7 best shark thrillers like 'Jaws' to sink your teeth into
Fifty years ago, a great white shark terrorized the residents of Amity Island in "Jaws," Steven Spielberg's masterpiece about three men and their pursuit of the titular terror became one of the most influential movies in cinematic history.
'Jaws' reshaped Hollywood, as the high-concept premise and ingenious marketing created the template for summer blockbusters going forward.
Because 'Jaws' is a landmark movie, it completely ruined the shark thriller genre. Every killer shark movie will always be compared to 'Jaws.' It's an unfair standard, but one that will always be implemented.
The seven shark thrillers on this list are not in the same ballpark as 'Jaws." However, they all have enough redeeming qualities to warrant a stream.
Action hero Jason Statham fears no man. The Englishman has made a career as the cunning, tough guy who loves to fight. After defeating every man in his path, Statham went to the sea for a new challenge in 'The Meg.'
Years after a devastating mission, rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Statham) is recruited by a research facility to rescue a crew on a submersible stuck at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Not even Jonas could have predicted what's waiting for him in the trench — a 75-foot giant shark known as the Megalodon (Meg for short).
Lo and behold, the Meg escapes to the surface and wreaks havoc. 'The Meg' combines the spirit of a B-movie with the budget of a blockbuster and gets an amusing and ridiculous creature feature.
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Rent/buy on Amazon or Apple
If you're not an experienced diver, just admit it! The situation in '47 Meters Down' could have been avoided had sisters Kate (Claire Holt) and Lisa (Mandy Moore) told the truth.
Instead, they let the captain drop them in a shark cage in the ocean. The line attached at the top of the cage breaks, sending the sisters straight to the ocean floor, 47 meters below the surface.
With their oxygen supply dwindling and sharks circling nearby, the sisters must work together to stay alive long enough to be rescued. While not the best B-movie, '47 Meters Down' features several effective jump scares, and it successfully positions the sharks as ruthless killing machines that the audience will fear.
Watch on Prime Video
In the '90s, creature features carried the attitude that the more ridiculous, the better. 'Deep Blue Sea' was unapologetic about going over the top. One killer shark? No, thank you. Try three genetically engineered monsters that are faster, stronger and more violent than the average mako shark.
Dr. Susan McAlester (Saffron Burrows) believes the brain tissue from these sharks can cure Alzheimer's disease. But she didn't account for the sharks outsmarting humans and using their island research facility as a hunting ground.
Some of the kills are laughable, but director Renny Harlin smartly embraced the film's excessive and crafted delightful popcorn entertainment. Most importantly, always remember that the perfect omelette is made with two eggs, not three.
Rent/buy on Amazon or Apple
How could a shark find its way into the Seine? Don't sharks survive in salt water as opposed to freshwater? These questions posed in 'Under Paris' can be answered with two words: climate change.
After a mako shark named Lilith kills her entire research team, Sophia Assalas (Bérénice Bejo) abandons the ocean to work in the confines of an aquarium in Paris.
Somehow, Lilith makes her way into the Seine River. The shark can quickly adapt to new surroundings, a necessary mutation she learned due to the effects of climate change. With a triathlon scheduled for the Seine, Sophia must stop Lilith from transforming the river into a bloodbath.
Watch on Netflix
'Open Water' might feature a relationship, but make no mistake — this is not a date movie. Also, if you've ever wanted to go scuba diving, then don't watch 'Open Water.' But if you're interested in an atmospheric horror, then give this independent thriller a shot.
Daniel (Daniel Travis) and Susan (Blanchard Ryan) embark on a scuba diving trip, believing it will help repair their relationship. The trip becomes a nightmare when the boat mistakenly leaves the couple stranded in the middle of the ocean.
Oh, and sharks are lurking beneath the water. Again, it's a great horror movie that's bad to watch as a couple.
Watch on Tubi
B-movie veteran Jaume Collet-Serra was the perfect choice to direct 'The Shallows.' Collet-Serra's affinity for gritty violence paired perfectly with a shark attack story. Nancy Adams (Blake Lively) is a medical student still grieving the loss of her mother. Nancy visits a secluded beach in Mexico for some surfing and relaxation.
On her last wave of the day, a great white shark bites Nancy's leg, forcing her to stay on an isolated rock 200 yards away from shore. Time is ticking because the tide will eventually submerge the rock. Lively goes full action heroine and battles the shark in this terrific survival thriller.
Watch on Starz
The latest entry on the list is a film that's currently in theaters from Shudder and IFC. If 'The Silence of the Lambs' and 'Jaws' had a baby, it would be 'Dangerous Animals.'
Director Sean Byrne made a shark thriller where the real monster is on the boat. Tucker (Jai Courtney) runs a cage diving business. As you find out, it's a front for his real passion — feeding tourists to sharks and filming their deaths.
Tucker meets his match in Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), a rebellious surfer he kidnaps who won't go down without a fight. Backed by an insane performance from Courtney and a star-making turn from Harrison, 'Dangerous Animals' is a sharp genre thriller that will gain an even bigger following once it hits streaming.
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