Shark EEK! 7 shark movies to watch while staying out of the water
- Carla Davis
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
It’s July, and you know what that means, right? Shark Week is on its way! Shark Week will begin on Discovery Channel July 26, so we can indulge in all things Great White for a full week.
But if you don’t feel like you can wait that long, there are plenty of shark-related horror movies currently streaming (especially during the summer), and I am happy to recommend some. As a bonus, I will tell you where to find them.
47 Meters Down (Shudder, Tubi) – Sisters Kate and Lisa (Claire Holt and Mandy Moore) go on vacation in Mexico to get Lisa’s mind off her recent break up. Feeling adventurous, they decide to go cage diving amongst sharks, but it all goes wrong when the cage’s winch breaks. The two are now trapped underwater, with their air supply dwindling and sharks everywhere.
Beast of War (Shudder) – If you were mesmerized by Quint’s story of the USS Indianapolis in Jaws, this is the movie for you. Set during World War II, it’s the story of Australian soldiers who are stranded at sea on a makeshift raft after their ship is bombed. It’s dark outside, it’s foggy, and the atmosphere is understandably tense.
Of course, they are being menaced (and some are killed) by a ferocious shark, and it’s a piece of practical special effects that is to be admired. That shark is amazing and terrifying, and the film itself is thoroughly enjoyable.
Dangerous Animals (Shudder, Hulu) – Sean Bryne (The Loved Ones, The Devil’s Candy) brings us this fun, bloody film, in which a brutal serial killer is just as dangerous as the sharks he uses to kill his victims. Free spirited surfer Zephyr (Hassie Harrison) ends up on a boat with batsh*t crazy killer named Tucker (zealously portrayed by Jai Courtney), where she has to fight for her life.
Tucker is obsessed with sharks, and uses them to dispose of his victims; one of the most effective, nail-chomping scenes is one in which he toys with one of them. Harrison and Courtney play very well off one another, and the shark scenes are harrowing.
Of course, one shark movie stands out amongst the crowd: Jaws
Jaws (Starz) – Come on, it’s not a list of great shark movies if it doesn’t list the greatest of them all! In the ground-breaking 1975 summer blockbuster, Sheriff Martin Brody fights like hell to shut down the beach in Amity after multiple attacks by a great white shark. But it’s a holiday weekend, and the mayor refuses…until a child is killed.
That’s when Brody (Roy Scheider), Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and crusty old Quint (Robert Shaw) set out on a boat (they really need a bigger one) to catch the shark.
Open Water (HBO Max)– A couple on vacation join a group scuba dive, and end up stranded after the boat accidently leaves them behind. While that plot sounds rather spare, this is a genuinely good and very suspenseful film, despite its lack of action-packed sequences. The thought of being lost at sea and having to avoid sharks is bad enough – but what’s really scary is that this is based on a true story.
In January of 1998, this very thing happened to Tom and Eileen Lonergan, and the two were not missed until a couple of days later. While some of their belongings washed up on a beach, Tom and Eileen were never seen again.
Sharknado (Tubi) – Is it dumb? Of course! But it’s a whirlwind of fun, and you will enjoy it if A) You like shark movies, and B) You have a silly sense of humor. I avoided this one for years, but when I finally watched it, I thought it was a blast.
Made for Syfy, Sharknado is the story of a waterspout that somehow manages to pick up some sharks, then deposit them in streets of Los Angeles, which are flooded from a hurricane. Fin (Ian Ziering) sets out with some friends to rescue his estranged wife April (Tara Reid) and their daughter Claudia. Adventure, death, and fun ensue.
Sharksploitation (Shudder)– Let’s end this list with Shudder’s very comprehensive documentary about the history of shark films. This doc is jam-packed with info, interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage of pretty much any shark related movie you can think of. Obviously, a good deal of time is spent on Jaws, but there are a ton of lesser known films discussed as well.
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