Sean Byrne isn’t exactly a household name, but discerning horror fans know precisely who he is. Byrne’s the Australian filmmaker behind The Loved Ones (2009) and The Devil’s Candy (2017), two utterly bonkers movies that offer up somewhat-familiar horror tropes with an unusual twist. In The Loved Ones, we were served a classic “escape from a psychopathic family” tale that subverted many of our expectations within that genre; with The Devil’s Candy, we experienced something of a possession tale with a heavy metal twist.
Now Byrne is back with another genre-blending horror film, one that will pair the serial killer genre with sharksploitation movies. Says Variety…
“Hassie Harrison (Yellowstone), Jai Courtney (Terminator Genisys) and Heartbreak High’s Josh Heuston, soon to be seen in Dune: Prophecy, will star in the horror thriller Dangerous Animals. Adding edge to the package, Australia’s genre auteur Sean Byrne (The Loved Ones, The Devil’s Candy), one of the highest rated horror directors of all time on Rotten Tomatoes, is directing Dangerous Animals which will be brought onto the Cannes market by David Garrett’s Mister Smith Entertainment.”
Roger that. And what’s it about?
“Written by Nick Lepard, Dangerous Animals exhibits the same play with genre tropes of The Devil’s Candy, a classic horror thrill ride which unspools to the sounds of heavy metal. In Dangerous Animals, Zephyr (Harrison), described as a savvy and free-spirited surfer, is abducted by a shark-obsessed serial killer (Courtney). ‘Held captive on his boat, she must figure out how to escape before he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks below. The only person who realizes she is missing is new love interest Moses (Hueston), who goes looking for Zephyr, only to be caught by the deranged murderer as well,’ the synopsis runs.”
Jai Courtney as a shark-obsessed serial killer? Ritualistic feeding frenzies involving sharks? A claustrophobic showdown between the killer and his victims set on a boat? This all sounds excellent to our ears, and if the final product is anywhere near as entertaining as The Loves Ones or The Devil’s Candy, we’re in for a goddamn treat.
Variety’s report goes on to mention that Dangerous Animals will begin shooting off Australia’s Gold Coast tomorrow, and will soon be making the rounds at this year’s Cannes marketplace. We’re delighted to hear that a new Byrne joint is on the way (especially one that sounds this wild), and will keep you informed on further updates regarding the film’s production and release as they roll in. Stay tuned for those, folks!
Looking for more shark movies? Check out our list of 10 Shark Movies You’ll Love To Sink Your Teeth Into, from the filmmakers behind Sharksploitation.
