There have been many movies about killer animals throughout cinematic history. From stories about killer spiders to killer bears to killer crocodiles and alligators, this has quickly proved to be a successful horror subgenre of sorts. However, none are as famous as sharks, all because of a little film by Steven Spielberg known as Jaws.
Jaws was so popular that it spawned a plethora of knockoffs and low-budget shark movies that range from mediocre to laughably terrible. And yet, every now and then, someone will put just a little bit more effort into a shark movie, and something solidly spooky will be created. Since everyone knows and watches Jaws every summer, what are the best of these other shark movies that can also be enjoyed?
Some shark movies even manage to stand out on their own without feeling the need to copy any of the formulas established by Jaws. With Shark Week sending viewers into a frenzy for these underwater predators, it’s the perfect time to binge through these iconic and not-so-iconic shark films.
The Last Shark (1981)
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As previously mentioned, there were a plethora of Jaws knockoffs and one of the more famous ones is an Italian-made film known as The Last Shark. This b-movie is a downright clone of Jaws in many ways, even down to stealing similar plotlines.
However, of all Jaws knockoffs, The Last Shark is somewhat infamous for its shark animatronic. While it is better than most knockoffs, it’s still ridiculed for how it always rises out of the water in the exact same way. Combined with some over-the-top kills, The Last Shark is at least entertaining to sit through.
Jaws 3D (1983)
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An example of a good concept wasted on a poor film. The third Jaws movie attempted to try something different with a massive shark inside a massive Sea World lagoon. In a way, this concept would prove to be effective with Jurassic World but unfortunately, not for Jaws 3D.
The biggest detriment to Jaws 3D is the shark itself. In an attempt to capitalize on the fad of 3D movies, the shark effects were changed in post-production to work for the 3D and as a result, it looks hilariously bad. There is some enjoyment to be had with the characters being portrayed well but the shark effects lead to a so-bad-it’s-good experience.
U.S.S. Indianapolis: Men Of Courage (2016)
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Most will remember the famous scene from Jaws in which Robert Shaw’s Quint delivers a speech about the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and his encounters with sharks. In 2016, there was a whole movie about the real-life event starring the ever-charismatic Nicolas Cage and shark movie alumni Thomas Jane.
It takes a little while before it actually turns into a shark movie but it still delivers on being a decent World War II movie as well. Even when the sharks arrive, it’s less of a creature feature and focuses more on being a survival movie about these unfortunate Navy officers.
Shark Night (2011)
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Centered around a group of college friends who go on vacation to a lake and get picked off one by one by sharks, Shark Night knows what it is, and it embraces this “dumb fun” while still delivering some strong kills and thrills. It’s also quite rare to see a movie with multiple shark species, who each attack in their own unique way.
There is even a twist as to why these sharks are in the lake that gives Shark Night some extra flavor. Is it a masterpiece? No, but much like the Friday The 13th movies, it can be very entertaining with some decent effects and a surprising amount of gore.
12 Days Of Terror (2005)
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12 Days of Terror focuses less on the sharks and more on the drama that comes from the shark attacks, drawing inspiration from the real array of shark attacks in New England of 1916. Still, it also is clearly influenced by films like Jaws, showing politicians refusing to close beaches and blaming it on something else besides sharks.
While it does suffer from a lack of budget due to being a made-for-TV movie, it is an interesting look at what supposedly happened back then. Fans of Jaws should at least check it out to see the parallels.
Jaws 2 (1978)
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A sequel to Jaws was unnecessary but Jaws 2, despite its many production issues, was still an entertaining creature feature. Roy Scheider is still top-notch as Martin Brody, the new shark is sincerely scary, and there is clearly more effort to create genuine suspense; at least in comparison to later films like Jaws 3 and Jaws: The Revenge.
Along with some good kills, Jaws 2 also features a unique concept where the shark is constantly stalking a group of teenagers on boats in the middle of the ocean. This combined with how the shark is taken out makes Jaws 2 feel less like a carbon copy of the first movie.
The Meg (2018)
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Despite being somewhat of a wasted opportunity by resorting to a PG-13 rating, The Meg is still a fun popcorn monster movie. The set design and digital effects are top-notch, the Meg itself is well-designed even if its previous design in production was far better, and Jason Statham is as fun to watch as always.
Like Shark Night, The Meg knows what it is: an underwater kaiju movie, despite it suffering from a lack of terror. Unlike most films about megalodons, The Meg benefits from a large budget and actually tries to deliver a fun action-thriller. There are even some tense moments, brutal kills, and a few memorable characters to enjoy.
47 Meters Down (2017)
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47 Meters Down has a simple but clever premise: two girls are stuck in a shark cage on the ocean floor with sharks surrounding them. This one mixes several kinds of horror: galeophobia (the fear of sharks), thalassophobia (the fear of the ocean), and claustrophobia (the fear of confined places).
The sharks themselves don’t appear often, but when they do, it is heart-stopping. Combine that with the environmental hazards, and 47 Meters Down never lets up with the suspense. However, there is a twist towards the end that will make or break the film for some viewers.
47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019)
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47 Meters Down: Uncaged suffers from one big problem: the characters. Most of the main cast of characters are so unlikeable and annoying that it makes the first twenty minutes feel painful. However, the instant the sharks enter the story, Uncaged becomes so much better due to the concept of these creatures; seemingly taking inspiration from The Descent, which remains a 2000s horror classic.
This time, the sharks are pale and blind; they almost look like stone, and they solely hunt by sound. As a result, the tension returns, leading to a more shark-centric horror film this time around. This sequel also features better kills than its predecessor, along with some surprisingly great effects for the cave sharks.
Bait (2012) - Free With Prime Video & Tubi
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Bait gets praise just for its more realistic concept: an underground supermarket gets flooded during a tidal wave and becomes the new territory for a couple of sharks. There are no mutant or genetically enhanced sharks here either - just plain-old regular sharks.
What helps most are the performances, as all the actors feel believable and make the situation feel far more suspenseful. Bait also boasts impressive digital and practical effects for the sharks, and the setting and environmental dangers are equally well-executed, along with the kills. For these reasons, Bait is often listed as an underrated gem in the “shark horror” subgenre.
The Reef (2010)
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In The Reef, a group of friends is stranded when their boat hits a reef, forcing them to swim to land on their own. Of course, a shark naturally comes along and things soon become terrifying. Surprisingly, most of the shark footage used in The Reef is taken from videos of real sharks, which gives the situation more weight and makes it feel more genuine.
Each encounter with the shark will have the viewer curling up their toes until they cramp. Even when the shark is not there, The Reef keeps the tension by giving the feeling that the shark could or could not be there at any second.
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
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After the Jaws series finally ended, shark movies were a dying breed for a long time. That changed in 1999 with Renny Harlin’s creature feature, Deep Blue Sea. The film is about three genetically altered Mako sharks stalking and killing their creators and other survivors in an undersea facility.
Despite sounding like SyFy channel fodder, Deep Blue Sea is another cult gem. The effects still hold up after over twenty years, the characters are all memorable thanks to great performances, and it provides a healthy mix of horror and thriller genres.
The Shallows (2016)
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The Shallows is a movie that came out of nowhere and surprised everyone. A surfer in a remote bay becomes the victim of a shark protecting its food source: a whale carcass. Boasting some of the best shark CGI in this subgenre, a great performance by Blake Lively, and beautiful cinematography, The Shallows is a contender for one of the only movies to rival Jaws.
Much like Jaws, it’s horrifying, but it also features a likable lead, some healthy humor, and a strong pace. Blake Lively’s battles against the shark are, for the most part, rather realistic and the story showcases a more intelligent human character for once. All this combined with a thrilling climax has turned The Shallows into a modern classic.
