Five of the scariest shark films (and the surprise Netflix hit Under Paris)

Sharks can be scary. But don’t take our word for it. Ask Donald Trump, who at a rally in Las Vegas last weekend told an off-topic story about the potential perils of electric-powered boats and sharks, concluding, “If there was a shark, or you get electrocuted, I’ll take electrocution every single time.”
Why sharks, you might ask, and why now? I can only conclude he may have recently been browsing the most watched films on Netflix, which delivers a toothy surprise. An unexpected hit is lurking at No 3 of the Top 10 at the time of writing. What’s that? Under Paris? It’s a French thriller about a grieving scientist attempting to prevent a tragedy after a giant shark turns up in the Seine — and it’s netted more than 70 million global hours of viewing on the streaming platform in its first week. That’s almost five times the viewing hours of JLo’s new film, Atlas.
In short, this thoroughly fishy thriller (with an average IMDb rating of just over 5/10) has captured the imagination of a lot of Netflix viewers. And it’s created a screen shark storm we haven’t seen the like of since the 2013 release of the made-for-TV madcap comedy disaster Sharknado.
Perhaps it’s no surprise, though, as shark films have been a mainstay of cinema for many decades. But which have bite, and which films are toothless? Here we present five of the very best…
2018, Prime VideoJason Statham brings his trademark action film prowess to a film loosely based on the 1997 novel Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten. A 75ft shark called a megaladon, previously thought to be extinct, attacks a deep sea research facility. Jonas Taylor (Statham) is hired to bring the survivors back to safety. Although it holds back from unleashing the wholesale gore of some shark movies, it has plenty of moments that will have you holding your breath.
2016, buy/rentNancy Adams (Blake Lively) is still grieving for the loss of her mother when she decides to take a remote surfing trip alone. Attacked by a great white shark and injured, she manages to escape to a giant rock. She must work out how to get back to the mainland and safety. A well-thought-out mix of scares and psychological torment makes for a fine film for fans of fins.
1999, Buy/ RentThere are echoes of Jurassic Park in this relatively lighthearted thriller about a research facility at sea that is harvesting shark DNA in an attempt to further science. However, as you might expect, things are destined to take a turn for the worse when Russell Franklin (Samuel L Jackson) arrives to see how investors’ money is being spent. When a routine operation goes wrong and the sharks break free from their enclosures, the humans left must battle to stop a widespread catastrophe.
2003, Sky/NowAn edge-of-your-seat thriller inspired by a true story, this very realistic tale from 2003 focuses on Daniel and Susan (Daniel Travis and Blanchard Ryan), a couple on holiday who end up stranded in shark-inhabited waters. After being left behind by the group they were with, they are forced to tread water and attempt to stay alive with dangerous sharks lurking beneath them. Not for the faint-hearted!
1975, Netflix / NowHands down the greatest of them all, Steven Spielberg’s classic not only set the benchmark against which all shark films would be judged, it is also one of the greatest thrillers ever to grace our screens. Accompanied by the classic soundtrack of John Williams, this beautifully crafted story stars Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw. When seaborne trouble comes to Amity Island in New England, an epic tale of man versus nature unfolds. There was no need for fancy CGI — the script, the direction and the acting made every part of this film feel very real indeed.