One of my earliest fears was of bodies of water that may or may not be hiding a people-eating shark beneath their calm surface views. Shark movies fueled that paranoia by constantly reminding my younger self that the world's natural order could strike at any time.
Fin flicks have a seemingly simple concept—vacationers, boaters, or divers being hunted by one or multiple sharks—but many films struggle to execute it well. When shark movies are done right, however, they deliver an adrenaline-fueled ride that can make you afraid to enter any body of water for the foreseeable future.
So, get that Shark Spray ready. Here are our picks for the 10 best shark movies of all time. For more creature thrills, check out our guide to the greatest monster movies.
Top Shark Movies of All Time
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Shark Night (2011)
Image credit: RogueDirector: David R. Ellis | Writer: Will Hayes, Jesse Studenberg | Stars: Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan, Chris Carmack | Release Date: September 2, 2011 | Review: IGN's Shark Night review | Where to watch: Peacock, free with ads on Pluto TV and The Roku Channel, rent from Apple TV and more
The ratio of "alpha" to "minnow" in shark movies leans heavily towards the negative, making films like Shark Night notable for their general competency. Vacationers in the Louisiana gulf are attacked by backwoods maniacs who take their Shark Week obsession to the extreme by attaching cameras to ferocious sharks. It's absurd—like a Great White jumping out of the water to decapitate a man on a WaveRunner. The original theatrical billing as "Shark Night 3D" captures the early 2010s horror vibe it's aiming for (translation: popcorn entertainment), which the film successfully achieves. Credit the late David R. Ellis for this "better with booze" bite of jawesomeness, even if it's not the shiniest lure in the tackle box.
Jaws 2 (1978)
Image credit: Universal PicturesDirector: Jeannot Szwarc | Writer: Carl Gottlieb, Howard Sackler | Stars: Roy Scheider, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton | Release Date: June 16, 1978 | Review: IGN's Jaws 2 review | Where to watch: Rentable on Amazon and other platforms
Jaws 2 doesn't claim the title of being a sequel better than the original, but the competition in this genre is thin. Roy Scheider returns to protect Amity Island from another Great White shark that starts devouring water skiers and beachgoers. It's more action-heavy—a shift that cost original director John D. Hancock his position because he wasn't suited for such sequences—and it continues the familiar storytelling. It has its issues, but also features exploding boats and more underwater carnage, executed with enough skill. If it ain't broke, why not turn it into a franchise?
Deep Blue Sea 3 (2020)
Image credit: Warner Bros. Home EntertainmentDirector: John Pogue | Writer: Dirk Blackman | Stars: Tania Raymonde, Nathaniel Buzolic, Emerson Brooks | Release Date: July 28, 2020 | Where to watch: Rentable on Amazon and other platforms
Yes, there are two Deep Blue Sea sequels. Deep Blue Sea 3 significantly rebounds after the franchise blemish that is Deep Blue Sea 2, returning to the original's sharky goodness. Scientists trying to protect Great White sharks on the artificial island of Little Happy encounter mercenaries and bull sharks who threaten their safety—truly a full-on B Movie. What unfolds includes martyrdom explosions, action brawls with aerial Bull Shark tag-team action, comical memes turned into character deaths, and one of the most unexpected fin flick victories in recent memory. Kudos to the cast and crew of Deep Blue Sea 3 because this aquatic horror version of playing God delivers well above expectations of not only direct-to-video sequels but absurd shark cinema that understands its entertainment value.
The Meg (2018)
Image credit: Warner Bros. PicturesDirector: Jon Turteltaub | Writer: Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber | Stars: Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson | Release Date: August 10, 2018 | Review: IGN's The Meg review | Where to watch: Stream on Amazon Prime Video, rentable on Apple TV and more
Jason Statham versus a 75-foot-long shark from the Mariana Trench? I wish The Meg wasn’t dulled to PG-13 and shed some storytelling fat, but as a blockbuster aquatic horror spectacle, The Meg delivers on its 23 million-year-old premise. There’s danger afloat as massive Megalodon chompers attempt to shatter enforced dive cages or underwater research facilities, all while Statham tries to use his expert diving skills to thwart a not-so-extinct predator. A stacked cast including Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, and Cliff Curtis attempt to stop a Megalodon from devouring beachgoers like hors-d'œuvres—some better than others—as the film’s scope blends Kaiju Lite tropes with oddly endearing soap opera dramatics. What’s sold on the package is all there, and for that, The Meg makes a grand enough splash.
2023 brought the arrival of The Meg 2, but the sequel didn't quite live up to the original. In fact, it's "bigger and badder in all the wrong ways" according to our review. As such, it doesn't earn a place on our list of the best shark films.
Open Water (2003)
Image credit: Lions Gate FilmsDirector: Chris Kentis | Writer: Chris Kentis | Stars: Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis, Saul Stein | Release Date: October 26, 2003 | Review: IGN's Open Water review | Where to watch: Hoopla, VIX and VUDU Free (with ads), or rentable on other platforms
Where Jaws used a mechanical shark and countless other films opted for computer-generated beasts, Open Water strives for authenticity by using real sharks. Filmmaker Chris Kentis and his wife, producer Laura Lau, are avid scuba divers and wanted to capture as much natural behavior in the film as possible. They also served as cinematographers, relying on their scuba obsession to ensure what was shot met their standards. It looks and feels different from the more entertainment-focused examples on this list, as an American couple finds themselves miles from shore in shark-infested waters when their boat accidentally leaves them stranded. Not the most action-packed choice, but suspenseful and harrowing for days.
Bait (2012)
Image credit: Paramount PicturesDirector: Kimble Rendall | Writer: Russell Mulachy, John Kim | Stars: Xavier Samuel, Sharni Vinson, Adrian Pang | Release Date: September 5, 2012 | Where to watch: fuboTV, Starz, or rentable on other platforms
Before Crawl trapped family members in a flooded crawl space with alligators during a category 5 hurricane, Bait trapped patrons and workers inside a supermarket with agitated Great White sharks during a freak tsunami. Credit Australia with one of the better recent fin flicks, as survivors rig diving gear from shopping carts and parking lots with people stuck in cars become hunting grounds. There’s a proper blend of effects that keep aquatic thrills tense and bloody as the action hits full force. Did I mention the tsunami interrupts a robbery, so criminals and clerks must work together against swimming killers? It’s as good as Crawl, sitting in a strange subgenre of “When Animals Attack in Trapped Locations During Freak Weather Incidents.”
47 Meters Down (2017)
Image credit: Entertainment Studios Motion PicturesDirector: Johannes Roberts | Writer: Johannes Roberts, Ernest Riera | Stars: Mandy Moore, Claire Holt | Release Date: June 12, 2017 | Review: IGN's 47 Meters Down review | Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, or rentable on other platforms.
The ticking clock element of 47 Meters Down adds panic to an already frantic underwater escape scene. Mandy Moore and Claire Holt play sisters trapped on the ocean’s floor after a disastrous shark diving expedition, unable to maneuver without attracting finned attention. There’s so much accomplished by using a landscape of aquatic nothingness as two sisters are engulfed by pitch-black waters, hiding sharks that lunge into frame. It’s nervy and white-knuckled, down to multiple scares that may reuse methods but highlight the heightened frights of proper shark cinema.
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
Image credit: Warner Bros.Director: Renny Harlin | Writer: Duncan Kennedy, Donna Powers, Wayne Powers | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, LL Cool J, Saffron Burrows | Release Date: July 28, 1999 | Review: IGN's Deep Blue Sea review | Where to watch: Rent from Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and more
You know your movie is good when there’s an LL Cool J song about it. “Deepest, bluest, my hat is like a shark’s fin” encapsulates the 90s outrageousness of Deep Blue Sea, a movie about genetically enhanced Mako sharks and greedy pharmaceutical failures. A loaded cast fights to escape what their characters created, but not even Samuel L. Jackson can avoid becoming another soggy snack. There’s some dodgy animation due to the late 90s release, but also plenty of practical sharks floating down hallways or in flooded kitchens. Deep Blue Sea emphasizes creature-feature “nonsense” in the best ways, making the most of karma’s razor-sharp teeth.
The Shallows (2016)
Image credit: Sony PicturesDirector: Jaume Collet-Serra | Writer: Anthony Jaswinski | Stars: Blake Lively | Release Date: June 21, 2016 | Review: IGN's The Shallows review | Where to watch: Starz, or rent on Amazon and other platforms
Blake Lively goes toe to toe with an imposing finned foe in The Shallows. Jaume Collet-Serra proves he’s one of the most mindful blockbuster filmmakers in the contemporary game, taking only a few locations (rock formation, water, buoy) and elevating the tension. Factor in Lively’s tremendous work against a CG shark that still looks damn terrifying, and The Shallows ages like fine yacht wine. There’s no gristle left on the bone. Collet-Serra dives right into an unfathomably hopeless scenario and gets right to the intensity, only for the better.
Jaws (1975)
Image credit: Universal PicturesDirector: Steven Spielberg | Writer: Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb | Stars: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss | Release Date: June 20, 1975 | Review: IGN's Jaws review | Where to watch: Rentable on Amazon and other platforms
Steven Spielberg forever changed the summer blockbuster landscape with the still reigning champ of sharky cinema. Whatever struggles Spielberg faced using his animatronic Great White that didn’t always want to cooperate were well worth the outcome, some $476.5 million later in box office returns. Jaws is a lesson in holding your cards until the perfect moment, except in this case, Spielberg’s ace in the hole is a people-eater named Bruce. This New England tale about summertime madness shows what happens when mayors care more about their 4th of July tourist influxes than beachgoer safety, scary enough to keep viewers from waterfronts with the memory of Alex Kintner still terrifyingly fresh. There’s no argument—Jaws is still the best shark movie of all time decades later.
AnswerSee ResultsLooking for more horror movies with teeth? Take a look at our guide to the best vampire movies of all time next or dive into our favorite dinosaur movies.Upcoming Shark Movies
For those looking for even more shark movies to watch, there are quite a few currently in the works or announced. Here are some of the biggest upcoming shark movies we know about:
- Fear Below - May 15, 2025
- Beneath the Storm - August 1, 2025
- High Tide - TBC
- Dangerous Animals - TBC
When Is Shark Week in 2025?
Shark Week 2025 will take place from July 6 to July 13, 2025, with the Discovery Channel set to air a whole host of shark-related content.
