10 Best Steven Spielberg Films

An adaptation of the Peter Benchley novel of the same name, Jaws tells the story of a small seaside town terrorised by a man eating shark as tourist season rolls around. Eventually the town’s small minded mayor is convinced to let a fisherman, an oceanographer and the town’s chief of police Brody hunt down the beast.

From the title music to the final scene Jaws keeps the audience on edge. Be it with clever camera work such as the zoom in on Brody’s face after a shark attack or jump scares like the body in the submerged boat you can’t help but watch.

But Jaws’ genius lays in the world around the shark. Brody is very much trying to find his place in the world while dealing the inadequacies of the people around him. The shark takes a backseat for much of the second act so we can get to know our heroes. It’s an excellent monster film that still holds up today.