20 Greatest Summer Blockbusters Ever Made
2. Jaws (1975)
RottenTomatoes Score: 97% (9.1/10)
Box Office: $470.7 million
Why It's Awesome: Not even four decades of time and some noticeably aged special effects can detract from the thrill of Steven Spielberg's cinematic definition of fear. Widely touted as "the original summer blockbuster", Jaws made an entire generation of cinemagoers terrified of the water, and remains one of the most viscerally effective, button-pushing thrillers ever made.
What's perhaps so genius about the film is that the title character doesn't even appear in the movie that much, yet Spielberg milks each of his appearances for everything it's worth, aided by some grotesque gore effects (which remain shockingly violent for a "family" film), and of course, John Williams' unforgettable score.
Of course, what really separates this from a shlocky exploitation film is the characterisation: Brody (Roy Scheider), Quint (Robert Shaw) and Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) are all fully-realised characters who are easily endeared to and cared for by the audience. This makes their final stand all the more perilous and engaging.
If you didn't jump out of your seat when Jaws rose out of the water (pictured above), you're lying.