When Jaws was released in theaters, it not only revolutionized the horror genre, but it also put people in a situation where the sharks on screen were just as scary as the sharks in the actual water for the first time in their lives. Since then, we've seen numerous movies released revolving around shark attacks, but none have met the standard set by Jaws fifty years ago.
Deep Blue Sea is a fun movie, but has become more of a meme than a must-see. The Shallows and 47 Meters Down could be considered good movies at best, and The Meg was more of a chance for Jason Statham to flex his muscles than a serious shark movie. The latest release within this genre, Dangerous Animals, falls somewhere between all of these movies as a fine movie, but not one you'll be rushing to see again.
The movie stars Jai Courtney (Tucker) and Hassie Harrison (Zephyr) as a deranged killer and his latest victim, respectively. Courtney is the true star of the entire movie and gives arguably one of the best performances of his entire career. He completely reminds us throughout the entire movie that not only is he a depraved killer, but he's also someone who has lost their humanity completely.
Courtney's performance is reminiscent of a brutal car accident; no matter how much carnage and brutality is put in front of us, we can't seem to look away. He has struggled in recent years in big blockbusters, but is clearly in his element here and having the time of his life. It's a performance that'll go underappreciated due to the rest of the movie around him, but should be applauded.
Unfortunately, his performance completely overshadows Harrison and leads to her feeling like a plot piece to keep the movie moving forward rather than a true co-star. Even though we know ahead of time that she'll likely survive due to being the main character in the film, it still never truly feels like she's the main attraction. Harrison is also let down by cringy dialogue throughout the film that unfortunately comes off as a reflection of her acting, even though that's clearly not the case.
The film also struggles to fill its hour-and-a-half runtime with meaningful action or character development. We're supposed to care about Tucker's victims, but their limited time on screen and lack of dialogue prevent the audience from creating any type of attachment to them. Even when Zephyr's new love interest Moses (Josh Heuston) gets brought into the game of cat-and-mouse between the two leads, it's hard to remember much about his character since he's barely featured on screen outside of the first and last 15 minutes.
Dangerous Animals is also one of the rare horror films with minimal kills on-screen. We only see three of Tucker's victims during the film, and although that doesn't define a great movie, it does lead to a level of disappointment just based on the overall concept. By keeping the cast tight, it helps ensure that Courtney is allowed to shine on the screen, but it also prevents the viewer from getting a true sense of his character's depravity.
The movie also struggles with a constant sense of disbelief that the viewer is required to have for the movie to move forward. There are numerous times where Zephyr could easily be killed (or kill Tucker) right away, but something occurs to ensure she gets away just in time. Although there are times when this can be efficient, it doesn't track with the belief we're supposed to have that Tucker is an absolute monster and won't let any of his victims escape.
The shark scenes are hit-or-miss, but unfortunately Dangerous Animals features one of the most laughable endings I've seen in a horror movie over the last decade. This clearly wasn't a big budget movie, but this was one of the first times where numerous people in the theater laughed out loud in what should have been a tense moment.
For horror fans, Dangerous Animals is worth checking out for the concept and Courtney's performance alone. It may be a movie you never watch again or even forget about in a year, but it's also not a movie you'll necessarily regret seeing. For non-horror fans, though, this may end up becoming more of a meme for them than anything.
Dangerous Animals is now playing in theaters.
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