Dangerous Animals (2025)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
A woman must fight for survival after being abducted by a serial killer who uses a shark-filled ocean as his hunting ground.
The story
Tourists Greg and Heather visit Tucker’s Experience, a shark cage attraction run by the eccentric boat captain Tucker. While riding out into the ocean, Tucker shares his history of surviving a shark attack, which shaped his view of the species. After the pair participates in a cage dive, Tucker suddenly kills Greg and abducts Heather. Meanwhile, at the Gold Coast, a rebellious American drifter named Zephyr is abducted by Tucker after being followed. She finds herself held captive on a boat at sea alongside Heather. The two women are trapped in a high-stakes struggle against a predator who uses the ocean's dangers to mask his crimes.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being abducted by Tucker, a serial killer who uses a shark-filled ocean to hide his crimes, Zephyr and Heather are held captive on his boat. Tucker records the deaths of his victims, including Heather, who is lowered into the water to be devoured by sharks. Zephyr eventually escapes her cell and manages to flee, but is eventually recaptured. Meanwhile, a man named Moses, who had previously known Zephyr, finds her and is also captured by Tucker. As Tucker's mental state unravels due to the presence of others, he puts Moses in the shark harness. During a tense standoff, Zephyr manages to free herself and eventually faces a large female great white shark. In the final confrontation, Zephyr uses Tucker's speargun to kill him as he is attacked by the shark. She and the dying Moses survive, and they plan a future together.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 98
- Production countries
- United States; Australia
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Sean Byrne
- Writers
- Nick Lepard · writer
- Cast and characters
- Hassie Harrison · Zephyr; Jai Courtney · Tucker; Josh Heuston · Moses; Ella Newton · Heather; Liam Greinke · Greg; Rob Carlton · Dave
- Genres
- survival horror
- Themes
- survival; serial killer; man vs. nature
- Tone and mood
- tense; visceral
- Setting
- A boat at sea and the Gold Coast, Queensland.
- Premise and plot tags
- shark attack; survival; serial killer
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews from critics, with praise for its 'artful' appearance and 'visceral performances,' though some critics criticized its 'derivative nature' and 'implausible storytelling.'
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film was the first Australian feature to screen in the Directors' Fortnight at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival since 2014.; Production on the Gold Coast contributed over $10.7 million to the state's economy.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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