Jaws

Steven Spielberg directed Jaws in 1975 as a textbook thriller about a massive great white shark with an insatiable appetite for human flesh. John Williams' musical motif builds tension frame by frame until the cathartic finale - and remains one of the most recognizable film themes ever.

The film carries a clear message: human self-centeredness, comfort, and business interests above all else lead exactly where humanity has long been heading. The sunny seaside town of Amity prides itself on beaches full of tourists - but after a series of fatal attacks, the local police chief Brody becomes convinced that a shark is behind it all. No one believes him, so he sets out to sea with two companions to stop the bloodthirsty beast once and for all.