The Science Fiction Horror and Fantasy Film Review
The killer shark film has been with us since the massive hit of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975). This was followed by three sequels and over the next two decades by a host of B-budget copies.
Since the mid-2000s, the B-budget shark film has made a movie towards the Gonzo Killer Shark film, which is predicated on ridiculous title mashups or combining sharks with the most absurd of things. This culminated with the bad movie hit of Sharknado (2013), which led to a string of sequels and a host of imitators.
The 2010s has also seen a growing move away from gonzo shark films to what might be termed a genre of Survival in Shark-Infested Waters films, played with a good deal more seriousness and drama.
Italian film conceived as a quickie copy of George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead with the focus on gore scenes. This made the name of cult Italian splatter director Luci Fulci.
The best of the mostly worthless Jaws sequels. With a bigger budget, the shark attacks are more spectacular but there is nothing akin to the sustained suspense of the first film’s extended climax
One of the better killer shark copycats made in the immediate aftermath of Jaws, this approaches the familiar in unexpected ways
The killer shark film that became the No 1 box-office hit of all time and put Steven Spielberg’s name on the map. A powerhouse of seat-edge tension, filled with great performances and the young Spielberg with an incredible grasp of his craft