The Best Shark Movies That Aren't Jaws Have One Key Thing In Common

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Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" is one of the most commercially successful, critically beloved, and important blockbuster movies ever made. Full stop. It just turned 50 this week, and few movies that are five decades old look quite as fresh to modern audiences as this masterful, terrifying depiction of man vs. nature. Put simply, it's the best shark movie ever made — and it's not even close.

Me saying that "Jaws" is the greatest shark movie to ever grace the silver screen is far from original, it's pretty much accepted as fact (or as close as one gets to fact when expressing a critical opinion). That being the case, it's not surprising that we've had many shark movies over the years that have tried to mimic the success of Spielberg's 1975 cinematic classic. Some have been sort of successful (like "Great White"), but most of them have not, and that's largely because the viewer will rightfully often think, "This isn't as good as 'Jaws.'"

That all having been said, there have been some pretty damn great shark movies over the years not called "Jaws." 1999's "Deep Blue Sea" is quite arguably the second-best shark movie ever made. There are also delightfully campy, low-budget efforts such as 2018's "6-Headed Shark Attack," while Amazon Prime Video recently found itself a hit with "The Black Demon." Those are but a few of the many examples one could cite.

In honor of "Jaws" turning 50, it's worth looking at what these movies have in common ... other than being about human-munching sharks in some way. Crucially, the shark films that have actually managed to escape the shadow of "Jaws" have all tried very hard to simply not be "Jaws." Instead, they've aspired to serve up something different in the canon of shark cinema, which is the key to what makes them work.

Imitation is oft-cited as the most sincere form of flattery. There has always been some truth in that. When it comes to the realm of populist filmmaking, though, imitation can often lead to diminishing returns. That's probably why the best "Jaws" knock-offs don't even involve sharks. (See also: 1976's "Grizzly," which involves a big angry bear.)

But when it comes to shark movies specifically, they inevitably wind up feeling inferior when they try and hew too close to "Jaws." That's why "Jaws 2," though not a bad movie by any stretch, still comes off feeling lesser-than; it's more of the same in many ways and is therefore less effective. By comparison, that's why "Deep Blue Sea" is as entertaining as it is. Over-the-top, audacious, ridiculous, and divorced from reality, the film's whole "smart sharks terrorizing smart people in a B-movie with a big budget" approach works like gangbusters because it's so worlds apart from "Jaws." That's arguably its strongest asset. (That and one of the best, most unexpected death scenes ever.)

2018's "The Meg" (and, to a lesser degree, "Meg 2: The Trench") also distanced itself from Spielberg's classic by going over-the-top with a hilariously big shark and cartoonish carnage. However, it's worth pointing out that a gritty and serious outlook can also work. 2003's "Open Water" is a harrowing, intimate, terrifying shark movie, one that sets itself apart by being less of a spectacle and more of a character piece wrapped in a survival thriller (but with sharks).

Genre-loving cinephiles certainly all have their favorites to share. I'm personally a big fan of 2020's "Deep Blue Sea 3," which is miles better than anyone might expect. (Particularly because "Deep Blue Sea 2" was so disappointing, but I digress.) The point is, many of the favorites that are frequently name-dropped that aren't "Jaws" generally did a good job of distinguishing themselves from that movie. The monster is similar, but everything else is in some way fresh.

What's perhaps most remarkable is that even now, in 2025, filmmakers are finding ways to innovate in the shark movie genre. The latest and best example is director Sean Byrne's "Dangerous Animals," which features a twisted Jai Courtney as a killer who uses sharks as his weapon of choice. It's a riff on the whole "man is the most dangerous animal" adage, but an effective one at that.

All of these movies — and the many others that I haven't named specifically that could rightfully fit the bill — are a reminder that attempting to emulate success is often a fool's errand. Hollywood thinking can be narrow. The early 2000s superhero boom in the wake of "X-Men" and "Spider-Man" is a fine example of this mindset at play. It wasn't until "Iron Man" and "The Dark Knight" arrived in 2008 and each put a bold, distinctive spin on the genre that things really started to open up. The lesson is the same whether we're talking about movies featuring superheroes, ghosts, war, or even sharks.

A setting or a trope can be a springboard for a unique idea. It shouldn't be an excuse to do more of the same without a creative reason to make the movie in question. Maybe people go see a shark film because they think to themselves, "Hey, I liked 'Jaws.'" But making that movie feel too much like "Jaws" runs out of steam real fast. What so many of these shark movies have shown us over the last 50 years is that any genre can be a gold mine for creative storytelling.

Even the most "I've seen it before" genres, such as the shark movie, can give us something that feels special to this day. Would I love another "Jaws?" In theory, yes. But there will never be another "Jaws." Instead, I'm looking forward to the next "The Reef" or, on some level, even the next "Sharktopus." Basically, what I'm really anticipating is the next shark attack movie that isn't afraid to do forge its own identity. Here's to 50 more years of shark cinema.

You can grab "Jaws" on 4K, Blu-ray, or DVD from Amazon.