Scared of sharks? Probably a safe bet that it's this classic's fault!

Rating: 10/10 (26 July 2018)

There's a good reason that for years after its release, some were still afraid to go into the water. Jaws, what a Titan of a horror thriller! While the sequels may have got increasingly stupid and poor, the original was always one of those great classics that you really feel like you grew up with and had a special place for, and that was and still is so well deserved to this day, because it holds up so tremendously well. It was the first movie ever to cross the hundred million dollar mark and its hand in creating the summer blockbuster pretty much means that its influence on contemporary cinema cannot be overstated. Something that's so great about the movie's appeal and the craftsmanship put into it is its continued ability to thrill and terrify audiences despite having few overt appearances of the Great White shark, which also work amazingly well because the result is actually much scarier than if the mechanical shark had worked well enough for it to be shown throughout the whole movie. Young Spielberg knew just how to use that shark sparingly but effectively, using the iconic score, shadows, camera angles, and mostly just the acting chops of a fine cast to raise the tension and menace of the lurking aquatic predator to nightmarish levels. The keen focus on the characters and their story and interactions heightens the shark as a deadly force of nature. The infamous opening scene remains incredibly chilling, not least because of the disturbing performance of the beautiful young naked lady but also because it's a case of what we're not seeing being more shocking than what we do. One of the most deeply gripping and suspenseful moments in the film comes not from action, but from dialogue. RIP Robert Shaw, you sir gave one of the all-time great horror movie monologues! Thrilling, scary, atmospheric and cinematic, it inspired many animal attack movie imitators at the time but none of them really ever held a candle to it, and while there may have been one of two good examples over the years, the only truly great killer shark movie and great/granddaddy of them all remains Jaws, it's the best one of all time. For all the trouble they had making it, it was certainly all worth it, for the end result was always an amazing film. Gotta love it, good old Jaws... X