Harmful Animals, the shark assault function that shocked audiences in 2025, is lastly coming to streaming. The movie is a part of the September replace for the horror-exclusive streamer Shudder. Beginning September 5, Shudder subscribers, in addition to these with entry to AMC+, will discover the American/Australian co-production on the streamer’s library. Different titles touchdown on Shudder embody Bride of Frankenstein, Hang-out, The Post-mortem of Jane Doe, and American Psycho.
An excellent style mashup, Harmful Animals presents audiences with not one however two main horror threats. On the one hand, it options a number of always-hungry shark breeds. On the opposite, there is a maniacal serial killer with a disturbing fixation. Not solely is Harmful Animals one of the underrated horror flicks of 2025, but it surely stands out among the many numerous items of authentic horror of latest years.
The film follows a younger American surfer who spends her days driving the waves by herself on the Gold Coast in Australia. The drifter connects with a neighborhood named Moses, who additionally shares her love for browsing. After a one-night-stand, they lose contact, and shortly after, Zephyr will get kidnapped by a maniac. Tucker is obsessive about sharks, and handles a shark cage attraction—giving him excellent entry to potential prey. When Zephyr wakes up chained to a mattress in Tucker’s boat, she should discover a strategy to escapes. Per the offficial synopsis:
When Zephyr, a rebellious surfer, is kidnapped by a shark-obsessed serial killer and held captive on his boat, she should determine how you can escape earlier than he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks beneath.
Harmful Animals was written by Nick Lepard, and directed by Sean Byrne. The movie stars Jai Courtney, Hassie Harrison, Josh Heuston, Rob Carlton, Ella Newton, and Liam Greinke. Throughout its brief theatrical run, the movie managed to gross $6.8 million. Upon launch, it acquired essential acclaim, and right this moment sits at 86% on the evaluate aggregator web site Rotten Tomatoes.
Sean Byrne Is a Horror Visionary on the Rise
Shudder
Harmful Animals is Jai Courtney’s present. The Australian actor, recognized for his roles in Suicide Squad and the TV sequence The Terminal Listing, has performed different unhinged actors prior to now, however Tucker takes absolutely the prize. He is clumsy and comical, however on the identical time, there is a twisted class to his insanity that makes him all of the extra attention-grabbing. You see, he does not simply file his victims being eaten by sharks, he considers it artwork and delights in rewatching the footage with admiration.
Sean Byrne’s sharksploitation film is strikingly authentic. From the tempo to the sudden twists, Harmful Animals manages to turn into greater than only a deleriously pleasant showcase for Courtney. It is an auteur’s work by a filmmaker who retains proving why he is one of the authentic voices in trendy horror cinema. If you happen to’re not satisfied of Byrne’s expertise, maybe the Rotten Tomatoes scores of his films could persuade you. Harmful Animals is the lowest-rated at a nonetheless massively spectacular 86%, with the heavy steel horror functionThe Satan’s Sweet sitting at 93%, and the teenager horror movie The Beloved Ones at 98%.
Harmful Animals
- Launch Date
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June 6, 2025
- Runtime
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98 minutes
- Director
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Sean Byrne
- Writers
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Nick Lepard
- Producers
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Andrew Mason, Mickey Liddell, Chris Ferguson, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Troy Lum, Pete Shilaimon