Dive into the Deep with these 10 Jaw-some Shark Films

By Shauna Bushe - June 20, 2025

Film - Feature

Stephen Spielberg's film adaption of Peter Benchley’s best-selling novel Jaws celebrates its 50th anniversary this June 20th. The first real summer blockbuster that kickstarted a long-lasting fascination with the misunderstood animal. Jaws is a timeless American classic, which sparked decades of sharksploitation entertainment and a relatively valid fear of the water. As a tribute to Jaws, I’ve gathered a list of 10 Shark popcorn-flicks for you to re-visit or add to your watchlist, let’s talk about them.

The Shallows (2016) Dir, Jaume Colette-Serra.

‘While surfing on a secluded beach, Nancy finds herself in the territory of a great white shark. Though stranded only 200 metres from shore, survival proves to be the ultimate test of will and resourcefulness.’

Director of House of Wax, Orphan and most recently The Women in Yard, Jaume Colette-Serra trades in gimmicks for a back-to-basics thriller, centring around one woman, a rather adorable seagull and breathtakingly stunning visuals of the ocean. Remarkable camera work allows the shark to flirt with the camera, effectively pulling scares from its audience without any unnecessary jump scares and pushes out suspense at a great pace.

Deep Blue Sea (1999) Dir, Renny Harlin.

‘Set in an isolated underwater facility, the film follows a team of scientists and their research on mako sharks and how to fight against Alzheimer’s disease.’

Deep Blue Sea is a fantastic popcorn flick with a charming 90s aura. Familiar faces such as Samuel L Jackson, Thomas Jane, Stellan Skarsgard, LL Cool J and Michael Rapaport fill the screen with incredible action and goofy entertainment. The genetically enhanced sharks add a cool Sci-Fi twist. It’s a well-balanced mix of action, suspense, humour and campy dialogue.

The Meg (2018) Dir, Jon Turteltaub.

‘A deep-sea underwater pilot revisits his past fears in the Marianna Trench. Whilst on a rescue mission he accidentally unleashes the 70ft ancestor of the great white long thought to be extinct. And the battle to get to the surface begins.’

Satirical, self-aware, a pleasing nod to b-movies, action movies galore. Somehow The Meg manages to hit jokes and dread perfectly, acts like a 3D movie with leaping sharks and explosions left right and centre. In amongst its dumb fun, it wonderfully incorporates genuine character developments and makes you laugh and cry with them.

Sharknado (2013) Dir, Anthony C. Ferrante.

‘A freak hurricane hits LA, causing man eating sharks to be scooped up into the tornados and crash down on the people below, flooding the streets with shark infested water. Surfer and bar owner Fin sets out on a rescue mission with his friends to find his family and escape.’

Jaws swam so Sharknado could fly. Sharknado is a mockery of the genre but a highly entertaining one at that and the epitome of its so bad it’s so good, no doubt a guilty pleasure for the majority. Sharks get shot out the sky with revolvers, get electrocuted and split in half by a chainsaw. The CGI is God awful, but these guys act their asses off to deliver a somewhat believable natural disaster, its hilarious.

Under Paris (2024) Dir, Xavier Gens.

‘In order to save Paris from an international bloodbath, a grieving scientist is forced to face her tragic past when a giant shark enters the Siene.’

Emphasising climate change and ocean pollution, Under Paris is more than just a typical Shark film, but an informative one. The characters are dumb, and the pacing is slow at first but act 3 manages to save it with a cool reference from Deep Blue Sea. Including some gnarly kills, great use of scenery like ominous murky waters and a bleak ending, Under Paris is one surprisingly great addition to the Shark genre.

47 Metres Down: Uncaged (2019) Dir, Johannes Roberts.

‘Four teenage girls go on a diving adventure to explore a sunken Mayan City. Once inside their excitement is short lived and terror sets in as they discover they’re not alone but surrounded by great white sharks.’

Whilst 47 Metres Down: Uncaged isn’t exactly imaginative and plays out similarly to its original, it remains entertaining. Hopelessness is conveyed well through each character, leading them to make a lot of desperate choices and suffer insurmountable consequences. The claustrophobic tension with each disorientating camera angel as they navigate their way through the underwater labyrinth makes the sharks up-close and personal appearances frightening each time. There is plenty left to appreciate, despite its glowing flaws.

Shark Night 3D (2011) Dir, David R. Ellis.

‘A weekend getaway at a lake house for a group of college kids turns sinister as they are targeted by black market sellers, and their buyers are hungry sharks.’

Nothing like a brainless creature feature to kick off summer and what better than watching college kids become shark snacks? Shark Night 3D is another that fits ideally into the it’s so bad its good category. With sleazy rednecks, surprising twists, suspense and a heroic dog. It’s definitive popcorn movie entertainment.

Open Water (2003) Dir, Chris Kentis.

‘Two divers are left out in the middle of the ocean. With no boat, and nothing to see for miles, unless they look at what is beneath them.’

Open Water is nauseating. Alone at sea, isolated, powerless, it’s incredibly directed. And all produced on such a small, modest budget. We’ve all had the nightmare of being stranded in the middle of the ocean, with Open Water you live it. Spiking your anxiety and abandons you with a punch to the gut. This slow burn is an absolute must watch.

Bait (2012) Dir, Kimble Rendall.

‘A freak tsunami traps a group of people in a supermarket inside of a building, along with a giant great white shark.’

Bait is elevated by having not only a killer on the surface but as well as under the water. It doesn’t suffer from lacklustre action, it’s rewatchable and even with the one location setting doesn’t struggle with pacing. The characters are entertaining, emotional and put up a decent fight against the shark. At times it even manages to be humorous. Again with familiar faces to spot, Bait is a fun flick to tick off your watchlist.

Fear Below (2025) Dir, Matthew Holmes.

‘A group of struggling professional divers accept a job offer to retrieve sunken possessions. Soon their efforts are disrupted by a territorial bull shark lurking in the depths.’

Fear Below is a period drama that meshes together gangsters and sharks into a tightly paced, suspense thriller. A very mixed atmosphere but led strongly by compelling characters. With a small budget, Fear Below does well to separate itself from previous entries in the genre, using its unusual setting to bring this interesting concept to life.