It’s that time of year again—Shark Week is here! The Discovery Channel’s flagship event, which has been a staple for over 35 years, has certainly evolved from the broadcaster’s initial idea of documentaries about ocean predators into a social phenomenon where monster movies dominate the airwaves with classic man-versus-beast action. With that in mind, let’s explore the depths of this sharksploitation subgenre and dive into the action.
Jaws (1975)
When a massive killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Long Island, it’s up to the local police chief, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.
We can’t list shark films without mentioning this classic, which started the sharksploitation sub-genre. The film is primarily responsible for shaping the public’s view of sharks as scary predators, yet it also enhanced our academic understanding of these creatures by inspiring generations of marine biologists to study them.
Horror Shark (2020)
After a great white shark, also known as an ogre shark, is injected with a transgenic drug, it becomes a dangerous, bloodthirsty mutant that can outsmart even the king of nature. A group of hapless lovers of playing with the laws of nature.
An entry in a vast sea of low-budget CGI monster movies from China, this cheesy schlock combines a fairly repetitive narrative with a slew of tacky action scenes and questionable acting into a ridiculous so-bad-it’s-good comedy romp.
Dangerous Animal (2025)
When Zephyr, a savvy and free-spirited surfer, is abducted by a shark-obsessed serial killer and held captive on his boat, she must figure out how to escape before he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks below.
Packed to the gills with memorable shocks, Dangerous Game is a tense psychological horror with excellent tension, expressive cinematography, and a standout performance from Jai Courtney that should be on everyone’s list this Shark Week.
Hotspring Shartattack (2024)
There have been cases of mysterious disappearances of onsen visitors in Atsumi city in S prefecture. The victims were eventually found dead with signs of severe injuries to their bodies resembling a vicious shark attack.
A hilariously over-the-top and unique take on the sharksploitation genre, Hotspring Sharkattack features intentionally poor CGI, puppetry, and kaiju-style fight scenes to deliver a side-splittingly funny horror comedy that’s perfect for group viewings during Shark Week.
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
Searching for a cure to Alzheimer’s disease, a group of scientists in an isolated research facility becomes the prey, as a trio of intelligent sharks fight back.
A personal favourite of mine, Deep Blue Sea is an intense rollercoaster ride that seemingly blends the themes of Jaws with the unsettling, claustrophobic environments of Alien into an apprehensive, yet action-packed extravaganza with effects that surprisingly still stand up today.
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Hey there, I’m Jim and I’m located in London, UK. I am a Writer and Managing Director here at Grimoire of Horror. A lifelong love of horror and writing has led me down this rabbit hole, allowing me to meet many amazing people and experience some truly original artwork. I specialise in world cinema, manga/graphic novels, and video games but will sometime traverse into the unknown in search of adventure.