Hassie Harrison has dramatically switched from the Wild West to a suspenseful oceanic setting in her latest film, now screening in cinemas.
The actress, well-known for her role as Laramie in the popular Yellowstone series, is almost unrecognizable in her new lead role in the thrilling serial killer movie, Dangerous Animals.
The film’s first glimpse reveals Harrison has traded her cowgirl attire for a new look as she portrays Zephyr, a free-spirited surfer who confronts a twisted killer named Tucker (played by Jai Courtney).
Tucker, who has an unhealthy obsession with sharks, keeps Zephyr captive on his boat.
Desperate to escape a terrifying underwater fate, she must rely on her survival instincts to fight her way off the boat before becoming a victim of Tucker’s cruel shark-feeding ritual.
Now showing in cinemas, Dangerous Animals has achieved an impressive 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, sending chills down the spines of horror fans and critics alike. The film is temporarily exclusive to the big screen, but subscribers of Prime Video with access to Shudder will soon be able to watch it at home, reports the Mirror US.
Discussing Film has praised Harrison as an “ace final girl” and commended Courtney’s performance and the thriller’s original premise.
“The concept of a rebellious surfer escaping a shark-obsessed serial killer who carries out demented, ritualistic feedings is unquestionably an original one,” they added.
“Plus, Jai Courtney’s Tucker is as great a horror villain on paper as he is in practice.
“Sometimes, a zany horror film like this only needs a mean b****** of a monster at the center to work. Courtney eats that challenge up, threatening to take the whole ocean with him.”
Eliciting stellar reactions from fans, one Redditor posted: “Went into this pretty much blind and enjoyed the hell out of it.
“An incredibly tight, well-crafted survival horror film that’s savagely tense and wince-inducingly brutal at times.”
An ardent fan boasted: “I LOVE shark movies. I will watch any shark movie no matter the quality. I’ve seen a lot of SyFy original movies and enjoyed most of them. And I think this is the only time I’ve actually been affected by a shark since I saw Jaws as a child.
“Dangerous Animals did such a great job building up the tension that it had me squirming in my seat with anxiety, especially during Heather being loaded into the water for the first time.
“I loved this movie. It was fun as f*** and I think it’s the scariest shark movie for me since Jaws. Will totally recommend it to my horror friends.”
One five-star Google critic raved: “Even better than expected. Had me on the edge of my seat and behind my hands. A little scared at some points, thrilled the whole time. Loved it.”
With Jaws marking its half-century milestone this year, the question is buzzing: Could Dangerous Animals have just claimed the iconic film’s throne?
Dangerous Animals is in cinemas now.
