Shark movies are always a favorite for hot summer nights, with thrill, mystery, and sometimes, humor.
In the news there are new reports of hundreds of great whites off of the Atlantic coast. There have also been sighting off of the Gulf Coast of swarms of sharks. With the visibility of sharks rising, it may be better to witness them on film first. Since the early 1900s humans have had a fascination with sharks, which explains why there are so man movies about the elusive creatures. Many films are overly cheesy or overly violent, but all guarantee audiences wanting to stay out of water.
This top ten list includes the scary, the cheesy, and the downright outrageous. Be careful when choosing what to watch from this list if at the beach. These movies are guaranteed to make any viewer stay out of the water and possibly off of the beach all together!
[new page=Number 10: Shark Night 3D]
A group of college students go on vacation at a lake on the Louisiana Gulf, only to realize the lake is full of man-eating sharks. Though the plot is not too realistic, this movie will still make viewers think before jumping into any kind of water. Sara Paxton and Katherine McPhee star in this creepy movie.
[new page=Number Nine: Mega SHark vs Giant Octopus]
This completely ridiculous film is just crazy enough to be hilariously entertaining. Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus is about exactly what it sounds like: a prehistoric shark and octopus are entangled in a fight when they are frozen, until they un-freeze during present day. The prehistoric monsters wreck havoc on the world until they finally have a final battle. Nothing about this will make audiences worry about giant sharks or monster octopi, but it will definitely be entertaining.
[new page=Number Eight: Shark Tale]
This fun flick differs from the others on the list, being a silly children’s flick. Shark Tale is the story of a bottom feeder fish, voiced by Will Smith, who gets mixed up with some gangster sharks, including a shark voiced by Robert De Niro. The entertaining movie is a good way for children to enjoy sharks instead of fear them.
[new page=Number Seven: Jaws 2]
This sequel is not nearly as good as the original, but it does feature some of the original cast and some entertainment. Rob Schieder returns as Martin Brody, trying to protect the town of Amity from another killer shark. This is definitely the best shark movie sequel, but is not the best if all shark films. Jaws 2 keeps the horror of the first film that keeps audiences on their toes.
[new page=Number Six: Sharknado]
Sharknado is a completely cheesy and far fetched film that provides entertainment with its campiness. Tara Reid stars in this far-fetched story about a hurricane that makes sharks attack in the sea, on the land, and even in the air. There is even a sequel to this preposterous movie, but it was not worthy of the top ten list. This movie is great for comedic relief in the face of terror.
[new page=Number Five: Deep Blue Sea]
A group of scientists conducts tests with sharks trying to find the cure to Alzheimer’s disease. There experiments go terribly wrong when the sharks develop intelligence and decide to try to kill the scientists testing on them. Samuel L. Jackson and LL Coolio star in this action/thriller flick. This film is the most expensive on the list, therefore having the best graphics with more realistic looking sharks. The plot is still far fetched, but the realness of the sea creatures make the film creepy.
[new page=Number Four: Dark Tide]
Oscar winner Halle Berry stars in this creepy shark flick, along with actor Olivier Martinez. The film follows a scuba instructor who is set to stay out of the water after a horrible incident with a fellow instructor, who is killed by a great white. When the scuba instructor gets an offer she cannot refuse, she is forced back into the water with a sea full of predators. This movie is way better quality than most on the list, with better acting and more horror.
[new page=Number Three:12 Days of Terror]
12 Days of Terror is a docudrama by Discovery Channel explaining the events that happened with the real life “Jaws.” Back in 1916, the Jersey Shore was haunted by a shark that killed four victims and seriously injured another. All of this happened before people understood the danger of sharks but set into motion the fear of the man-eating fish. The film has a fascinating and educational plot that also leaves viewers with questions.
[new page=Number Two: Open Water]
Open Water has the most realistic plot out of all the movies . This film is about a couple who is left behind on a scuba diving trip and left in the open water. The movie is bound to give audiences he creepy crawlies as the main characters are surrounded by fish, jellyfish, and sharks. The film is said to be based off of Tom and Eileen Longergan, a real life couple who disappeared off of the Great Barrier Reef.
[new page=Number One: Jaws]
A giant great white terrorizes the beach town of Amity, preying on its swimmers. This film is very loosely based off of a true story from the early 1900s when a shark attacked several swimmers on the New Jersey shore. Jaws is the most well known shark movie with a little bit of cheesiness mixed with terror starring Rob Schieder and Robert Shaw. The effects are mediocre but not so terrible that the audience does not get caught up in the horror of a predatory shark. It would be a rue tragedy not to see this 70s classic.