(Photo by Small Island Films /Courtesy Everett Collection)
You’re gonna need a bigger screen. But that’s only if you want to take in the full awesome glory of earth’s bitiest avenger: the shark! It’s the only apex predator we humans have cleared time from our busy schedule to pay humble tribute to (we’ve certainly never heard of Sperm Whale Week), Rotten Tomatoes likewise took the time to put together our list of the best shark movies (and the worst) ever — all ranked by Tomatometer.
Our love/hate cinematic relationship with sharks began with directing legend Samuel Fuller and his aptly titled Shark! in 1969, a movie which effectively killed his career for a decade, until 1980’s The Big Red One. Here was a lesson most people would take wisdom from (sharks, even the ones you make up, are not to be trifled with), but it takes a certain cavalier breed to make it as a director, forging ahead where others spectacularly failed.
Enter Steven Spielberg. His 1975 masterpiece Jaws, infamous in almost destroying the young auteur mentally and professionally, would become the first-ever blockbuster. It buoyed the summer season out of the doldrums and turned it into a big-budget movie destination, while instilling a real fear of deep water for a whole generation.
It’s been open season for shark movies in Hollywood ever since, and in the ensuing decades we’ve gotten camp classics (Sharknado!), modern hits (The Shallows!), the lovable (Deep Blue Sea!), and the very much not-so (Ghost Shark!). Now that we’re all chums caught up on some fishy history, continue on to see every shark movie ever that chomped up a Tomatometer! —Alex Vo
#1
Adjusted Score: 105472%
Critics Consensus: Compelling, well-crafted storytelling and a judicious sense of terror ensure Steven Spielberg’s Jaws has remained a benchmark in the art of delivering modern blockbuster thrills.
#2
Adjusted Score: 97281%
Critics Consensus: A fascinating tribute to a pioneer as well as an engrossing act of environmental advocacy, Playing with Sharks makes up in enjoyment what it lacks in depth.
#3
Adjusted Score: 83419%
Critics Consensus: A well-crafted retelling of an epic true story, Kon Tiki is a throwback to old-school adventure filmmaking that’s exciting and entertaining in spite of its by-the-book plotting.
#4
Adjusted Score: 79651%
Critics Consensus: In addition to its breathtaking underwater photography, Sharkwater has a convincing, impassioned argument of how the plight of sharks affects everyone.
Starring:
#5
Adjusted Score: 90193%
Critics Consensus: Lean and solidly crafted, The Shallows transcends tired shark-attack tropes with nasty thrills and a powerful performance from Blake Lively.
#6
Adjusted Score: 100800%
Critics Consensus: Beautiful yet gut-wrenching, Sharkwater Extinction offers an eye-opening condemnation of an illegal trade — and a poignant farewell to a talented filmmaker.
#7
Adjusted Score: 64557%
Critics Consensus: A gripping example of less-is-more horror, The Reef is the rare shark attack movie that isn’t content to merely tread water.
#8
Adjusted Score: 49831%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#9
Adjusted Score: 59344%
Critics Consensus: Proudly, shamelessly, and gloriously brainless, Sharknado redefines “so bad it’s good” for a new generation.
#10
Adjusted Score: 77367%
Critics Consensus: A low budget thriller with some intense moments.
#11
Adjusted Score: 67034%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#12
Adjusted Score: 62464%
Critics Consensus: Jaws 2 never approaches the lingering thrills of its classic predecessor, but it’s reasonably entertaining for a sequel that has no reason to exist.
#13
Adjusted Score: 61335%
Critics Consensus: The schlock factor for Sharknado 2: The Second One is not as entertaining as its predecessor’s, though fans of the brand will likely enjoy it.
#14
Adjusted Score: 64367%
Critics Consensus: Deep Blue Sea is no Jaws, but action fans seeking some toothy action can certainly do — and almost certainly have done — far worse for B-movie thrills.
#15
Adjusted Score: 62727%
Critics Consensus: 47 Meters Down doesn’t take its terrifying premise quite as far as it should, but its toothy antagonists still offer a few thrills for less demanding genre enthusiasts.
#16
Adjusted Score: 12129%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#17
Adjusted Score: 61332%
Critics Consensus: The Meg sets audiences up for a good old-fashioned B-movie creature feature, but lacks the genre thrills — or the cheesy bite — to make it worth diving in.
#18
Adjusted Score: 46523%
Critics Consensus: Bait isn’t entirely lacking in the shark action department, but a silly story and thinly sketched characters may leave audiences bored between bloody attacks.
#19
Adjusted Score: 49279%
Critics Consensus: 47 Meters Down: Uncaged may not be as ruthlessly efficient as its finned villains, but fans of shark peril thrillers should find it just chummy enough.
#20
Adjusted Score: 20958%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#21
Adjusted Score: 44231%
Critics Consensus: It’s far from the most toothless shark thriller, but Great White lacks the killer storytelling instinct necessary to stay afloat.
#22
Adjusted Score: 15858%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#23
Adjusted Score: 36370%
Critics Consensus: Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! bites off more than it can chew, leaving viewers with an overlong mess that isn’t even bad enough to be good.
#24
Adjusted Score: 41199%
Critics Consensus: Derivative and full of pop culture in-jokes.
#25
Adjusted Score: 14636%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#26
Adjusted Score: 21851%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#27
Adjusted Score: 8573%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#28
Adjusted Score: 15640%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#29
Adjusted Score: 25977%
Critics Consensus: A small shark in a big pond of man-eating legends, The Black Demon bites off more than it can chew, leaving little carnage for the audience to feast on.
#30
Adjusted Score: 20945%
Critics Consensus: A joyless excursion into the water that doesn’t even produce good gore or nudity thanks to the neutered PG-13 rating.
#31
Adjusted Score: 16754%
Critics Consensus: With shoddy FX, acting and directing. This isn’t so bad it’s good. It’s just so bad it’s terrible.
#32
Adjusted Score: 14973%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#33
Adjusted Score: 17130%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#34
Adjusted Score: 14859%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#35
Adjusted Score: 11756%
Critics Consensus: Sharknado: The 4th Awakens loses the ridiculous charm of its predecessors, leaving only clumsy social commentary and monotonous schtick that’s lost its bite.
#36
Adjusted Score: 13236%
Critics Consensus: A cheese-soaked ocean thriller with no evident reason to exist, Jaws 3 bellows forth with a plaintive yet ultimately unheeded cry to put this franchise out of viewers’ misery.
#37
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#38
Critics Consensus: Shallow and brackish, Dark Tide fails to rise.
#39
Adjusted Score: 2389%
Critics Consensus: Illogical, tension-free, and filled with cut-rate special effects, Jaws: The Revenge is a sorry chapter in a once-proud franchise.