Top 10 Movies that Make you Want to Stay Out of the Water
#10: “Lake Placid” (1999)
Baby steps, right? Let’s start with a nice simple visit to a lake before conquering our fear of the ocean. Black Lake, Maine – sounds nice. And it is, until a 30-foot long crocodile bites you clean in half. Or… decapitates you. “Lake Placid” definitely brings elements of comedy into the mix, but the humor does nothing to lessen the general sense of dread one feels when presented with the possibility of a monster crocodile lurking somewhere in Maine. Sure, it’s just a movie. But who can honestly say they weren’t stressed out by the mystery of where that second crocodile was being shipped? Oh, and that Betty White seems to be raising a few of these killer crocs as her own? That’s one way to keep us out of the water for good.
#9: “Titanic” (1997)
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Talk about a striking contrast between two films. From horror to historical drama. From freshwater to saltwater. From a giant crocodile to a giant iceberg. “Titanic” was no horror film, but it had plenty of horrifying imagery. An elderly couple holding each other as their cabin fills with water. Young Irishmen fighting to escape the lower quarters. Hundreds floating in the water, freezing to death. The Titanic was called the unsinkable ship, but as we learned from Icarus and the tower of Babel, humankind’s hubris is always their downfall. The Titanic, for all its glitz, glamour, and proof of human innovation, becomes little more than a water crypt, forcing viewers to fear the North Atlantic’s frigid waters.
#8: “Creature from the Black Lagoon” (1954)
For the record, nobody really recommends that you go exploring lagoons in the first place. So if you’re planning some late night skinny-dipping in a lagoon, this movie might actually be doing you a favor by scaring you off. This is a classic monster movie, but don’t let the lack of fast-paced action or gore fool you. This thing packs plenty of “Walking Dead”-style, slow-creeping “TURN AROUND!” and “WHY AREN’T YOU RUNNING?” kind of horror. Originally shown in theaters using 1950s 3D technology, you can only imagine the fright cinemagoers at the time must have felt. That monstrous hand slowly creeping out of the water? Likely enough to keep a whole generation of kids on dry land.
#7: “Anaconda” (1997)
Much like lagoons, the Amazon river would rank poorly on a list of “great places to go swimming.” But that’s what’s so remarkable about “Anaconda” – it doesn’t just make the Amazon River look scary, it kind of ruins all rivers… and lakes. Actually, “Anaconda” takes the fun out of water in general and replaces it with “paralyzing fear.” Terri Flores and her film crew just want to document a long lost indigenous tribe, but snake hunter Paul Serone forces them into helping him capture the world’s largest anaconda. People fear snakes. People fear water. People fear an angry Jon Voight. Put it all together and you get a film that really makes your skin crawl.
#6: “Deep Blue Sea” (1999)
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It’s a tale as old as modern medicine. The single-minded pursuit of a medical breakthrough, which in this case, is a cure for Alzheimer’s, leads a group of scientists to create a monster– which in this case, is monster sharks. From five-time Razzie nominee for “Worst Director” Renny Harlin, comes what can only be described as the prototype for every over-the-top Shark Week “mockumentary.” In this underwater research facility, ethical codes have been violated, and three sharks now have above average intelligence. But they’re not interested in playing chess or reading Noam Chomsky… they’re out for blood. Sharks are intimidating enough already, but give them problem solving and teamwork skills, and that’s enough to make anyone rethink their trip to the waterpark.
#5: “The Abyss” (1989)
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“The Abyss” inspires equal parts wonder and fear. The deep-sea alien life forms created by James Cameron are beautiful and peaceful, and most of the humans in the film find them to be fascinating. Coffey and his team of Navy SEALs, however, immediately consider them a threat and plan an attack - but they’re way off base. So why should this movie cause anyone to fear the ocean? Because it shows that the ocean floor is freaking terrifying and the man-made crafts we use to explore it are claustrophobia-inducing death traps. The ocean is a dark, cold, lonely place. The aliens are cool, but if they like the ocean so much… they can have it. We’ll stick with dry land.
#4: “Piranha” (1978)
No, we’re not talking about the ridiculous remake or its sequel. Those movies might make you fear spring break... but not water. The original “Piranha” was a response to the then recent success of “Jaws,” and the many bad horror flicks like “Orca” and “Grizzly” that imitated it. This sharp, witty gorefest is almost as scary as it is fun. Unlike the remakes, which are pristine CGI nightmares, the original film used puppets, models, and even some stop motion. Underwater scenes were really filmed underwater - in all its murky, vision-obstructing glory. They used classic horror tropes, and you know what? It works. Just like… never going to an aquarium (let alone swimming) ever again “works.”
#3: “The Perfect Storm” (2000)
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The sea can be beautiful. The sea can be picturesque. The sea can inspire great works of art or a spirit of adventure. They say that all life started in the ocean before coming to land. But the sea is a force of nature. It can bring sudden, devastating swells and catastrophic storms. It can take life as easily as it gives it. Some might argue that the perfect storm is the one that never actually happens, but for the crew of the Andrea Gail, it was the meeting of two weather fronts that came together and ended up taking all their lives much too soon. For anyone who’s thought, “it’s just a few waves, it’ll be fine!”–think again.
#2: “Open Water” (2003)
A little over a decade before Blake Lively found herself clinging to a buoy in “The Shallows,” “Open Water” threw a single-location survival horror party - and invited sharks. Tapping into man’s deepest oceanic fears - its endlessness, the fathoms of water beneath your kicking feet, and the creatures that inhabit it - this film is 79 minutes of nail-biting, “pull out your hair” tension. It was filmed on a budget of $500,000 and was bought by Lionsgate for five times that after its initial screening at Sundance. It is truly minimalist filmmaking and the viewing experience isn’t just visual, but physical. You feel the isolation, the panic and the sense of hopelessness as the sharks circle these two stranded divers. And it makes you glad to be sitting on your couch and not in the middle of the ocean. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. - “All Is Lost” (2013) - “In the Heart of the Sea” (2015) - “Black Water” (2007)
#1: “Jaws” (1975)
Welcome to the quaint island of Amity, known for its sandy beaches, tourist trade, and… a man-eating great white shark. “Jaws” requires little introduction. It’s considered one of the greatest films ever made, and has been called the first summer blockbuster, seen by some 67 million people in the summer of ‘75. What makes it such a powerful film is the sense of acute anxiety it cultivates. This shark, lurking off-screen, torments the residents of Amity and viewers alike. We only ever see glimpses of the beast, but John Williams’ score lets us know it’s there. The shark is scary to behold, but its absence is the real source of infectious terror, spreading out across the water, waiting to strike. Do you agree with our list? What movie kept you out of the bathtub for weeks? For more sinister top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
