By Ian Silverman/moviereview2go

In honor of summer, going to the beach, and the much-anticipated Jason Statham shark flick The Meg coming out soon (August 10th), I thought it would be a great time to do a run-down of the 10 Best Shark Movies. It will be interesting to see where on the list The Meg will swim its way to once it comes out…if it makes the list at all!

10. Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus

Yes, Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus is a schlocky B-rate Sci-fi film. But it was damn fun, and pretty entertaining in watching the ridiculousness. One of the best parts of summer is kicking back and hanging out with your friends, and having a few brews and watching this film with some buddies is a sure-fire way to beat the heat and have some laughs. It is also vastly superior to Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus.

9. Jaws 3-D

Not exactly 3-D to the likes of some modern-day movies, but the film did come out in 1983. The Jaws films seem to have gotten a little worse with each entry, but at its core it’s a fun summer Shark movie with cheesy dialogue and animatronics, but filled with fun times through and through. The film is kind of like an early Jurassic Park in that people are trapped in a water themed amusement park with a terrorizing giant animal killing people. It was a trailblazer for its time I suppose.

8. 47 Meters Down

WHY I WILL NEVER GET IN A SHARK TANK I DON’T CARE HOW SAFE YOU TELL ME IT IS. So yea, two chicks get stuck in a shark tank that falls to the bottom of the ocean….47 Meters Down. The film invokes your hidden case of claustrophobia, and expunges any thoughts that Sharks cages are really all that safe. Also, Mandy Moore is back which is nice to see. Don’t forget to look out for the sequel next year, 48 Meters Down (I almost wish I was joking).

7. Jaws 2

Jaw’s bite mark is all over this list, and really without this franchise, Shark movies wouldn’t be the popular summer time guilty pleasure that it is today. Obviously like Jaws 3-D this film isn’t as polished and structured like Jaws, but it still has all the key elements of a good Shark movie: Sharks killing people. It’s fun, it’s iconic, It’s Jaws. What is not to love?

6. The Reef

Andrew Traucki’s follow up to his first feature film, Open Water, is basically the same concept except the means to these people getting stuck in the water is slightly different. The Reef is an effective horror movie that looks great, and keeps the tension throughout. If you have never seen it, I would recommend popping it in ASAP.

5. Deep Blue Sea

Samuel L. Jackson, LL Cool J and crew fighting off a shark in an underwater laboratory? I’ll take two please. This movie is stupid fun, while also at times being completely nerve racking and tense. It is a classic good time and I think deserves more credit than what it gets. If it wasn’t for its production budget, it would have surely been a Sci-Fi original, but it ultimately is effective in being a horror film that has the capacity to surprise.

Check out our review of Deep Blue Sea 2!

4. The Shallows

A surprise sleeper hit from a few summers ago, The Shallows is a tense and draining flick featuring Blake Lively as a damsel in distress stuck on a rock being stalked by a giant Shark. This film emulates Open Water and The Reef, but has enough originality to stand alone amongst them all. It is well crafted summer fun with a great performance from Blake Lively.

3. Open Water

The first feature length film from Andrew Traucki is based on a true story and scared the living hell out of me. It is a low budget thriller that perfectly captures the essence of what it is like to be alone with no help in sight, all while being stalked by a deadly predator in their natural habitat. Just writing that gave me goosebumps in thinking what this couple stranded in the ocean must have gone through. The film is a steady descent into hell, and will forever get you to remember to do a head count maybe an extra time to make sure you have everyone.

2. Sharknado

This movie was a cultural phenomenon. The concept is astounding: tornado’s flinging sharks at people. Yes, it was a low-budget Sci-Fi flick starring Tara Reid, but this movie totally captivated the nation when it came out. Everyone was talking about it, everyone was watching it, and everyone’s mouth hit the floor when our hero emerges from a shark with a chainsaw.

1. Jaws

Without a doubt, Jaws is THE Shark Movie. This movie is supremely well crafted and constructed that it transcends just being the best Shark movie, but it is arguably one of the best Horror movies ever. Steven Spielberg proved to everyone that he was the king of thrills and began his run of blockbuster hits. It is also equally fascinating to read about the trouble in making this film, especially in getting Bruce the Shark to actually work. It might be a miracle that this film was even finished.