When a rebellious surfer is abducted by a shark-obsessed serial killer and held captive on his boat, she must outwit her captor before she becomes his offering to the predators circling below. A film by Sean Byrne, starring Hassie Harrison, Josh Heuston, Rob Carlton, Ella Newton, Liam Greinke, and Jai Courtney.
DANGEROUS ANIMALS
Sean Byrne
(2025)
Canadian tourist Greg (Liam Greinke) and English traveler Heather (Ella Newton) arrive at Tucker’s Experience boat after seeing a brochure advertising a shark cage dive. But the owner, Bruce Tucker, isn’t there. When Tucker’s neighbor Dave (Rob Carlton) spots them, he explains that Tucker just started his vacation and likely won’t answer calls from anyone who didn’t book ahead. Greg decides to try his luck and dials the number from the brochure.
Tucker (Jai Courtney) suddenly appears and greets them. Assuming they’re a couple, he asks where they’re staying. Heather quickly corrects him, explaining they just met at the same hostel and aren’t together. Greg apologizes for not booking ahead, mentioning that they were supposed to visit Sea World with friends but overslept, so they decided to try their luck here instead. Tucker’s demeanor shifts when he realizes no one knows they’re there.
As they voyage out into the open sea, Tucker shares a harrowing story about surviving a shark attack when he was just seven years old. To prove it, he shows Greg and Heather a jagged scar from the bite. Heather shudders, unable to understand how Tucker could choose a career like shark cage diving. She can’t imagine ever willingly returning to the water after such an experience, let alone making it a profession.
Upon reaching the diving location, Tucker dumps a bucket of chum into the water to attract sharks, making Heather increasingly anxious as they prepare for the dive. Though Greg tries to reassure her, her nerves only worsen when she spots a shark gliding past the boat. Noticing her fear, Tucker shares an ancient relaxation technique he claims took him years to master. He guides them through rhythmic breathing exercises, then suddenly breaks into a cheerful rendition of “Baby Shark.” Caught off guard, Heather can’t help but laugh as Tucker enthusiastically encourages her and Greg to join in. The unexpected moment of levity dissolves Heather’s fears. Now convinced the dive is perfectly safe, she and Greg finally step into the cage and begin their descent beneath the waves.
Chum is a bloody, oily mixture made from minced up fish parts and fish oils. This mixture is blended with seawater and dumped into the ocean, creating a scent trail that sharks can detect from a distance. The smell mimics blood and fish remains, which draws sharks toward the diving cage area. Operators usually release about 5–10 kg of frozen chum over a few hours to lure the sharks.
Heather watches in awe as the massive sharks circle the cage, their powerful bodies gliding effortlessly through the water. The experience is more breathtaking than she ever imagined. When Tucker finally hauls the cage back up, Heather’s face lights up with exhilaration, admitting that it was amazing. Then, in a flash of movement, Tucker drives a knife into Greg’s neck and shoves him overboard. Heather’s joy shatters into pure terror. She realizes that Tucker is a psychopath. And now she’s trapped alone with him.
Meanwhile, at a Gold Coast service station, American drifter Zephyr (Hassie Harrison) notices Moses Markley (Josh Heuston), a young man dressed in what she assumes is typical Mormon attire. As she queues behind him at the checkout, she overhears him asking the cashier for jumper cables, only to be told they’re sold out. Moses suddenly turns to Zephyr and asks if she happens to have any. Zephyr offers nothing more than a quick shrug and shake of her head, instinctively keeping her distance from the stranger.
Outside the servo, Zephyr tips her Slushie cup upside down, dumping out the remaining slush to reveal the stolen pint of ice cream hidden inside. As she hurries toward her parked van, she freezes. The same man from the store stands waiting nearby. She quickly insists she can’t help him, but Moses doesn’t budge, convinced she must have jumper cables. Moses casually mentions that the cashier might want to review the security footage, proving she stole a pint of ice cream. Caught off guard, Zephyr realizes he’s trying to blackmail her into helping him. Moses pleads that he just needs the jumper cables to get his car started, claiming he’s walked ten blocks but can’t find any. Reluctantly, Zephyr drives him back to his car after he promises he’s not a serial killer.
As they drive back to his car, Moses is clearly into Zephyr. He starts chatting about how aisle seat people are more outgoing and social, while she strikes him as a window seat type who’s more reserved and introspective. Annoyed, Zephyr asks if this is some Mormon pickup line because she’s not interested. Moses clarifies he’s not Mormon, even though he knows he dresses like one, and explains he’s actually a real estate agent.
Zephyr notices a surfboard in Moses’s car and realizes he surfs too, just like her. As they wait for the jump-start, Moses shares a local secret. If she finds the blue bench on the shore and sits right in the middle of it, she can double her wave count.
Once his car starts again, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Ooby Dooby” suddenly blasts from the stereo. Surprised to find another Creedence fan, Zephyr admits she loves the band too, though she thinks “Ooby Dooby” is one of their weaker songs since it’s all about a silly dance. She prefers deeper tracks like “Fortunate Son,” which protests rich men sending poor kids to war, and “Long As I Can See the Light,” about a lonely soul searching for belonging. Moses laughs and explains that the dance is actually a metaphor. The song’s really about love, that giddy “ooby dooby” feeling in your heart when you meet the one and just have to go for it.
Impressed and feeling a sudden connection, Zephyr follows Moses back to his place, where they end up making love in her van. But in the middle of it, Moses gets poked by a fin key and tosses it outside. Later, Zephyr opens up to Moses about why she really got into surfing, explaining that there’s nothing on land for her and hinting at some deep trust issues. When Zephyr falls asleep, Moses quietly slips into his kitchen to make her a surprise pancake breakfast. But when he comes back outside, Zephyr and her van are already gone.
A fin key is a small tool, similar to an Allen (hex) wrench or screwdriver, used specifically to tighten or loosen the grub screws that attach removable fins to a surfboard. The fin key allows surfers to easily install, remove, or swap their fins to adjust board performance or prepare for travel. Modern fin keys often come as part of multi-tools or ratchet tools designed for faster, more convenient fin changes and can include bits suitable for popular fin systems like FCS and Futures. They help securely fasten fins while preventing damage from over-tightening and allow removal of fins even if screws get stripped or stuck with specialized bits included in some tools.
Afraid to admit her feelings for Moses, Zephyr drives back to the beach to prepare her board for an early morning surf. As she attaches a fin, she realizes her fin key is missing. It must still be lying on Moses’s driveway. Glancing around, she notices a pickup truck parked across from her spot. Hoping to find a spare key, she rummages through the truck bed. Suddenly, Tucker appears and startles her. Learning that she’s looking for a fin key, he hands her the key, and she promises to return it. But before she can finish tightening the fin to her board, Tucker drives off.
Zephyr gets a text from Moses asking if he can join her. She starts typing that she’d like that, but then hesitates. That would mean admitting feelings she’s not ready to face. Instead, she deletes the message and texts back that it’s a free ocean. But before Moses can reply, Tucker attacks her from behind, pulling a plastic bag over her head. Zephyr fights to get free, but she’s no match for his strength. She loses consciousness.
Concerned when Zephyr doesn’t reply to his text, Moses drives to the beach and parks near her van, but she’s nowhere to be found. Anxious, he calls her phone, only to hear it ringing from inside the van. When Moses returns to check on her van later, he sees it’s being towed by police. He follows them to the station and tells the officer he’s worried about Zephyr’s safety, fearing something has happened to her. But when the police officer asks for her last name, Moses realizes she never told him. Without a last name, there’s nothing the police can do to help.
Meanwhile, Zephyr wakes up on Tucker’s boat and finds herself chained to a bed in the same room where Heather is being held captive. As she searches for something to pick the lock on her cuffs, Zephyr discovers a name scratched into the metal wall. Zephyr becomes terrified as she realizes their captor has done this before. Other victims have been here, and now they’re gone.
Directed by Australian filmmaker Sean Byrne and written by Nick Lepard, DANGEROUS ANIMALS is a survival thriller centered around a shark-obsessed serial killer who survived a shark attack as a child. Jai Courtney delivers a chilling performance, perfectly capturing the unsettling aura of a twisted serial killer. His eerie dance routine even echoes Buffalo Bill’s infamous scene from The Silence of the Lambs, equally deranged and unforgettable.
This film stands out as one of the best shark movies I’ve seen in a long time. The script brilliantly blends multiple genres, incorporating thriller elements, serial killer suspense, fearsome sharks, love at first sight, romantic comedy, and detective drama, along with several unexpected twists. Somehow, these elements that shouldn’t fit together mesh seamlessly.
That said, some aspects of the narrative stretch believability. For instance, a man goes to extreme lengths to find a woman he met just once, who left without even saying goodbye. He even risks his life to save hers. Moments like these might make some viewers roll their eyes. Still, the overall story feels grounded in reality and surprisingly convincing.
DANGEROUS ANIMALS premiered at Festival de Cannes in the Directors’ Fortnight section (Quinzaine des cinéastes) on 17 May 2025. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 6 June, and in Australia on 12 June.
