20 Most Terrifying Shark Attacks in Movies

Top 20 Scariest Movie Shark Attacks

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most unsettling and disturbing shark attack scenes in film.

#20: The Party Boat Attack

“Deep Blue Sea” (1999)

This movie borrows more than a few elements from “Jaws,” including POV shots of a shark approaching dangling limbs from under the water. But hey, you might as well borrow from the best! In this scene, sharks target a party boat in the middle of the ocean, being especially attracted to the red wine that spills into the water. It depicts a different kind of shark - one willing to burst through the wooden floor of the boat and attack its targets from below. Luckily, no one perishes in the attack, as Carter Blake saves the day with a well-time harpoon strike.

#19: Swimming to the Rock

“The Reef” (2010)

This Australian movie taps into a primal fear - that of being stranded in the open water while bloodthirsty sharks circle below. It follows a small group of friends who capsize their boat and become hunted by a hungry great white. In the electrifying climax, the survivors desperately swim to a large rock formation while being pursued by the shark. Kate is lucky enough to climb onto the rock, but Luke has trouble finding a grip and is pulled under by the great white, much to Kate’s, and the audience’s, horror. We never thought we’d see a chase sequence in a shark movie, but “The Reef” certainly delivers!

#18: Training Fail

“Meg 2: The Trench” (2023)

We’re not experts or anything, but trying to train deadly sharks doesn’t seem like the greatest idea. Just ask Jiuming, who nearly becomes lunch for the massive Haiqi. She is a giant 80 foot Meg who is being trained by Jiuming, but on this occasion she disobeys orders and swallows Jiuming whole. The visual of Haiqi slowly approaching Jiuming is spectacular and gives a fantastic sense of scale, with the gigantic shark dwarfing the tiny human. And a lot of good tension is mined from Haiqi eating Jiuming. The mere idea of an 80 foot shark rapidly swimming towards us is enough to elicit a panic attack.

#17: The Demise of Sean Brody

“Jaws: The Revenge” (1987)

The fourth movie in the “Jaws” series isn’t very good, but it does contain a memorable opening sequence involving Martin Brody’s son. Sean Brody is working as a police deputy and is dispatched to the open ocean for an assignment. While attempting to clear a buoy, the young deputy is pounced on by a giant great white and loses an arm. He doesn’t have long to mourn his missing limb, as both he and pieces of his boat are soon devoured by the shark. It’s an effective sequence, and it was sad to see Sean becoming yet another victim of the deadly waters off Amity Island.

#16: Chased by Bruce

“Finding Nemo” (2003)

One of Pixar’s many masterpieces, “Finding Nemo” has it all - heart, humor, heartbreak, and yes, horror. The latter comes via Bruce, a massive great white shark who targets Marlin and Dory. Bruce smells Dory’s blood, unsealing his violent nature and sending him into a crazed frenzy. His pupils dilate, his face relaxes, and his jaw widens into a slasher smile. And with that, the chase is on. The scene is a whole bunch of “nope,” and it has probably given millions of kids around the world nightmares. One look at that malicious smile is enough to chill the blood. Come on, Bruce! Remember??? Fish are friends, not food!

#15: Taking a Bite Out of Mana One

“The Meg” (2018)

We don’t care how goofy it is - the image of giant sharks dwarfing puny people will never not be scary. This is “The Meg’s” bread and butter, and the first movie contains an excellent example when the shark slowly approaches Meiying from outside the glass. It’s a wonderful shot, and it could have been the movie’s poster. One look at it and we’re sold! Of course, this scene takes the horror several steps further, as the Meg takes a bite out of the research station and then tears a whale in half in front of the terrified scientists. Yep, we’re thinking this isn’t an ordinary shark.

#14: Banana & Meat

"Jaws: The Revenge" (1987)

When sharks start reaching for fruit, be worried. It's a sunny day at the beach and the Brodys are all smiles while they celebrate Carla's new sculpture. While Carla's introduction drags on, her daughter, Thea, decides to hop on a banana boat with her friend's family. Just as Carla goes to make a speech, Ellen's connection to the shark turns her attention to the water and she spots the shark approaching the boat. With no way to stop the vengeful monster, the shark jumps out with teeth bared, pulling a mother under to a watery grave. The rest of the film might be hilariously bad, but this is one scene we can really sink our jaws into. Badum-tsssss.

#13: Chasing Ariel & Flounder

“The Little Mermaid” (1989)

Long before “Finding Nemo” there was…this guy. As Ariel is investigating a shipwreck, she and Flounder are pounced on by a hungry shark. You see Ariel, this is why your dad is so protective! The shark slowly emerges behind Flounder and takes a bite, missing him by mere inches. It then chases both the fish and the mermaid around the boat, taking chunks out of the old wood in the process. The animation throughout the sequence is spectacular, and the red eyes are a wonderful little detail. Anything to make the shark that much scarier! As if it wasn’t scary enough already…

#12: Marge’s Death

“Jaws 2” (1978)

It’s hard to follow a masterpiece like “Jaws,” but “Jaws 2” does an admirable enough job. It contains a number of solid scares, like the horrible death of poor Marge. Young Sean Brody (RIP) is threatened by the shark, but he is saved in the nick of time by the valiant Marge. Unfortunately, this comes at the cost of her own life, as the shark swallows the teenager and drags her under the water. The scene is plenty scary, even without the use of blood or on-screen violence. All we need is that nightmarish shot of the shark underwater and the sickening crunch as it chomps on her bones. Poor Sean is probably going to have some survivor’s guilt after this one…

#11: The Bloody Leg

“47 Meters Down” (2017)

We don’t know what’s scarier - getting chased by a shark, or getting chased by a shark while simultaneously fighting the bends and slowly bleeding out from a nasty shark bite? Probably that one. Lisa is bitten on the leg and leaves behind a trail of blood as she and Kate slowly make their way to the surface. Unfortunately, they are forced to move slowly to avoid the bends, giving the sharks plenty of time to muster an attack. This scenario is milked for all its worth, building an incredible amount of tension as the sharks circle the petrified and defenseless ladies.

#10: The Fourth of July

“Jaws” (1975)

The death of young Alex is tragic and incredibly disturbing, signifying that the shark doesn’t distinguish between its victims. But the real carnage occurs on the fateful Fourth of July, when the shark swarms a crowded beach full of tourists. Spielberg masterfully builds tension throughout the ten-minute sequence with POV shots, false alarms, and an eerie quiet before popping the tension with blood and lost limbs. That shot of the shark swimming under the boater is an all-timer, eliciting a primal fear of the deep. It’s no wonder this is considered one of the scariest movies ever made.

#9: Arm Loss

"Soul Surfer" (2011)

The most frightening attack is the one you don't see coming. In this otherwise uplifting movie about a surfer who discovers a greater purpose in life, the road to that discovery is a shocking one. A day after winning a surfing competition, Bethany and her friends take off for some surfing. During a quick break, Bethany dangles her arm in the water when, without warning, a shark bites her arm clean off, setting the scene in full panic mode. While the tense race to shore adds to the intensity, it's the surprise that sets this one apart.

#8: Leiter Meal

"Licence to Kill" (1989)

Sometimes all the money in the world isn't worth missing a good one-liner. As Bond tries to stop drug lord Franz Sanchez, a string of corruption makes his search all the harder. After almost being caught before he bribes DEA agent Killifer, Sanchez escapes and has Bond's partner, Felix Leiter, tortured by being fed to sharks. Discovering the betrayal, Bond goes after Killifer, with no plans of arresting him. As Killifer dangles over the same pit of sharks that Leiter was left in, Bond throws his case of bribery back at him and instead ensures the traitor gets a brutal underwater mauling.

#7: Cut Off

"Deep Blue Sea" (1999)

The initial attack where the scientist gets his arm bitten off is certainly disturbing, but opt for something a little more iconic. Samuel L. Jackson is such a powerhouse that his monologues are the last place in a movie that you'd expect to get interrupted. When researchers trying to cure Alzheimer's create smarter sharks, the tables start to turn. Right as executive Russell Franklin checks in on their research, the sharks rebel and start destroying the facility. Just as everyone's panicked fighting starts to get out of hand, Franklin pulls them together with a rousing speech about the power of man and teamwork. Cutting right into his close-up, a shark jumps out mid-sentence and kills Franklin, jolting everyone on-screen and everyone watching the scene.

#6: Supermarket Chomp

"Bait 3D" (2012)

If you're forced to choose between fighting some crabs or a shark, fight the crabs. After a group is trapped in a supermarket by a tsunami, the survivors bicker and fight before a great white carried in by the wave forces them to work together. Despite their best efforts to find ways of dealing with the shark themselves, it quickly becomes apparent they need to find help. So they lift up store manager Jessup to a vent to escape. Right as he peeks into the vent, hundreds of tiny crabs startle him and he falls back. At least it wasn’t the shark, right? Moments later though, the shark has its time to scare by jumping out and tearing Jessup in half.

#5: Nancy Gets Attacked

"The Shallows" (2016)

When you spot seagulls fleeing a meal, it's time to run. Nancy is trying to get away from her troubles by taking a surf trip to Mexico when trouble decides to find her. Spotting a whale carcass in the water, Nancy decides to call it a day and rides a wave back to shore. Unfortunately she’s knocked into coral after a shark hits her and then bites her leg. After swimming back to the dead whale to get out of the water, she thinks she's safe and almost manages to call for help. But the shark completely upends the creature and sends her swimming in an absolutely terrifying moment.

#4: First Blood

"Shark Night" (2011)

At a lake, the last thing you expect to find is a shark, and that's what makes this particular kill so scary. While there are some crazy deaths, like a shark's aerial chomp at a jet skier later on, it's the unexpected first kill that sends shivers down our spines the most. After some college students decide to hit the lake and are completely unaware that sharks have been let into the water, one of the swimmers is left on her own. Then a jarring cut reveals she is being attacked from below. Jerking back and forth, she almost gets on the dock but is instead pulled screaming to her grave.

#3: Quint’s Final Voyage

"Jaws" (1975)

A shark that can shake a boat is one thing, but one that can sink a boat is a new level of terror. Out on the water, Brody and Quint can't seem to keep up with where their sharp-toothed adversary has gone and find nothing but calm waters. But just as they let their cage down, the shark jumps out, taking their boat's rear end and tipping the whole ship towards its mouth. With his hand injured by rolling debris, Quint is helpless as he slides right into the beast’s mouth, losing his leg and then his life to its fury.

#2: Exposed

"Open Water" (2003)

Getting stranded while diving in the middle of the ocean is terrifying enough, and having a shark circle while this happens you would be the icing on top. This film tells the story of Daniel and Susan being left behind when they stray from their scuba crew on a relaxing vacation. Unsure if rescue will ever come, they have to fight the elements, their bodies and even each other in their attempt to survive. Though all this is already frightening, they’re soon attacked by a shark while having nothing but open water for miles around them. While Susan escapes with only a little knick, the circling shark takes a big bite from Daniel's leg, and he bleeds so much that it sends him into shock.

#1: Bad Time for a Swim

"Jaws" (1975)

Say goodbye to relaxing swims after this nightmare fuel. Chrissie invites a friend for a flirtatious night swim, running with him along the shore as they both take their clothes off for a dip. After some jokes and a serenely peaceful splash around, something pulls on Chrissie's foot, sending her into a full panic before it drags her around the water. Screaming for help as her friend passes out in a drunken stupor, she's thrown against the buoy before finally going under. There’s something about the sudden silence that ends the attack makes it just as horrific and disturbing as the shrieks throughout it.

Did any of these scenes make you afraid of the water? Let us know in the comments below!