Jaws

97%

Tomatometer

146 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

When a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close the beaches, but mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) overrules him, fearing that the loss of tourist revenue will cripple the town. Ichthyologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and grizzled ship captain Quint (Robert Shaw) offer to help Brody capture the killer beast, and the trio engage in an epic battle of man vs. nature.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Where to Watch

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Compelling, well-crafted storytelling and a judicious sense of terror ensure Steven Spielberg's Jaws has remained a benchmark in the art of delivering modern blockbuster thrills.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (146) Critics Reviews

Kat Sachs

Chicago Reader

Infinitely watchable...

Oct 24, 2024

Full Review

Molly Haskell

Village Voice

It is a thriller, according to the classic distinction, of surprise rather than suspense. You feel like a rat, being given shock treatment, who has not yet figured out what to do to call off the buzzers.

Jul 2, 2024

Full Review

Clyde Gilmour

Toronto Star

Most movies that come within a mile of this one's technical expertise hardly bother with such matters as logical human motivations, strong and unhammy acting and believable characters. Jaws, on the contrary, is rich in all of these.

Jul 2, 2024

Full Review

Chase Hutchinson

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

It’s a scrappy film that moves with complete and utter confidence, creating as much tension with all you don’t see as it does with what you do.

Jul 25, 2024

Full Review

Dorothy Smiljanich

Tampa Bay Times

Spielberg touches that central mystery that has always drawn men to the last earthly frontier: the image of an unfathomable, impenetrable deep full of terror beyond our reckoning.

Jul 2, 2024

Full Review

Jeanne Miller

San Francisco Examiner

The film's punch doesn't rely on unmitigated gore. Spielberg is inclined to tease us with false alarms so that the real thing explodes with heart-stopping shock.

Jul 2, 2024

Full Review

Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews

Edward E What a classic, saw Jaws for the first time at 9 years old 1977 I believe, as a family it's one of our favorites. What a blast from the past!! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/14/24 Full Review Andrew M Took me back to my childhood and the post red scare era Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/01/24 Full Review Jadan S I put off watching this film for far too long, but after finally seeing it, I'm happy that it firmly stood the test of time as one of the best thrillers ever made. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/01/24 Full Review Don My wife and I have seen this movie 30 times. Named our bulldog Hooper after Richard Dreyfuss character Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/05/24 Full Review Lindsey love when the classics come back to the big screen! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/04/24 Full Review Kaye The original summer blockbuster! Favorite movie of all time. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/04/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Jaws

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Steven Spielberg Director Roy Scheider Police Chief Martin Brody Robert Shaw Quint Richard Dreyfuss Matt Hooper Lorraine Gary Ellen Brody Murray Hamilton Mayor Larry Vaughn

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Movie Clips

View All videos

Jaws

Movieclips: John Williams: 11 Incredible Themes