For those who love excitement and are fascinated by the ocean, it's hard to resist the appeal of shark movies. From the depths, these powerful predators have captured our imaginations for years, transforming beach days into thrilling adventures on the screen.
Whether you're looking for heart-pounding action or a glimpse into the world of these creatures, Netflix has you covered. With a collection of timeless classics and new releases, this popular streaming platform offers a selection to keep you on the edge of your seat. Are you ready to dive into Netflix's shark movies? Let's plunge into the depths and discover the picks that captivate you!
How To Unblock & Secure Your Netflix Connection
Accessing geo-restricted content on Netflix has never been easier, thanks to VPNs! Here's how:
- Head over to NordVPN's website and register an account with them.
- Download their user-friendly app onto whichever device(s) you'd like connection protection on.
- Enter your login details in the NordVPN app.
- Choose a server location within the US and connect to it.
- Finally, open your web browser. Head to Netflix and enjoy never-before-seen movies or series beyond your physical region.
Top 10 Shark Movies on Netflix
Jaws (1975) – The Best Shark Movie on Netflix
Jaws, the iconic 1975 thriller directed by Steven Spielberg, was released on June 20, 1975, and is now available on Netflix. The film is set in the New England tourist town of Amity Island, where a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping. Police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close the beaches, but Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) overrules him, fearing the loss of tourist revenue.
Ichthyologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and grizzled ship captain Quint (Robert Shaw) offer to help Brody capture the killer beast, leading to an epic battle of man vs. nature. The film became the highest-grossing film ever at the time and remains a classic in the horror genre.
The Meg (2018)
The Meg is a thrilling science fiction action film released in 2018, directed by Jon Turteltaub and loosely based on the 1997 novel Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten. The movie stars Jason Statham as Jonas Taylor, a deep-sea rescue diver haunted by a failed mission resulting in two crew members' loss.
Five years later, Taylor is recruited by his old friend Mac and oceanographer Dr. Zhang to save his ex-wife's research submarine, which has been attacked by a massive, previously thought-extinct megalodon shark. As the team ventures into the ocean's depths, they discover an unexplored world beneath the Mariana Trench. They must face off against the monstrous megalodon while also dealing with other challenges, such as an evil mining operation and environmental threats.
The film combines action, suspense, and a touch of humor, making it an entertaining watch for fans of creature features and underwater adventures. The Meg is available on Netflix in select regions, including Australia.
The Shallows (2016)
The Shallows (2016) is a survival horror film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Blake Lively. This Shark movie on Netflix follows the story of medical student Nancy Adams, who travels to a secluded beach in Mexico for some solace after losing her mother. Despite the danger of surfing alone, Nancy decides to hit the waves. Suddenly, she is attacked by a great white shark and forced to swim to a giant rock for safety.
Injured and stranded 200 yards from shore, Nancy must fight for her life as the deadly predator circles her in its feeding ground. Throughout the film, Nancy demonstrates resilience and determination as she battles the shark and tries to survive. The movie received mostly positive reviews and grossed $119.1 million against a production budget of $17 million.
47 Meters Down (2017)
47 Meters Down, directed by Johannes Roberts, is a thrilling underwater adventure that takes Netflix viewers on a heart-pounding journey with two sisters, Kate (Claire Holt) and Lisa (Mandy Moore), as they vacation in Mexico. The film on Netflix offers a gripping tale of survival, fear, and the unbreakable bond between siblings.
The plot revolves around the sisters' decision to embark on a daring shark cage diving experience despite Lisa's initial hesitation. Their excitement quickly becomes a nightmare when the cage's cable snaps, sending them plummeting 47 meters down to the ocean floor. Trapped in the depths with a dwindling oxygen supply and surrounded by great white sharks, Kate and Lisa must find a way to escape their watery prison.
The film's cinematography is commendable, capturing the beauty and terror of the deep blue sea. The use of lighting and camera angles effectively conveys the sense of claustrophobia and disorientation experienced by the characters. The visual effects, particularly the realistic portrayal of the great white sharks, add to the film's suspenseful atmosphere.
Mandy Moore and Claire Holt portray the sisters' fear, desperation, and determination to survive. Their on-screen chemistry is believable, making the audience care about their fate. Matthew Modine's brief appearance as Captain Taylor adds an interesting dynamic to the story as he tries to guide the sisters from the surface.
While 47 Meters Down may not be a cinematic masterpiece, it is an entertaining and suspenseful film that keeps viewers on edge. The movie effectively combines horror and adventure elements, making it an enjoyable watch for fans of both genres. So, turn off your brain, sit back, and dive into this thrilling underwater experience.
Open Water (2003)
Open Water is a 2003 American survival horror thriller Shark Movie on Netflix, directed by Chris Kentis. The movie is loosely based on the true story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who were accidentally left behind in shark-infested waters during a scuba diving trip on the Great Barrier Reef in 1998. The film follows an American couple, Daniel Kintner and Susan Watkins, who go scuba diving while on vacation. They find themselves stranded miles from shore when the crew of their boat accidentally leaves them behind due to an inaccurate headcount.
As the couple realizes their boat is not coming back for them, they face various challenges, such as hunger, mental exhaustion, and sharks circling below the surface. They also encounter jellyfish stings and shark bites, leading to a tragic ending where sharks kill Daniel, and Susan drowns herself to avoid being attacked.
The film was made on a budget of $120,000 and grossed over $55 million worldwide. It received mostly positive reviews from critics for its intensity and minimalist filmmaking, although some criticized the lack of emotional connection with the characters. Open Water was followed by two unrelated sequels, Open Water 2: Adrift (2006) and Open Water 3: Cage Dive (2017).
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
Get set for a thrilling underwater adventure with Deep Blue Sea- a sci-fi horror flick available on Netflix where genetically engineered sharks are the leads! Watch as Dr. Susan McAlester (Saffron Burrows), head of a team of scientists, researches mako sharks to cure Alzheimer's' disease without knowing the experiment would turn the situation dangerous with legendary actors like Samuel L. Jackson, LL Cool J and Michael Rapaport on board.
The film promises to entertain in every aspect. Though it may sound unconvincing at times with extravagant action scenes added – It is not exactly Schindlers List material after all – sometimes you need a good old-fashioned fun watch! Directed by Renny Harlin (you know, Cliffhanger and director of Die Hard 2).
Deep Blue Sea offers equal parts suspense, gore, humor and sci-fi horror that reminds us of its 90s carnage blockbuster vibe, carrying undeniable charm while making it all unique despite some outdated CGI here and there! If you hold onto deep affection for digging out campy, action-filled B movies – Deep Blue Sea will remind us how much fun they can truly be! So grab some snacks up divine right into shark-infested guilty pleasures because this will keep you hooked until the end!
Shark Tale (2004)
Shark Tale (2004) is an animated film set in an underwater reef where sharks are the local gangsters controlling the area. The story revolves around Oscar (voiced by Will Smith), a small fish working at the Whale Wash who dreams of becoming somebody and living at the top of the Reef. Don Lino (voiced by Robert De Niro) is the great white shark mafia boss who wants his sons, Lenny (voiced by Jack Black) and Frankie (voiced by Michael Imperioli), to take over the business.
Oscar gets into debt with his boss Sykes (voiced by Martin Scorsese), a puffer fish, and ends up owing him 5,000 clams. When Frankie, one of Don Lino's sons, is accidentally killed by a falling anchor, Oscar takes credit for the deed and becomes known as the Sharkslayer, protector of the Reef. Meanwhile, Lenny, a vegetarian shark, befriends Oscar and helps him maintain the charade.
As the story unfolds, Oscar faces challenges in his love life, choosing between his long-time girlfriend Angie (voiced by Renée Zellweger) and the seductive Lola (voiced by Angelina Jolie). The movie's climax occurs when Oscar flees to the Whale Wash, accidentally trapping Lenny and Lino in the machinery. Oscar finally confesses the truth behind Frankie's death and urges Lino to respect Lenny's lifestyle choices.
Shark Tale is a visually stunning film with a strong moral center, emphasizing that people cannot live a lie. The movie received mixed reviews from critics but was a commercial success, grossing $374.6 million worldwide against its $75 million budget.
Great White (2021)
Great White (2021) is an Australian survival horror film directed by Martin Wilson and written by Michael Boughen. The movie follows the story of seaplane operators and lovers Kaz Fellows (played by Katrina Bowden) and Charlie Brody (played by Aaron Jakubenko), along with their passengers Joji Minase (Tim Kano), his wife Michelle (Kimie Tsukakoshi), and cook Benny (Te Kohe Tuhaka). The group flies to picturesque Hell's Reef, where they encounter a corpse from a suspected shark attack. They decide to search for a missing yacht, but their seaplane is destroyed in a freak accident, leaving them stranded on a life raft miles from shore.
As they drift in the current, they realize that they are being terrorized by not one but two great white sharks. The group faces numerous challenges, including losing an oar, scuffles among themselves, and multiple shark attacks. Ultimately, Kaz and Michelle survive by outsmarting the sharks and making it to shore.
Inspired by true events, this Netflix film taps into our primal fear of the deep and delivers a thrilling experience featuring the ocean's most dangerous apex predator. Great White was released in the United States on 16 July 2021 via theaters and video on demand.
Seal Team (2021)
“Seal Team” is a 2021 South African computer-animated action comedy film co-directed by Greig Cameron and Kane Croudace, produced by Triggerfish Animation Studios, and distributed by Cinema Management Group. The film features the voices of J.K. Simmons, Jessie T. Usher, Matthew Rhys, Patrick Warburton, Kristen Schaal, Sharlto Copley, John Kani, Dolph Lundgren, and Seal. The story revolves around a group of misfit Cape Fur Seals who come together to fight a gang of ruthless sharks.
The protagonist, Quinn (voiced by Jesse T. Usher), assembles a squad of misfit recruits, including Claggart (J.K. Simmons), a former leader of the Hyper Marine Military Force (HMMF), and other eccentric seals, to stand up against the sharks led by Grimes (Matthew Rhys). The team uses creative weaponry and gadgets, such as a stealth suit made of octopi and a barracuda-firing weapon called the “barazooka,” to fight against the sharks and reclaim the open sea.
Released on Netflix on December 31, 2021, “Seal Team” has been praised for its charm, humor, and stylish animation despite its modest budget. The film parodies the “men on a mission” formula of military movies and offers enjoyable viewing for audiences.
Sharkdog (2021)
Sharkdog (2021) is a children's computer-animated streaming television series created by Singaporean artist Jacinth Tan Yi Ting and premiered on Netflix on September 3, 2021. The show follows the chaotic and silly adventures of 10-year-old Max, voiced by Liam Mitchell, and his unique best friend, Sharkdog, who is half-dog, half-shark, and can speak.
Max discovers Sharkdog on his first day of summer vacation and decides to keep him a secret from his parents. Max and his human friends Royce and Olivia try to protect Sharkdog from the legendary Captain Quigley while navigating various adventures and challenges. The series emphasizes friendship, teamwork, adventure, and creativity and is suitable for all ages.
Conclusion: A Cinematic Deep Dive Awaits
Shark movies have always captured a captivating blend of suspense and fascination, featuring nail-biting chases and thought-provoking stories, about our connection with the world. With Netflix's collection of shark-themed films, both longtime fans and newcomers can easily find something to dive into.
So, keep this list in mind whenever you're in the mood for some deep-sea drama. Let Netflix be your guide into the mesmerizing world of shark cinema. Whether you watch with anticipation or through your fingers, one thing is certain: These shark movies are guaranteed to make a significant impact!