Quick rating: 8 out of 10.

Dangerous Animals is what happens when somebody looks at a normal shark movie and says, “Yeah, but what if the bloke running the boat was worse than the shark?”

Solid question, honestly.

Most mornings at the shop involve hire boards, missing fins and tourists asking whether sharks come close to the beach. The standard answer is that you’re far more likely to get hurt by the sun, a rip or your own bad decisions.

This film does not support that calming little speech.

Sharks Arent the Main Problem

The story follows Zephyr, a surfer who is abducted by Tucker, a shark-obsessed serial killer operating from his charter boat. Instead of killing his victims himself, he plans to use them as bait while filming the attacks.

Jai Courtney is having the time of his life as Tucker.

He’s sunburnt, cheerful and completely cooked. The bloke talks about marine life like a tour guide, then turns around and does something horrific without changing his tone.

Hassie Harrison is also great as Zephyr. She isnt written as someone waiting for a man to rescue her. She watches, plans and uses whatever is available to stay alive.

A lot of survival films claim the main character is tough. This one actually shows it.

The Ocean Looks Incredible

The film was shot around the Gold Coast, and the water looks both beautiful and deeply unsafe.

That contrast works. One minute you’re looking at clear blue sea and thinking about an arvo swim. The next minute the camera drops below the surface and you remember we share the ocean with things that have been eating other animals for millions of years.

The shark footage is used pretty well too. The animals arent treated like supernatural monsters. Tucker is the real dangerous animal, which is not exactly subtle but still works.

My only complaint is that the middle repeats itself a bit. Zephyr attempts something, Tucker stops her, and everybody resets for another round.

Still tense, just slightly familiar.

A Useful Site Update

I heard about the Soap2day AU mirror from one of the younger casuals at work after complaining that the regular address was being temperamental.

The regional version is aimed at Australian visitors, so it’s worth saving rather than digging around for it again later.

Final Thoughts

Dangerous Animals is mean, tense and surprisingly funny.

It’s also the rare shark film where the shark is mostly just doing normal shark stuff while a human carries on like an absolute psycho.

Final score: 8 out of 10.

Anyone who works around tourists, boats or the ocean will recognise at least some of the details.

Hopefully not the serial killer part.

That would be a fairly major workplace issue.