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Last month marked the 50th anniversary of one of the most important movies ever made. Steven Spielberg's classic big shark thriller Jaws was released in 1975, two years before the original Star Wars, and is generally considered to be the first modern blockbuster.
Now Jaws is swimming back to Netflix in the US giving you the chance to revisit this fantastic film in its birthday year. The three sequels are on there too, but... well, let's not worry about those just yet, OK?
50 years on, it's remarkable how well the original Jaws stands up. When the coastal town of Amity Island is menaced by a hungry Great White shark, police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) joins forces with oceanographer Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and Robert Shaw's terrifying hunter Quint to slay the beast. They think they're prepared but... they're gonna need a bigger boat.
A troubled masterpiece
The making of Jaws is legendary – for all the wrong reasons. The film really was a case of triumph over adversity with the still young and comparatively inexperienced Spielberg battling numerous casting issues (less than a fortnight before the film was due to start shooting neither the vital roles of Quint or Hooper had been filled), malfunctioning prop sharks, and a costly (and at times dangerous) shoot at sea which resulted in the film going massively over budget.
It's a project that could have easily killed Spielberg's career, but thanks to a combination of his undeniable talent and a massive marketing campaign, Jaws was a huge hit. Audiences and critics alike loved the film for its suspenseful atmosphere, believable characters, and John Williams' iconic score. In the short term it went on to inspire legions of dodgy copycat "sharksploitation" movies that tried to cash in on Jaws' success. In the long term it paved the way for the blockbusters of today, and inspired numerous young directors.
Whiffy sequels
We should also grudgingly point out that Jaws was enough of a success that three sequels were made. These, should you need to scratch that completist itch, are also streaming now on Netflix.
1978's Jaws 2 at least isn't bad. Spielberg did not return (the film was instead helmed by Jeannot Szwarc) but Roy Scheider did, reprising his role as Brody. Although it's rather forgotten these days, the film – which once again sees a Great White attack Amity Island – was a big box office success, enjoying the highest grossing opening weekend of all time at that point. The reviews, however, were more mixed.
1983's Jaws 3 relocates the action to Orlando and follows Brody's son, Mike, played by Dennis Quaid. The film landed right in the middle of the 3D fad – indeed it was released in cinemas under the name Jaws 3-D – but while it did OK business, it was absolutely savaged in the press.
Remarkably, the fourth film, Jaws: The Revenge was even worse. Focusing on the now widowed Ellen Brody (Lorraine Gary, reprising her role from the original film), the movie infamously sees a vengeful shark follow Brody from New England to the Bahamas, presumably seeking payback for her late husband's actions in the first two movies. Roger Ebert, writing on the movie in the Chicago Sun-Times, described it as "not simply a bad movie, but also a stupid and incompetent one."
Should you stream Jaws?
This is an easy question to answer. Yes! Even aside from its lasting relevance, Jaws remains one of the greatest thrillers ever made. Filming at sea may have made Spielberg's life difficult, but it resulted in some incredibly immersive scenes as the hunters stalk the shark, only for it to terrifyingly turn the tables on them.
Scheider and Dreyfuss are likeable as Brody and Hooper, but it's Robert Shaw's unforgettable performance as Quint that really sells the danger they're in. There's a barely-concealed mania to the character, but also a surprising vulnerability. You want these three men to make it back alive... but the shark has other ideas, of course.
OK, so the sequels aren't great, but even they have some moments of trashy fun. So if you're in the mood for a movie marathon that starts with the sublime and ends with the ridiculous, then Jaws, Jaws 2, Jaws 3, and Jaws: The Revenge are all streaming now on Netflix in the US. The first movie is also available to stream on Netflix in the UK.
For more gripping viewing, check out our list of the best thriller movies and our weekly guide to the best shows and movies on streaming.
