9 Devastating Horror Movie Deaths You Couldn't Look Away From
6. Jaws - Quint
Jaws is a classic for all the right reasons. The writing is perfect, the acting is on point and the directing is incredible. It straddles the line between horror and drama, meaning that the characters we meet along the way are fleshed out and, most importantly, we care about them. Hooper, Brody, and Quint are now among the most popular and enduring sailors in movie history.
Through the film, we grow close to them and their antics, but it is Quint, the salty old sea dog, who stands out the most. His stories from times gone by, not least the story of the USS Indianapolis, are chilling and yet he still manages to make them entertaining, which is a credit to Robert Shaw - a man who was battling his dependency to alcohol while filming.
Quint's demise is a seminal moment in the film, every bit as much as Chrissie's last swim or Alex Kitner's encounter with Bruce. The shark doesn't so much stalk the men as it decides they are its personal foes, going so far as to leap out of the water to try and grab them. Silly as this sounds, it is presented seriously in the movie - so much so that Quint's inevitable last fight with the shark is almost heartbreaking in how hard he fights to stay alive. Slowly sliding down the deck of his own sinking boat and into the monstrous mouth of his aquatic murderer.
He may have battled with sharks throughout his life, believing he had finally gained the upper hand - but in the end, the Great White was his own personal Moby Dick, and both his ship and his life are taken by the beast.