The silver screen’s fascination with the ocean’s apex predator continues with its latest offering The Meg, starring Jason Statham. Ever since Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) caught the collective attention — and dread — of movie-goers, it has spawned numerous spin-offs with makers trying every trick in the book — the oh-so-predictable themes of sun, sand, bikinis, blood and gore.
The Woods takes you into the deep to relive some terrifying moments from the best shark movies
Jaws (1975): The one that started it all. A cult movie by the master, Spielberg used galeophobia to full effect that catapulted the movie to dizzying heights making it the greatest shark film and probably one of the best horror films ever. It set the template for other films to follow. The foreboding musical score (the shark theme) has attained legendary status. John Williams composed the film’s score, which earned him an Academy Award and was later ranked the sixth-greatest score by the American Film Institute. Based on Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel, Jaws in one word is the Great White of all shark films.
Jaws 2 (1978): Not as good as its predecessor but good enough to make our list. The protagonist is police chief Martin Brody again at Amity Island. Like in Jaws, no one believes Brody when he finds another shark lurking in the waters. Later, his son sneaks out to go sailing with friends when the shark attacks them. On getting information, Brody reaches the spot and has to electrocute the man-eater. A great climax but lacks the pace and finesse of Spielberg.
Red Water (2003): A usual run-of-the-mill shark story. This one features a Bull shark that can survive in fresh water. The shark soon starts terrorising the local population and a reward is put up to capture the beast. What follows is a full-blown climax involving explosions, bodies, teeth, fin and lots of gore.
Open Water (2004): More psychological in treatment than actual gory scenes to scare the audience. A couple on vacation go scuba diving in the Caribbean but are stranded miles from shore when their boat leaves without them. They spend hours in the water stung by jellyfish, add to it thirst and exhaustion. The movie was filmed using digital video cameras for that authentic feel as it was based on a real-life event. The scare is legit, no clichéd tropes here.
The Reef (2010): Out on a yacht trip to Indonesia, a group of friends find themselves in trouble after the vessel capsizes. They plan to swim to the nearest island for safety but a Great White starts to stalk them. This movie too was inspired from life. A tense and unnerving thrill ride.
Shark Night 3D (2011): A familiar story. Seven college students decide to visit a lake, which is already shark-infested. Frankly, quite a lot of shark encounters to make you want to sit through the movie. The CG sharks are impressive and a number of species are shown.
The Shallows (2016): A surfer (Blake Lively) gets stranded 200 yards from shore in Mexico. She struggles to get to land, her efforts defeated by a Great White that bites her leg. She notices the floating carcass of a huge Humpback whale and climbs on to it to save herself. Later, she swims to a buoy. How she manages to escape death is an edge-of-the-seat ride through the depths.
USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage (2016): Not exactly a shark movie, it’s more of a WWII film. Based on true events in the closing stages of the World War II, it is referred to as “the worst shark attack in history”. The USS Indianapolis is delivering a part of the Atomic bomb that would be used to drop on Hiroshima. When a Japanese sub torpedoes the ship, around 300 men sink to the bottom of the Philippines Sea, while others are stranded on life boats for five days. Most of them are eaten by sharks.
47 Metres Down (2017): Two sisters go to Mexico where they plan to go cage-diving (for the uninitiated shark cage diving is an underwater diving or snorkeling activity where the observer remains inside a protective cage designed to prevent sharks from making contact with the divers. It is used for scientific observation, underwater cinematography, and as a tourist activity). The cable snaps and the metal cage plummets to the ocean floor. With oxygen running low, they must escape the cage and the sharks hovering around them. The movie boasts of quite a few jump moments.
