(Photo by WB /Courtesy Everett Collection)
Best Shark Movies (And Worst) Ranked by Tomatometer
We’ve added Netflix’s Under Paris to the list!
You’re gonna need a bigger screen. But that’s only if you want to take in the full awesome glory of earth’s bitiest avenger: the shark! It’s the only apex predator we humans have cleared time from our busy schedule to pay humble tribute to (we’ve certainly never heard of Sperm Whale Week), Rotten Tomatoes likewise took the time to put together our list of the best shark movies (and the worst) ever — all ranked by Tomatometer.
Our love/hate cinematic relationship with sharks began with directing legend Samuel Fuller and his aptly titled Shark! in 1969, a movie which effectively killed his career for a decade, until 1980’s The Big Red One. Here was a lesson most people would take wisdom from (sharks, even the ones you make up, are not to be trifled with), but it takes a certain cavalier breed to make it as a director, forging ahead where others spectacularly failed.
Enter Steven Spielberg. His 1975 masterpiece Jaws, infamous in almost destroying the young auteur mentally and professionally, would become the first-ever blockbuster. It buoyed the summer season out of the doldrums and turned it into a big-budget movie destination, while instilling a real fear of deep water for a whole generation.
It’s been open season for shark movies in Hollywood ever since, and in the ensuing decades we’ve gotten camp classics (Sharknado!), modern hits (The Shallows!), the lovable (Deep Blue Sea!), and the very much not-so (Ghost Shark!). Now that we’re all chums caught up on some fishy history, continue on to see every shark movie ever that chomped up a Tomatometer! —Alex Vo
#1
Adjusted Score: 109103%
Critics Consensus: Compelling, well-crafted storytelling and a judicious sense of terror ensure Steven Spielberg’s Jaws has remained a benchmark in the art of delivering modern blockbuster thrills.
Synopsis: When a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island,… [More]
Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
#2
Adjusted Score: 97430%
Critics Consensus: A fascinating tribute to a pioneer as well as an engrossing act of environmental advocacy, Playing with Sharks makes up in enjoyment what it lacks in depth.
Synopsis: Photographer Valerie Taylor becomes a trailblazing advocate for the ocean’s most maligned and misunderstood creatures…. [More]
Starring: Ron Taylor, Valerie Taylor
Directed By: Sally Aitken
#3
Adjusted Score: 86175%
Critics Consensus: A well-crafted retelling of an epic true story, Kon Tiki is a throwback to old-school adventure filmmaking that’s exciting and entertaining in spite of its by-the-book plotting.
Synopsis: Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl (Pål Sverre Hagen) suspects that the South Sea Islands were originally colonized by South Americans. In… [More]
Starring: Pål Sverre Hagen, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Gustaf Skarsgård, Odd Magnus Williamson
Directed By: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg
#4
Adjusted Score: 89220%
Critics Consensus: Lean and solidly crafted, The Shallows transcends tired shark-attack tropes with nasty thrills and a powerful performance from Blake Lively.
Synopsis: Still reeling from the loss of her mother, medical student Nancy Adams (Blake Lively) travels to a secluded beach for… [More]
Starring: Blake Lively, Óscar Jaenada, Brett Cullen, Sedona Legge
Directed By: Jaume Collet-Serra
#5
Adjusted Score: 79786%
Critics Consensus: In addition to its breathtaking underwater photography, Sharkwater has a convincing, impassioned argument of how the plight of sharks affects everyone.
Synopsis: Arguing that sharks are misunderstood as dangerous creatures, biologist Rob Stewart travels to the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica and other… [More]
Starring:
Directed By: Rob Stewart
#6
Adjusted Score: 100761%
Critics Consensus: Beautiful yet gut-wrenching, Sharkwater Extinction offers an eye-opening condemnation of an illegal trade — and a poignant farewell to a talented filmmaker.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Rob Stewart travels across oceans to expose the illegal and violent underworld of shark finning…. [More]
Starring: Rob Stewart
Directed By: Rob Stewart
#7
Adjusted Score: 67306%
Critics Consensus: A gripping example of less-is-more horror, The Reef is the rare shark attack movie that isn’t content to merely tread water.
Synopsis: A sailing trip becomes a disaster for a group of friends when the boat sinks and a white shark hunts… [More]
Starring: Damian Walshe-Howling, Gyton Grantley, Adrienne Pickering, Zoe Naylor
Directed By: Andrew Traucki
#8
Adjusted Score: 77106%
Critics Consensus: Proudly, shamelessly, and gloriously brainless, Sharknado redefines “so bad it’s good” for a new generation.
Synopsis: A monstrous storm devastates Los Angeles, leaving the streets flooded and infested with sharks…. [More]
Starring: Tara Reid, Ian Ziering, John Heard, Cassandra Scerbo
Directed By: Anthony C. Ferrante
#9
Adjusted Score: 45449%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau documents face-to-face encounters with a wide variety of the ocean’s ultimate predators, including white, hammerhead and whale… [More]
Starring: Geoffrey Bateman
Directed By: Jean-Jaques Mantello
#10
Adjusted Score: 77813%
Critics Consensus: A low budget thriller with some intense moments.
Synopsis: Daniel (Daniel Travis) and Susan (Blanchard Ryan) embark on a tropical vacation with their scuba-diving certifications in tow. During a… [More]
Starring: Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis, Saul Stein, Estelle Lau
Directed By: Chris Kentis
#11
Adjusted Score: 68276%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In an effort to heal after witnessing her sister’s horrific murder, Nic travels to a tropical resort with her friends… [More]
Starring: Teressa Liane, Ann Truong, Saskia Archer, Kate Lister
Directed By: Andrew Traucki
#12
Adjusted Score: 63312%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: To save Paris from a bloodbath, a grieving scientist is forced to face her tragic past when a giant shark… [More]
Starring: Bérénice Bejo, Anaïs Parello, Inaki Lartigue, Julien Jakout
Directed By: Xavier Gens
#13
Adjusted Score: 65081%
Critics Consensus:Jaws 2 never approaches the lingering thrills of its classic predecessor, but it’s reasonably entertaining for a sequel that has no reason to exist.
Synopsis: Years after the shark attacks that left Amity Island reeling, Sheriff Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) finds new trouble lurking in… [More]
Starring: Roy Scheider, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Joseph Mascolo
Directed By: Jeannot Szwarc
#14
Adjusted Score: 61591%
Critics Consensus: The schlock factor for Sharknado 2: The Second One is not as entertaining as its predecessor’s, though fans of the brand will likely enjoy it.
Synopsis: A freak weather system brings in ravenous sharks to munch on hapless New Yorkers and iconic landmarks…. [More]
Starring: Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, Vivica A. Fox, Kari Wuhrer
Directed By: Anthony C. Ferrante
#15
Adjusted Score: 65585%
Critics Consensus:Deep Blue Sea is no Jaws, but action fans seeking some toothy action can certainly do — and almost certainly have done — far worse for B-movie thrills.
Synopsis: On an island research facility, Dr. Susan McAlester (Saffron Burrows) is harvesting the brain tissue of DNA-altered sharks as a… [More]
Starring: Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, Samuel L. Jackson, Jacqueline McKenzie
Directed By: Renny Harlin
#16
Adjusted Score: 61252%
Critics Consensus:47 Meters Down doesn’t take its terrifying premise quite as far as it should, but its toothy antagonists still offer a few thrills for less demanding genre enthusiasts.
Synopsis: Young sisters Kate and Lisa and travel to Mexico for a vacation filled with sun, fun and adventure. Lisa needs… [More]
Starring: Claire Holt, Mandy Moore, Chris Johnson, Yani Gellman
Directed By: Johannes Roberts
#17
Adjusted Score: 13453%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Genetically engineered, a monster that is half-shark and half-octopus goes on a killing spree…. [More]
Starring: Eric Roberts, Kerem Bürsin, Sara Malakul Lane, Liv Boughn
Directed By: Declan O’Brien
#18
Adjusted Score: 64305%
Critics Consensus:The Meg sets audiences up for a good old-fashioned B-movie creature feature, but lacks the genre thrills — or the cheesy bite — to make it worth diving in.
Synopsis: Previously thought to be extinct, a massive creature attacks a deep-sea submersible, leaving it disabled and trapping the crew at… [More]
Starring: Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Cliff Curtis
Directed By: Jon Turteltaub
#19
Adjusted Score: 22667%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Six long-time friends (Susan May Pratt, Richard Speight Jr., Niklaus Lange) try to stay afloat in the ocean after they… [More]
Starring: Susan May Pratt, Richard Speight Jr., Niklaus Lange, Ali Hillis
Directed By: Hans Horn
#20
Adjusted Score: 44856%
Critics Consensus:Bait isn’t entirely lacking in the shark action department, but a silly story and thinly sketched characters may leave audiences bored between bloody attacks.
Synopsis: A freak tsunami traps a group of people in a submerged grocery store. As they try to escape, they are… [More]
Starring: Xavier Samuel, Phoebe Tonkin, Sharni Vinson, Julian McMahon
Directed By: Kimble Rendall
#21
Adjusted Score: 47901%
Critics Consensus:47 Meters Down: Uncaged may not be as ruthlessly efficient as its finned villains, but fans of shark peril thrillers should find it just chummy enough.
Synopsis: Four teenage divers discover that the sunken ruins of a Mayan city are also a hunting ground for deadly great… [More]
Starring: Sophie Nélisse, Corinne Foxx, Brianne Tju, Sistine Stallone
Directed By: Johannes Roberts
#22
Adjusted Score: 44375%
Critics Consensus: It’s far from the most toothless shark thriller, but Great White lacks the killer storytelling instinct necessary to stay afloat.
Synopsis: In GREAT WHITE, a blissful tourist trip turns into a nightmare when five seaplane passengers are stranded miles from shore…. [More]
Starring: Katrina Bowden, Aaron Jakubenko, Kimie Tsukakoshi, Tim Kano
Directed By: Martin Wilson
#23
Adjusted Score: 11705%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Sailors go to sea to hunt for a prehistoric shark, previously thought to be extinct…. [More]
Starring: John Barrowman, Jenny McShane, Ryan Cutrona, George Stanchev
Directed By: David Worth
#24
Adjusted Score: 36725%
Critics Consensus:Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! bites off more than it can chew, leaving viewers with an overlong mess that isn’t even bad enough to be good.
Synopsis: A monstrous tornado unleashes ravenous sharks from Washington, D.C., all the way down to Orlando, Fla…. [More]
Starring: Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, Cassandra Scerbo, Frankie Muniz
Directed By: Anthony C. Ferrante
#25
Adjusted Score: 40933%
Critics Consensus: Derivative and full of pop culture in-jokes.
Synopsis: Underachiever Oscar (Will Smith) is a pint-sized fish with grand aspirations. When mob-connected great white shark Frankie (Michael Imperioli) is… [More]
Starring: Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Renée Zellweger, Jack Black
Directed By: Rob Letterman, Bibo Bergeron, Vicky Jenson
#26
Adjusted Score: 17433%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A group of spring breakers are enjoying the trip of a lifetime on the sandy beaches of Mexico. As the… [More]
Starring: Holly Earl, Jack Trueman, Catherine Hannay, Malachi Pullar-Latchman
Directed By: James Nunn
#27
Adjusted Score: 17567%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Fin and his wife April travel around the world to save their young son who’s trapped inside a sharknado…. [More]
Starring: Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, Cassandra Scerbo, Olivia Newton-John
Directed By: Anthony C. Ferrante
#28
Adjusted Score: 10208%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: After rednecks torture and kill a great white shark, its spirit returns from the dead to seek revenge on the… [More]
Starring: Mackenzie Rosman, Richard Moll, Sloane Coe, Robert Aberdeen
Directed By: Griff Furst
#29
Adjusted Score: 29336%
Critics Consensus: A small shark in a big pond of man-eating legends, The Black Demon bites off more than it can chew, leaving little carnage for the audience to feast on.
Synopsis: Josh Lucas (Ford v Ferrari, Yellowstone) stars in this edge-of-your-seat action thriller from the director of Rambo: Last Blood. Oilman… [More]
Starring: Josh Lucas, Fernanda Urrejola, Venus Ariel, Carlos Solórzano
Directed By: Adrian Grunberg
#30
Adjusted Score: 17425%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Fin has to go back in time to rejoin his shark battling friends to stop the first Sharknado and save… [More]
Starring: Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, Vivica A. Fox, Cassandra Scerbo
Directed By: Anthony C. Ferrante
#31
Adjusted Score: 36962%
Critics Consensus: It isn’t without its fun moments, but Meg 2: The Trench suffers from a disjointed story that drifts for too long before finally delivering a few campy thrills.
Synopsis: Get ready for the ultimate adrenaline rush this summer in “Meg 2: The Trench,” a literally larger-than-life thrill ride that… [More]
Starring: Jason Statham, Jing Wu, Shuya Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy
Directed By: Ben Wheatley
#32
Adjusted Score: 21312%
Critics Consensus: A joyless excursion into the water that doesn’t even produce good gore or nudity thanks to the neutered PG-13 rating.
Synopsis: Newly arrived at her family’s lake-island cabin, college student Sara (Sara Paxton) and her friends prepare for a weekend of… [More]
Starring: Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan, Chris Carmack, Joel David Moore
Directed By: David R. Ellis
#33
Adjusted Score: 17767%
Critics Consensus: With shoddy FX, acting and directing. This isn’t so bad it’s good. It’s just so bad it’s terrible.
Synopsis: Strange things are afoot in the depths of the sea. First a passenger plane vanishes over the Pacific Ocean. Then… [More]
Starring: Deborah Gibson, Lorenzo Lamas, Sean Lawlor, Vic Chao
Directed By: Jack Perez
#34
Adjusted Score: 17607%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: There’s terror in paradise when Jaelyn (Alicia Silverstone) and Kyle (James Tupper) arrive at a remote seaside villa in Vietnam… [More]
Starring: Alicia Silverstone, James Tupper, Deirdre O’Connell, Danny Chung
Directed By: Le-Van Kiet
#35
Adjusted Score: 17335%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Jesse and her friends’ idyllic island vacation turns into a gruesome nightmare when they become the target for an unrelenting… [More]
Starring: Nicky Whelan, Trace Adkins, Jeff Fahey, Shane West
Directed By: Justin Lee
#36
Adjusted Score: 10437%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: After their ship is torpedoed by a Japanese submarine, the crew members of the USS Indianapolis face a harrowing nightmare… [More]
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Tom Sizemore, Thomas Jane, Matt Lanter
Directed By: Mario Van Peebles
#37
Adjusted Score: 10028%
Critics Consensus:Sharknado: The 4th Awakens loses the ridiculous charm of its predecessors, leaving only clumsy social commentary and monotonous schtick that’s lost its bite.
Synopsis: Fin (Ian Ziering), his family and the cosmos have been blissfully sharknado-free in the five years since the most recent… [More]
Starring: Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, David Hasselhoff, Ryan Newman
Directed By: Anthony C. Ferrante
#38
Adjusted Score: 14177%
Critics Consensus: A cheese-soaked ocean thriller with no evident reason to exist, Jaws 3 bellows forth with a plaintive yet ultimately unheeded cry to put this franchise out of viewers’ misery.
Synopsis: After a young great white shark finds its way into a sea-themed park managed by Calvin Bouchard (Louis Gossett Jr.),… [More]
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Simon MacCorkindale, Louis Gossett Jr.
Directed By: Joe Alves
#39
Adjusted Score: 5371%
Critics Consensus: Illogical, tension-free, and filled with cut-rate special effects, Jaws: The Revenge is a sorry chapter in a once-proud franchise.
Synopsis: The family of widow Ellen Brody (Lorraine Gary) has long been plagued by shark attacks, and this unfortunate association continues… [More]
Starring: Lorraine Gary, Lance Guest, Mario Van Peebles, Karen Young
Directed By: Joseph Sargent
#40
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When marine biologist Steven McKray (Casper Van Dien) learns that a friend died in a mysterious shark attack in South… [More]
Starring: Ernie Hudson, Bentley Mitchum, Casper Van Dien, Tony Caprari
Directed By: Bob Misiorowski
#41
Adjusted Score: 31%
Critics Consensus: Shallow and brackish, Dark Tide fails to rise.
Synopsis: A traumatized shark expert (Halle Berry) must battle her own fears to lead a thrill-seeking businessman on a dive into… [More]
Starring: Halle Berry, Olivier Martinez, Ralph Brown, Luke Tyler
Directed By: John Stockwell
