Comingsoon.net was thrilled about this past weekend’s 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, so we’re marathoning some of the best shark movies to date. Check out our picks in the gallery below!
Sharks are so cool. Yeah, they’re terrifying, and yeah, they’re some of the ocean’s greatest predators, but they’re still cool. Why aren’t there more great movies about sharks? With the release of 47 Meters Down: Uncaged on the horizon, this question is absolutely worth asking. Is it because Discovery Channel’s Shark Week delivers plenty of real-live, non-fiction shark content to last all year? Is it because, no matter what, the film will probably end up getting compared to Jaws? Both of these things are likely true.
Still, more people should go out and try to make shark movies. Sharknado doesn’t count—they’re practically mocking sharks. We’re talking about real movies with real reverence for the sheer terror and strength of these animals. Someone who could churn one or two of those out would be destined to go down in history. Maybe they could lean on these shark movies for inspiration.
shark movies
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Deep Blue Sea (1999)
Arriving right before the turn of the century, Deep Blue Sea owes a lot to Jaws but also manages to carve its own path within the shark subgenre by unabashedly embracing sci-fi conventions. After all, what’s scarier then a shark? A genetically-engineered supershark.
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Jaws (1975)
When it comes to shark movies, it seems the most recognizable one is also the absolute best one. Steven Spielberg was just getting started when he directed Jaws, but it was enough to show the world just how talented he is and just how daunting the idea of a shark attacking a small town can be.
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Kon-Tiki (2012)
Kon-Tiki follows an explorer’s journey through the ocean on a tiny raft in the late 40s. Of course, out in open waters on a raft that resembles a large animal from down below, sharks are bound to show up.
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The Meg (2018)
The most recent film in this slideshow, The Meg could qualify as both a dinosaur movie and a shark movie. Starring Jason Statham, the film tracks a group of scientists who encounter a 75-foot prehistoric shark while exploring the ocean floor. It’s goofy and it knows it.
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The Shallows (2016)
Speaking of shark attacks, Jaume Collet-Serra’s The Shallows manages to remain the most realistic shark movie for a big chunk of its runtime. Granted, things get a little ridiculous as the film inches toward its finale, but for a while there it’s really quite the spectacle. Blake Lively’s pretty great, too.
