3 Modern Shark Attack Movies That Are Just as Scary as ‘Jaws’

Feel old yet? This year ‘Jaws’ celebrates its 50th anniversary.

The genetically enhanced sharks in Deep Blue Sea (1999) become so intelligent they are able to turn the tables on their captors.

Steven Spielberg’s thriller Jaws (1975) is remembered as a movie that made everyone afraid to go in the water. The film is a masterclass in suspense, holding the audience hostage for an hour and twenty-one minutes before finally showing the shark on screen. Jaws is also remembered for its iconic theme song ramping up trepidation during that agonizing wait.

Beachgoers flee the ocean in Jaws.

While Jaws stands the test of time and still disturbs viewers after 50 years, there are some modern shark attack movies that are just as scary. These shark movies will delight Jaws fans looking for something new, and introduce a fear of swimming to younger fans who may not want to watch an older movie. These three modern shark movies are just as scary as Jaws:

Deep Blue Sea (1999)

Deep Blue Sea is basically a slasher movie with sharks.

There is one particular scene that is so effectively shocking and scary that it lands Deep Blue Sea on this list. If you’ve seen the movie, you know which scene this is. Deep Blue Sea is about the crew of an isolated research facility where sharks are being studied in the hopes of curing Alzheimer’s. Unfortunately, the testing creates genetically enhanced sharks so intelligent they are able to escape captivity and begin hunting down their captors.

Open Water (2003)

Open Water is based on the true story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan.

Like Jaws, the scariest part of Open Water is what we don’t see. This survival horror movie is based on a true story and follows a vacationing couple who are left behind in the open ocean after the boat they were scuba diving from mistakenly thinks all of their divers have returned and leaves for shore. The couple has nowhere to run and nothing to do but paddle and wait for the horrors hidden below the surface to attack.

47 Meters Down (2017)

Claire Holt and Mandy Moore star in the very suspenseful shark movie 47 Meters Down (2017).

Mandy Moore and Claire Holt star as two vacationing sisters who go on a caged shark dive. A mishap on the trip results in the women being trapped at the bottom of the ocean. While they are still protected by the cage, they have only an hour of oxygen left. Surrounded by great white sharks and needing to surface slowly in order to prevent deadly decompression sickness, things look pretty grim.

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Meet The Author

Chrissy is the co-founder of Creepy Catalog. She has over 10 years of experience writing about horror, a degree in philosophy and Reiki level II certification.

Chrissy Stockton