One of my first fears was the bodies of water that might or might not hide a man-eating shark beneath the calm of the surface. Shark movies fed that paranoia by reminding me over and over again that the natural order of the world could strike at any moment. Shark movies seem like a very easy concept (vacations, boaters, or any group of swimmers being hunted by one or more sharks), but many examples fall short of the formula. That’s why I love writing lists like this one, to steer moviegoers toward the best of the best. There have been a lot of shark movies since Jaws, but Has any surpassed the famous success of 1975?
Take a look at best shark movies of all time below or check out our list of the best horror movies.
- shark 2
- Deep Blue Sea 3
- megalodon
- Open Water
- Bait (Carnada)
- 47 meters
- Deep Blue Sea
- blue hell
- Shark
Jaws 2 (1978)
Jaws 2 doesn’t earn the distinction of being a better sequel than the original, but the competition is thin around these parts. Roy Scheider is back, protecting Amity Island from another great white shark that begins to devour water skiers and bathers. It’s a little more action-packed (which cost original director John D. Hancock his job because he wasn’t the right director for those kinds of sequences) and reworks a familiar narrative continuation. Has trouble, but also exploding ships and more underwater carnage. If it ain’t broke, why not make it a franchise?
Deep Blue Sea 3 (2020)
Yes, there are two sequels to Deep Blue Sea. Deep Blue Sea 3 makes a significant recovery after the blemish on the franchise that is Deep Blue Sea 2, returning to the shark goodness of the original. Scientists trying to protect great white sharks on the artificial island of Little Happy run into mercenaries and bull sharks threatening their safety – yes, this is a full-blown B-movie. What unfolds includes explosions, bull shark dogfight action fights, comedic memes turned character deaths, and one of the most unexpected victories in recent memory. Congratulations to the cast and crew of Deep Blue Sea 3 for this aquatic horror version of playing God far exceeds the expectations of not just direct-to-video sequels, but absurdist shark cinema that understands its entertainment value.
Megalodon (2018)
Jason Statham against a shark 25 meters from the Mariana Trench? I wish Megalodon had been rated 18+ and shed some narrative fat, but as a water horror blockbuster, Megalodon delivers on its 23-million-year-old premise. Danger is the order of the day as the massive jaws of the Megalodon try to tear apart diving cages or underwater research facilities, while Statham tries to use his skills as an expert diver to thwart a not-so-extinct predator. A cast that includes Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose and Cliff Curtis try to stop a Megalodon from devouring bathers like hors d’oeuvres (some better than others), while the film’s scope mixes Kaiju tropes with the drama of strangely endearing soap opera. What’s sold in the package is there, and because of that, Megalodon makes a big enough splash.
Open Water (2003)
While Jaws used a mechanical shark and many other movies opted for CGI beasts, Open Water seeks authenticity by using real sharks. Filmmaker Chris Kentis and his wife and producer Laura Lau are avid scuba divers and wanted to make the film as natural as possible. This means they also double as cinematographers, drawing on their obsession with scuba diving to make sure the shots are up to their standards. It looks and feels different from the more wacky, entertainment-focused examples on this list, as an American couple find themselves miles offshore in shark-infested waters when their boat accidentally strands them. It is not the most action-packed option, but it is full of suspense and anguish for days.
Bait (Carnada) (2012)
Before Underwater Inferno trapped family members in a space inundated with alligators during a Category 5 hurricane, Bait (Bait) caught supermarket customers and workers with agitated great white sharks during a freak tsunami. Australia takes the cake with one of the best recent shark movies, as survivors rig scuba gear in shopping carts and parking lots with people trapped in cars become hunting grounds. There’s the right mix of effects that keep the aquatic excitement taut and bloody as the action hits full force. Have I mentioned that the tsunami interrupts a robbery, so criminals and shop assistants must work together against killer swimmers? It’s as good as Underwater Hell, which falls into the bizarre subgenre of “When animals attack places where the protagonists are trapped during freak weather incidents.”
At 47 meters (2017)
The ticking of the clock at 47 Meters Away adds panic to an already frantic underwater escape scene. Mandy Moore and Claire Holt play two sisters trapped at the bottom of the ocean after a disastrous shark diving expedition, unable to maneuver without drawing the attention of finned fish. The use of a landscape of nothing aquatic, in which two sisters are swallowed by dark waters that hide sharks that pounce on them, is a great success. It’s an edgy, nerve-wracking film, with multiple scares that can reuse methods, but underscores the intense scares of the shark movie itself.
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
You know your movie is good when there’s an LL Cool J song about it. “Deepest, bluest, my hat is like a shark’s fin” sums up the barbarities of the 90s in Deep Blue Sea, a movie about genetically enhanced Mako sharks and greedy pharmaceutical flops. An all-star cast struggles to escape what their characters created, but even Samuel L. Jackson can’t help but become another soggy morsel. There are some lame animations due to the late ’90s release, but also plenty of practical sharks floating down the halls or in flooded kitchens. Deep Blue Sea emphasizes the “nonsense” of creatures in the best way, taking full advantage of the sharp teeth of karma.
Blue Hell (2016)
Blake Lively faces off against an imposing finned foe in Blue Hell. Jaume Collet-Serra shows that he is one of the most attentive film directors today, taking only a few locations (rock formation, water, buoy) and raising the tension to the maximum. Add to this Lively’s tremendous job facing a CG shark that still looks terrifying, and Blue Hell ages like fine yacht wine. There is nothing left in the bones. Collet-Serra plunges into an unfathomably desperate scenario and goes straight to sheer intensity, only for the better.
Jaws (1975)
Steven Spielberg forever changed the landscape of summer blockbusters with which he is still the champion of shark cinema. The difficulties Spielberg faced with his animatronic Great White, who wasn’t always willing to cooperate, were well worth it, as the box office gross was $476.5 million. Jaws is a lesson in holding your cards until the perfect moment, except in this case, Spielberg’s trump card is a people-eater named Bruce. This New England tale of summer madness shows what happens when mayors care more about 4th of July tourist influx than beachgoer safety, terrifying enough to drive viewers away from the docks with the memory. by Alex Kintner still terrifyingly fresh. There’s no arguing: Jaws is still the greatest shark movie of all time decades later.
Looking for more sharp-toothed horror movies? Check out our guide to the best vampire movies of all time below.
