Sharksploitation
Sharksploitation is an exploitation film subgenre.[1] The genre surged to popularity with Jaws and its sequels, but fell in popularity soon after.[2] The film Deep Blue Sea brought it back to public prominence. The Sharknado series soared mockbuster sharksploitation to new heights of (sometimes tongue in cheek) fame.[3][4]
Notable sharksploitation films
| Year | Films | Series | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Jaws | Jaws | Thriller |
| 1976 | Mako: The Jaws of Death | N/A | Thriller |
| 1976 | Shark Kill | N/A | Adventure |
| 1977 | Tintorera (also known as "Tintorera: Killer Shark.") (partially in Spanish) | N/A | Horror |
| 1978 | Jaws 2 | Jaws | Thriller |
| 1978 | Cyclone ((translation: El Ciclón) AKA "Terror Storm") | N/A | Survival/horror |
| 1981 | The Last Shark (also known as "Great White"(1981)) | N/A | Horror |
| 1983 | Jaws 3-D | Jaws | Thriller |
| 1987 | Jaws: The Revenge | Jaws | Thriller |
| 1989 | Night of the Sharks | N/A | Action |
| 1989 | Deep Blood (also known as "Sharks" / "Sangue Negli Abissi" (translation: "Blood in the Abyss")) (in Italian) | N/A | Adventure/horror |
| 1995 | Cruel Jaws (Italian) | N/A | Thriller |
| 1999 | Deep Blue Sea | Deep Blue Sea | Sci-fi/horror |
| 1999 | Shark Attack | Shark Attack | Thriller |
| 2000 | Shark Attack 2 | Shark Attack | Thriller |
| 2002 | Shark Attack 3: Megalodon | Shark Attack | Thriller |
| 2003 | Open Water | Open Water (there is an Open Water 2: Adrift, however it is not a sharksploitation film or a shark film for that matter) | Survival/thriller |
| 2003 | Red Water | N/A | Action/horror |
| 2003 | Shark Zone | N/A | Horror |
| 2004 | 12 Days Of Terror (based on true events[citation needed]) | N/A | Horror/thriller |
| 2004 | Blue Demon | N/A | Sci-fi/horror |
| 2005 | Hammerhead: Shark Frenzy (also known as "Sharkman (2005)", also known as "Hammerhead") | N/A | Sci-fi/action/horror |
| 2005 | Raging Sharks | N/A | Sci-fi/action/horror |
| 2005 | Spring Break Shark Attack | N/A | Action/adventure/drama |
| 2008 | Shark Swarm (also known as "Great White (2008)") | N/A | Thriller |
| 2008 | Shark in Venice (also known as "Sharks in Venice" in the U.S.) | N/A | Natural horror/action |
| 2009 | Jaws in Japan (also known as "Psycho Shark") | N/A (unrelated to the "Jaws" franchise) | Horror |
| 2009 | Malibu Shark Attack (also known as "Mega Shark Of Malibu") | N/A (unrelated to the "Shark Attack" or "Mega Shark" franchises) (It is a part of the SyFy Channel's "Maneater" series, along with "Shark Swarm", "Shark Killer" and 25 other natural horror creature features) | Natural horror |
| 2009 | Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus | Mega Shark Versus | Creature feature |
| 2010 | Dinoshark | N/A | Horror/comedy |
| 2010 | Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus | Mega Shark Versus | Creature feature |
| 2010 | The Reef | N/A | Thriller |
| 2010 | Sharktopus | Sharktopus | Sci-fi creature feature |
| 2011 | Sand Sharks | N/A | Horror comedy |
| 2011 | Shark Night | N/A | Thriller |
| 2011 | Super Shark | N/A | Sci-fi action |
| 2011 | Swamp Shark | N/A | Thriller |
| 2012 | 2-Headed Shark Attack | Multi-Headed Shark Attack | Survival horror |
| 2012 | Bait 3D | N/A | Horror disaster |
| 2012 | Dark Tide | N/A | Action horror thriller |
| 2012 | Jersey Shore Shark Attack | Jaws | Horror comedy |
| 2012 | Jurassic Shark (also known as "Attack Of The Jurassic Shark") | Jurassic Shark (a sequel was created, that follows the story. However it was made independently to this film by a different team of people) | Horror comedy |
| 2012 | Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast | N/A | Horror comedy |
| 2012 | Ghost Shark | N/A (there is Ghost Shark 2: Urban Jaws, however it doesn't continue the narrative/appear to be in the same universe. The only commonality is that they both feature killer ghost sharks[citation needed]) | Horror comedy |
| 2013 | Sharknado | Sharknado | Sci-fi disaster |
| 2014 | Avalanche Sharks | N/A | Horror comedy |
| 2014 | Mega Shark Versus Mecha Shark | Mega Shark Versus | Horror comedy |
| 2014 | Sharknado 2: The Second One | Sharknado | Sci-fi disaster comedy |
| 2014 | Sharktopus vs. Pteracuda | Sharktopus | Horror sci-fi creature feature |
| 2015 | 3-Headed Shark Attack | Multi-Headed Shark Attack | Action horror |
| 2015 | Ghost Shark 2: Urban Jaws | N/A (there is Ghost Shark, however it doesn't begin the narrative/appear to be in the same universe. The only commonality is that they both feature killer ghost sharks[citation needed]) | Supernatural horror comedy |
| 2015 | Mega Shark Versus Kolossus | Mega Shark Versus | Sci-fi comedy |
| 2015 | Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! | Sharknado | Action horror comedy |
| 2015 | Roboshark (also known as "Robo Shark vs. Navy Seals") | N/A | Action/adventure/comedy |
| 2016 | Ozark Sharks (also known as "Summer Shark Attack") | N/A | Horror thriller comedy |
| 2016 | The Shallows | N/A | Survival horror |
| 2016 | Sharkansas Women's Prison Massacre | N/A | Sci-fi horror |
| 2016 | Sharkenstein | N/A | Sci-fi action comedy |
| 2016 | Sharknado: The 4th Awakens | Sharknado | Sci-fi disaster comedy |
| 2017 | 5-Headed Shark Attack | Multi-Headed Shark Attack | Sci-fi horror |
| 2017 | 47 Meters Down | 47 Meters Down | Survival horror |
| 2017 | House Shark | N/A | Horror comedy |
| 2017 | Open Water 3: Cage Dive | Open Water (Open Water 2: Adrift, like this and Open Water were independent films acquired by Lionsgate and released under the "Open Water" moniker. The second film is not included in this list as sharks are non existent in the film or its plot[citation needed]) | 'Found footage' survival horror |
| 2017 | Sharknado 5: Global Swarming | Sharknado | Sci-fi disaster comedy |
| 2018 | The Last Sharknado: It's About Time | Sharknado | Sci-fi disaster comedy |
| 2018 | Deep Blue Sea 2 | Deep Blue Sea | Sci-fi horror |
| 2018 | The Meg | N/A | Sci-fi action |
| 2019 | 47 Meters Down: Uncaged | 47 Meters Down | Survival horror |
| 2019 | Capsized: Blood in the Water (based on true events[citation needed]) | N/A | Survival horror |
| 2020 | Deep Blue Sea 3 | Deep Blue Sea | Sci-fi horror |
| 2022 | The Reef: Stalked | The Reef | Horror |
Other sharksploitation films
The films below are more shark films that do not yet have their own pages here, or their notability has been unclarified.
| Year | Films | Series | Genre | IMDb/Alternate Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Killer Shark | N/A | Adventure | IMDB Wikipedia.en |
| 1969 | Shark! (also known as "Caine and Man-Eater") | N/A (Jaws might have been the first movie filmed on the open water. But this was filmed in shark infested waters and a stuntman died in an attack.[citation needed]) | Action | IMDb/Wikipedia.en |
| 1981 | Beyond The Reef | N/A | Adventure romance | IMDb/Wikipedia.en |
| 1991 | Mission Of The Shark: The Saga Of The U.S.S. Indianapolis | N/A | Action drama history | IMDB |
| 2002 | Megalodon | N/A unassociated with the 2018 film of the same name or The Meg franchise | Action adventure horror | IMDB |
| 2003 | Dark Waters | N/A | Action adventure horror | IMDB |
| 2008 | Marina Monster | N/A | Horror comedy | IMDB |
| 2012 | Jaws Of The Shark | N/A | Comedy horror | IMDB |
| 2014 | 90210 Shark Attack | N/A | Drama horror sci-fi | IMDB |
| 2015 | Shark Exorcist | N/A | Fantasy horror | IMDb |
| 2015 | Shark Lake | N/A | Action thriller | IMDb/Wikipedia.de |
| 2016 | Ice Sharks | N/A | Action comedy | IMDb |
| 2016 | Dickshark | N/A (This movie is for adults. The only thing keeping it from an X rating is that it does not show penetration. Plenty of nudity and vagina shots. Although, it is the dialogue that drives the film) (There are three edits of this film, 90min, 2h30min & 3h20min. They all contain some elements not featured in the others) (The 90min edit has the alternate title of "Frankenshark")[citation needed] | Sci-fi comedy R18+ | IMDb |
| 2016 | Piranha Sharks | N/A | Action comedy | IMDb |
| 2016 | Planet Of The Sharks | Planet Of The Sharks | Action comedy | IMDb |
| 2016 | Dam Sharks | N/A | Action comedy | IMDb |
| 2016 | Atomic Shark (also known as "Saltwater" or "Saltwater: Atomic Shark") | N/A (directed by A.B. Stone; not the Lisa Palenica film of the same name)[citation needed] | Action comedy | IMDb |
| 2017 | Empire Of The Sharks | Planet Of The Sharks | Action comedy | IMDb |
| 2017 | Land Shark | N/A | Action adventure comedy | IMDB |
| 2017 | Mississippi River Sharks | N/A | Action adventure comedy | IMDB |
| 2018 | Surrounded (also known as "Frenzy") | N/A | Action adventure drama | IMDB |
| 2018 | 6-Headed Shark Attack | Multi-Headed Shark Attack | Action comedy | IMDb |
| 2018 | Megalodon | Megalodon (The Asylum) | Action adventure horror | IMDB |
| 2018 | Santa Jaws | N/A | Action comedy | IMDb |
| 2019 | Bad CGI Sharks | N/A | Adventure comedy horror | IMDb |
| 2020 | Shark Season | N/A | Action horror thriller | IMDB |
| 2020 | Ouija Shark | N/A | Horror comedy | IMDb |
| 2020 | Shark Encounters Of The Third Kind | N/A | Horror | IMDB |
| 2021 | Megalodon Rising | Megalodon (The Asylum) - Sequel to Megalodon (2018) | Action | IMDB |
| 2021 | Great White | N/A | Thriller | IMDb |
| 2021 | Sharks Of The Corn | N/A | Horror comedy | IMDb |
| 2021 | Noah's Shark | N/A | Action adventure horror | IMDB |
| 2021 | Jurassic Shark 2 - Aquapocalypse | Jurassic Shark (Although a continuation, it is created by a different team and was made independently) | Action horror comedy | IMDb |
| 2021 | Huge Shark (Mandarin) | N/A | Horror | IMDb |
| 2021 | Apex Predators (also known as "Jaws Of Los Angeles") | N/A | Horror | IMDb |
| 2021 | Mako (فيلم ماكو) (Arabic) | N/A | Adventure thriller | IMDB |
| 2021 | Bigfoot Vs Megalodon | N/A | Adventure sci-fi comedy | IMDB |
| 2021 | Virus Shark | N/A | Sci-fi horror | IMDB |
| 2022 | Bull Shark (also known as "Blood In The Water") | N/A | Action horror drama | IMDb |
| 2022 | Blood In The Water | N/A | Horror mystery | IMDb |
| 2022 | Maneater | N/A | Action horror thriller | IMDB |
| 2022 | No Shark | N/A | Drama comedy horror | IMDB |
Other films/shorts worth mentioning
| Year | Films | Association |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Monster Shark
(also known as "Devil Fish" / "Monster from the Red Ocean" / "Devouring Waves" / "Shark: Red in the Ocean") |
The films name does try to cash in on the sharksploitation craze and the design of the creature has influenced the shark in four sharksploitation films produced by Roger Corman; the Sharktopus franchise and Dinoshark. However the film does not contain a shark to sharksploitation standards, The monster is an Octopus X Dinosaur hybrid, with a dolphin brain.[citation needed] |
| 1996 | Aatank (Terror) (in Hindi) | The film's trailers, TV spots, posters and synopsis did try to paint the picture that this is a sharksploitation film. However, the shark storyline is only a subplot. Production began in the mid-1980s, but release was delayed. The film has many continuity errors and frequently jumps to a new time without explanation. (IMDB)[citation needed] |
| 1998 | Creature | This is a TV miniseries. Two movie-length episodes. It is based on a novel by Peter Benchley, the same author who wrote the novel that Jaws is based on. The creature is a shark/dolphin/human hybrid. The first few times you see the creature, the shark features are prominent. But its appearance drastically changes. You would assume that there are two creatures.[citation needed] |
| 2006 | Open Water 2: Adrift | This psychological thriller cashes in on the success of the first film, however it does not contain a single shark. It's not to be skipped when watching the other Open Water films[citation needed] |
| 2013 | Jaws On Netflix | The synopsis of this short; "A fisherman gets bored on a slow day of fishing, then has his world get a little too real when he pulls up "Jaws" on his mobile device." Makes it sound like a Short Film, but in reality, it's just a commercial (YouTube) (IMDB)[citation needed] |
| 2018 | Curse Of The Dream Witch | This is an alternate edit of the film Nightmare Shark ("Survivors of previous shark attacks are hunted by a supernatural shark in their dreams"). This edit follows this synopsis: "A group of friends, curiously affected by the same nightmare, travel to a remote location to seek treatment, only to be met with harrowing results." The shark is swapped with the titular witch.[citation needed] |
| 2018 | 0000: A Shark Odyssey | The synopsis of this film; "In the year 0000, the world is inhabited by sharks who speak the Sharkish language. But one day everything seems to be coming to an end. Unknown forces want to manipulate these sharks using anagrams." Makes it sound like a Parody of 2001: A Space Odyssey, featuring sharks. Which it is, but not in the way you would expect, yet entirely in the way you would expect. (YouTube (Full Film, Creators page)) (IMDB)[citation needed] |
| 2022 | 0002: A Sharkventure | A sequel set between 0000: A Shark Odyssey and 0009: The Sharks Make Contact. (YouTube (full film, creator's page)) (IMDB) |
| 2019 | 0009: The Sharks Make Contact | The synopsis of this film; "In the sharks' second adventure, a shark's refusal to return a glass of pesto leads to a terrorist crisis." Makes it sound like a sharksploitation film and a sequel, so it is worth mentioning (YouTube (Full Film, Creators page)) (IMDB)[citation needed] |
| 2019 | 0010: The Sharks Make Contact - Part 2 | The synopsis of this Film; "In the aftermath of 0009: The Sharks Make Contact (2019), the surviving sharks have to deal with a destroyed moon, and try to stop Shoogledocking." Makes it sound like a sharksploitation film and a second sequel, so it is worth mentioning (YouTube (Full Film, Creators page)) (IMDB) |
| 2020 | The Forevers | A Prequel to "0000: A Shark Odyssey". It ends with the Iki god creating the "sharkverse." But apart from having the Iki god. There is no other connection or anything shark-related. (YouTube (Full Film, Creators page)) (IMDB)[citation needed] |
| 2020 | Santa Shark Is Eating Our Town | The synopsis of this short; "Santa Shark suffers from work-related stress and the absence of light near the polar circle.." Makes it sound like a sharksploitation short and a part of the "0000 Sharkverse", so it is worth mentioning. There is a prequel titled "The Forevers", although, there are no sharks. The sharks return in "Forevers 2: Age of Teeth" a sequel to 0010 (YouTube (Full Film, Creators page)) (IMDB)[citation needed] |
| 2020 | The Forevers 2: Age of Teeth | A Sequel to "0010: The Sharks Make Contact - Part 2". The "Sharks" return in this film. (YouTube (Full Film, Creators page)) (IMDB) |
| 2015 | Kronoshpan Horror: Clash Of The Titans (short) (Russian) | A short film by one of the actors in multiple of the Sergey A. films/shorts below. Sergey's "Production Company" produces. The plot translates to "Long-term emissions of the Ufa Kronospan plant led to the fact that an ancient monster awakened: a giant shark. And only 1 person can defeat him..." The full film is available on YouTube, which has English subtitles. IMDB[citation needed] |
| 2015 | Jaws 19 (Russian) | The synopsis: "The beaches of the Baltic Sea are terrorized by a shark. The military manage to destroy it, but the shark returns in spectral form." makes the film sound like a Jaws spoof, with nods to the "Ghost Shark" movies. Which it is, in a way. The shark may be a little more accurate in design to Sergey. A's other sharksploitation films (the "Forest Of The Dead Sharks Trilogy", to name one). But not enough to list it in the "Other Sharksploitation Films" section. The full film is available on IMDB and YouTube, which has English subtitles. IMDB (movie page)[citation needed] |
| 2018 | Sharks Vs Metro (short) (Russian) | "In the Moscow metro, as a result of the tunnel breaking through, bloodthirsty sharks turn out to be with the water." The first shark themed short by Sergey A. sure sounds like a wacky sharksploitation short. The full film is available on YouTube, which has English subtitles. IMDB[citation needed] |
| 2018 | Megoladon (short) (Russian) | Another short film by Sergey A. The artwork for this film is a copy of that of Megalodon starring Michael Madsen, released the same year. "Ancient mega shark named "Megalodon" reborn from ice. It wants to kill everybody. The massacre has began." The full film is available on IMDB and YouTube, which has English subtitles. IMDB (movie page)[citation needed] |
| 2019 | Forest Of The Dead Sharks (Russian) | The artwork and synopsis; "The main character named Dima Maslennikov is sent to the eerie forest to shoot the next episode of his show. However, the filming is not going according to plan. The flock of bloodthirsty sharks started hunting at Dmitriy." Sounds like a wacky Sharksploitation film. However the Sharks are cartoonish drawings, done in MS Paint. The entire film was written, filmed and completed in 10 hours. The full film is available on IMDB and YouTube, which has English subtitles. IMDB (movie page)[citation needed] |
| 2019 | Revenge In The Forest Of The Dead Sharks (Russian) | The artwork and synopsis; "Journalist Max Fadeev investigates the circumstances of the death of Dima Maslennikov. He goes to the place of his death, not suspecting that a real nightmare awaits him. The dead sharks from the forest begin to hunt him." Sounds like a wacky sharksploitation film. However the sharks are cartoonish drawings, done in MS Paint, much like the first. The full film is available on IMDB and YouTube, which has English subtitles. IMDB (movie page)[citation needed] |
| 2019 | Murders In The Forest Of The Dead Sharks (Russian) | The artwork and synopsis; "Maks Fadeev, the young journalist, investigate the case "Forest of the dead sharks". He return to the forest for save the world, because evil became the invasion at the Earth." Sounds like a wacky sharksploitation film. However the sharks are cartoonish drawings, done in MS Paint, much like the first, however this third installment has involvement from other production companies and is more advanced in some areas. The full film is available on IMDB and YouTube, which has English subtitles. IMDB (movie page)[citation needed] |
| 2019 | Anapa Shark Attack (short) | Another film by Sergey A. The artwork looks like an arthouse sharksploitation short, helped by the synopsis; "A bloodthirsty shark attacked Anapa. There will be no mercy on anyone." The full film is available on YouTube, the film has no dialogue. IMDB[citation needed] |
| 2019 | Tashkent Tram-Shark Attack (short) (Russian) | Another film by Sergey A. Just like the others, the synopsis; "Once a tram was removed from Tashkent. Tram offended. Now he has a chance to get revenge like the evil tram-shark." sounds like a wacky sharksploitation film. The full film is available on YouTube, which has English subtitles. IMDB[citation needed] |
| 2020 | Concrete Shark (Russian) | Another film by Sergey A. Much like the others, it sounds like a wacky sharksploitation film. The artwork is a knockoff of that of "Planet Of The Sharks". The full film is available on YouTube, which has English subtitles. IMDB[citation needed] |
| 2020 | Barcelona Shark Attack (short) (Russian) | You would assume that a short film by Sergey A. with a synopsis of: "The violent shark attacked Barcelona. No one escape." would at least be similar to his other shark films. The full film is available on YouTube, which has English subtitles. IMDB[citation needed] |
| 2020 | Tokyo Shark Attack (short) (Japanese/Russian) | Another short by Sergey. A where an "Angry shark attack Tokyo." The full film is available on YouTube, which does not have any subtitles. IMDB[citation needed] |
| 2020 | Electric Shark (short) (Russian) | A semi-sequel to "Anapa Shark Attack": "The city of Anapa is again attacked by a shark, and this time it shoots with electricity.". The full film is available on YouTube, which has English subtitles. IMDB[citation needed] |
| 2021 | Lemon Vs Vegetable Shark (short) (Russian) | Another short film by Sergey A. The full film is available on YouTube, which has English subtitles. IMDB[citation needed] |
| 2021 | Sharkslotation (short) (Russian) | "Parody movie at different types of sharksplotation films." by Sergey. A. The full film is available on YouTube, which has English subtitles. IMDB[citation needed] |
| 2021 | Sharkey. Shark from Russia (short) (Russian) | The synopsis; "Sharkey has accumulated a lot of credits and cannot return them. Now he needs to somehow find the money to pay off to the bank." and poster paints the picture of this short being a pun. With a plushy shark loan shark. The full film is available on YouTube, which has English subtitles. IMDB |
| 2022 | Sharkey 2. Winter Massacre (short) (Russian) | sequel to the above. The full film is available on YouTube, which has English subtitles. IMDB |
| 2022 | Sharkey 3. Merciless Summer (short) (Russian) | The second (and most recent) sequel, following the 2 short films above. The full film is available on YouTube, which has English subtitles. IMDB |
| 2020 | Amityville Island | The poster depicts, what we can only assume, is a possessed shark. Which is an accurate assumption, however the shark has less than 3 mins of screen time. (IMDB) |
See also
References
External links
- "Sharksploitation". sharksploitation.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021.
- Sharksploitation exhibit -- Living Sharks Museum
- Film School Rejects - "Sharksploitation: Feel the Grove According to 'Jaws'
- Smithsonian Magazine - "How Realistic Is The Shark Science in 'The Shallows'?"
- ABC News - "Why Has 'Sharknado' Become Such a Culture Phenomenon?"
