Dangerous Animals

Saw this at an unknown screening and when it announced the movie, everybody groaned. But that opening scene blew everyone away and hooked them in, such a good opener for a movie.

Went into this knowing absolutely nothing, and was pleasantly surprised. A really exhilarating film that mixes 10 Cloverfield Lane with Nicholas Cage's The Surfer, and I have to say it was a very fun watch. The main girls acting wasn't amazing but it was definitely believable, even if her character was a bit 1 noted. Where this definitely shines is the kidnapper, he does an amazing and terrifying job.

Definitely not a masterpiece but I really enjoyed it.

Dangerous Animals is a scrappy Australian horror-thriller that's pure fun, proving a tiny budget can deliver big thrills. This indie gem keeps you hooked with raw energy and a cast of unknowns who bring real heart, making you root for them. Clocking in at a tight 90 minutes, it's lean, mean, and never drags.

Smart pacing and a chilling atmosphere pull you right in. It shows what a small, passionate team can do, making Hollywood's bloated blockbusters look foolish.

Compare that to those $200 mill+ Hollywood flops packed with A-listers and CGI, lazy scripts, and overblown visuals that prioritize flash over story (yes, I'm looking at you, Jurassic World: Rebirth).

Dangerous Animals crafts a gripping experience with minimal resources. It's a thrilling reminder that you don't need big budgets to make something truly entertaining.

I saw an early screening of Dangerous Animals without watching a trailer or knowing anything about it. When it started, it felt like it was going to be one of those super low-budget movies that feels so limited and never reaches the heights afforded by bigger budget movies. Luckily I was wrong.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie for the entire runtime. The horror/thriller elements are done well. You can feel the tension and savor the suspense. Several moments made my jaw drop.

I've been a Jai Courtney hater for a while after his roles in Terminator 5, Die Hard 5 and Suicide Squad. But I LOVE his performance in this movie. Not only is it the best acting I've seen from him, he is legitimately scary as this character.

Overall I had a great time with this movie and would recommend it to any genre fans. And it's more enjoyable the less you know going in.

(1 viewing, early screening 6/3/2025)

Couldn't take my eyes off the screen! Drama, action, psychologically thrilling, this movie delivers it all. The pacing was great too, it pulls off the perfect balance for a thriller. It draws you in throughout the entirety of the movie without having too much going on at any given time. I loved the ending too, there's so many twists that you just genuinely aren't expecting to happen. I'll definitely be rewatching after it comes out on streaming services & I can't wait to watch it again. This movie is a definite underdog coming up that deserves to be a blockbuster, absolutely great movie & worth the watch!

I was not familiar with any of the 3 leads and found them all to be excellent. Hassie Harrison seems like a young slightly prettier Jennifer Lawrence and that is a huge compliment. Jai Courtney was terrific as the villain He delivered some great speeches and in one scene channeled his inner Buffalo Bill to great success. Josh Heuston was also new to me and he had great charm and elicited tons of empathy in his role. About 15 minutes in I was thinking, "OK, now what are they going to do with this setup." It seemed like it would be claustrophobic and limited with where it could go. Was I ever wrong. Kudos to Sean Byrne for a great script and solid direction that really kept he tension high. Most of you are going to see this when it lands on Shudder. I think it is not going to be as great as on a bigger screen for sure. I would have rated this higher, but an 8 and up film is somewhat exceptional. Comes very close, but I think I will have forgotten the film in a year or two and that kept my score a 7. Try to catch it at your theater if you can.