Sean Byrne's return to filmmaking is a stripped-back serial-killer thriller focused on a shark-obsessed boatman who kidnaps women and uses them as bait so that he can see "the greatest show on Earth" over and over again. Yes, 'Dangerous Animals (2025)' essentially the 'SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-)' episode, 'Clams (2002)', except Jai Courtney isn't a giant crab and he isn't only interested in getting back a dollar. Oh, and it's also mean and menacing and, in a general sense, scary. With crisp cinematography both above and beneath the waves, the feature carves its own unique place within the genre by having its killer make use of a very distinct - and very much alive - weapon. While its premise is inherently a little goofy, it handles it with enough sincerity that you buy it completely and are able to meet the narrative on its own terms. What ought to be silly instead becomes (mildly) scary, and the picture's tone remains pretty much perfect for its duration. The same is true of its pacing, which threatens to drag on occasion due to the plot's purposeful 'reeling in a fish' pacing but never actually does so. It's relatively compelling and features a number of suitably gnarly set-pieces, even if there's the sense that it's a tiny bit too tame overall (some of the shark attacks, in particular, are a little underwhelming, if potentially rather realistic). It's a little less insular than I initially expected, but it still relies on only a handful of performances and the isolation of its premise is enhanced because of it. The actors all do a really good job with the material. For instance, Courtney is capable of initially seemingly slightly creepy but not so creepy that you wouldn't get on a boat with him, then revealing himself to be an altogether different breed of creepy when his true desires and capacity for violence reveal themselves. Although the central romance is a little underdeveloped and overrelied on, Hassie Harrison and Josh Heuston sell their connection enough that you want to see it - and them - survive the stresses of the story. Harrison, in particular, is a strong final (and, almost, only) girl whose tenacity is potent enough that you believe she'd be able to overcome what she inevitably must overcome. Her final confrontation with her kidnapper is slightly disappointing due to its brisk duration and weak pre-kill quip, but it's fun to see her try to come out on top and get the best of the unhinged antagonist. This is just a really solid horror/ thriller with some exciting and suspenseful sequences, confident direction, compelling performances and gorgeously simple cinematography. It isn't particularly deep or complex, but it scratches a primal itch and it scratches it well. It's a solid slice of seaworthy pulp that should keep you entertained from beginning to end.
