Shudder stays one of many largest names on the subject of horror streaming. The primary Shudder authentic characteristic movie arrived in 2018 with the discharge of Revenge. Since then, the service has launched a gentle stream of horror and thriller content material, together with the Creepshow horror anthology. Different Shudder characteristic movies which have made a splash embody Mad God (2022), Converse No Evil (2022), When Evil Lurks (2023), In A Violent Nature (2024), Oddity (2024), and The Ugly Stepsister (2025). Now, Shudder is ready to co-handle North American distribution for a shark thriller.
Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) is essentially accountable for popularizing the shark film, and the style has ebbed and flowed in recognition ever since. Latest notable shark motion pictures embody The Shallows (2016), The Meg (2018), Meg 2: The Trench (2023), and Beneath Paris (2024), and all of those had been profitable with audiences, proving the style stays a draw. Shudder’s new shark film, nonetheless, is ready to place a enjoyable twist on the style.
Harmful Animals Impresses With Its Rotten Tomatoes Debut
The Shark Thriller Is Faring Effectively With Critics
Harmful Animals
has now debuted on Rotten Tomatoes, and the movie is off to a robust begin. Directed by Sean Byrne, the upcoming horror-thriller stars Hassie Harrison as Zephyr, a free-spirited surfer who’s kidnapped by a shark-obsessed serial killer named Tucker (Jai Courtney). The movie, which Shudder and IFC Movies are set to launch theatrically within the U.S. on June 6, additionally stars Ella Newton, Josh Heuston, Rob Carlton, and Liam Greinke. Harmful Animals had its premiere on the Director’s Fortnight part at Cannes earlier this month.
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With critiques now releasing on-line, Rotten Tomatoes reveals that Harmful Animals has debuted with a formidable 89% critics’ rating from 18 critiques. This rating places the movie very a lot into “fresh” territory, however issues may fluctuate as extra critiques are added. There is no Popcornmeter rating simply but, however one ought to start to take form not lengthy after June 6 when the film releases.
Our Take On Harmful Animals’ Rotten Tomatoes Rating
Will The Movie Change into A Shark Film Traditional?
Critics are praising Harmful Animals for its environment friendly script and the methods during which Byrne presents a contemporary tackle the shark film style. The blending of a shark film with a serial killer horror is a mix that’s stated to work surprisingly effectively. Courtney, too, is highlighted as a serious vivid spot within the movie, along with his efficiency as a serial killer stated to be one for the books.
If the rating can stay within the excessive 80s, Harmful Animals may benefit from word-of-mouth throughout its theatrical run. The audience-driven Popcornmeter rating would be the higher indication, nonetheless, of how the film is faring with normal viewers. Shark motion pictures proceed to be standard with viewers, with The Meg franchise discovering success in theaters and Beneath Paris not too long ago turning into a serious Netflix viewership hit.
Beneath Paris ranks because the second most-watched non-English Netflix film of all time, with 102.3 million views.
Harmful Animals appears to be like to be a extra contained shark thriller in comparison with one thing like The Meg, which is clearly extra of a blockbuster. The truth is, the trailer for the movie suggests the movie will truly share lots in widespread with Jaws by way of its boat-centric story and restricted solid. This Steven Spielberg traditional set a really excessive bar for shark motion pictures, however Harmful Animals’ Rotten Tomatoes rating actually suggests it is one to look ahead to.
Supply: Rotten Tomatoes
Harmful Animals
Launch Date
June 6, 2025
Runtime
98 minutes
Director
Sean Byrne
Writers
Nick Lepard
Producers
Andrew Mason, Mickey Liddell, Chris Ferguson, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Troy Lum, Pete Shilaimon
