When Steven Spielberg’s Jaws hit theaters back in 1975, it effectively gave birth to the summer movie season, or at the very least the notion that entertainment-focused films can thrive when debuted between the months of May to August. And, whether it’s the three sequels to the Spielberg classic or any number of the other similar “When Animals Attack” movies released in the wake of Jaws‘ success, none of them have come close to matching the classic’s immense power and firm grasp of pacing and character development. However, as the years have progressed, filmmakers all over the world have created their own additions to the shark movie subgenre and, while they’re still no Jaws, they’re compelling and intense creature features, nonetheless. And now we’re going to lose at the most hair-raising entries of the bunch.
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To be included here, the shark movies actually had to have to have some tension in them. That means no Sharknado here. It may have sharks, but it doesn’t have a shred of tension. Furthermore, we left the Jaws sequels off. We’re looking outside that particular franchise, even if Jaws 2 is suitably thrilling and to this day underrated.
5) The Meg
As much a Jason Statham action movie as it is a mega shark creature feature, The Meg is goofy PG-13 fun and nothing more. But, really, goofy PG-13 fun goes down easy and this movie is no exception.
Just because The Meg comes in last here doesn’t mean it’s devoid of tension, either. This is especially true of the stretch of runtime that takes place in Mana One, an underwater research facility. But for the most part we feel safe, because if any A-lister can make you believe his character is safe while riding a Megalodon, it’s him.
Stream The Meg on Hulu.
4) Deep Blue Sea
Deep Blue Sea was the first time Warner Bros. poured a substantial amount of money into a shark movie and, to a degree, it’s quite different from The Meg. It certainly does have a single locale And Then There Were None vibe, whereas The Meg is more bombastic and mostly unconcerned with frightening the audience.
However, like The Meg, Deep Blue Sea does have one primary goal overall, which is to entertain. It wants to be a cinematic rollercoaster, and, in that, it succeeds. Not to mention, while the CGI sharks haven’t aged particularly well, the shots of the practical effects sharks make you feel their power and deadly nature to this day.
3) Bait
Bait coasts on the effectiveness of having protagonists trapped in a single locale with a toothed animal hungry for blood. It’s the same thing that worked for Crawl, with Kaya Scodelario.
The plot concerns a group of different people, some of them criminals, who are forced into a grocery store by a tsunami. They’re safe from the storm, but the water level has risen to the point they have to walk on top of the shelves. That’s not an ideal situation in general, but what’s worse is the fact the store is now filled with a few other visitors: a group of great white sharks.
Stream Bait on Prime Video.
2) Dangerous Animals
One part serial killer movie, one part shark movie, Dangerous Animals is one of the very few shark movies that makes you question which is the more vicious animal, the beast with teeth or the human with a sinister grin. It’s like 2011’s Shark Night if that film were far more well written.
Suicide Squad‘s Jai Courtney excels as Tucker, a sadistic captain who offers the chance to get in a cage surrounded by sharks. Unfortunately for his clientele, Tucker loves sharks, loves feeding them, and loves recording those feedings. And, now Zephyr (Yellowstone‘s Hassie Harrison) is on the menu, unless she can get the upper hand.
Stream Dangerous Animals on AMC+.
1) The Shallows
The best shark movie since Jaws, The Shallows is a compulsively watchable survival tale with the best performance of Blake Lively’s career. It’s a one woman show and, as stranded medical student Nancy Adams, Lively convinces the audience of her desperation as much as her resilience.
What really helps The Shallows stand out as the most intense shark movie since Jaws is the tiny nature of the objects upon which Nancy keeps away from the great white. After she’s bitten while on her surfboard she takes refuge on top of a whale carcass, a rock that’s far from the size of an island, and a buoy.
Stream The Shallows on Hulu.
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Courtesy of Toei Animation
