There’s not much more exciting than our culture’s many shark movies, each leaving a certain mark on a person. Even though the chances of being killed by a shark are so rare that it’s nearly impossible, we can still get nervous when we swim in the ocean.

But over the past few years, shark movies have become less of an exciting thrill and more of a cheap trope. It’s disappointing to see the shark movie theme going downhill, but maybe the time has come for the shark to die.
The shark movie theme spiked in the summer of 1975 when the classic movie “Jaws” came out. It became a worldwide phenomenon, making 100 million dollars at the box office, beating previous record-holder “The Godfather.” It kept people on the edge of their seats with high intensity, shocking gore and suspenseful music written by the composer John Williams. This combination can still terrify almost all who watch it. The film made shark movies a staple in movie history, with more coming out every year after it.

Unfortunately, they seemed to get worse. In some cases, the stories were predictable, the characters were not intriguing and the once menacing image of a shark became less terrifying and more yawn-worthy. Some of these films came from the “Jaws” movies themselves, as the first sequel disappointed audiences and the second sequel was considered terrible by many with its effects looking a little cheap. Other movies since have included “47 Meters Down,” “The Shallows” and the famous “Sharknado” series. As shark movies continued to be churned out, the more cliché they seemed to become.

Even though shark movies seem absolutely awful to most people, people still go to see them. Some people may say that it is the lack of good movies in the theater at that time, or that it is almost like a tradition. We may never know. If you are able to sit through a modern-day shark movie without seeing at least some problems, clichés or stupidity, I salute you. Whether we like it or not, shark movies are slowly sinking.