Shark movies are notoriously intense, campy, gory and sometimes absurd. That’s exactly what makes them so much fun. The shark movie genre is loaded with a few really good movies and plenty of so-bad-they’re-good films. Shark-obsessed viewers have several options available when they want to sink their teeth into the genre.
On our list, you’ll find classic films, self-aware comedies, and thrilling survival movies. There’s something here for pretty much every type of film lover. To make things especially interesting, we didn’t include any of the Jaws movies. That would be a little too easy.
Here’s our list of the 21 best shark movies on Netflix (and beyond), in no particular order.
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
IMDB Score: 5.8
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 59%
Genre: Action, Science Fiction
Starring: Thomas Jane, Samuel L. Jackson, LL Cool J, Saffron Burrows
Platform: Netflix
Plot: Scientists are studying Mako sharks in an underwater facility with the goal of finding a cure to Alzheimer’s disease. Genetic engineering makes the sharks incredibly intelligent and, once they revolt, the facility’s crew must find a way to survive. If you’re just now getting into shark movies, this classic is a must-watch.
47 Meters Down (2017)
IMDB Score: 5.6
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 54%
Genre: Action, Horror
Starring: Mandy Moore, Claire Holt
Platform: Netflix
Available in: USA, Canada, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, UK, Japan, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland
Plot: Two friends (played by Mandy Moore and Claire Holt) vacationing in Mexico decide to go view sharks from the safety of a diving cage. Accompanied by two local men, the pair soon discover that the cage isn’t so safe after all. This is definitely one of the more popular shark movies in recent years.
Sharknado (2013)
IMDB Score: 3.3
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%
Genre: Comedy, Action
Starring: Tara Reid, Ian Ziering
Platform: Netflix
Plot: A massive water cyclone floods Los Angeles, bringing with it an insane number of killer sharks. As residents scramble to survive, local surfer Fin seeks to rescue his daughter and estranged wife. “Sharknado” has spawned several sequels and a slew of other intentionally campy animal-themed disaster movies.
The Shallows (2016)
IMDB Score: 6.3
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%
Genre: Horror, Drama
Starring: Blake Lively
Platform: Netflix
Plot: A surfer gets stranded on an isolated rock, unable to get to shore because of a menacing great white shark. She must figure out a way to survive before the tide brings her face-to-face with the shark. This movie is incredibly intense, and arguably one of the best in the genre.
Open Water (2003)
IMDB Score: 5.7
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%
Genre: Horror, Drama
Starring: Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis
Platform: Amazon Prime
Plot: In Australia, an American couple goes scuba diving, only to find themselves stranded when their boat leaves them behind. The couple soon finds out that, in addition to being isolated, they are also being hunted by killer sharks. If this seems like worn-out plotline, you might be interested to know that the film is based on a true story.
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The Meg (2018)
IMDB Score: 5.7
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 46%
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction
Starring: Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson
Platform: Netflix
Plot: In an attempt to rescue researchers stranded at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) battles a massive megalodon shark, a type of shark long-thought to be extinct. The film is based on a 1997 novel by Steve Alten.
Shark Tale (2004)
IMDB Score: 6.0
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 36%
Genre: Animation, Comedy
Starring: Will Smith, Robert DeNiro, Renée Zellweger, Angelina Jolie, Jack Black
Platform: Netflix
Plot: In this animated movie, an underachieving young fish invents the story that he took out the son of a notorious shark mob boss. His dishonesty soon lands him in troubled waters. A star-studded cast leads this box office hit, which was also nominated for an Academy Award.
The Reef (2010)
IMDB Score: 5.8
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%
Genre: Horror, Drama
Starring: Damian Walshe-Howling, Zoe Naylor, Gyton Grantley, Adrienne Pickering
Platform: Amazon Prime
Plot: On a trip to Indonesia, a boat full of friends capsizes and leaves the passengers with no other option but to swim to the closest shore. They soon realize they are being hunted by a great white shark. Don’t sleep on this instant classic.
Bait (2012)
IMDB Score: 5.2
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 47%
Genre: Action, Drama
Starring: Phoebe Tonkin, Xavier Samuel, Julian McMahon
Platform: Netflix
Plot: Several melodramas playing out inside a supermarket are put on pause when a tsunami floods the building, leaving everyone inside trapped. The stakes get raised when a group of sharks come looking for food.
Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus (2009)
IMDB Score: 2.5
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 18%
Genre: Action, Comedy
Starring: Debbie Gibson, Lorenzo Lamas
Platform: Amazon Prime
Plot: Two prehistoric sea creatures wreak havoc on the California coast while duking it out to see which one can establish control of the sea. This notorious B-movie began theMega Sharkseries and is arguably one of the best so-bad-it’s-good movies you can find.
Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014)
IMDB Score: 4.0
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 59%
Genre: Action, Comedy
Starring: Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, Vivica A. Fox
Platform: Amazon Prime
Plot: Fin returns in this self-aware second installment of theSharknado film series. This time, floods bring sharks to New York. As tornadoes heighten the drama, Fin and company try to survive the onslaught of sharks that dwarf the one in the first installment.
Ice Sharks (2016)
IMDB Score: 3.0
Rotten Tomatoes Score: Not Available
Genre: Horror
Starring: Edward DeRuiter, Jenna Parker, Clarissa Thibeaux
Platform: Netflix
Plot: An Arctic research facility is under siege by a group of hungry sharks. The people in the facility have no option but to fight to survive. “Ice Sharks” is an endearingly ridiculous movie, in premise and in execution, which is what makes it a cult favorite of the so-bad-it’s-good genre.
Planet of the Sharks (2016)
IMDB Score: 2.7
Rotten Tomatoes Score: Not Available
Genre: Science Fiction, Action
Starring: Brandon Auret, Stephanie Beran, Alex Anlos
Platform: Netflix andAmazon Prime
Plot: If you’ve seen any of thePlanet of the Apesmovies, then you already know the plot of this one. It’s the future, and highly advanced sharks have taken over the planet. The few remaining humans on Earth must find a way to take out the sharks’ leader if they want to survive. Absurd? Yep. Fun? You better believe it.
Blue Demon (2004)
IMDB Score: 2.8
Rotten Tomatoes Score: Not Available
Genre: Action, Comedy
Starring: Dedee Pfeiffer, Randall Batinkoff, Christine Lakin
Platform: Amazon Prime
Plot: A government-backed science project goes awry and unleashes great white sharks on California’s shorelines. If that doesn’t sell you on this pure-camp B-movie, then you should know that the head shark’s goal is to blow up the Golden Gate Bridge by unleashing a neutron bomb. You’re welcome.
Sharknado 4: The Fourth Awakens (2016)
IMDB Score: 3.9
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 15%
Genre: Action, Comedy
Starring: Ian Ziering, Tara Reid
Platform: Amazon Prime
Plot: Fin is back at it in the fourth installment of theSharknadofranchise. This time, he’s battling a sand sharknado and trying to save the world from his mortal enemies. A near-endless list of cameos and familiar schtick will please fans of the series.
Open Water 2: Adrift (2007)
IMDB Score: 5.1
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 40%
Genre: Horror, Drama
Starring: Susan May Pratt, Richard Speight Jr., Niklaus Lange
Platform: Amazon Prime
Plot: A group of friends are stranded in the ocean after a birthday yacht trip takes a turn for the worst. Unlike its predecessor, “Open Water 2: Adrift” is not a true story, which you’ll probably notice shortly after starting this fun mystery-style take on the shark movie genre.
Raging Sharks (2005)
IMDB Score: 2.5
Rotten Tomatoes Score: Not Available
Genre: Science Fiction
Starring: Corin Nemec, Vanessa Angel, Corbin Bernsen
Platform: Amazon Prime
Plot: B-movie lovers will enjoy this alien invasion/shark movie hybrid about a team of marine researchers who are preyed upon by a nasty group of great white sharks. It’s not always clear whether the filmmakers are aware of how silly the movie is, which typically makes for a better B-movie (all things Sharknado aside).
Dark Tide (2012)
IMDB Score: 4.3
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 0%
Genre: Action, Drama
Starring: Halle Berry, Olivier Martinez, Ralph Brown
Platform: Netflix
Plot: Halle Berry stars as a diver tutor who has suffered a traumatic great white shark attack. Though she no longer feels comfortable in the water, she accepts an opportunity she can’t turn down when a millionaire and his son are looking for a guide through the notorious Shark Alley. Any movie that gets a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes is destined for cult classic greatness, especially when audiences seem to really enjoy it.
Open Water 3: Cage Dive (2017)
IMDB Score: 4.1
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 25%
Genre: Horror, Drama
Starring: Joel Hogan, Josh Potthoff, Megan Peta Hill
Platform: Netflix
Plot: This Blair Witch-style installment of theOpen Waterfranchise tells the story of three friends as they audition for a reality TV show by venturing into a shark cage. As you might expect, things don’t go according to plan. The found-footage approach injects new life into the popular shark film series and the entire genre.
Shark Night (2011)
IMDB Score: 4.0
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 19%
Genre: Horror
Starring: Sara Paxton, Katharine McPhee, Alyssa Diaz
Available in: Buy on DVD
Plot: Seven college friends take a trip to a Louisiana lake, only to be terrorized by a gang of sharks. Though critics originally panned the film, audiences were more accepting of this horror as a solid addition to the shark movie genre.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
IMDB Score: 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 56%
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Starring: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, Angelica Houston, Jeff Goldblum
Platform: Netflix
Plot: A washed-up oceanographer/filmmaker seeks revenge on the shark that killed his partner. You probably won’t find this out-of-the-box pick on any other shark movie lists, and you might even debate whether it’s actually a shark movie. Nevertheless, Wes Anderson’s cult classic is all about Bill Murray’s quest to find (and destroy) a jaguar shark.
Some shark movies are legitimately good films that adored by critics and fans alike. Others are so insane that you can’t help but enjoy them. The shark movie genre is filled with horror, comedy, suspense, and mystery. These films fuel our obsession with sharks and give filmmakers a plot device that continues to fascinate all movie buffs.
Whether you simply love any movie featuring sharks or only like those that fit into one particular subgenre, we hope this list can steer you into the waters of your next favorite shark movie.
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