4. Jaws (1975)
For all intents and purposes, this film shouldn't have been good. Originally conceived as a cheap creature feature, Spielberg faced down the elements, a malfunctioning shark, an inflating budget, a drunk Robert Shaw, and his own inexperience and came out the other side with a character-driven horror film that managed to land a Best Picture nomination. How many films can make that claim? Indeed, the malfunctioning shark and production setbacks forced Spielberg to adapt and shift the focus to the characters while keeping his main movie monster, the shark, mostly off screen. The result is the iconic film we all know and love today. And one of the biggest testaments to Spielberg's talents and legacy is not that this film is one of the most brilliant and flawless works of entertainment ever crafted, but rather that it should and could have been a total disaster, but thanks to Spielberg's ingenuity and level-headedness in the editing room, that was not the case. Of course, John Williams' brilliant score doesn't hurt either.