Sharksploitation


Sharksploitation is a subgenre of exploitation film that involves sharks or shark attacks. The genre emerged in the wake of the 1975 film Jaws and its sequels, but fell in popularity soon after. The 1999 film Deep Blue Sea brought it back to public prominence. Other examples of sharksploitation films include Mega [Shark Versus Giant Octopus], Dinoshark, Sharktopus, Snow Shark, Ghost Shark, Avalanche Sharks, and the Sharknado film series.
In 2023, a feature-length documentary film about the subgenre, titled Sharksploitation, was produced and released by Shudder.

Notable sharksploitation films

YearFilmsSeriesGenre
1950Killer SharkNAAdventure
1960Shark!N/AAction
1975JawsJawsThriller
1975Sharks' TreasureN/AAdventure
1976Mako: The Jaws of DeathN/AThriller
1976Shark KillN/AAdventure
1977Tintorera, also known as Tintorera: Killer Shark.N/AHorror
1978Jaws 2JawsThriller
1978Cyclone, also known as Terror StormN/ASurvival/Horror
1979The Shark HunterN/AAdventure
1981The Last Shark, also known as Great WhiteN/AHorror
1981Beyond the ReefN/AAdventure
1983Jaws 3-DJawsThriller
1987Jaws: The RevengeJawsThriller
1989Night of the SharksN/AAction
1989Deep Blood, also known as Sharks or Sangue negli abissi N/AAdventure/Horror
1995Cruel JawsN/AThriller
1999Deep Blue SeaDeep Blue SeaSci-fi/Horror
1999Shark AttackShark AttackThriller
2000Shark Attack 2Shark AttackThriller
2002Shark Attack 3: MegalodonShark AttackThriller
2003Open WaterOpen WaterSurvival/Thriller
2003Red WaterN/AAction/Horror
2003Shark ZoneN/AHorror
200412 Days of TerrorN/AHorror/Thriller
2004Blue DemonN/ASci-fi/Horror
2005Hammerhead: Shark Frenzy, also known as Sharkman or HammerheadN/ASci-fi/Action/Horror
2005Raging SharksN/ASci-fi/Action/Horror
2005Spring Break Shark AttackN/AAction/Adventure/Drama
2008Shark Swarm, also known as Great WhiteN/AThriller
2008Shark in Venice, also known as Sharks in Venice in the U.S.N/ANatural horror/Action
2009Jaws in Japan, also known as Psycho SharkN/A Horror
2009Malibu Shark Attack, also known as Mega Shark of MalibuIt 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
2009Mega Shark Versus Giant OctopusMega Shark VersusCreature feature
2010DinosharkN/AHorror/Comedy
2010Mega Shark Versus CrocosaurusMega Shark VersusCreature feature
2010The ReefN/AThriller
2010SharktopusSharktopusHorror/Sci-fi/Creature feature/Comedy
2011Sand SharksN/AHorror/Comedy
2011Shark NightN/AThriller
2011Super SharkN/ASci-fi/Action
2011Swamp SharkN/AThriller
20122-Headed Shark AttackMulti-Headed Shark AttackSurvival horror
2012Bait 3DN/AHorror/Disaster
2012Dark TideN/AAction/Horror/Thriller
2012Jersey Shore Shark AttackN/AHorror/Comedy
2012Jurassic Shark, also known as Attack of the Jurassic SharkJurassic SharkHorror/Comedy
2012Snow Shark: Ancient [Snow Beast]Snow SharkHorror/Comedy
2012Ghost SharkGhost SharkHorror/Comedy
2013SharknadoSharknadoSci-fi/Disaster
2014Avalanche SharksN/AHorror/Comedy
2014Mega Shark Versus Mecha SharkMega Shark VersusHorror/Comedy
2014Sharknado 2: The Second OneSharknadoSci-fi/Disaster/Comedy
2014Sharktopus vs. PteracudaSharktopusHorror/Sci-fi/Creature feature/Comedy
2014Piranha SharksN/AComedy/Horror
2015Sharktopus vs. WhalewolfSharktopusHorror/Sci-fi/Creature feature/Comedy
2015Shark ExorcistShark ExorcistAction/Horror
20153-Headed Shark AttackMulti-Headed Shark AttackAction/Horror
2015Ghost Shark 2: Urban JawsGhost SharkSupernatural/Horror/Comedy
2015Mega Shark Versus KolossusMega Shark VersusSci-fi/Comedy
2015Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!SharknadoAction/Horror/Comedy
2015Roboshark, also known as Robo Shark vs. Navy SealsN/AAction/Adventure/Comedy
2015Shark Lake (film)N/AAction/Horror
2016Atomic SharkN/AAction/Horror
2016Ozark Sharks, also known as Summer Shark AttackN/AHorror/Thriller/Comedy
2016The ShallowsN/ASurvival/Horror
2016Sharkansas Women's Prison MassacreN/ASci-fi/Horror
2016SharkensteinN/ASci-fi/Action/Comedy
2016Sharknado: The 4th AwakensSharknadoSci-fi/Disaster/Comedy
20175-Headed Shark AttackMulti-Headed Shark AttackSci-fi/Horror
201747 Meters Down47 Meters DownSurvival/Horror
2017House SharkN/AHorror/Comedy
2017Open Water 3: Cage DiveOpen WaterFound footage/Survival/Horror
2017Sharknado 5: Global SwarmingSharknadoSci-fi/Disaster/Comedy
2018The Last Sharknado: It's About TimeSharknadoSci-fi/Disaster/Comedy
2018Deep Blue Sea 2Deep Blue SeaSci-fi/Horror
2018The MegThe MegSci-fi/Action
201947 Meters Down: Uncaged47 Meters DownSurvival/Horror
2019Capsized: Blood in the WaterN/ASurvival/Horror
2020Deep Blue Sea 3Deep Blue SeaSci-fi/Horror
2020Sky SharksN/ASci-fi/Comedy/Horror
2020Ouija SharkOuija SharkComedy/Horror/Action
2021Sharks of the CornN/AHorror
2021Swim (film)N/AHorror/Action
2022Ouija Shark 2Ouija SharkAction/Horror/Comedy
2022The Reef: StalkedThe ReefHorror
2022The RequinN/AHorror/Thriller
2022Maneater (Shark film)N/AAction/Horror
2022Shark BaitN/AAction/Horror
2023Sharktopus Remade in China SharktopusHorror/Sci-fi/Creature feature/Comedy
2023Meg 2: The TrenchThe MegSci-Fi/Action
2023Cocaine Shark, also known as Kanizame ShakurabuN/ACrime/Drama/Horror
2023Big SharkN/AHorror/Comedy
2024The Black DemonN/ASci-Fi/Thriller
2024No Way UpN/ASurvival/Thriller
2024Shark Exorcist 2: Unholy WatersShark ExorcistAction/Horror
2024Shark Island (film)N/AAction/Horror
2024Something in the WaterN/ASurvival/Thriller
2025Fear BelowN/AAction/Thriller
2025Into the DeepN/AAction/Thriller
2025Dangerous AnimalsN/AAction/Thriller
2025Fear Below''N/AAction/Adventure/Horror