Alam Nyo Ba?

Bryan

Everyone loves a good shark movie. Ever since Jaws hit theaters and broke box office records in 1975, it’s been a reliable horror movie genre. Case in point: fifty years later, Jaws is still able to draw in a huge crowd, with it recently dominating the box office over star-studded, newer fare. But, in the wake of Spielberg’s movie, cinemas (and home video) were flooded with Jaws knockoffs, which continue to this day. Below, we have a list of some of the best ones.

This list highlights the best shark movies based on a mix of tension, originality, cultural impact, entertainment value, and memorability. Rather than ranking them strictly from best to worst, these films are chosen for how effectively they use sharks (whether for suspense, horror, action, or pure spectacle) and for the lasting impression they leave on audiences.

Best Shark Movies (Curated List)

Top Picks:

• Jaws (1975)
• The Shallows (2016)
• Open Water (2003)

Cult Favorites:

• Sharknado (2013)
• Deep Blue Sea (1999)
• Mako: Jaws of Death (1976)

Intense Survival Horror:

• The Reef (2010)
• 47 Meters Down (2017)
• Dangerous Animals (2025)
• Beast of War (2025)

Underrated / Unique Entries:

• Under Paris (2024)
• The Black Demon (2023)
• Bait 3D (2012)
• Thrash (2026)

Notable Mentions:

• Jaws 2 (1978)
• Great White aka The Last Shark (1981)
• Zombie (1979)

Z​ombie (1979)

• Director: Lucio Fulci
• Subgenre: Zombie Horror / Shark Horror
• Notable Cast: Tisa Farrow, Ian McCulloch
• Signature Element: The infamous zombie-versus-shark underwater fight scene
• Why It Matters: One of the most bizarre and iconic moments in cult horror history
• Best For: Fans of Italian exploitation cinema and outrageous practical effects
• Tone: Grotesque, surreal, atmospheric

Already I’m cheating, but I mean… come on. This has one of the best shark scenes in cinematic history. During an early scene of the movie, a woman decides to go for a swim in the lovely Caribbean waters when a tiger shark appears. As she hides among some of the terrain on the ocean floor, she quickly finds she is not alone. A zombie has found his way into the depths. As she swims away, the zombie turns its attention to the shark. What ensues is one of the greatest shark fights on film, and it involves a real shark.

Final verdict: A cult classic elevated by one of the most unforgettable and bizarre shark scenes ever filmed.

Beast of War (2025)

• Director: Kiah Roache-Turner
• Subgenre: Survival Thriller / War Horror
• Notable Cast: Joel Nankervis, Mark Cole Smith
• Signature Element: Practical-effects great white shark terrorizing stranded soldiers at sea
• Why It Matters: A rare modern shark film that prioritizes tension, character work, and practical effects over excessive CGI spectacle
• Best For: Fans of grounded survival horror and suspense-driven creature features
• Tone: Tense, atmospheric, gritty

A refreshing change of pace from the CGI-heavy shark movies that dominate the genre today, Beast of War focuses just as much on its stranded Australian soldiers as it does the massive great white stalking them. The film takes its time building tension before fully revealing the shark, allowing the dread of being trapped at sea to slowly sink in. Writer/director Kiah Roache-Turner leans heavily on practical effects, making the shark feel terrifying and tangible. The result is a visually impressive survival thriller that understands the shark works best as part of the story rather than just a nonstop jump-scare machine.

Final verdict: A tense, visually stunning survival thriller that proves practical effects and restrained storytelling still work wonders in the shark genre.

Thrash (2026)

Director: Tommy Wirkola
Subgenre: Disaster Horror / Shark Thriller
Notable Cast: Whitney Peak, Phoebe Dynevor, Djimon Hounsou
Signature Element: Shark attacks throughout a hurricane-flooded coastal town
Why It Matters: Combines creature-feature suspense with Tommy Wirkola’s signature humor and disaster-movie spectacle
Best For: Fans of fast-paced, comedic shark thrillers with large-scale chaos
Tone: Suspenseful, darkly funny

Director Tommy Wirkola brings his trademark blend of chaos and humor to Thrash, a flooded-town shark thriller that never takes itself too seriously. After a Category 5 hurricane devastates the coastal town of Annieville, hungry bull sharks and a pregnant great white invade the streets and homes submerged in floodwaters. The film follows multiple groups of survivors, including orphaned siblings, an agoraphobic young woman, and a pregnant woman. While the movie leans heavily into quirky dialogue and absurd situations, Wirkola balances the comedy with tense set pieces, including sharks stalking survivors through flooded basements and collapsing houses. The result is an entertaining shark thriller that embraces its pulpy premise while still delivering suspense.

Final verdict: A wild, funny, and suspenseful shark thriller that successfully mixes disaster movie chaos with creature-feature thrills.

M​ako: Jaws of Death (1976)

• Director: William Grefé
• Subgenre: Eco-Horror / Exploitation Thriller
• Notable Cast: Richard Jaeckel
• Signature Element: Telepathic communication with sharks
• Why It Matters: An unusually pro-shark exploitation film decades ahead of modern conservation themes
• Best For: Viewers seeking weird, offbeat cult cinema
• Tone: Psychedelic, strange, grindhouse

T​his movie has a little bit of everything. Vietnam war veterans, evil strip club owners, and telepathic connections to sharks. What more do you need? Sonny is in Vietnam and is saved by a mako shark as he is being stalked by the enemy. He decides he loves sharks and is given a magic medallion by a shaman that lets him telepathically communicate with his beloved creatures. When he moves to Florida, he runs afoul of the owner of a local aquarium and a strip club owner who wants to use sharks in one of his acts. They try to convince Sonny to use his powers to help them, but instead, he declares war on those that try to hurt them. Ironically, for a movie that’s pro-shark, many of the tactics used off screen during filming were cruel, with sharks having had their teeth removed prior to filming.

Final verdict: A strange but fascinating cult entry that stands out for its offbeat premise and pro-shark angle.

Great White aka The Last Shark (1981)

• Director: Enzo G. Castellari
• Subgenre: Shark Thriller / Jaws Clone
• Notable Cast: James Franciscus
• Signature Element: The lawsuit from Universal Pictures over similarities to Jaws
• Why It Matters: One of the most infamous Jaws imitators ever released
• Best For: Fans of shameless knockoffs and Italian genre filmmaking
• Tone: Suspenseful, derivative, entertaining

This Italian-made Jaws-rip-off was a smash hit. It made $18 million and probably would have made a lot more, were it not for the fact that Universal Studios actually sued the American distributor to have it pulled from theaters. For the longest time, this was unavailable in the U.S, but now you can see the Italian release version, The Last Shark, online. While some may wonder, after seeing it, why Universal sued, part of the reason is the original score the American distributor commissioned for the film. It was very, very closely patterned on what John Williams wrote for Jaws, and isn’t available on any currently existing version of the film.

Final verdict: A blatant but entertaining Jaws imitation whose notoriety adds to its appeal.

S​harknado (2013)

• Director: Anthony C. Ferrante
• Subgenre: Horror Comedy / Disaster Movie
• Notable Cast: Ian Ziering, Tara Reid
• Signature Element: Tornadoes filled with flying sharks
• Why It Matters: Became a viral pop culture phenomenon and revived interest in absurd shark films
• Best For: Group watches and so-bad-it’s-good entertainment
• Tone: Campy, ridiculous, comedic

The cheesy shark film that started a phenomenon! This low-budget horror film seemed destined to follow the other such films that end up on the SyFy Channel, but this one caught on with audiences who fell in love. There ended up being six of these films made over five years. You don’t need to be in deep water for there to be a shark attack, but in this movie you don’t even need to be in the water at all. A freak weather accident causes a hurricane off the coast of Los Angeles and picks up a load of deadly great white sharks. It drops them on the unsuspecting public as the city is drenched. Finley has to fight his way to Beverly Hills to make sure his family is safe. The cultural impact of this movie immediately made it one of the best shark movies.

Final verdict: A wildly absurd crowd-pleaser that became a cultural phenomenon through sheer ridiculous fun.

Deep Blue Sea (1999)

• Director: Renny Harlin
• Subgenre: Sci-Fi Shark Thriller
• Notable Cast: Thomas Jane, LL Cool J, Samuel L. Jackson
• Signature Element: Genetically enhanced super-intelligent sharks
• Why It Matters: Delivered one of the genre’s most iconic shock moments
• Best For: Fans of action-heavy creature features
• Tone: Fast-paced, explosive, suspenseful

Another tale that proves that humans should not genetically meddle with ultimate killing machines in research facilities. Scientists in an underwater laboratory begin altering the DNA of a group of mako sharks. Now they are larger and way more intelligent than they should be. The group funding the project show up to question if it should move forward, but they all end up trapped in the base as a tropical storm rages above. The sharks get loose and begin wreaking havoc upon anyone they lay their eyes on. A fun movie that will have you pumping your fist in the air.

Final verdict: A high-energy, effects-driven thriller that delivers some of the genre’s most iconic moments.

B​ait 3D (2012)

• Director: Kimble Rendall
• Subgenre: Disaster Horror / Survival Thriller
• Notable Cast: Julian McMahon
• Signature Element: Sharks trapped inside a flooded supermarket
• Why It Matters: Clever high-concept setting during the 3D horror boom
• Best For: Fans of contained survival horror scenarios
• Tone: Tense, gimmicky, energetic

M​ade during the post-Avatar 3D craze, this film tries to make the best use of it by sticking you in a supermarket with sharks. A tsunami hits the coast of Australia, trapping a group of people in a quickly flooding grocery store. Among them is former lifeguard Josh who found a new profession after a shark attack. As they begin to wonder when the storm will let up, they realize that the flooded store has a twelve-foot-long killer shark patrolling its aisles. Now they must figure out how to survive and not become a cleanup in aisle five. This one also had a nice role for the late Julian McMahon.

Final verdict: A gimmicky but entertaining survival thriller that makes clever use of its confined setting.

The Reef (2010)

• Director: Andrew Traucki
• Subgenre: Survival Horror / Realistic Shark Thriller
• Notable Cast: Damian Walshe-Howling
• Signature Element: Realistic open-water shark stalking
• Why It Matters: Often cited as one of the most realistic shark attack films ever made
• Best For: Viewers who prefer grounded survival horror
• Tone: Minimalist, terrifying, realistic

P​roving that you should never go sailing with your friends. A group sets out for a fun day of sailing when the boat hits a rock. This opens up the bottom of the ship, and the group has to decide what to do. One of them recommends they try and swim to a nearby island as the overturned boat is being pulled out to sea. Then a shark fin appears in the water. As they swim, they are being hunted by a great white shark. They are being picked off one by one by the apex predator as they try to make it to land.

Final verdict: A stripped-down, brutally realistic shark thriller that thrives on tension and dread.

4​7 Meters Down (2017)

• Director: Johannes Roberts
• Subgenre: Claustrophobic Survival Horror
• Notable Cast: Mandy Moore, Claire Holt
• Signature Element: Shark attacks combined with deep-sea entrapment
• Why It Matters: Successfully blended underwater survival horror with mainstream thriller appeal
• Best For: Fans of claustrophobic suspense
• Tone: Intense, panic-driven, suspenseful

S​o not only are you being hunted by a man-eating shark, but you’re also trapped on the ocean floor? Sounds like a nightmare. This is precisely what happens to the two sisters as they go on vacation. They decide to do a cage diving excursion in shark-infested waters, but the cable holding onto the cage snaps. As they settle onto the bottom of the ocean, they see that sharks are starting to appear. Now they only have one hour of air left and can’t leave the cage as the sharks try to wait them out. Can you imagine cage diving and seeing a megalodon just show up like in The Meg 2?

Final verdict: A claustrophobic survival horror that effectively combines deep-sea fear with relentless shark danger.

The Black Demon (2013)

• Director: Adrian Grünberg
• Subgenre: Mythological Shark Thriller
• Notable Cast: Josh Lucas
• Signature Element: A giant shark inspired by megalodon mythology
• Why It Matters: Became a surprisingly strong streaming success
• Best For: Modern shark thriller fans looking for something atmospheric
• Tone: Slow-burn, tense, mythic

This was a surprise hit in the spring of 2023. While this Josh Lucas-led shark flick didn’t get much theatrical play via new distributor The Avenue (they had a solid theatrical hit with Land of Bad), this was a huge streaming hit and a sequel is in the works. While it’s lower-key than a lot of other movies on this list, the setting on a Mexican Oil Rig is cool, and Lucas is a better actor than usual for movies like this.

Final verdict: A modest but engaging modern entry with a unique setting and stronger-than-usual performances.

T​he Shallows (2016)

• Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
• Subgenre: Survival Thriller
• Notable Cast: Blake Lively
• Signature Element: A lone surfer stranded near shore by a shark
• Why It Matters: Demonstrated how effective minimalist shark thrillers can be
• Best For: Fans of high-tension survival stories
• Tone: Lean, suspenseful, intense

A​ surfer hears about a secluded beach that is supposed to be the ultimate destination to catch some waves. When she heads out, she quickly finds a shark hunting in the area and attacks her. She ends up on a rock only 200 feet from shore but can’t safely make it back without becoming a shark dinner. As she sits trying to figure out what to do, she realizes that high tide is coming soon and the rock she is safe on will be underwater. A great thriller that is tense throughout.

Final verdict: A tightly crafted survival thriller that balances simplicity with sustained, nerve-wracking tension.

Open Water (2003)

• Director: Chris Kentis
• Subgenre: Survival Horror / Psychological Thriller
• Notable Cast: Blanchard Ryan
• Signature Element: Based on a true story of divers stranded at sea
• Why It Matters: Helped redefine low-budget horror realism in the 2000s
• Best For: Fans of deeply unsettling realism
• Tone: Bleak, realistic, anxiety-inducing

M​aybe the most terrifying thing about this movie is that it’s based on a true story! It will keep anyone out of the ocean. A young couple books a scuba diving trip in the Caribbean. They have such a great time that they are the last to surface in their group. To their dismay, they find that the rest of their group has left them behind after a botched headcount. The couple is left to float out in the ocean and see that sharks could soon be the biggest problem. This one will make your stomach clench the whole time you’re watching it. Beware.

Final verdict: A deeply unsettling, minimalist horror experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

Jaws 2 (1978)

• Director: Jeannot Szwarc
• Subgenre: Shark Sequel / Teen Survival Thriller
• Notable Cast: Roy Scheider
• Signature Element: Teens stranded at sea while hunted by a great white
• Why It Matters: One of the stronger horror sequels of the late 1970s
• Best For: Fans of classic shark thrillers
• Tone: Suspenseful, commercial, entertaining

While making a sequel to Jaws was an act of pure commerce, the first one they did isn’t half bad. This time, a great white stalks a bunch of teens, and despite saving Amity just a few years before, no one believes Brody when he warns them that a shark is on the loose. This benefits from Roy Scheider reprising his role and the classy director of Jeannot Szwarc. That said, the next two Jaws movies are REALLY bad.

Final verdict: A solid and entertaining sequel that can’t match the original but delivers effective thrills.

Under Paris (2024)

• Director: Xavier Gens
• Subgenre: Urban Shark Thriller
• Notable Cast: Bérénice Bejo
• Signature Element: Sharks terrorizing flooded Paris
• Why It Matters: Became one of Netflix’s most successful non-English originals
• Best For: Fans of modern international horror thrillers
• Tone: Apocalyptic, suspenseful, large-scale

A newer entry into the genre, this Xavier Gens-directed thriller was made for Netflix, and sports a better-than-usual lead in The Artist‘s Bérénice Bejo. It became a global smash hit and is currently their second most popular non-English language original film of all time.

Final verdict: A modern, globally popular entry that proves the genre still has room to evolve.

Dangerous Animals (2025)

• Director: Sean Byrne
• Subgenre: Serial Killer Thriller / Shark Horror
• Notable Cast: Jai Courtney
• Signature Element: Sharks weaponized by a human killer
• Why It Matters: Cleverly reinvents shark horror by shifting the true monster to humanity
• Best For: Fans of psychological thrillers and modern horror hybrids
• Tone: Stylish, brutal, suspenseful

Sean Byrne’s contribution to the shark genre did something different. In it, the sharks themselves aren’t the antagonists. Instead, the bad guy is Jai Courtney’s Tucker, who runs a shark diving operation that serves as a front for his murders, with him using sharks as his weapons. It’s a cool premise stylishly brought to the screen, with Byrne making sure you’ll be on the edge of your seat throughout, rooting for the heroine to escape from the clutches of Courtney’s wonderfully unhinged villain. You can catch this one on Shudder.

Final verdict: A fresh twist on the genre that smartly shifts the danger from sharks to humans.

J​aws (1975)

• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Subgenre: Blockbuster Thriller / Creature Feature
• Notable Cast: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw
• Signature Element: The shark hunt aboard the Orca
• Why It Matters: Invented the modern summer blockbuster and redefined suspense filmmaking
• Best For: Absolutely everyone
• Tone: Suspenseful, cinematic, iconic

This Steven Spielberg film not only changed the summer movie season forever but also terrified people of getting in the water. Sadly it also caused a worldwide problem when people began hunting sharks due to fear of this movie becoming a reality. Sheriff Brody thinks a shark may be patrolling off the coast of his small town and tries to convince the mayor to shut the beaches down. He refuses to do so because the July 4th weekend would be an economic disaster. Of course, then a giant shark shows up and kills a little boy. A team is assembled to hunt the shark down and kill it, but not before it takes out most of the crew and sinks their boat. A classic film that is worth a watch whenever possible. A classic film that is worth a watch whenever possible. Recently, the movie came very close to topping this box office after its 50th anniversary re-release, so Spielberg’s classic is still pulling in a massive audience.

Final verdict: The definitive shark movie and a genre-defining masterpiece that still sets the standard.

W​hat do you think are some of the best shark movies? Where are the Ghost Shark and 2-Headed Shark Attack fans? Let us know in the comments.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best shark movie ever made?

The most widely regarded shark movie is Jaws (1975), which set the standard for suspense, storytelling, and cultural impact.

What are the scariest shark movies?

Some of the most intense and frightening entries include Open Water (2003), The Reef (2010), and The Shallows (2016).

Are shark movies realistic?

Some films, like The Reef and Open Water, aim for realism, while others (like Sharknado) embrace over-the-top fiction.

What is the most fun shark movie?

Sharknado (2013) is widely considered the most fun, thanks to its absurd premise and cult following.

Are there any new shark movies worth watching?

Yes, recent entries like Under Paris (2024) and Dangerous Animals (2025) show the genre is still evolving.

Why is Jaws considered so important?

Jaws (1975) helped invent the modern blockbuster and remains one of the most influential thrillers ever made.

The post The Best Shark Movies Ever Made: From Jaws to Deep Blue Sea and Beyond! appeared first on JoBlo.

Five years ago, we learned that filmmaker / FX artist Robert Green Hall had passed away suddenly at the age of just 47. In 2011, Hall got married to actress Angelina Armani – and now, the sad news has emerged that Armani has also passed away at a much-too-young age. Her sister, who is running a GoFundMe campaign to pay for a proper cremation and funeral service, has confirmed that Armani passed away suddenly at just 38 years old.

What movies did Angelina Armani work on?

Born on November 18, 1987 in Brooklyn, New York, Armani got her start in the entertainment industry in the adult side of the business, but quickly branched out into mainstream projects like episodes of Funny or Die Presents…, the TV series Look, and the comedies Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star and Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader.

She was a big fan of the horror genre, leading to roles in multiple horror films: Bloodstruck (2010), Creep Van (2012), Bedeviled (2016), and the Hall-directed films Chromeskull: Laid to Rest 2 (2011) and Fear Clinic (2014).

What has been said about Angelina Armani’s passing?

Armani’s sister Danielle wrote on GoFundMe, “As her big sister, I am heartbroken by this loss. She was a bright and happy kid, and her spirit touched everyone who knew her. Losing her so unexpectedly has been incredibly hard, especially as our mom was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. Having these two pieces of devastating news back to back has made this time even more difficult for our family.

I am raising funds to help pay for a proper cremation and service to honor my sister’s memory. Being able to give her a meaningful farewell is very important to me, and I want to make sure she is remembered with the love and dignity she deserves. The costs of these arrangements are more than I can manage on my own, especially with everything else happening right now.

I would like to thank everyone who is able to help with this fundraiser. Your support means so much to me during this incredibly hard time. Any contribution, no matter the size, will help ease the burden and allow me to focus on honoring my sister and supporting our mom. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.“

Our sincere condolences go out to Angelina Armani’s family, friends, and fans.

The post Angelina Armani of Fear Clinic and Laid to Rest 2 has passed away at age 38 appeared first on JoBlo.

Sometimes the hills are alive with the sound of music. Other times, though, the hills have eyes. 2006’s The Hills Have Eyes arrived during a period when horror remakes were dominating Hollywood and even Wes Craven’s often-overlooked 1977 cannibal classic was considered ripe for a gruesome reimagining.

The film became a major commercial success, spawned an unlikely sequel, and left critics divided. It also battled censorship issues, nearly received an NC-17 rating, and featured a deleted scene so disturbing that Wes Craven himself shut it down out of fear someone might imitate it in real life.

Most importantly, The Hills Have Eyes remains one of the rare remakes widely considered better than the original nearly 20 years later. By reimagining the villains through the lens of nuclear testing and radiation, the film transformed Craven’s raw exploitation concept into something uniquely American and deeply unsettling.

Be careful on those family road trips through the desert as we look at what happened to The Hills Have Eyes remake.

Horror Remakes Were Everywhere in the Early 2000s

The early 2000s became a breeding ground for horror remakes. Hollywood embraced J-horror adaptations like The Ring and The Grudge while also reviving domestic classics such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Amityville Horror. Those latter two films especially caught the attention of legendary horror director Wes Craven. Following the massive success of the original Scream trilogy between 1996 and 2000, Craven experienced a career resurgence. Although 2005’s Cursed struggled behind the scenes, that same year’s Red Eye earned strong reviews and solid box office success.

Craven wasn’t interested in directing a remake himself, but after seeing the financial success of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) and The Amityville Horror (2005), both of which earned over $100 million worldwide on modest budgets, he began considering revisiting films from his own catalog. While The Last House on the Left would eventually receive its own remake in 2009, The Hills Have Eyes was the project Craven was most eager to revisit.

Alexandre Aja and Gregory Levasseur Reinvent the Story

The search for the right creative team eventually led Craven and producer Marianne Maddalena to French filmmakers Alexandre Aja and Gregory Levasseur. Maddalena had recently seen the French horror film High Tension and was blown away by its intensity. After screening the movie for Craven, he agreed that Aja and Levasseur possessed “a multifaceted understanding of what is profoundly terrifying.” After meeting with the duo, Craven immediately knew they were the right filmmakers to bring a new version of The Hills Have Eyes to life.

Excited to tackle their first major American production, Aja and Levasseur began rewriting Craven’s original story while maintaining its core premise: a stranded family fighting for survival against violent cannibals in the desert. However, the remake introduced a major change to the villains’ origins.

Craven’s original film was loosely inspired by the Scottish legend of Sawney Bean, the alleged leader of a cannibalistic clan in the 16th century. The 1977 version never fully explained why the family had chosen to live in the desert and turn to cannibalism. The remake changed that entirely by tying the mutants to nuclear testing in New Mexico.

The Real-World Inspiration Behind the Mutants

Long before filming began, Aja and Levasseur had a very specific vision for the mutant family’s appearance. The filmmakers based much of their concept art on real photographs and footage of radiation victims from Hiroshima and Chernobyl. Their goal was to make the mutants feel disturbingly grounded in reality rather than fantastical movie monsters.

Although the only real nuclear test conducted in New Mexico was the Trinity test overseen by J. Robert Oppenheimer, the film expanded the concept into a fictional government testing area where generations of radiation exposure created horrific mutations.

The movie’s opening credits reinforced this disturbing realism by featuring real images connected to the effects of Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War.

The Cast Combined Horror Veterans and Rising Stars

To portray the Carter family, the filmmakers assembled a mix of veteran character actors and younger rising stars. Ted Levine played Big Bob Carter, the stubborn family patriarch whose exaggerated version of American masculinity often puts the family in danger. Levine was already iconic to horror fans thanks to his unforgettable role as Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs.

The supporting cast included:

• Kathleen Quinlan as family matriarch Ethel
• Vinessa Shaw as protective mother Lynn
• Aaron Stanford as outsider son-in-law Doug
• Emilie de Ravin as younger sister Brenda
• Dan Byrd as the youngest son Bobby

Vinessa Shaw was initially hesitant to join the project, but after watching High Tension and meeting with Aja and Levasseur, she signed on to play Lynn.

Creating the Mutant Family

Casting the mutants required actors capable of enduring extensive makeup while also performing physically demanding stunt work. Industrial musician Nivek Ogre from the band Skinny Puppy reportedly auditioned for the role of Lizard but was considered too frightening by producers. The role eventually went to veteran actor Robert Joy, while Ezra Buzzington portrayed Goggle after researching historical accounts of cannibalistic cultures.

Michael Bailey Smith, previously seen as Super Freddy in A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, played the massive Pluto. His performance impressed the filmmakers so much that he later returned to play a different character in the sequel.

Billy Drago portrayed the terrifying Papa Jupiter, while Laura Ortiz played Ruby, the youngest mutant and one of the film’s few sympathetic characters.

KNB FX and the Film’s Extreme Gore

Unlike the comparatively restrained 1977 original, this remake fully embraced the brutal style associated with the French New Extreme movement. Legendary effects house KNB FX handled the film’s makeup and gore effects, spending over six months designing the mutant family. The team used early three-dimensional modeling technology to create prosthetics customized for each actor. Some transformations, especially Robert Joy’s Lizard makeup, required up to three hours in the chair.

Special effects legend Greg Nicotero even appeared onscreen as the mutant Cyst during later scenes inside the abandoned town.

One particularly bizarre unused idea involved Papa Jupiter originally having a parasitic twin attached to his body, similar to Kuato from Total Recall.

The Deleted Scene Wes Craven Refused to Allow

Visual effects artist Jamison Goei and his team contributed over 130 digital effects shots to the film, enhancing mutant deformities and expanding the abandoned nuclear test town far beyond the physical set that was built. But one planned sequence never made it into the movie.

Originally, Alexandre Aja wanted the Carter family to bring kittens along on their road trip in addition to birds. During the mutant attack on the RV, the kittens would have been killed in an extremely graphic blender sequence. When Aja pitched the idea to Wes Craven, the horror master immediately rejected it out of concern that viewers might imitate the scene in real life.

Even without the deleted sequence, The Hills Have Eyes still faced heavy scrutiny from the MPAA and required cuts to avoid receiving an NC-17 rating.

Filming in the Brutal Moroccan Desert

The movie’s production conditions proved almost as punishing as the film itself. Temperatures during filming regularly exceeded 120 degrees.

The producers originally hoped to shoot in Victorville, California, where Craven filmed the 1977 original. However, decades of development had transformed the once-isolated desert landscape into suburban housing developments. After considering locations including New Mexico, Nevada, and South Africa, the production ultimately chose Morocco, often referred to as “The Gateway to the Sahara.”

Fox Searchlight initially worried about filming there due to concerns over terrorist activity, but the location ultimately worked perfectly for the movie’s harsh desert atmosphere. The production design became so convincing that people occasionally stopped at the fully constructed gas station set believing it was real.

Box Office Success and Horror Legacy

The Hills Have Eyes was released on March 10, 2006, with a production budget of roughly $15 million. The movie opened in third place at the box office and eventually earned more than $70 million worldwide during its theatrical run. It later found even greater popularity on home video, especially through its unrated edition, which became extremely popular during the DVD boom of the mid-2000s.

Although the film currently holds a mixed critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, horror fans continue to regard it as one of the strongest horror remakes ever made. Many viewers even consider it superior to Wes Craven’s original film.

Like the 1977 version, the remake eventually received a sequel. While The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007) remains divisive, many fans still prefer it over the original franchise’s first sequel. That sequel became a family affair, with Wes Craven co-writing and producing alongside his son Jonathan Craven.

For now, though, the 2006 remake still has teeth, still shocks audiences, and remains one of the standout horror remakes of the 21st century. And that’s what happened to The Hills Have Eyes remake.

A couple of previous episodes of this show can be seen below. For more, check out the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel—and don’t forget to subscribe!

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PLOT: Bear (Michael Johnston) is a shy music store employee with a monster crush on his long-time friend and co-worker, Nikki (Inde Navarrette). Too shy to confess his feelings—and possibly aware that she only thinks of him as a friend—he innocently makes a wish upon a dime-store “one wish willow” that she’d “love him more than anyone else in the world.” His wish comes true—and the consequences are nightmarish.

REVIEW: Obsession is going to strike a chord with a lot of viewers. I think everyone, at some point in their lives, has had a crush on someone who didn’t share their feelings, making Bear’s initial predicament easy to relate to. Others may also relate to Nikki, who’s perhaps been the object of affection from someone they simply aren’t interested in. Obsession becomes a nightmare for both halves of the equation, with Nikki utterly robbed of her agency, choice, and consent in order to fulfill someone else’s fantasy, while Bear—who thinks of himself as a “nice guy”—becomes a predator, and eventually a victim himself.

It’s a lot to chew on, and it marks the arrival of a major new talent in director Curry Barker. Stylishly directed and often darkly humorous, Obsession is a slow burn that pays off with an increasingly horrific final act. It includes one of the most memorable gore scenes in recent memory—so intense that Barker reportedly had to trim it to secure an R rating, and Focus gave it a wide summer release.

It’s exceptionally well-acted by both of its stars. Inde Navarrette is a hoot as the increasingly unhinged Nikki, yet she maintains your sympathy at all times, as you’re constantly aware she’s being manipulated by a force she can’t control. It’s almost a Linda Blair–esque performance, and it should put her on the map in a big way.

Yet of the two, Michael Johnston has the trickier role, playing a character most audience members will grow to despise without losing his humanity. In many ways—especially early on—Johnston’s Bear is as much a victim as Nikki, initially guilty of nothing more than making a dumb, throwaway wish on a gag toy he never expected to work. Yet at a certain point, he decides to go along with it, with a smash cut at one pivotal moment revealing that, despite thinking he’s a good man, he utterly lacks scruples, becoming a willing participant in Nikki’s tortured existence. Of course, things start to go wrong, and he tries to undo the wish—but as anyone who’s seen a horror movie knows, that’s easier said than done.

Barker guides the film with a sure hand and doesn’t shy away from hammering home his message about the difference between real love and obsession. Many will note the movie’s gallows humor, with gore-heavy moments happening so randomly and brutally that you can’t help but laugh at how demented they are—only to realize moments later that what you’re watching is, in many ways, a classic horror tragedy.

The supporting cast is excellent, with Megan Lawless a standout as Sarah, another record shop employee who would be a much better match for Bear if he could get over his obsession with Nikki. Cooper Tomlinson plays his more effortlessly charismatic friend, Ian. Also keep your eyes peeled for Andy Richter in a small role as the owner of the music shop they all work at (which feels like a cursed version of Empire Records).

If Focus plays its cards right, it might have the next indie horror sleeper on its hands with Obsession. It played like gangbusters at both TIFF and SXSW and is a great movie to see with an audience. It’s a strong communal horror experience and one of the more creative indie horror films to emerge in recent memory.

Obsession hits theaters on May 15th!

The post Obsession Review: A Slam-Bang Indie Horror Gem appeared first on JoBlo.

The Exorcist remains my choice for the greatest horror movie ever made. Some may argue for Rosemary’s Baby, The Shining, or Night of the Living Dead, but as a good Catholic boy, nothing has ever gotten under my skin the way William Friedkin’s original did. Naturally, Hollywood tried to turn the film into a franchise, despite Friedkin having little interest in sequels. The result is one of horror’s strangest franchise legacies, filled with misguided sequels, troubled productions, and one genuinely excellent follow-up. Here are the Exorcist movies ranked from worst to best.

Rank	Movie	Year	Director	Verdict
6	Exorcist II: The Heretic	1977	John Boorman	Wildly entertaining disaster
5	The Exorcist: Believer	2023	David Gordon Green	Generic and disappointing legacy sequel
4	Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist	2005	Paul Schrader	Interesting but ultimately dull
3	The Exorcist: The Beginning	2004	Renny Harlin	Silly but entertaining action-horror prequel
2	The Exorcist III	1990	William Peter Blatty	The franchise’s only truly great sequel
1	The Exorcist	1973	William Friedkin	The greatest horror movie ever made

6. Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)

Director: John Boorman
Starring: Richard Burton, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, James Earl Jones
Release Year: 1977
Subgenre: Supernatural horror
Notable For: One of the most infamous horror sequels ever made

So, worst is a degree here rather than a black-and-white fact. All of the Exorcist sequels – with that one exception I’ll get to later – are terrible. Yet, of them all, none is quite as bad as the infamous Exorcist II: The Heretic. What’s crazy is that the movie comes from a pretty fantastic director, John Boorman. Still, he’s also a guy who, in between making masterpieces like Excalibur and Deliverance, also made the odd stinker, like Zardoz.

Exorcist II: The Heretic is like the overacting Olympics. Poor Richard Burton sweats booze as Father Lamont, who’s having a crisis of faith while investigating the death of Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow was lured back for a small role). He meets with Linda Blair’s Regan MacNeil, who’s now a teenager and seems well adjusted, all things considered. There’s a batch of hokum that includes ESP, James Earl Jones dressed as a Locust, a weird Italo-disco score by Ennio Morricone, not one but two tap dancing sequences for Linda Blair, and Burton doing all of his own sweating and looking like he needs a drink – badly.

This movie was so bad that Boorman had to physically cut film prints that were already playing theatrically in order to make the movie a little shorter. Yet, as bad as it is, it’s one of the most entertainingly awful movies ever made, and the cinematography by William A. Fraker is legitimately great. Also, no one says Pazuzu like Richard Burton.

5. The Exorcist: Believer (2023)

Director: David Gordon Green
Starring: Leslie Odom Jr., Ellen Burstyn, Ann Dowd, Lidya Jewett
Release Year: 2023
Subgenre: Supernatural horror
Notable For: Ellen Burstyn’s return as Chris MacNeil

While not as poorly made as Exorcist: The Heretic, director David Gordon Green’s Believer is undoubtedly a more boring film (despite the jump scares) and about as lazy a horror movie as you’re likely to encounter. Judging by the toxic word of mouth, you can imagine Universal is kicking themselves by shelling out $400 million for the rights to the franchise, even though none of the sequels have ever been financially successful.

Fifty years after starring in the original film, Ellen Burstyn reprised the role of Chris MacNeil for this film, and of course the movie couldn’t even handle her character correctly.

4. Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)

Director: Paul Schrader
Starring: Stellan Skarsgård, Gabriel Mann, Clara Bellar
Release Year: 2005
Subgenre: Psychological horror / religious drama
Notable For: The original prequel version rejected by the studio

Director Paul Schrader’s Exorcist prequel was considered such a disaster that the studio that made it, Morgan Creek, shelved and remade the entire film. While it’s hip to say Schrader’s movie is excellent, the truth is that despite some interesting moments, it’s very dull. It’s an interesting curiosity, and Schrader would eventually make a masterpiece about faith (First Reformed), but this isn’t it.

That said, I’m happy it eventually saw the light of day as I’m not in favor of shelving movies, no matter how bad they are.

3. The Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)

Director: Renny Harlin
Starring: Stellan Skarsgård, Izabella Scorupco, James D’Arcy
Release Year: 2004
Subgenre: Action horror / supernatural horror
Notable For: The studio-mandated replacement for Dominion

Like The Heretic, this alternate Exorcist prequel by Renny Harlin is of the so bad it’s good variety. Harlin turned the franchise into an action film, with Stellan Skarsgård’s Father Merrin reimagined as a badass priest who even performs a holy head-butt at the film’s conclusion. It isn’t good, but it’s kind of fun.

Skarsgård really does his best, and its interesting to compare his Liam Neeson-like action star performance in this to his quiet turn in Dominion.

2. The Exorcist III (1990)

Director: William Peter Blatty
Starring: George C. Scott, Jason Miller, Ed Flanders, Brad Dourif
Release Year: 1990
Subgenre: Psychological horror / police thriller
Notable For: Adaptation of Blatty’s novel Legion

It’s literally the only good Exorcist sequel. William Peter Blatty initially set out to make a looser kind of sequel, with it being an adaptation of his novel Legion. But, after the movie was completed, Morgan Creek got uncomfortable with his police thriller version of the film, insisting he reshoot the ending to include Jason Miller’s Father Karras and a grand guignol, eighties-horror style Exorcism.

Despite being compromised (you can see the reconstituted director’s cut on the Blu-Ray), the movie is still quite good, with George C. Scott excellent as the recast Lt. Kinderman (the original actor – Lee J. Cobb – was dead by this point). Blatty also includes some weird touches, including a cameo by Fabio as an angel.

One might also consider Blatty’s The Ninth Configuration as a quasi-sequel given that a minor character from the first film is the star, but the genres are very different. If that one were counted it would place highly on our list of Exorcist Movies Ranked.

1. The Exorcist (1973)

Director: William Friedkin
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller
Release Year: 1973
Subgenre: Religious horror
Notable For: Widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films ever made

Simply put, the greatest horror movie ever made. If you’re making a list called Exorcist Movies Ranked, and the original film doesn’t land in first place, what are you even doing?

Friedkin was right never to try and make a sequel because it can’t possibly be beaten, or even equaled. That said, avoid 2000’s The Version You Never Saw, as that was Friedkin doing a favour for William Peter Blatty, who hated how vague the director had left the conclusion of his battle between good and evil. I much prefer the darker original. As for the Spider-Walk – who needs it?

If you want to see another quasi-horror film from Friedkin, check out the 1980 serial killer thriller Cruising, which is very disturbing and loosely based on a real killer’s exploits. The kicker – this killer was a radiologist who played himself in The Exorcist! It’s weird but true.

FAQ

What is the best Exorcist movie?

The original The Exorcist (1973) is widely considered the best film in the franchise and one of the greatest horror movies ever made.

Is The Exorcist III worth watching?

Yes. Many horror fans consider The Exorcist III the only genuinely strong sequel in the series.

Why are there two Exorcist prequels?

Morgan Creek rejected Paul Schrader’s original prequel, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, and replaced it with Renny Harlin’s Exorcist: The Beginning.

Is The Exorcist: Believer connected to the original movie?

Yes. The film serves as a legacy sequel and brings back Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil.

Was William Friedkin involved in the sequels?

No. Friedkin declined to direct sequels after the original 1973 film.

Despite decades of sequels, prequels, and reboots, The Exorcist remains one of the few horror films whose reputation has never faded. While the franchise itself has struggled to escape the shadow of Friedkin’s masterpiece, The Exorcist III proves there was at least one worthwhile continuation of William Peter Blatty’s world of faith, evil, and spiritual terror.

How would you rank the Exorcist movies? Let us know by leaving a comment below – and if you watched the TV series from 20th Century Fox Television, add that into the mix as well.

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Writer Jen D’Angelo got her start working on episodes of shows Workaholics, Cougar Town, and Young Rock, and recently she was on a streak of successfully getting her feature scripts brought to the screen. She wrote the long-awaited sequel Hocus Pocus 2, the time travel slasher Totally Killer, and the comedy Quiz Lady – but a project that has been slowing her down is Hocus Pocus 3, which she has been attached to for a couple of years now. Following the success of Hocus Pocus 2, it’s been surprising to see that Hocus Pocus 3 is taking so long to make it into production, even with Bette Midler urging the studio to take action. During an appearance on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live! a few months ago, Sarah Jessica Parker simply said they’ve “been having some conversations” about the next sequel – but now it sounds like there’s been some progress, as Midler has revealed that she has read the script!

UPDATE: Several months have passed since Midler read the script, but Deadline has now been able to confirm that “Hocus Pocus 3 is officially in early development from Disney Live Action Studios, with the trio of stars, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, returning to reprise their roles as the Sanderson sisters. We understand there are plans for a theatrical distribution component this time around, following the success of the straight-to-streaming Hocus Pocus 2, available exclusively on Disney+. However, the studio declined to comment as the project is still in its infancy. EVP of Production Jessica Virtue will be overseeing the project on behalf of Disney Live Action.”

The original article, first published in October 2025, follows:

Midler’s revelation came on, what do you know, another episode of Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live! Andy Cohen interviews are the source for all Hocus Pocus 3 news bites, apparently. Midler told Cohen, “They sent a script, and a lot of it was brilliant. So I got very excited, and now we’re sort of, like, trying to figure out what it is and how it’s going– where it’s going to be and how much it’s going to cost and all those logistical things.“

The original cult favorite Hocus Pocus was released in 1993. Directed by Kenny Ortega from a screenplay credited to Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert (and based on story Garris crafted with David Kirschner), that film was about a trio of witch sisters who have been cursed since 1693. The fearsome threesome is inadvertently resurrected 300 years later by a boy whose family has moved from Los Angeles to Salem. As they attempt to acclimate to the 20th century, they are horrified to discover that Halloween has become a holiday. Fans had to wait 29 years for Hocus Pocus 2. That sequel saw Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy reprising the roles of the Sanderson Sisters. The film has the following synopsis: Picking up 29 years after a teen named Max lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the three 17th-century child-essence-stealing sorceresses, Winifred (Midler), Sarah (Parker), and Mary (Najimy) are now looking for revenge. With the Sanderson Sisters back to terrorize Salem, it’s up to three high school students to stop them. How do you do that? By summoning the wrath of an enchantress, of course.

Are you glad to hear that Bette Midler has read the Hocus Pocus 3 script and it sounds like progress is being made? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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PLOT: Johnny Cage (Karl Urban), a washed-up action hero from the nineties, is chosen to join the champions of Earthrealm as they try to win a tournament against the evil Shao Kahn who, if he wins, will become Earth’s new merciless ruler.

REVIEW: 2021’s Mortal Kombat was a movie I liked more in theory than execution. As someone who grew up with the games, as well as the nineties movies (for both better and worse), I liked the fact that it was being made as a large-scale feature with an R-rating, but the finished film just didn’t do much for me. While many classic characters made their way into the movie, none of them had much personality, and the film was surprisingly dull and by-the-numbers — although it was a significant box office hit despite its simultaneous HBO Max release. Ask any fan, though, and they’ll tell you exactly what the movie was missing — Johnny Cage.

Thankfully, the same creative team who made the first one, including director Simon McQuoid, has taken the opportunity to improve things, namely by introducing the character we all wanted to see the first time around, with Karl Urban well cast as Johnny Cage. Despite not being a martial artist, Urban has the personality needed for a film like this, with him bringing his chops and some much-needed attitude to a movie that — while still far from perfect — is a lot of fun. Like the first, it’s unapologetically R-rated, with lots of gore and F-bombs.

You probably don’t even need to have seen the first movie to get into the sequel, as many of the characters who were prominent previously have been sidelined. Most notably, this is true of Lewis Tan’s Cole Young, a controversial addition to the franchise, who was the lead in the last film but has a minor role this time. Other actors return, including Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, Tadanobu Asano as Raiden, and Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, and while they’re around for much of the film, they support the movie’s two leads — Johnny and Adeline Rudolph, who plays Kitana.

In this sequel, Kitana is the daughter of a fallen king who has become Shao Kahn’s adopted daughter, but she is secretly allied with Earthrealm and looking to end his reign of terror. It’s really her and Cage’s respective journeys that take up much of the running time. At some point, Josh Lawson is also brought back into the story as Kano to liven things up a bit, with him being a fan favorite from the first movie. Hiroyuki Sanada, whose profile in the West has risen significantly since Shogun, also returns as Scorpion. It takes some time for him to show up, but he plays an important part in the last act.

As for the action — because it’s a video game adaptation, it can be forgiven for relying so significantly on VFX and wire work. Mortal Kombat isn’t Bloodsport — it’s fantasy, so the fact that Karl Urban may not be a real martial artist doesn’t really matter, with a lot of the moves Johnny Cage pulls off (being right from the game) not being in the realm of human ability. You either go with the fantastical vibe or you don’t. The fights are fine, but — and this is my main gripe with the movie — none of them stand out in a huge way. Johnny has a fun fight with Baraka, and there’s a cool match between Liu Kang and Kung Lao, but none of them really impress. I suppose we’ve been spoiled by too many great fight scenes in recent years, but part of me yearns for the comparatively simple fights from the first Paul W.S. Anderson Mortal Kombat movie, whose budget probably wouldn’t pay for the catering on this one.

As is the trend these days, Mortal Kombat II is getting an IMAX release, but to me this isn’t one of the movies that really benefits from the format. It does expand to the IMAX aspect ratio quite often, but in an irregular, distracting way. During the build-up to the Johnny/Baraka fight, the aspect ratio opens up in a dramatic way, only to immediately revert back in the next shot. I also saw this fight scene in the conventional format at CinemaCon, and I found it came off better that way — so this is a rare occasion where a trip to the IMAX screen may not really be worth it.

While Mortal Kombat II isn’t quite the knockout follow-up some of us might have been hoping for, it does improve on the last film, and is night and day compared to the last time we got a Mortal Kombat II in theaters (folks of my generation can remember feeling ripped off when we saw Mortal Kombat: Annihilation). Karl Urban gets a great showcase here, and even if you can’t help but feel the action could have been a bit more memorable, I had a fun time watching it.

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