Dangerous Animals Review: Hassie Harrison Battles Sharks and a Serial Killer in a Gritty Survival Thriller

Dangerous Animals (2025) Review

By Sean Patrick @CriticSean on X

Directed by Sean Byrne | Written by Nick Lepard

Starring Hassie Harrison, Jai Courtney, Josh Heuston

Release Date: June 6, 2025

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Lost at Sea – The Story of Zephyr

The push and pull between independence and the need for connection defines Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), the central character of Dangerous Animals. A survivor of a brutal childhood in foster care, Zephyr’s only constant has been the ocean. Surfing isn’t just a hobby—it’s her escape, her sanctuary, and her identity.

Now in Australia, Zephyr trusts no one, especially men. Her isolation may protect her emotionally, but it leaves her frighteningly vulnerable. With no family or friends to miss her if she vanishes, the threat lurking in Dangerous Animals feels especially chilling.

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Love, Then Terror

Then enters Moses (Josh Heuston), a charming, CCR-loving surfer who gently nudges past Zephyr’s walls. The two share a single magical night before her instinct to retreat kicks in. But Moses doesn’t disappear—he reaches out, holds on. Just in time.

Because Zephyr has been targeted by a uniquely deranged killer.

Enter Tucker (Jai Courtney), a shark tour operator with a psychopathic fetish for fear. His twisted method? Kidnapping American women, dumping them in shark-infested waters, and capturing their final moments on grainy VHS tapes. It’s depraved, sadistic—and terrifyingly original.

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A Shark-Fueled Nightmare

Zephyr’s abduction is the start of a brutal survival test. With no one expected to come looking for her, Zephyr has to summon the strength to outlast Tucker’s twisted game. But the experience also opens something inside her—a desire to reconnect, to fight not just for survival, but for the hope of being seen, loved, and understood.

What sets Dangerous Animals apart is this emotional undercurrent beneath the surface-level horror. Zephyr’s transformation isn’t just about endurance—it’s about learning to let someone in, even while surrounded by blood, teeth, and death.

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The Killer and the Catch

Jai Courtney’s Tucker is a classic genre villain—over-the-top, cruel, and chillingly gleeful. He’s got more in common with Silence of the Lambs’ Buffalo Bill than any real-world killer, but he lacks the psychological nuance. Tucker isn’t layered—he’s pure pulp. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; this is, after all, a horror-thriller. And Courtney leans into the madness with enough charisma to keep it watchable.

Still, it’s Zephyr who gives the film its emotional spine. Harrison delivers a standout performance, bringing depth and urgency to a role that could have easily become a scream queen cliché. And Heuston’s Moses—though a secondary character—plays an essential role in Zephyr’s arc, embodying the rare kind of trust that’s worth fighting for.

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Final Verdict: Does Dangerous Animals Deliver?

Dangerous Animals isn’t reinventing the horror-thriller genre, but it’s got teeth—literal and figurative. Sean Byrne’s direction adds enough flair to elevate the standard psycho-killer fare, and the unique shark-kill twist helps it stand out in a crowded genre.

Hassie Harrison’s performance grounds the film emotionally, and the shark-infested stakes crank up the tension. If you’re into survival horror, oceanic terror, or just want to see a woman find power in the face of absolute terror, Dangerous Animals is worth a watch.

Have you seen Dangerous Animals? What did you think? Leave your review in the comments. If you're planning to see it, let us know what you think later. You can hear me talking about Dangerous Animals on the I Hate Critics Movie Review Podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts.

3 out of 5 Stars

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