Dangerous Animals is a new film premiering wide this upcoming weekend, but initially premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival last month. Directed by Sean Byrne & written by Nick Lepard, the film stars Hassie Harrison, Josh Heuston, Rob Carlton, Ella Newton, Liam Greinke, and Jai Courtney. When Zephyr, a rebellious surfer, is abducted by a shark-obsessed serial killer and held captive on his boat, she must figure out how to escape before he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks below.

When the first trailer of Dangerous Animals dropped, it felt like it grabbed everyone’s attention due to its unique concept. When a screening of the film was presented to me, I had to take it after hearing that it was premiering at Cannes. It seemed like fun, and that’s certainly what this film delivers. I didn’t get the chance to see this in theaters, but I can only imagine how fun this would be to experience in theaters.

Explaining this film as wild is an understatement and might not sell it enough. With a decently high Rotten Tomatoes score, it feels like everyone is embracing it exactly for what it is: fun. Jai Courtney is an actor we’ve been familiar with for the past decade or so, but I don’t think we’ve seen him deliver a standout & memorable performance yet until now. Director Sean Byrne gets this zany performance out of him that helps embrace the film’s wild tone.

There are aspects of the writing that feel familiar. We’ve seen it done plenty of times before, but writer Nick Lepard manages to subvert our expectations. The plot holes are apparent, but Sean Byrne’s direction helps keep the pace going. Sharks come and go to help suit the plot best. While these plot holes feel quite large at times, Hassie Harrison manages to also help keep the film alive through her performance.

Newcomers unfamiliar with Hassie Harrison like myself will see her more going forward. She presents so much through her characterization that makes it easy to sympathize and root for her. You can feel the weight on her. With no one else besides a guy she just met, she has no reason to really keep going. It’s a great way to put her in a position where she wants to keep living, even if I would have liked to have seen that explored more.

Speaking of the guy she just met in the film, I think this is perhaps one of the film’s weakest components. Josh Heuston plays as the love interest. He displays a lot of emotion that makes him an easy character to relate with. The problem with it comes down to believability. I would have liked to have seen more of their relationship beforehand to believe it more. Sure, he’s a good guy for trying to find her, but the risks he takes are not warranted. This plot line can be a little cliche and tiresome. It’s a strong performance. I just wish it was written better, especially with the way he was introduced. His introduction rubbed me the wrong way versus the way the film presents him throughout the rest of the movie.

One of the film’s other weaker components is the CGI. I think the film does a great job out in the water. You really feel that isolation. The CGI with the sharks could have been more realistic. It’s clear they are animated, which makes it feel less threatening. Then again, the real threat is on the boat, not in the water. When the film embraces its fun tone with these sharks, that’s when the CGI isn’t as noticeable.

There is a strong aspect of the film within the characterization of Jai Courtney’s character. The film briefly explains why he is the way he is, but it’s enough to lock in on his character. The film does a great job of explaining things, but not going overboard with heavy exposition. There is a terrific scene where the film shows what Courtney’s character does that says it all without saying anything at all.

Overall, I had a great time with Dangerous Animals. It can be quite unbelievable at times, but the performances, particularly from Courtney, embrace the film for the fun it is. I feel like this is going to play great in theaters. See it on the biggest screen with the biggest audience.

VERDICT: 3.5/5 (Pretty Good)