Celebrate Shark Week With These Shark Movies!

It’s nearing the end of Shark Week, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to end. Shark Week celebrates sharks in all of their forms in TV and film. From the very first Jaws (1975) to the upcoming blockbuster sequel The Meg 2: The Trench (releasing on August 4), these movies have sensationalized the danger of sharks and the deep blue sea.

These campy movies — and, trust me, most of the shark films are — have a cult following, enough to create multiple sequels. Some may not be the best films, but they’re fun to have a laugh about with friends.

We wanted to list a few of our favorites in TV and film.

The Sharknado movies (2013-2018)

There have been six made-for-TV Sharknado movies — all in the span of five years. The name of the movie is exactly what is attacking our antagonists (Ian Ziering and Tara Reid) — “sharknadoes” are sharks flying in tornadoes. The CGI and storylines are horrible, but the filmmakers know this and fully embraces the campy nature of it. How do sharks survive without water? We don’t know — nor do we care. Where else can you see a man attacking a flying shark with a chainsaw? Exactly.

Jaws (1975)
Obviously, this film by the great Steven Spielberg has to be on the list for being one of the first major shark films, becoming a cultural phenomenon. Winning three Academy Awards (Best Film Editing, Best Original Dramatic Score, Best Sound), it was one of the highest grossing films of all time, until it was dethroned in 1977 by Star Wars. The franchise eventually had three other films, none of which had Spielberg signed on, and was added as a tourist attraction to Universal Studios Hollywood and Orlando.

The Meg (2018)
This mega-blockbuster has action star Jason Statham battling a massive Megalodon — a 75-foot long predator shark (which is extinct in real life… or is it?). The film delivers on its action as Statham takes on how to get rid of the shark as it terrorizes all parts of the world. With its international cast of Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, and Cliff Curtis, The Meg is campy, good fun with a mega-budget. Its sequel The Meg 2: The Trench, which brings back the all-star international cast, sees the return of the mega monster.

Bait (2012)
After a freak tsunami traps shoppers at a supermarket, these patrons find themselves fending off several hungry Great White Sharks who are trapped alongside them. This bloody, action-packed movie is filled with innovative ways for the survivors to use grocery store items into diving materials or weapons. Did I mention, the film was offered in 3D at one point?

Deep Blue Sea (1999)
Before Samuel L Jackson had to deal with Snakes on a Plane or Skrulls in the MCU, he was battling sharks alongside Thomas Jane, LL Cool J, and Stella Skarsgard. The film is a ‘90s classic of outrageous situations about genetically enhanced Mako sharks and pharmacy corporations trying to profit off them. Don’t expect the CGI to be nice — imagine ‘90s animation, but the film does make use of practical effects. It’s all good fun.

Open Water (2003)
This tension-filled horror thriller is about a couple stranded in the middle of the ocean, after accidentally being left behind by their diving tour, and having to battle to survive in open water. The film plays on people’s real fears about being abandoned to survive on their own.

The Shallows (2016)
This survival thriller stars Blake Lively as a surfer who is attacked by a Great White shark and is stuck on a rock 200 yards away from shore. She must figure out how to get back to shore without becoming shark food.

47 Meters Down (2017)
When it comes to sharks, trying to survive being surrounded by sharks seems to be the underlying theme. With 47 Meters, Claire Holt and Mandy Moore play sisters who find themselves trapped on the ocean’s floor after their shark diving expedition cage snaps. With little oxygen left, they must figure out how to return to shore without attracting the attention of the Great White Sharks that surround them.