Serial killers on film have been obsessed with a number of things. Usually it’s, y’know, the flesh of other humans, but they’re got range, people. It’s not just death they’re interested in — or at least, that’s what director Sean Byrne is setting out to prove with his newest film, Dangerous Animals, which hits theaters this summer and just dropped its first trailer.
The aquatic horror film follows Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), a rebellious surfer, who finds herself caught in the clutches of Jai Courtney’s shark-obsessed killer. Captured on his boat — which, based on the trailer, doesn’t seem that nice to begin with — she must determine how to escape before she becomes a part of his ritualistic feeding to the sharks below.
It’s worth noting that most sharks have no real interest in humans unless provoked, much less deadly ones — that’s a myth perpetuated by Jaws and its many imitators — but Byrne’s feature looks like it’s focused less on the supposedly deadly aquatic creatures and more on the man obsessed with them. The trailer focuses entirely on Courtney, who thinks he has some connection with the deep sea, a dark force that he believes needs sating.
Dangerous Animals is the latest in a long line of horror films that place sharks at their center. The aforementioned Jaws is obviously where everything started, but we can’t forget titles like The Meg or Deep Blue Sea, which once again attribute a bloodlust for more than just pinnipeds and dolphins to the kings of the ocean.
The aquatic creature feature is Byrne’s third horror film after The Loved Ones and The Devil’s Candy, and his first film in a decade, which also stars Josh Heuston and comes from a script by Nick Lepard.
Dangerous Animals hits theaters on June 6. Check out the new trailer below:
