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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Killer thriller: Jai Courtney sinks teeth into 'Dangerous Animals'
A serial killer and the hardened survivalist he aims to murder head out into shark-infested waters with not another soul in sight for miles. It sounds like the movie remix of the year. But to actor Jai Courtney, putting together serial killers and sharks in the same movie 'is the genre mashup of our dreams.' In Dangerous Animals, opening Friday, Courtney, 39, plays Tucker a deranged serial killer who uses sharks to sadistically dispatch his unsuspecting victims. He takes tourists visiting Australia out to sea for an up-close encounter with the deadly animals — with an emphasis on up close. 'It's a lot of fun,' the Aussie actor says with a chuckle via Zoom following the premiere of the horror thriller at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this month. 'It mangles those two — sharks and serial killers — together, but at the centre of it, it's a survival thriller.' Courtney's psychotic boatman gets his kicks kidnapping unsuspecting visitors and feeding them to hungry sharks as he films the proceedings for his very own snuff movie collection. When we meet him, it seems that Tucker has been feeding live bait to the hungry predators for quite some time. Like the sharks he's so fond of, Tucker has become adept at seeking out his prey, targeting backpackers and vagabonds. After one gruesome kill, he celebrates by dancing around the main cabin in his underwear and a robe to Stevie Wright's 1974 classic, Evie (Let Your Hair Hang Down). But he meets his match when he abducts a tough loner named Zephyr (played by Yellowstone star Hassie Harrison) who threatens to end his savage streak. At the first sign of resistance, Tucker seems to relish the challenge Zephyr presents. 'Makes for a better show,' he says, sneering. 'This was such a different and unique world,' Courtney says of playing the madman. 'There's a menace to him and a maniacal obsessiveness that's like fodder for an actor to grab hold of and chew on … He's an enthusiast and someone with a deranged philosophy about how he fits into the ecosystem as an apex predator.' Director Sean Byrne, who made his mark as a horror auteur with his debut The Loved Ones, which won the Midnight Madness audience prize at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival, ratchets up the tension as Zephyr tries to save herself. Playing the foil to Harrison's determined heroine allowed Courtney to add to a roster of villains that includes an antagonist opposite Tom Cruise in 2012's Jack Reacher and the DC antihero Captain Boomerang in Suicide Squad. After landing his breakout role alongside Cruise right out of the gate, Courtney joined a list of Australian actors, including Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe and the late Heath Ledger, who became sought after quickly making their mark on Hollywood. Working with Cruise, he says, offered him an early education on professionalism and career longevity. 'Having Tom Cruise as the lead in the first big film I ever did was a true gift,' Courtney says. 'No one is as hard a worker as he is. It's an inspiration to see that kind of ethic and see someone care so much about (their work). To see him still killing it at 60-something … he's still making some of the most exciting films out there. He continues to be an inspiration for me.' Joining forces with Cruise led to work with Bruce Willis in 2013's A Good Day to Die Hard, the fifth and final entry in the long-running action series. He also booked a role as future resistance soldier Kyle Reese in 2015's Terminator: Genisys. A year later, he partnered with fellow Aussie Margot Robbie in Suicide Squad (a part he reprised in a 2021 sequel). 'I had a chance to share the screen with some real icons and that was a real privilege and an honour,' he says looking back on his meteoric rise. 'I've been part of some really cool classic action-franchise stuff.' Other notable roles followed, including a part in The Divergent Series. More recently, after welcoming a daughter with his partner, Saudi actress Dina Shihabi, he has appeared alongside Chris Pratt in Amazon's The Terminal List. Next up, he'll co-star in Netflix's forthcoming sci-fi thriller War Machine with Reacher star Alan Ritchson. But when his agent calls with the offer of another villain, he'll be all ears. 'There's just a lot of colour in there that you get to play with when you play those guys,' Courtney says. 'I'm no stranger to playing a bad guy. I'll probably continue that trend for years to come … hopefully.' Dangerous Animals opens in theatres Friday, June 6. mdaniell@ 'Terminator Genisys': Jai Courtney says new entry into series not a reboot or a prequel Aussie Jai Courtney talks about 'big' 'Die Hard' role
Digital Trends
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
3 great free movies to stream this weekend (May 9-11)
Table of Contents Table of Contents Thirteen Lives (2022) Air (2023) Tomb Raider (2018) The first weekend in May signals the start of summer movie season. Marvel started things off with Thunderbolts*, a team-up adventure featuring a ragtag group of antiheroes. Thunderbolts* got off to a respectable start with an opening weekend of $76 million domestic. Thunderbolts* should continue to rule the box office until Memorial Day weekend. This weekend marks the arrival of several smaller movies, including Shadow Force, Friendship, and Fight or Flight. Stream a free movie on a FAST service like Tubi and Pluto TV if you prefer to stay home. Our recommendations for this weekend include a riveting survival thriller, a sports drama, and an action reboot. Recommended Videos We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+. Thirteen Lives (2022) Ron Howard has a gift for adapting incredible true stories, i.e., Apollo 13. In 2022, Howard tackled the death-defying 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue in Thirteen Lives. Twelve young boys and their assistant coach get stuck in the Tham Luang cave after severe flooding knocks them off course. With most of the cave underwater, diving is the only way to search and find the boys. The Thai government seeks guidance from experienced cave divers Rick Stanton (Viggo Mortensen) and John Volanthen (Colin Farrell). Finding the boys is one thing, but getting them out of the cave becomes the real challenge. If you're low on hope and inspiration, Thirteen Lives will reaffirm your belief in the human spirit. Stream Thirteen Lives on Pluto TV. Air (2023) Michael Jeffrey Jordan is arguably the greatest player ever to pick up a basketball. Before winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls and becoming a Hall of Famer, Jordan was the third pick in the 1984 NBA Draft. Air is not a movie about Jordan's talent on the court. Instead, it dramatizes Nike's courtship of the budding superstar to wear their signature sneakers. In the 1980s, Nike was predominantly known for making running shoes. Nike's basketball scout Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) wants to change that and convinces CEO Phil Knight (Ben Affleck) to exhaust all resources to sign Jordan. The key to signing Jordan is winning over his mother, Deloris (Viola Davis). Air is essentially a series of conversations in rooms, but its overqualified cast and excellent screenplay shine in this new take on a sports movie. Stream Air for free on Tubi. Tomb Raider (2018) Alicia Vikander grabbed the torch from Angelina Jolie to play Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. As a young woman, Lara has never been the same since the disappearance of her father, Richard (Dominic West). While attempting to settle her family's estate, Lara receives a set of instructions from Richard to destroy his research into a mythical queen. Believing her father remains alive, Lara travels to Hong Kong to find Richard's last known destination. With the help of a ship captain (Daniel Wu), Lara travels into a deadly storm to reach a secret island and find Richard. Tomb Raider is a viable swashbuckling action movie with a committed Vikander, who should continue to star in action movies going forward. Stream Tomb Raider for free on Tubi.
