Happy 50th Birthday to an all-time classic.

JAWS was released 50 years ago today. Regarded the first summer blockbuster and a landmark of Hollywood, the making of story is so crazy it begs the question of how it was ever made…

1/47 pic.twitter.com/67t19zbuuG

— All The Right Movies (@ATRightMovies) June 20, 2025

He's not wrong:

Today is the 50th anniversary of the release of Jaws. I believe Jaws is the most influential movie ever made. Not best, most influential. Every single person getting in the ocean — or heck even lakes, streams, & pools! sometimes — thinks about getting eaten by a shark.

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 20, 2025

Yep. 50 years ago 11 year old Mathguy watched that in a theater and became terrified for life of getting in the water at the beach.

Its a perfect movie. Nothing about it needs to be changed.

the opening scene remains one of the most horrifying cinematic moments in my life. The girls terrifying screams still gives me chills.

maroon man said:

---

the opening scene remains one of the most horrifying cinematic moments in my life. The girls terrifying screams still gives me chills.

---

The scene where they are initially diving on the wreck and the severed head pops out of the hole is what did it for me.

Jaws 4 is nearing its 40 year anniversary.

bagger05 said:

---

The way they killed the shark was cool but ridiculous and contrived.

I love Jaws but I think they could've executed it better.

---

I see what you did there. Well done.

Jaws may be a great movie, but from a conservation standpoint I wish it had never been made. Even Spielberg regrets the impact it had on shark populations. Not that there weren't other causes and issues, but the movie definitely didn't help.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/steven-spielberg-regrets-how-jaws-impacted-real-world-sharks-180981335/

But if it had not been made, how would we have existed without ripoffs like Tentacles and Orca being made? Won't someone think of the children?

I lived in a coastal town with frequent beach trips. I am certain that, plus probably my age at the time, 8, had something to do with my parents electing not to take me to see Jaws in 1975. I remember getting into a debate in 7th grade science class with some bozo over which movie had made more money, Jaws or Star Wars (most of the kids I went to school with seemed to hate Star Wars); teacher shut down the argument by telling the other kid that I was correct about Star Wars.

I didn't get around to seeing Jaws until years after its release, maybe 1978. But it wasn't until we had a Betamax and I was able to rent Jaws and watch it a bunch of times that I finally really started to love that movie. I have likely seen that movie more than 100 times. It did have the effect on me of not wanting to go to the beach, but when you're talking about Surfside, are you really missing much?

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to see Jaws at the nearby Cinemark. Truly a great experience. The shot when the shark swims under the boat and you have the exchange between Hooper and Quint about how big it is … with the music, was simply chilling. If you get an opportunity to see this movie theatrically, don't pass it up.

Bruce Almighty said:

---

The movie had the opposite effect on me. It made me love the ocean.

---

Did Nightmare on Elm Street give you narcolepsy?

Credits are rolling for my viewing tonight. That opening sequence is still terrifying, even though Spielberg mocked so well 4 years later in 1941. The 70s comes through loud and clear for much of this movie, but that doesn't date the movie. It still comes off as a timeless story of three men sharing a dangerous fishing trip with each other. The characters make this movie as much as the music does. Quint's USS Indianapolis monologue is one of the best in any movie ever made, and coming on the heels of Quint and Hooper sharing their humorous stories was even a more powerful monologue in how the mood of that sequence changed - and we finally see who Quint truly is.

Just a great movie.

Jaws came out in theaters today 50 years ago when I was 2 years old lol and it is one of THE best movies I've ever seen and still holds up and is one of my all time favorites. It came on NBC tonight and even though I've seen it a million times, I never get tired of it so my wife and I watched it again. The story; the acting, the suspense, the FEAR all hit the mark and it hearkens back to a time when for all of us things seemed a bit more simple somewhat.

My Dad saw it by himself and for some reason wouldn't let me watch it for a while when i was younger but the first time I ever watched it was in junior high and I was staying at my grandparents house and I saw it came on the WGN TV station (anyone remember that?) at 2:30 AM on a Friday night so in the days of no DVR, I set an alarm clock and got up at 2:30 AM and watched it. WORTH IT.

The only thing that would have made "Jaws" better is Jacqueline Bissett diving in a white T-shirt.

Cinco Ranch Aggie said:

---

I don't think my wife had ever seen Jaws when we watched it as a family. My daughter was probably 8 or so. Both shrieked when that scene happened; meanwhile, I sat on the other end of the couch chuckling.

---

My daughter was obsessed with sharks at a younger age, mostly because she took a real interest in Bethany Hamilton for a while. I let her watch Jaws when she was about 8. By the time Hooper's in the cage she said, "Daddy I'm not scared but I'm going to turn sideways because I only want to watch this part with one eye."