Shark movies are a dime a dozen these days so it’s really important that this one is better than the last one. Dangerous Animals (read our review HERE) is that movie. Written by Nick Lepard (This is like his first movie. Color me impressed!) and directed by Australian filmmaker Sean Byrne (read our interview with him HERE) (The Loved Ones; The Devil’s Candy), Dangerous Animals stars Hassie Harrison as Zephyr, a surfer who finds herself kidnapped and held captive on a boat by serial killer Tucker (Jai Courtney – read our interview with him HERE) and must figure out a way to escape before being fed to the sharks.
What I really loved about this movie is that it used almost zero CGI. That’s not something you usually find in a modern-day shark movie. To celebrate the release of Dangerous Animals, I chatted with star Hassie Harrison about the challenges of shoot on open water in Australia, crafting her character, horror movies, and more!
Hassie Harrison: Exciting times! Just came from Cannes Film Festival. It’s all happening!
PopHorror: Dangerous Animals had my attention from the very beginning and seriously, my anxiety was through the roof, which I appreciate because that’s why we watch horror so I’m excited to hear more about it. What intrigued you about the script and made you want to be part of the project?
Hassie Harrison: As soon as I read the script, I tore through it. I read the whole thing in like 30 minutes, and I was like, this is awesome! It just was fun. I thought it was really cool. There are so many genres in there. There’s a survival movie, there’s comedic relief. I think what Jai’s done with the character may be one of the greatest serial killer villains of all time. Then there’s a rom com element to it. There’s just so many things and I think it’s just a fun movie. Super sharp script.
PopHorror: I had a lot of fun watching it. Zephyr is a badass. She was so strong and doing everything to save herself and her boyfriend. What did you find the most challenging about making Dangerous Animals?
Hassie Harrison: Probably overcoming some of my own fears of getting in the ocean in Australia at night. We did a couple weeks of night shoots and then there was definitely up against the elements because there was a cold snap that came through in the middle of these night shoots. Everybody’s in parkas and beanies and scarves and I’m just over here chattering my teeth in shorts and t-shirts and they’re dumping buckets of water on me before every take. It was full throttle.
PopHorror: Was there anything that you were adamant about bringing to your character?
Hassie Harrison: That’s a great question. I just like when I watch other people’s performances, to have things feel grounded and be really dropped in. I think there’s a quiet resilience, and to me, most beautifully, there’s that vulnerability that is so important to convey because otherwise, the audience doesn’t care. And the love story, I feel like that really sold and I’m so lucky to have worked with Josh Heuston. He’s a really incredible, generous actor so it was a dream casting, to say the least.
PopHorror: I think the vulnerability of the character makes her more relatable.
Hassie Harrison: Yeah!
PopHorror: But also makes her more real because anybody that’s going to find themselves in that situation is going to be vulnerable. It would be unrealistic to have her be any other way, I think that was a great choice. I think it made us feel like maybe we could get away too if that should happen.
Hassie Harrison: Yeah, right?! Yeah.
PopHorror: One last question for you today. What is your favorite scary movie?
Hassie Harrison: I gotta go with Silence of the Lambs. I think that’s one of the most classic scary movies and Anthony Hopkins is all time for me in terms of just acting.
PopHorror: That is a great answer, and Jai actually said the same thing so that’s really awesome.
Hassie Harrison: Is that true?
PopHorror: Yeah!
Hassie Harrison: Okay, sorry, that’s amazing! Aww. We’re the same person!
PopHorror: I don’t hear that one very often, either.
Hassie Harrison: We always talk about how our characters had more in common just being loners and stuff. That makes me laugh.
Thank you so much to Hassie for taking the time to chat with us. Dangerous Animals is in theaters now!
