Guess what? The legendary Jaws is diving onto Netflix along with its three sequels! It’s been fifty years since this classic made audiences scream in theaters.
This iconic flick, which hit the big screen back in 1975, features an enormous Great White shark that wreaks havoc in the waters off Amity Island.
Our hero, Sheriff Martin Brody (played by Roy Scheider), teams up with marine expert Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and the local fisherman Quint (Robert Shaw) to take down this man-eating beast.
The impact of Jaws can’t be overstated. It’s not just another scary movie; it’s cemented itself as a true game-changer in filmmaking history.
For a while, it was the highest-grossing movie ever, that is, until Star Wars took its crown. If you think about it, Jaws has influenced every shark movie that has followed.
Fast forward to 1978, and we got our first sequel, Jaws 2, with Schneider bringing back Sheriff Brody alongside Lorraine Gary as Ellen Brody and Murray Hamilton as Mayor Larry Vaughn.
In this sequel, Brody is back and suspects that another monstrous shark is on the loose—this time, after a string of mysterious disappearances and vicious attacks.
Then in 1983, we got treated to Jaws 3-D with Dennis Quaid stepping in as Michael Brody, the son of Martin. Now the Brody kids are all grown, and they hit up SeaWorld. But trouble brews when a young shark sneaks into the park and starts wreaking havoc amongst the staff.
The last film (at least for now) came out in 1987, called Jaws: The Revenge. Here, we see Lorraine Gary reprising her role as Ellen, who has returned from retirement because she’s convinced that a vengeful shark is hunting her family.
The original Jaws has an impressive rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, hailed as a ‘cinematic masterpiece’ and ‘truly great’.
Critics have noted: ‘The compelling storyline and well-created suspense make Jaws a staple in modern blockbuster filmmaking.’ But, the follow-ups haven’t exactly hit the mark—in fact, Jaws 2 sits at 56%, Jaws 3-D has only 10%, and Jaws: The Revenge flops with a mere 2%.
Reflecting on the film this year, director Steven Spielberg revealed a panic attack he experienced while shooting the movie, which at times made him fear he was having a heart attack!
In a new National Geographic doc titled Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, he described how the stress led to years of nightmares.
‘When we finished filming in Martha’s Vineyard, I experienced a full-blown panic attack,’ he shared. ‘I couldn’t catch my breath—I thought I was dying. It was a pretty wild time.’
All four films, including Jaws, Jaws 2, Jaws 3-D, and Jaws: The Revenge, will start streaming on Netflix from July 15.
