Jaws is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this yr, and what higher approach to pay homage to Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece than with one other shark film? The timing could also be a coincidence, however IFC and Shudder’s newest team-up is about to spook moviegoers proper out of their seats. From director Sean Byrne, Harmful Animals premiered on the Cannes Movie Competition, and can quickly be unleashed on the remainder of the world. However brace your self: there is a plethora of exhausting R-rated violence, heart-wrenching moments of torture and immersive moments with ravenous sharks. In the end, Australian performer Jai Courtney, whom DCU followers would possibly know greatest as Captain Boomerang, steals the present. However Harmful Animals additionally succeeds by elevating the “torture porn” subgenre with first-rate performances, a novel setting, a fleshed-out script and spectacular technical feats.
Fly Away, Zephyr
Harmful Animals
3.5
/5
- 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
Main man Courtney’s display presence is without delay arresting and ominous. Right here, he performs Bruce Tucker, a seemingly charming shipowner whose public-facing enterprise mannequin is offering colourful excursions at sea. An innocuous opening sequence sees two buddies wander over to his cruiser for a style of the Australian shoreline, however by the top of the chilly open, Bruce has revealed his true colours. They are saying that in area, nobody can hear you scream, and it is the identical impact whenever you’re miles from shore.
Then the plot shifts focus to our protagonist, the aptly named Zephyr (Yellowstone star Hassie Harrison). A rebellious American attempting to start out anew internationally, an opportunity incidence leads her to satisfy native realtor/hunk Moses (Josh Heuston), resulting in an evening of frisky enjoyable at his pad. However Zephyr is a loner, and seemingly broken items. So she decides to bail on breakfast the morning after, afraid to have an excessive amount of of factor. However her insistence on independence results in dire penalties — because it seems, her favourite browsing seaside can also be the place Bruce docks his killer boat. Earlier than Zephyr may even dip her toes within the water for an early-morning swim, she is knocked out chilly and awakens subsequent to a different captive lady.
We immediately acknowledge Heather (Ella Newton) from the stunning intro sequence; now, the 2 younger ladies are handcuffed to rickety mattresses on the decrease deck of Bruce’s boat. Fortunately, the street-smart Zephyr had made sufficient digital contact with Moses to tip him off that one thing was unsuitable as soon as she stopped responding to his texts. But it surely’s simpler stated than executed monitoring Zephyr down at sea, and the clock begins ticking as soon as Bruce decides to place his victims via a really torturous ordeal captured on his old-school video digital camera.
Killer Music and Camerawork
Shudder
The predator-prey dynamic aboard Bruce’s creaky vessel might really feel too acquainted, however the dynamic between Courtney and Harrison overshadows these recycled story tropes. It helps that Byrne is aware of his approach across the body, capturing his embattled characters with clean, eerie monitoring photographs that push in on tense conditions to intensify the drama. This primary-rate camerawork pairs nicely with a killer musical rating that takes dangers with its jarring crescendos. There’s loads of juicy dialogue to make viewers chortle and wince, and the gory violence holds nothing again.
The ludicrous entrapment units Bruce builds with the intention to dangle his harmless victims over the ocean are sufficient to depart viewers sleeping with one eye open. And with the villain capturing every thing on tape, even permitting us to peek into the viewfinder, the movie successfully provides an thrilling meta layer as nicely. Courtney provides a grasp class in villainous efficiency right here, juggling his more and more rebellious victims whereas warding off suspicious locals on the mainland. It is maniacal enjoyable, however fortunately Courtney is not all that IFC and Shudder’s new scary film has to supply.
IFC Movies and Shudder are releasing Harmful Animals solely in theaters on Friday, June 6, 2025.