The Scream Queen

It’s been 50 years since Steven Spielberg’s seminal summer blockbuster Jaws chomped its way onto the big screen. And ever since then, many have tried to reach the heights of Spielberg’s masterpiece (although none of them ever have). Now, it’s Sean Byrne’s turn with the release of his serial killer x shark movie Dangerous Animals. Although Dangerous Animals is no Jaws, it does certainly give the audience something to sink their teeth into this summer.

Dangerous Animals stars Jai Courtney as a serial killer (Tucker) with a sadistic sense of humour, as he captures tourists (mainly women) and murders them via the oceans greatest predator; sharks. As he tells protagonist Zephyr ‘people don’t understand the hierarchy of animals in this world. They don’t think with their brains, they think with their guts. Now, what your guts understand is 3000 razor sharp teeth tearing flesh from bone.’ However, American drifter Zephyr refuses to go down without a fight, and a tense cat and mouse ensues between them. Other characters that complete the ensemble include Zephyr’s one night stand love interest Moses, who is desperately searching for her, and English gap year student Heather, who is in the wrong place at the wrong time, and is forced to sing ‘Baby Shark’ by Tucker at the start of the film (one of the most sadistic things he does).

Although the film’s onscreen kill count remains fairly low, there are some gnarly moments in this that make for some grisly viewing. What we see of the sharks is limited, but true shark film fans will not be disappointed, as when we do get a glimpse of them they look majestic. There are many close ups that linger on the beauty of the shark, and although they are of course deadly, they are not the dangerous animal in question here. That title is unsurprisingly awarded to a man. The shark kills for food, it kills to survive; Tucker kills for pleasure, as he films each kills, rewatching them throughout the film. There are implications of a psychosexual fantasy being played out, as he keeps a lock of hair of each victim, whom are all mainly female. Any male victim in the film is granted a quick demise, even if horrifying; but it is the women that must suffer through an animal attack. In this case, comparing men to animals is doing the animals an injustice. Jai Courtney’s killer is played to perfection; at first charming and funny, luring his victims into a false sense of security. But it’s clear he is unhinged, as his charm fades away into a truly terrifying monster. Like the glassy black beads of a shark, there is no humanity behind his eyes. While most shark movies villainise the creature, Dangerous Animals reminds us that it is man who is the true villain.

Final Verdict:

Dangerous Animals is a whole lot of fun, and a nice bit of summer entertainment to chew on. I will always go and see a shark movie (no matter how bad it is), and I’m glad to see the subgenre return with bite to the big screen. Although the plot requires a lot of A to B situations at times to move the story along, and a romance that is slightly underdeveloped, its runtime sails by with great success. Most of all, I’m glad to see a shark movie where the sharks are given a break from being the bad guy for once; it has been 50 years after all.