When horror fans look back on the decades and count the iconic movies that have been made, they'll realize there are too many to count. All of them have their own unique touches that make them popular, and, when it comes to movies about the ocean and creatures lurking in the deep, Jaws is one of the best. Up until 1975, there was really not quite like it, which made it such a huge film of that summer.
There's something about taking a realistic situation and putting it on the silver screen and immersing viewers into the world they've created. Sharks are interesting creatures, but terrifying at the same time. Directors have been playing off of this for decades, as movies involving something that can't be seen are incredibly creepy. When iconic director Steven Spielberg brought his fans Jaws, it instantly became one of his best. While fans of Jaws have probably watched the franchise over and over, there are similar films out there that play on peoples' fears, while providing terrifying creatures of their own.
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
There were a lot of great sci-fi movies in the 1990s, but, when Deep Blue Sea came out in the summer of 1999, it changed the game. Of course, there have been other follows since the 1975 release of Jaws, but the intensity of Deep Blue Sea was almost comparable to the shark classic. When a group of scientists is on the hunt to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease, they set their sights on an isolated research facility to do their research.
At the same time, there is a trio of super sharks that have heightened intelligence based on an implant. The group finds themselves in trouble as incidents happen and they realize they are sitting ducks as a storm approaches.
The Shallows (2016)
The Shallows tells the story of a young medical student named Nancy, who recently lost her mother. She decides to travel to a secluded beach dubbed "Paradise" for some alone time and reflection. Being a seasoned surfer, Nancy knows the dangers of surging alone but does so anyway. Only 200 meters away from the shore, she soon realizes she's not alone as a great white shark is watching nearby.
Starring Blake Lively, this is a thrilling adventure of a movie and a fight for survival. It's safe to say viewers will be on the edge of their seats the entire time. This is one of Blake Lively's best roles to date, as she demands the screen in this terrifying storyline.
47 Meters Down (2017)
Being in a boat surrounded by a shark is scary enough, but being in a cage 47 meters below the ocean's surface? That's a whole other situation. 47 Meters Down tells the story of two sisters vacationing in Mexico. When they decide to go on an excursion to see sharks, one is hesitant, and the other is ready to go.
Once below the water's surface, things don't turn out the way they are supposed to, and the sisters are essentially trapped with a mouth of razor-sharp teeth circling their every move. Starring Mandy Moore and Claire Holt, this film is horrific and an adventurous ride until the end.
Open Water (2003)
Open Water is allegedly based on the true story of two Americans named Tom and Eileen Lonergan who were stranded in the ocean off of the shores of Australia. Shot as a found-footage film, it reimages the story of Susan Watkins and Daniel Kintner, two people on holiday in the Caribbean. They decide to go on a harmless scuba diving trip for a little adventure.
Everything seems fine until the boat's captain miscounts the people on board and strands the lovebirds. Open Water is raw and realistic from the first shot until the very end, which is what makes it so terrifying, and it should be considered one of the best found-footage films to date.
Ghost Ship (2002)
When director Steve Beck combined an abandoned ship, a chilling backstory, and the paranormal, the film Ghost Ship was born. Released in October of 2002, it follows a salvage crew that is in desperate need of money. They get an offer they can't refuse and go on to discover a 1962 enger ship that was considered lost decades ago.
Soon after they board the ship, they realize that the guests that disappeared might've never left. The crew becomes victims of the horrific evil that remained on the ship, eager to terrorize the living once again.
The Meg (2018)
Based on the 1997 novel, MEG: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten, The Meg takes a stab at the silver screen and doesn't disappoint. When washed-up sea diver Jonas Taylor survives a horrific accident on a past mission, he tries to put it all behind him and walks away. When he gets word that a submersible carrying his ex-wife is disabled at the bottle of the ocean, he immerses himself back into the ocean world.
After witnessing something that no one believed, he's thrust back into his fears and must confront them as the people he cares about are in grave danger. Is it an ancient creature living below the ocean's surface or just his imagination"> ridiculously good action scenes and stunts—that's what he's known for, after all.
Lake Placid (1999)
1999 was a good year for creature-inspired films, as, not only did it give viewers Deep Blue Sea, but Lake Placid, as well. After a horrific attack in a lake left a small community stunned, the local Fish and Game officer enlists in the help of a New York City paleontologist named Kelly to help. Together, they try to solve the mystery of what caused this attack and are ed along the way by the local sheriff and an eccentric mythology professor.
What they don't know is what they're up against is much bigger and much more dangerous than they could've ever imagined. The creature might not be a sea monster, but it's one of the best and the scariest to come out of the late 1990s.
The Reef (2011)
The Reef may not have had the success Jaws had, but the storyline has several similarities. When a group of friends goes sailing together, the adventure takes a sudden turn when the vessel hits an underwater rock and capsizes. When the captain of the boat, one of the survivors suggests that they should take their chances at swimming to the nearest island, things take a deadly turn.
They soon realize they're being hunted by a great white shark that is out for blood and will stop at nothing to get it. The Reef might not be the highest-rated water movie there ever was, but it certainly isn't one of the worst animal films of all time.
Triangle (2009)
Best known for her work in Triangle. She plays Jess, a woman who set sail with her friends on a yacht but cannot get rid of an ominous feeling. When her intuition proves right and a storm ensues, her group is forced to go aboard another ocean liner for safety. What Jess realizes is that she might've been on this boat before.
While the ship appears deserted, they are definitely not alone. Someone or something is on the hunt, and Jess might have the answer on how to stop it.
Deep Rising (1998)
Deep Rising is one of those adventurous horror flicks that borders on being a part of the sci-fi genre. Deep Rising may also be one of those films that viewers enjoyed, but forgot all about. Directed and written by the well-known Stephen Sommer, the film is about a group of armed hijackers who board a luxury ocean liner on the Pacific Ocean. They think this will be an easy hit, but are in for a surprise when another imposter is aboard the ship, as well.
A man-eating sea creature has set its sights on the cruise liner and starts to pick the hijackers and the other people on the ship. Starring Treat Williams and Famke Janssen, this film from the late 1990s will for sure have viewers on the edge of their seats.
