Sharks are the main characters in a number of thriller movies.
“Jaws” is a well-known, classic shark attack film but since its release in 1975, more movies have followed with similar attack themes.
If you’re looking for a film that will seat you at the edge of the couch and shake you to your very core, see the list of movies below. Sprinkled in, you’ll find a couple films for those viewers with more mild taste in shark films.
Some popular shark themed films are “47 Meters Down” and the “Sharknado” series. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua via Getty Images)
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- “Jaws”
- “The Shallows”
- “47 Meters Down”
- “The Reef”
- “Sharknado”
- “The Meg”
- “Shark Tale”
1. “Jaws”
“Jaws,” the original adventure thriller was released in 1975. Since then, four sequels have been released including “Jaws 2” in 1978, “Jaws 3-D” in 1983, “Jaws: The Revenge” in 1987 and “Cruel Jaws” in 1995.
The movies were so popular Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida opened a “Jaws” ride which was closed down in 2012 to make room for more “Harry Potter” attractions. Universal Studios Japan has a “Jaws” attraction that is still open to visitors.
“Jaws” is one of the most popular shark movies of all time. ( Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
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2. “The Shallows”
Blake Lively is the leading lady in “The Shallows.” Her character, Nancy Adams, hits a secluded beach for a surfing adventure.
While out on the water, she faces a shark attack and is able to escape, but only by swimming to a nearby rock. With the shark still near, she has to find a way to get off the rock and back to shore. The film was released in 2016.
3. “47 Meters Down”
“47 Meters Down” has a similar premise as “The Shallows.” Rather than filming above the water, though, the characters in this 2017 film, as the name suggests, are trapped deep underwater.
Two sisters, played by Mandy Moore and Claire Holt, are trapped in a shark cage with dwindling oxygen and nearby sharks.
The sequel, “47 Meters Down: Uncaged,” was released in 2019. In this adaptation, young divers played by different Hollywood stars are stuck deep down in the ocean in shark infested waters.
Mandy Moore and Claire Holt play sisters in “47 Meters Down.” (Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)
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4. “The Reef”
“The Reef” was released in 2010 and will likely chill your bones. In this film, a sailboat travels near the Great Barrier Reef, but the boat ends up capsizing and of course, a shark is near.
This movie is based on the rue events of Ray Boundy, the only survivor of a similar occurrence in 1983.
5. “Sharknado”
The first of many “Sharknado” movies premiered in 2013. “Sharknado,” the first in the fictional series, follows a disaster that brings sharks out of the ocean and onto land.
“Sharknado 2: The Second One” was released in 2014 and is set in New York City. “Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!” premiered in 2015 and “Sharknado: The 4th Awakens” hit screens in 2016.
The final two movies in the “Sharknado” series were released in in 2017 and 2018.
6. “The Meg”
“The Meg” features Hollywood stars Jason Statham, Li Bingbing and Ruby Rose. The film premiered for audiences in 2018.
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The first of “The Meg” movies came out 2018. (Visual China Group via Getty Images)
The cast of “The Meg” discover a dangerous shark called a Megalodon. The massive prehistoric animal is thought to be extinct.
The sequel to “The Meg,” “Meg 2: The Trench,” was released in 2023.
7. “Shark Tale”
“Shark Tale” is an animated film filled featuring major Hollywood stars like Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Jack Black, Martin Scorsese, Renée Zellweger and Angelina Jolie.
The comedy follows the small fish Oscar, Will Smith’s character, as he pretends to have killed a mob boss’s son. When the father of the murdered great white shark, Frankie, comes looking for Oscar, he has to get clever while escaping ill fate.
