Sean Byrne’s “Harmful Animals” wastes no time establishing its diabolical premise.
We see a pleasant couple on trip who’re unfortunate sufficient to fulfill a wily boat captain named Bruce Tucker (Jai Courtney). A couple of minutes into the privately chartered boat journey and the promise of permitting the couple to submerge in a cage and get actually near sharks, the journey takes a darkish flip.
Tucker doesn’t simply need these saucer-eyed vacationers to see the sharks up shut however needs to chum the water with them. After a couple of minutes of this and the title card showing, we meet a brand new couple unlucky sufficient to run into Tucker at precisely the unsuitable second.
Introduced at such an over-the-top pitch, it nearly counters how savage it’s. “Harmful Animals” is totally ridiculous, however the strategy to the story, as comparably inelegant as that is, truly mimics the construction of “The Vanishing” (1988).
After all, whereas “The Vanishing” is a mannequin of restraint and insufferable suspense, “Harmful Animals” dares its viewers to not look away whereas victims are devoured alive.
For anybody who thought “Wolf Creek” (2005) was too delicate and wanted sharks, right here’s your film.
RELATED: 11 INSANE SHARK MOVIES (NOT NAMED ‘SHARKNADO’)
The 2 leads give star-making performances – I wouldn’t be shocked if Hassie Harrison and Josh Heuston turned title actors in a number of years. That’s how good they’re right here.
I favored the characters, cared whether or not they would survive (not like the teenagers of most horror movies) and located the actors to have actual movie-star charisma.
Courtney’s efficiency is admittedly one thing. After not registering in “Die Arduous” and “Terminator” sequels, his Bruce Tucker (sure, the primary title is a “Jaws” reference) alternates between being a humorous and hideous alpha male parody.
If this film provides Courtney’s performing profession a wanted redirect and extra attention-grabbing character roles like this, then we’re in for a deal with.
Byrne fashions this in an antsy method that usually matches Courtney’s efficiency, which just about however not fairly distracts from how repetitive the story is.
In direction of the tip, Tucker resembles Jack Torrance from “The Shining” (1980), however minus any depth or perspective. The dearth of a backstory truly turns into an issue within the late going, as Tucker’s crimes are so weird and elaborate, that they critically deserve a proof, which isn’t given.
Why?
I’m uncertain if it was clever to by no means present a case historical past for the villain and keep away from diagnosing his insanity, as his modus operandi is so foolish and parody prepared.
Nearly as good as these actors are and as skillfully as Byrne tells this story, it was by no means sufficient to make me imagine any of that is attainable.
On this age of surveillance and irregular exercise being filmed and always uploaded on-line, it appears implausible, if not unimaginable, for our killer to be getting away along with his demonstrative, elaborate and out-in-the-open crimes.
If this was set within the late twentieth century, I’d imagine that Tucker could possibly be so overtly careless and look-at-me loopy out within the open along with his sick intentions, however this takes place in a world with cell telephones.
There’s simply no means any of that is attainable.
I’d imagine essentially the most outsized entice constructed by Jigsaw, however Tucker’s operation is simply too clearly sketchy. As soon as we notice what number of occasions he’s dedicated his crimes, it’s one other second the place I couldn’t purchase the place the story wished to take me.
Additionally, wouldn’t the dearth of excellent Yelp opinions preserve vacationers away?
“Jaws” (1975) is the definitive shark thriller, and “Deep Blue Sea” (1999) deserves its regular cult following. But, so far as low-budget shark tales go, “Open Water” (2004) remains to be king.
If there’s any level to this, it’s merely this: don’t go close to sharks. You already know what, “Harmful Animals”? Achieved.
Two and a Half Stars (out of 4)