney use that to their advantage. Courtney’s Tucker doesn’t need a deep backstory as to why he kills. We learn just about everything we need from him when he shows off his gnarly shark bite scar to total strangers. Courtney proves that he was never meant to play Kyle Reese or John McClane’s son; he was born to be a character actor, one who can elevate an otherwise generic horror movie and make it something memorable.

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Harrison, who is probably most known for her recurring role as Laramie in Yellowstone, is the true breakout star of Dangerous Animals. On the surface, Zephyr feels like your typical modern final girl: she’s trying to run away from a rocky past and is far smarter than she’s typically given credit for. Yet Harrison has a lot of charisma that she brings to the table. For as entertaining as Tucker is, you still don’t want to see him get the advantage over Zephyr. Her romance with Hueston’s Moses is the one glaring storyline that feels shoehorned in, especially since it’s established that the two only just met. Moses serves no other purpose than to be the man on the shore who desperately tries to save the day.
‘Dangerous Animals’ Gives You Exactly What You Want

Image via IFC Films

Dangerous Animals is almost exactly what you’d expect in terms of its execution. Byrne follows a lot of the conventions behind both shark movies and serial killer movies, but he also finds a way to blend them together perfectly. There’s no shocking twist ending or big reveal, and the narrative is straightforward, almost to a fault. In a lot of ways, it feels like the lovechild between The Shallows and Wolf Creek, perfectly merging the strengths of both of those movies together. Despite running at just 90 minutes, the film feels much longer than you’d probably want it to. There are numerous fake-out endings that make the movie spiral into a conclusion that feels far less satisfying than the first two acts. There are moments where the script feels as if it’s having an identity crisis, debating whether or not to take itself more seriously, especially as Zephyr opens up to Tucker’s other captive, before making goofy references to Creedence Clearwater Revival songs just moments later. It gets to a point where you just want to see Courtney dance again while flaunting his scars, or to see another CGI shark bite something, whether it be a piece of the boat or human flesh. Make no mistake, there’s no better time to watch a shark movie than the summertime, and Dangerous Animals is far better than big-budget fare like Meg 2 or the schlocky mockbusters like Sharknado. It might not be a future genre classic, but thanks to Courtney’s utmost commitment to his villainous role, you’ll be glad you dipped your toes in the water by the time the credits roll. Dangerous Animals opens in theaters on June 6, 2025.

Dangerous Animals

Jai Courtney’s wonderfully demented performance makes the otherwise forgettable Dangerous Animals, worth the dive.

Release Date

June 6, 2025

Runtime

98 minutes

Director

Sean Byrne

Writers

Nick Lepard

Pros & Cons

Jai Courtney has never been better than he is at playing a shark-obsessed serial killer.
Hassie Harrison is true breakout star and makes for a likable final girl.
There’s plenty of great shark-related kills.

The romantic subplot adds nothing to the story.
The script sometimes struggles to find the right tone.