With the film Jaws (1975), Steven Spielberg created such a monstrous fear that his talent for shaping terror out of natural forms was undeniable. The world witnessed the artisan’s ability to make a thing of nature utterly horrifying. And it stuck. This film established Spielberg as the future of filmmaking. Jaws was so successful that it captured the imagination of many horror filmmakers who continue to use aquatic animals under the subclass Chondrichthyes Elasmobranchii as their subjects. In fact, IMDb lists over 79 movies that depict sharks as the object of fear serving as significant proof of the stickiness of the subject. Despite the list of shark movies that predated Jaws, none made the impact of this Spielberg selection. Famed director Tarantino was once recorded as stating that perhaps Spielberg's film was the greatest movie ever made.

When considering the budget allocated for the film, it's easy to attribute its success to the big budget. According to Collider, the budget for the killer flick came in at $12 million, which is quite a haul for a movie produced in 1975. But conversely, there was hardly any expectation at the time that the box office would compensate for the massive investment. However, like many cult films of the time, the relative success of Jaws defied rationality. As Collider also noted in its 2022 write-up,

"Jaws to date made $470,700,000 worldwide, a whopping 97.45% over its $12 million budget."

Respectfully, that is a number that wells speak to the success of the project. But, astoundingly, the box office earnings are not the only evidence that Jaws was a genius concept. The number of shark stories that have followed and their success bears testament to this.

Meg 2: The Fanaticism Continues

Megalodon attacking a diver in "Meg 2"
Warner Bros. Pictures

In the upcoming months, fans can sink their teeth into another terrifying shark feature with the film The Meg 2. The Meg 2 is a sequel to The Meg, which was released in 2018. Like Jaws, The Meg centered on the discovery of something frightening. While Jaws was a film about beachgoers discovering a great white shark’s malicious nature. In The Meg, marine researchers found an even more monstrous aquatic species during an exploration. They discover the Megalodon, the "largest marine predator" in existence. And The Meg 2: The Trench serves as the follow-up.

There is something truly fascinating about shark-themed horror films and their extended period of elevation as long-standing favorites. However, yet another shark horror raises a fascinating question about the durability of shark-themed horror fare. Why do fans love them so much?

Related Link: The Meg 2: The Trench: Plot, Cast, and Everything Else We Know

Why More Shark Features: Rationalizing Factors

Insane Sharknado 6 Trailer Has Dinosaurs, Superheroes & Giant Sharks (1)
SyFy Films

Creating fanaticism is easy, but extending it across time requires some work. However, it is believed that one can attribute the persistence of shark features to three main factors. The shark feature is durable because of a unifying phobia, a common element, and an authenticity factor.

Fear of the Unexplored

Deep Blue Sea 3 Panel Brings Opening Scene and 3 Great White-Sized Clips to Comic-Con
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

Among the greatest fears are those related to the sea and its unknown depths. According to Biology Online, thalassophobia, fear of the sea, of deep water, is perhaps one of the most common phobias in humanity.

"Tens of thousands of people have been diagnosed with thalassophobia across the globe."

And it's not hard to understand why so many fear the deep sea as much as they perhaps fear what lies beyond Earth’s borders. Both encompass the unknown, which feeds the beast of uncertainty. Uncertainty is the playground of the mind, invoking all sorts of imaginations. And respectively, the imagination gives birth to fascinations both pleasant and frightening. A filmmaker's ability to capitalize on the desire to grasp these truths and devise endless possibilities is unquestionably a sticking point.

Sharks: An Element Common to Masses

Jaws 3
Universal Pictures

There is a lot of potential for creating terror around something easily identifiable to the masses. Because the more common the object, the more palpable the associative terror. There is no doubt that sharks exist, as they have been observed in their natural habitat and aquatic facilities. But sharks are not well-understood creatures, and their forms make them frightening by default, so it is even easier to create something monstrous. Fear can be addictive. So, when a common element is already perceived as monstrous, and you build something terrifying around it, creating a point of addiction to that offering is easier.

Related link: The Best Horror Movies About Animals, Ranked

Believability Factor

Soul Surfer cast
TriStar Pictures

There are several documented accounts of shark attacks. These attacks often result in horrific consequences. The link between fear and authenticity creates curiosity. People chase after their curiosity, whether to confirm their beliefs, debunk them, or entertain them. The ability to leverage fear and authenticity in entertainment makes it appealing and ultimately creates a strong sticking point.

An analysis like this rationally explains the affinity for shark terrors that some may or may not accept. It is also reasonable to assume that there is no rational basis since not everything can be explained. Some things are the way they are. There is no reason to believe that fandom for the shark-themed horror will go away anytime soon. So might as well ride the wave. So fans of such can once again look forward to another shark-centric film in The Meg 2, slated for release on August 4, 2023.