Since "Jaws" in 1975, sharks have been movies' most bankable beast. Ever since “Jaws” chomped its way into box office history, the fearsome shark has endured as one of most durable baddies of the big screen. Recently, Netflix sunk its teeth into the genre as the beneficiary of Sony’s decision to reroute its shark thriller, “Thrash,” away from cinemas and onto the streaming waters.
The film, which hails from “Violent Night” and “Dead Snow” director Tommy Wirkola, was an instant success for the streamer, with 37.7 million views in its first week and 34.5 million in its second, securing the No. 1 slot both weeks. Part of its allure was no doubt its off-the-wall premise, which plays like “Sharknado”-but-with-hurriances — a pregnant Phoebe Dynevor faces off with a great white after a small South Carolina town is rocked by a massive storm.
(Dynevor’s delivery during the film’s climax of the line: “Mommy’s here. Mommy’s just gotta fight some f–king sharks,” was endlessly memed on X)
Whitney Peak, Djimon Hounsou and Phoebe Dynevor attend the Miami Poolside Special Screening of “Thrash” hosted by Netflix. Getty Images for Netflix The success of “Thrash” should surprise no one that sharks still hold massive appeal on our screens, more than fifty years after the great white first terrorized Amity Island. “Steven Spielberg’s classic is regarded as the original summer blockbuster for a reason: it transcended genres. Every shark flick since has followed in those footsteps,” says Fandango’s director of analytics and Box Office Theory founder and owner Shawn Robbins. “Shark movies have a knack for succeeding at the box office to varying degrees, whether they’re minimalist indie flicks or higher-budget, effects-laden Hollywood popcorn matinees.”
And the feeding frenzy is continuing in Hollywood, with two upcoming shark flicks being promoted at last week’s CinemaCon: the Aaron Eckhart-led “Deep Water” due on May 1, and Tim Miller’s “Shiver” with Keanu Reeves hitting theaters in 2027. The Asylum is developing a seventh movie of its “Sharknado” franchise, whose first six films aired on Syfy between 2013-2018.
Nima Farchadi, a marine ecology research scientist at San Diego State University, sees first-hand how the public is captivated by the aquatic apex predators. “The ocean is a mysterious place. We still know very little about our oceans – we know more about the moon – and it covers about 75% of our planet,” he says. “Sharks add to the mysteriousness. They are so diverse, and really exciting and captivating to watch. A 16-foot fish breaching the surface is pretty incredible to see.”
Past shark hits also include “The Reef,” “The Meg,” “The Shallows,” “Open Water” and “Deep Blue Sea.”
Sensing the shark craze about to hit, Netflix even added a new collection called “Shaaark!,” which includes freshly-licensed films like “Jaws” and “Deep Fear,” alongside originals like “Sous la Seine” (‘Under Paris’), “Our Oceans,” “All the Sharks” and “Shark Whisperer.”
