Dangerous Animals Stuns Cannes with 10-Minute Ovation Following World Premiere

(L:R) Josh Heuston, Sean Byrne, Hassie Harrison, Jai Courtney / Quinzaine des Cineastes

🌊 DANGEROUS ANIMALS Sinks Its Teeth into Cannes with 10-Minute Standing Ovation

Australian director Sean Byrne (The Loved Ones, The Devil’s Candy) made a triumphant return to the international stage this weekend, as his latest film DANGEROUS ANIMALS debuted at Directors’ Fortnight during the Cannes Film Festival and brought the house down. The film received a 10-minute standing ovation, one of the longest of the festival so far, signaling major buzz ahead of its June release.

DANGEROUS ANIMALS is survival horror at its most primal. Trapped on a killer’s boat in the middle of the ocean, a lone surfer finds herself surrounded by circling sharks—and hunted by a predator far more cunning than anything beneath the surface.

Sean Byrne and cast of Dangerous Animals on the Cannes red carpet, May 17, 2025.

Starring Jai Courtney (The Suicide Squad), Hassie Harrison (Yellowstone), and Josh Heuston (Dune: Prophecy), the film blends isolation terror with slasher intensity, showcasing Byrne’s signature flair for stylish violence and psychological tension.

While full reviews are still under wraps, reactions from the premiere paint DANGEROUS ANIMALS as a brutal, nerve-wracking gut-punch with some of Byrne’s best work behind the camera. Critics and fans alike praised the film’s claustrophobic tension, practical shark work, and one jaw-dropping finale sequence that had audiences gasping before applauding.

DANGEROUS ANIMALS hits theaters June 6, 2025, and trust us—it’s one of HMU’s most anticipated horror films of the summer. Stay tuned, because we’ll have a full review coming soon. Until then, check out the red-hot premiere photos and soak in the buzz from Cannes.

Photos courtesy of IFC.