When Zephyr, a savvy and free-spirited surfer, is abducted by a shark-obsessed serial killer and held captive on his boat, she must figure out how to escape before he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks below.
Chuck says:
Channeling Oliver Reed, actor Jai Courtney has a ripping good time in Sean Byrne’s “Dangerous Animals.” As Bruce Tucker, he portrays a man lucky enough to be able to combine his two passions – sharks and serial killing. As such, he’s a happy fellow, always on the prowl much like the fish he admires, looking for his next victim. Sometimes, he has to go looking for his prey, but if he’s lucky, they come to him, walking on board his ship, looking to partake in one of the “Swim with the Sharks” excursions he provides.
And just how does Tucker combine work with pleasure you may be asking? Quite simple really, as he drugs his intended victim – always a young woman – and stows them below until night comes. He then wakes themup, straps them to a chair attached to wench, and then lowers them into the remote, chum-strewn Australian waters where he sails. Sentimental guy that he is, he videorecords these young women being ripped to shreds, but not before taking a lock of their hair from which he makes a fishing lure.
Obviously, Tucker is – forgive me – a role you can really sink your teeth into, which Courtney does with great relish. The actor uses his inherent charisma to great effect, but his portrayal of the menace that lurks beneath the killer’s welcoming façade is effectively chilling. This paired with his hulking demeanor makes Tucker one of the more fascinating film villains in recent memory.
Thankfully, the script by Nick Lepard provides him with a worthy advisory, while Bryne casts an actress capable of going toe-to-toe with Courtney. As Zephyr, a nomadic surfer who has the bad luck of crossing paths with Tucker, Hassie Harrison gives a fierce performance that isn’t dwarfed by her costar’s dominating presence. Despite her delicate appearance, the actress has a keen edge about her that convinces us she has the smarts and resourcefulness to perhaps get out of the situation she finds herself in. When Courtney and Harrison share the screen, their antagonistic chemistry is palpable, the pair bringing these worthy adversaries to life in a convincing manner, helping us overlook the script’s third-act failings.
While it proves cathartic to see Zephyr outwit and escape from Tucker, it happens far too often. Her reprieves are brief, the script dictating her multiple recaptures to get the film up to a decent running time. Eventually, the circumstances precipitating her numerous getaways and apprehensions prove ridiculous. Equally incredulous is the sequence of events that lead to our heroine’s one-night stand, Moses (Josh Heuston), tracking her down. The character’s presence is an unnecessary distraction, interrupting the duel between the two leads.
Byrne and his cinematographer Shelley Farthing-Dawe have fashioned an uncommonly beautiful genre movie, as gorgeous underwater shots of the shark activity as well as those of Australia’s pristine beaches abound. Were it not for the presence of its serial killer, “Animals” could be used as a tool for the country’s tourism board.
By the time we get to its inevitable end, “Animals” proves to be a genuine surprise, a high-gloss B-movie that thrills, amuses and jolts the audience in equal measure. Most importantly, it gives us a villain we love to jeer and a heroine we’re pulling for every step of the way. A cathartic good time don’t be surprised if you’re smiling a bit too widely once its grisly climax comes to an end.
3 Stars
