Jaws(1975)
1975 · Steven Spielberg · 124 min
When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town's chief of police, a young marine biologist, and a grizzled shark hunter embark on a desperate quest to kill the beast before it strikes again.
Horror · Thriller · Adventure
7.711.8k votes
TMDB score
3/5
Intensity
2/5
Gore
4/5
Stays with you
How Jaws scares
There's a nagging sense of being watched from below that builds slowly, using empty water and that famous rising music to make you dread what you can't see more than what you can. Long stretches are quiet and tense, following regular people trying to solve a problem, before the film erupts into short bursts of real physical danger out on the open water. It doesn't lean on blood or shock cuts, but it plants a lasting unease about swimming in the ocean that a lot of people never quite shake. Great for anyone who likes their fear to build patiently and then hit hard, rather than jump-scare after jump-scare.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Jaws rates psychological 4/5, visceral 4/5, gore 2/5, lingering effect 4/5, and overall intensity 3/5.
- Psychological: 4 of 5
- Visceral: 4 of 5
- Gore: 2 of 5
- Lingering: 4 of 5
- Intensity: 3 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 25 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 95 of 100 — leans Real-world
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 35 of 100 — leans Fun-scary
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A slow, sunny build with sudden jolts that gives way to a tense open-water hunt and a fierce final showdown.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4.
How scary is Jaws?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, Jaws rates 3/5 — solidly scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be moderately gory and fun-first. Expect it to stay with you for days.
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