DANGEROUS ANIMALS, Australia, 2025. Starring Jai Courtenay, Hassie Harrison, Josh Heuston, Rob Carlton. Directed by Sean Byrnes. 98 minutes. Rated MA (Strong blood and gore and horror violence).
This year sees the 50th anniversary of the release of Jaws. Since then, many Jaws-themed action films have followed. And, here is another. And, while some of the dialogue does praise the importance of sharks in the whole life cycle of the oceans, it still offers plenty of frightening scenes of menacing and attacking sharks.
In the 1970s and 1980s, small-budget Australian action shows which were intended to frighten and shock-tantalise audiences were considered as exploitation films, but the general name was Ozploitation. Dangerous Animals certainly fits into this category. There is a sense of menace throughout. There is a psychopathic central character. A misogynist, he targets female tourists, abducting them, imprisoning them, filming them, finally with atrociously sadistic relish literally feeds them to the sharks. (This last sentence has been written to indicate whether audiences really want to see this film on not.)
While, there are horror elements, and some gory moments, highlighted by pounding and reverberating chords, this one is not like the current range of slasher films. The story has some credibly incredible action sequences and horror, threats, dangers and grim deaths.
What makes the film better than most is the consistency of the tone, centred on Tucker, a fearsome and frightening performance from Courtenay (and for film buffs of Australian films, looking and sounding like veteran Chris Haywood). He has his boat, he fishes, has some seedy friends, is so absorbed in his own world that he has a grossly distorted sense of reality and morality.
American actor Harrison (in many episodes of television’s Yellowstone) is a tough-minded, as well as physically strong, surfer, Zephyr, who is caught by Tucker. She is continually and physically defiant. The other central character is Moses, Heuston (many episodes of television’s Heartbreak High), who, in reversal of traditional roles of men saving women, has to be saved by Zephyr.
There are spectacular scenes of the Queensland coast as well as of the Gold Coast seafront.
Of course, looking again at the title, while the sharks might be considered dangerous, the portrait of Tucker reminds us that humans are dangerous animals.
Kismet Films
Released 12 June