# Sharksploitation

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Subgenre of exploitation film

For the 2023 documentary film, see [*Sharksploitation* (film)](/source/Sharksploitation_(film)).

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**Sharksploitation** is a subgenre of [exploitation film](/source/Exploitation_film) that involves [sharks](/source/Shark) or [shark attacks](/source/Shark_attack).[1][2] The genre emerged in the wake of the 1975 film *[Jaws](/source/Jaws_(film))* and [its sequels](/source/Jaws_(franchise)), but fell in [popularity](/source/Popularity) soon after.[3] The 1999 film *[Deep Blue Sea](/source/Deep_Blue_Sea_(1999_film))* brought it back to public prominence. Other examples of sharksploitation films include *[Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus](/source/Mega_Shark_Versus_Giant_Octopus)* (2009), *[Dinoshark](/source/Dinoshark)*, *[Sharktopus](/source/Sharktopus)* (both 2010), *[Snow Shark](/source/Snow_Shark)* (2012), *[Ghost Shark](/source/Ghost_Shark)* (2013), *[Avalanche Sharks](/source/Avalanche_Sharks)* (2014), and the *[Sharknado](/source/Sharknado_(film_series))* film series (2013–2018).[4]

In 2023, a feature-length documentary film about the subgenre, titled *[Sharksploitation](/source/Sharksploitation_(film))*, was produced and released by [Shudder](/source/Shudder_(streaming_service)).[5][6][7][8]

## Notable sharksploitation films

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Year Films Series Genre 1950 Killer Shark NA Adventure 1960 Shark! N/A Action 1975 Jaws Jaws Thriller 1975 Sharks' Treasure N/A Adventure 1976 Mako: The Jaws of Death N/A Thriller 1976 Shark Kill N/A Adventure 1977 Tintorera, also known as Tintorera: Killer Shark. N/A Horror 1978 Jaws 2 Jaws Thriller 1978 Cyclone (Spanish: El Ciclón), also known as Terror Storm N/A Survival/Horror 1979 The Shark Hunter N/A Adventure 1981 The Last Shark, also known as Great White N/A Horror 1981 Beyond the Reef N/A Adventure 1983 Jaws 3-D Jaws Thriller 1987 Jaws: The Revenge Jaws Thriller 1989 Night of the Sharks N/A Action 1989 Deep Blood, also known as Sharks or Sangue negli abissi (Italian, lit. "Blood in the Abyss") N/A Adventure/Horror 1995 Cruel Jaws N/A Thriller 1999 Deep Blue Sea Deep Blue Sea Sci-fi/Horror 1999 Shark Attack Shark Attack Thriller 2000 Shark Attack 2 Shark Attack Thriller 2002 Shark Attack 3: Megalodon Shark Attack Thriller 2003 Open Water[a] Open Water Survival/Thriller 2003 Red Water N/A Action/Horror 2003 Shark Zone N/A Horror 2004 12 Days of Terror N/A Horror/Thriller 2004 Blue Demon N/A Sci-fi/Horror 2005 Hammerhead: Shark Frenzy, also known as Sharkman or Hammerhead N/A Sci-fi/Action/Horror 2005 Raging Sharks N/A Sci-fi/Action/Horror 2005 Spring Break Shark Attack N/A Action/Adventure/Drama 2008 Shark Swarm, also known as Great White N/A Thriller 2008 Shark in Venice, also known as Sharks in Venice in the U.S. N/A Natural horror/Action 2009 Jaws in Japan, also known as Psycho Shark N/A (unrelated to the Jaws franchise) Horror 2009 Malibu Shark Attack, also known as Mega Shark of Malibu It is a part of the SyFy Channel's Maneater series (which is unrelated to the Shark Attack or Mega Shark franchises), along with Shark Swarm, Shark Killer, and 25 other natural horror creature features. Natural horror 2009 Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus Mega Shark Versus Creature feature 2010 Dinoshark N/A Horror/Comedy 2010 Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus Mega Shark Versus Creature feature 2010 The Reef N/A Thriller 2010 Sharktopus Sharktopus Horror/Sci-fi/Creature feature/Comedy 2011 Sand Sharks N/A Horror/Comedy 2011 Shark Night N/A Thriller 2011 Super Shark N/A Sci-fi/Action 2011 Swamp Shark N/A Thriller 2012 2-Headed Shark Attack Multi-Headed Shark Attack Survival horror 2012 Bait 3D N/A Horror/Disaster 2012 Dark Tide N/A Action/Horror/Thriller 2012 Jersey Shore Shark Attack N/A Horror/Comedy 2012 Jurassic Shark, also known as Attack of the Jurassic Shark Jurassic Shark Horror/Comedy 2012 Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast Snow Shark Horror/Comedy 2012 Ghost Shark Ghost Shark Horror/Comedy 2013 Sharknado Sharknado Sci-fi/Disaster 2014 Avalanche Sharks N/A Horror/Comedy 2014 Mega Shark Versus Mecha Shark Mega Shark Versus Horror/Comedy 2014 Sharknado 2: The Second One Sharknado Sci-fi/Disaster/Comedy 2014 Sharktopus vs. Pteracuda Sharktopus Horror/Sci-fi/Creature feature/Comedy 2014 Piranha Sharks N/A Comedy/Horror 2015 Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf Sharktopus Horror/Sci-fi/Creature feature/Comedy 2015 Shark Exorcist Shark Exorcist Action/Horror 2015 3-Headed Shark Attack Multi-Headed Shark Attack Action/Horror 2015 Ghost Shark 2: Urban Jaws Ghost Shark Supernatural/Horror/Comedy 2015 Mega Shark Versus Kolossus Mega Shark Versus Sci-fi/Comedy 2015 Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! Sharknado Action/Horror/Comedy 2015 Roboshark, also known as Robo Shark vs. Navy Seals N/A Action/Adventure/Comedy 2015 Shark Lake (film) N/A Action/Horror 2016 Atomic Shark N/A Action/Horror 2016 Ozark Sharks, also known as Summer Shark Attack N/A Horror/Thriller/Comedy 2016 The Shallows N/A Survival/Horror 2016 Sharkansas Women's Prison Massacre N/A Sci-fi/Horror 2016 Sharkenstein N/A Sci-fi/Action/Comedy 2016 Sharknado: The 4th Awakens Sharknado Sci-fi/Disaster/Comedy 2017 5-Headed Shark Attack Multi-Headed Shark Attack Sci-fi/Horror 2017 47 Meters Down 47 Meters Down Survival/Horror 2017 House Shark N/A Horror/Comedy 2017 Open Water 3: Cage Dive[a] Open Water Found footage/Survival/Horror 2017 Sharknado 5: Global Swarming Sharknado Sci-fi/Disaster/Comedy 2018 The Last Sharknado: It's About Time Sharknado Sci-fi/Disaster/Comedy 2018 Deep Blue Sea 2 Deep Blue Sea Sci-fi/Horror 2018 The Meg The Meg Sci-fi/Action 2019 47 Meters Down: Uncaged 47 Meters Down Survival/Horror 2019 Capsized: Blood in the Water N/A Survival/Horror 2020 Deep Blue Sea 3 Deep Blue Sea Sci-fi/Horror 2020 Sky Sharks N/A Sci-fi/Comedy/Horror 2020 Ouija Shark Ouija Shark Comedy/Horror/Action 2021 Sharks of the Corn N/A Horror 2021 Swim (film) N/A Horror/Action 2022 Ouija Shark 2 Ouija Shark Action/Horror/Comedy 2022 The Reef: Stalked The Reef Horror 2022 The Requin N/A Horror/Thriller 2022 Maneater (Shark film) N/A Action/Horror 2022 Shark Bait N/A Action/Horror 2023 Sharktopus Remade in China Sharktopus Horror/Sci-fi/Creature feature/Comedy 2023 Meg 2: The Trench The Meg Sci-Fi/Action 2023 Cocaine Shark, also known as Kanizame Shakurabu[b] N/A Crime/Drama/Horror 2023 Big Shark N/A Horror/Comedy 2024 The Black Demon N/A Sci-Fi/Thriller 2024 No Way Up N/A Survival/Thriller 2024 Shark Exorcist 2: Unholy Waters Shark Exorcist Action/Horror 2024 Shark Island (film) N/A Action/Horror 2024 Something in the Water N/A Survival/Thriller 2025 Fear Below N/A Action/Thriller 2025 Into the Deep N/A Action/Thriller 2025 Dangerous Animals N/A Action/Thriller 2025 Fear Below N/A Action/Adventure/Horror

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-open-water_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-open-water_9-1) *[Open Water 2](/source/Open_Water_2)* has been excluded from this list. Although it is nominally part of the *[Open Water](/source/Open_Water_(film_series))* franchise, it is thematically unrelated to either *Open Water* or *Open Water 3*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-cocaine-shark_10-0)** *[Cocaine Shark](/source/Cocaine_Shark)* does feature character and geographical connections to both the *Jurassic Shark* franchise and *Sharkenstein* film, it is thematically unrelated to either film at this stage, with actors playing different characters in each film.

## See also

- [Exploitation film](/source/Exploitation_film)

- [Great white shark](/source/Great_white_shark)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Onion, Rebecca (June 16, 2005). ["Sharksploitation! *Jaws* and the sad decline of the shark movie"](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2005/06/the-sad-decline-of-the-shark-movie.html). *[Slate](/source/Slate_(magazine))*. Retrieved April 27, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Squires, John (June 22, 2023). ["'Sharksploitation' – Shudder Original Shark Horror Documentary Premieres This Summer"](https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3766747/sharksploitation-shudder-original-shark-horror-documentary-premieres-this-summer/). *[Bloody Disgusting](/source/Bloody_Disgusting)*. Retrieved July 25, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Choi, Charles Q. (June 20, 2010). ["How 'Jaws' Forever Changed Our View of Great White Sharks"](https://www.livescience.com/8309-jaws-changed-view-great-white-sharks.html). *[LiveScience](/source/LiveScience)*. Retrieved April 27, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Howard, Jules (August 19, 2018). ["The last 'Sharknado' won't be the end of sharksploitation films. But sharks do need saving"](https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/last-sharknado-won-t-be-end-sharksploitation-films-sharks-do-ncna901406). *[NBC News](/source/NBC_News)*. Retrieved July 25, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** de la Fuente, Anna Marie (August 2, 2021). ["Doc 'Sharksploitation' Delves into the Sub-Genre Spawned by Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws' (Exclusive)"](https://variety.com/2021/film/festivals/jaws-films-frontieres-doc-sharksploitation-1235032520/). *[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine))*. Retrieved July 25, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Squires, John (June 22, 2023). ["'Sharksploitation' – Shudder Original Shark Horror Documentary Premieres This Summer"](https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3766747/sharksploitation-shudder-original-shark-horror-documentary-premieres-this-summer/). *[Bloody Disgusting](/source/Bloody_Disgusting)*. Retrieved July 25, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Mack, Andrew (July 18, 2023). ["Sharksploitation Trailer: Shark Horror Doc Debuts on Shudder This Friday"](https://screenanarchy.com/2023/07/sharksploitation-trailer-doc-shudder-this-friday.html). *[Screen Anarchy](/source/Screen_Anarchy)*. Retrieved July 25, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Vagg, Stephen (22 October 2025). ["Bite on this! Why we're obsessed with bloody shark flicks"](https://www.indailyqld.com.au/inreview/film-tv/2025/10/22/bite-on-this-why-were-obsessed-with-bloody-shark-flicks). *InDaily Qld*. Retrieved 22 October 2025.

## External links

- ["Sharksploitation"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210206183726/https://sharksploitation.com/). *sharksploitation.com*. Archived from [the original](https://sharksploitation.com/) on February 6, 2021.

- [Sharksploitation exhibit -- Living Sharks Museum](https://www.livingsharks.org/sharksploitation)

- [Film School Rejects - "Sharksploitation: Feel the Grove According to 'Jaws'](https://filmschoolrejects.com/sharksploitation-feel-groove-according-jaws/)

- [Smithsonian Magazine - "How Realistic Is The Shark Science in 'The Shallows'?"](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science/qa-diving-deep-killer-shark-science-shallows-180959530/)

- [ABC News - "Why Has 'Sharknado' Become Such a Culture Phenomenon?"](https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/sharknado-culture-phenomenon/story?id=24772098)

v t e Exploitation film Blaxploitation Bruceploitation Cannibal Eurospy Euro War / Macaroni Combat Giallo Hippie Martial arts Mexploitation Mockbuster Mondo Nazi exploitation Nunsploitation Outlaw biker Ozploitation Poliziotteschi Pornochanchada Rape and revenge Rumberas film Sexploitation Sharksploitation Slasher Spaghetti Western Splatter Sword-and-sandal Turksploitation Vansploitation Women in prison

v t e Film genres By style Action Heroic bloodshed Hong Kong action Adventure Art Biographical Comedy Action Black Commedia all'italiana Sexy Dramedy Gross out Horror Parody Mo lei tau Remarriage Romantic Sex Screwball Silent Slapstick Cyberpunk Japanese Documentary Animated City symphony Direct cinema Docudrama Mockumentary Mondo Pseudo Semi Travel Video essay Drama Calligrafismo Dramedy Historical Legal Psychological Erotic Category III films Commedia sexy all'italiana Pink Sexploitation Thriller Educational Social guidance Epic Sword-and-sandal Experimental Exploitation see Exploitation film template Fantasy Comedy Contemporary Fantastique High Historical Magic realism Science Film noir Mexican film noir Neo-noir Pulp noir Tech noir Gothic Romance Southern Space Suburban Urban Horror Arthouse Black Body Cannibal Chinese horror Christmas horror Comedy Eco Fantastique Found footage German underground Ghost Giallo List of films Holiday Japanese horror Korean horror Lovecraftian Melodrama Korean Natural New French Extremity Psycho-biddy Psychological Science fiction Slasher Splatter Satanic Maximalist film Minimalist film Mumblecore Musical Arthouse Backstage Jukebox Musicarello Operetta Sceneggiata Mystery Detective Occult detective Whodunit Giallo Crossover Pornographic Hardcore pornography Softcore pornography (Malayalam) Propaganda Reality Romantic Comedy Bromantic Fantasy Gothic Paranormal Thriller Science fiction Art Comedy Fantastique Fantasy Gothic Horror Military New Wave Space opera Steampunk Tokusatsu Western Slice of life Iyashikei Slow cinema Survival Thriller Comedy Erotic Financial Giallo Legal New French Extremity Political Psychological Romantic Techno Transgressive Cinema of Transgression Extreme cinema New French Extremity Trick By theme Animals Beach party Body swap Buddy Buddy cop Female Cabrito Cannibal Chicano Colonial Coming-of-age Concert Crime Detective Gangster Gentleman thief Gokudō Gong'an Heist Heroic bloodshed Hood Mafia Mafia comedy Mumbai underworld Poliziotteschi Yakuza Cute Girls Doing Cute Things Dance Disaster Apocalyptic Drug Psychedelic Stoner Dystopian Ecchi Ero guro Ethnographic Exploitation Blaxploitation Mexploitation Turksploitation Extraterrestrial Food and drink Gendai-geki Ghost Goona-goona epic Gothic Romance Space Suburban Girls with guns Harem Hentai Lolicon Shotacon Tentacle erotica Homeland Isekai Jidaigeki Samurai Kaitō LGBTQ Yaoi Yuri Luchador Magical girl Martial arts Bruceploitation Chopsocky Gun fu Kung fu Ninja Wuxia Mecha Anime Monster Giant monster Kaiju Mummy Vampire Zombie Zombie comedy Mountain Mouth of Garbage Muslim social Nature Environmental issues Opera Outlaw biker Ozploitation Partisan film Prison Women Race Rape and revenge Road Rubble Rumberas Sageuk Sexploitation Bavarian porn Commedia sexy all'italiana Mexican sex comedy Nazi exploitation Pornochanchada Nunsploitation Sex report Shoshimin-eiga Slavery Slice of life Snuff South Seas Sports Spy Eurospy Superhero Surfing Swashbuckler Sword-and-sandal Sword and sorcery Travel imaginary voyage Trial Vigilante War Anti-war Euro War Submarine Western Acid Contemporary Western Dacoit Western Fantasy Florida Horror Horse opera Meat pie Northern Ostern Revisionist Science fiction Singing cowboy Space Spaghetti Weird Western Zapata Western By movement or period Absolute American eccentric cinema Australian New Wave Auteur films Berlin School Bourekas Brighton School British New Wave Kitchen sink realism Budapest school Calligrafismo Cannibal boom Cinema da Boca do Lixo Cinéma du look Cinema Novo Cinema of Moral Anxiety Cinema of Transgression Cinéma pur Commedia all'italiana Czechoslovak New Wave Documentary Film Movement Dogme 95 Erra Cinema European art cinema Film d'art Film gris Free Cinema French Impressionist French New Wave German Expressionist German underground horror Golden Age of Argentine cinema Golden Age of Mexican Cinema Golden Age of Nigerian Cinema Grupo Cine Liberación Heimatfilm Hollywood on the Tiber Hong Kong New Wave Indiewood Iranian New Wave New Sensibility Italian futurist Italian neorealist Japanese New Wave Kammerspielfilm L.A. Rebellion Lettrist Modernist film Mumblecore Neorealist New French Extremity New German New generation New Hollywood New Nollywood New Objectivity New Queer No Wave Nuevo Cine Mexicano Pan-Indian film Parallel cinema Persian Film Philippine New Wave Poetic realist Polish Film School Poliziotteschi The Prague film school Prussian film Pure Film Movement Remodernist Romanian New Wave Slow cinema Spaghetti Western Socialist realist Social realist Kitchen sink realism Soviet parallel Structural Surrealist Sword-and-sandal Taiwan New Cinema Tarantinoesque Telefoni Bianchi Thai New Wave Third Cinema Toronto New Wave Vulgar auteurism Yugoslav Black Wave By demographic Adult Black Children and family Anime Men Seinen Stag Teen Shōnen Shōjo Women Chick flick Josei By format, technique, approach, or production 3D Actuality Animation Anime Art Cartoon Computer Stop-motion Traditional Anthology Art B movie Behind-the-scenes Black and white Blockbuster Cinéma vérité Classical Hollywood cinema Collage Color Compilation Composite Computer screen Cult midnight movie Database cinema Direct-to-video ONA OVA Docufiction Ethnofiction Experimental Abstract Feature Featurette Film à clef Film-poem Found footage Geezer teaser High concept Hyperlink cinema Independent Guerrilla filmmaking List of American independent films Interstitial art Live action animation Low-budget Major film studios Masala Maximalist film Message picture Meta-film Minimalist film Mockbuster Modernist film Musical short Mythopoeia Neorealist No-budget One-shot Paracinema Participatory Poetry Postmodernist Reverse motion Satire Sceneggiata Semidocumentary Serial Shinpa Short Silent Slow cinema Socialist realist Sound Television film Underground Video nasty Vulgar auteurism Z movie Category

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sharksploitation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharksploitation) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharksploitation?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.