"Dangerous Animals" has been called "Silence of the Lambs" on a boat, and that's accurate. But its focus is not on Hannibal Lecter; its focus is on Buffalo Bill.
Like Buffalo Bill, the Jai Courtney character has a lengthy, upsetting dance sequence. And Jai Courtney keeps souvenirs. He films his victims as they are devoured by sharks -- then he stores the footage on his boat.
In the opposite corner, we have Zephyr, a hardened surfing addict who looks and sounds like Jennifer Lawrence. Zephyr meets a young man who shares her fondness for Credence Clearwater. But the young man likes "Ooby Dooby," while Zephyr has time only for "Fortunate Son." She says, "That's a REAL song. A song about capitalism and exploitation." And the young man pushes back. "'Ooby Dooby' is about love. What is more profound than love?"
When Zephyr finds herself imprisoned on Jai Courtney's boat, she gets creative -- with a plastic piece of a beach bucket, with the wire scaffolding from a bra, with her own teeth. Zephyr is a terrific character because she has heroic access to her own brain -- she knows how to handle a shark -- but she is also flawed and relatable. Her "emotional intimacy" challenges are a nice grace note in a consistently surprising script.
Is it plausible that a businessman could repeatedly murder tourists (and yet his business wouldn't suffer)? Perhaps the answer is no. And yet. This is the best movie I've seen in several weeks. Two thumbs up.
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