Film that struck fear into cinemagoers still manages to ‘instill genuine terror’ half a century on and is considered the first ever summer blockbuster for good reason
08:00, 26 Nov 2025Updated 08:37, 26 Nov 2025
A film which was an instant hit 50 years ago still instills fear today(Image: Getty Images)
Directed by one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time, Stephen Spielberg, Jaws became a record breaking hit when it was first released in 1975.
With acclaimed performances from Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss in the lead roles, the first film in the franchise is generally considered to be the first ever summer blockbuster of modern times thanks to its huge commercial success and extensive release. It is also forever etched in the memories of almost everyone who has watched it thanks to the terrifying scenes of a great white shark hunting down swimmers and beachgoers at a popular seaside resort and its memorable musical score.
Based on a 1974 novel by Peter Benchley, the movie begins with the unforgettable scene of a young woman going for a late night swim in the ocean at New England resort town, Amity Island. She is pulled under the surface by an unseen creature and the next day her remains are discovered on the beach.
The shark hunting trio (Image: AP)
After the coroner concludes it was a shark attack, police chief Martin Brody (Scheider) wants to close the beaches but is convinced by the local mayor (Murray Hamilton), who is fearful the town’s economy will suffer through loss of visitors, to keep them open. When another tragic attack occurs, the hunt for the man-eating beast ensues. Martin joins forces with a marine biologist (Dreyfuss) and a weathered shark hunter (Shaw) to track the huge creature down before it kills again in a gripping tale of man versus nature.
The man-eating beast was hunted down(Image: Getty Images)
Jaws was the first major movie to be shot at sea and encountered many issues in production because of it. Going over schedule and budget, the mechanical shark also often broke down, which led to the birth of the infamous theme to indicate the killer’s approach and presence.
The score went on to win numerous awards after the 1975 release. The film was also nominated for various prestigious accolades and bagged three Academy Awards. Thanks to the aggressive marketing campaign which accompanied the release, it became the highest grossest film of all time, until Star Wars two years later. Both films are considered to have established the concept of the summer blockbuster because of their success and business model.
Critics welcomed Jaws and it was warmly welcomed when it was released. It is still highly regarded fifty years on with reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, where it has an almost perfect positive score of 97% hailing it a “classic”. “Spielberg fashioned an instant classic whose success owes as much to his superb orchestration as to the substantial jolts and knockout performances by Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss,” one wrote.
Steven Spielberg on the set of Jaws(Image: Getty Images)
A second agreed: “An absolute classic; a film that knows exactly what it is, and that, despite the many problems it encountered during filming, ended up becoming the film that epitomises what Steven Spielberg is capable of,” they posted.
A third praised all aspects of its creation: “The movie is just about everything viewers could hope it would be: Intelligently written, ably acted, beautifully filmed, excitingly edited and, above all, the scariest big-budget extravaganza since The Exorcist.” Another hailed its timeless terror: “The first summer blockbuster elevates its so-so source material into a thrilling horror adventure that still manages to instill a sense of genuine terror to this very day,” they wrote.
Jaws airs on ITV4 at 10pm tonight, Wednesday 26 November.