Summer is almost here, and horror fans know what that means…shark movies! IFC Films and Shudder have announced an original film coming to theaters in June, and it features our favorite underwater predators: sharks.
Dangerous Animals was directed by Sean Byrne, who wrote and directed The Devil’s Candy and beloved cult favorite The Loved Ones. It stars Jai Courtney (Suicide Squad), Hassie Harrison (Yellowstone) and Josh Heuston (Dune: Prophecy).
In Dangerous Animals, a surfer named Zephyr (Harrison) is kidnapped by a serial killer and kept on his boat. Her abductor is not just a murderer, he is a murderer obsessed with sharks, and plans to feed her to them. It’s up to Zephyr to escape before she becomes part of his terrifying ritual.
Shark films have long been a favorite summer pastime for those who enjoy horror and thrillers. While 1975’s Jaws has long been the most iconic, there many shark-related films prior to its release, and even more after. Lucio Fulci’s Zombie even featured a jaw-dropping underwater zombie versus shark scene that included an actor working with a real shark.
Jaws is largely considered to be the very first modern summer blockbuster, grossing more than $21,000.000during the first ten days of its release (something unheard of at the time). Anyone who was old enough to see the film upon its initial release probably remembers the hysteria it caused, as people were terrified to go into the ocean, and sharks were deemed to be evil creatures.
Peter Benchley, who wrote the novel the film was based on, said in later years that he felt bad for giving sharks such a bad name. He even became a marine conservation advocate because of it.
Other shark films include 2003’s Open Water, 2010’s The Reef, 2016’s The Shallows, and of course the cheese fest Sharknado movies. The list could go on and on, right? In 2023, Shudder even produced a documentary called Sharksploitation, during which many shark films were discussed and dissected.
When does Dangerous Animals release on the big screen?
Dangerous Animals will debut exclusively in theaters on June 6 of this year. We can probably expect it to begin streaming on Shudder shortly afterwards, but no streaming date has yet been announced. Late Night with the Devil did very well in movie theaters, and it came to Shudder barely a month later. Following that logic, Dangerous Animals would likely begin streaming in July – perfect timing to still take advantage of the summer season.