The Jaws film franchise is a renowned collection of suspenseful thrillers. Universal Pictures produced and distributed the series, which faced production problems due to its high budget and delays.
Despite these issues, the series won three Academy Awards, including Original Dramatic Score, Best Film Editing, and Sound. The original Jaws movie, released in 1975, is particularly notable for its quality and realism, it is directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider, and Richard Dreyfuss.
The film is famous for its ability to evoke terror in viewers, and many consider it a classic among all the films in the series. The success of Jaws led to the creation of three sequels, which together have grossed nearly $800 million worldwide.
Despite their commercial success, the sequels were met with mixed reviews from audiences and critics. The original Jaws movie, directed by Spielberg, is a thrilling action movie that sets the tone for the rest of the series.
In what order do you watch the Jaws movies? The Jaws movie series is widely recognized as one of film history’s most iconic and popular franchises. This blog post provides a complete guide to the Jaws movies series chronologically and briefly overviews each film. So, let’s get started!
How to watch Jaws Movies in Order of Event in 2023?
If you are looking to catch up on the entire series, below is the list of all the Jaws movies
- Jaws (1975)
- Jaws 2 (1978)
- Jaws 3-D (1983)
- Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
Jaws (1975)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb
Cast: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw
Genre: Adventure, mystery, thriller
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Run Time: 2 hours 4 minutes
Box Office: The movie Jaws (1975) generated a box office revenue of $476 million.
In June of 1975, the American thriller film “Jaws” was released, based on Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel of the same title. Notorious for its violent scenes, the movie tends to elicit intense reactions from viewers, enhanced by John Williams’ iconic score. The plot revolves around a great white shark terrorizing the inhabitants of Amity Island’s beach community. As chaos ensues, a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an experienced sailor team up to track down and capture the deadly creature.
The first title in this Jaws movies in order list had a great commercial success grossing over $476 at the box office, showing exceptional acting and direction, making it a must-watch film.
The 1975 Jaws is available on Netflix Italy. You can watch Jaws on Netflix now from anywhere in the world on Italy server.
Jaws 2 (1978)
Director: Jeannot Szwarc
Writer: Peter Benchley, Howard Sackler, Carl Gottlieb
Cast: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary, and Murray Hamilton
Genre: Adventure, horror, thriller
IMDb Rating: 5.8/10
Run Time: 1 hour and 56 minutes
This comes next in the right order to watch Jaws movies list. Jaws 2, the first sequel to the original film, is set four years after the events of the first movie on Amity Island. Chief Brody (played by Roy Scheider) believes another great white shark is responsible for shark-related deaths and disappearances. However, he struggles to convince the town’s selectmen and ultimately loses his job. Brody takes matters into his own hands to save his two sons and a group of teenagers from the man-eating shark while sailing. The movie asks: Can Brody rescue the trapped young sailors and defeat the ferocious creature with the jaws of death?
Jaws 3-D (1983)
Director: Joe Alves
Writer: Peter Benchley, Richard Matheson
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Simon MacCorkindale, Bess Armstrong, Louis Gossett Jr.
Genre: Horror, thriller, adventure
IMDb Rating: 3.7/10
Run Time: 1 hour and 39 minutes
Jaws III is the third film to watch in the Jaws movies in order list and the second sequel to Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. Regrettably, the screenplay of Jaws 3-D is incredibly boring, and Joe Alves’s direction is arguably the weakest in the franchise, causing all of the excitement and tension to fall short. Additionally, the atrocious 3-D visuals are prominently featured throughout the film, and they were never impressive in the first place.
The plot revolves around a new underwater tunnel in an Orlando theme park that is about to open, but a great white shark enters the park through the tunnel and begins attacking people. Despite park owner Calvin Bouchard’s order to close the park, the mayor refuses to do so for fear of damaging the town’s summertime economy. In an attempt to stop the shark, Brody, Hooper, and marine biologist Kay Morgan team up and set out on a boat to find and kill the shark. However, the task proved much more difficult than they initially anticipated. Shelby Overman, a mechanic, dives into the water to fix the issue but gets attacked and killed by the shark. This incident leads the trio to realize that killing the shark is the only way to stop it, so they continue their pursuit despite their obstacles.
Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
Director: Joseph Sargent
Writer: Peter Benchley, Michael De Guzman
Cast: Lorraine Gary, Lance Guest, Mario Van Peebles
Genre: Horror, thriller, adventure
IMDb Rating: 3.0/10
Run Time: 1h 29min
The fourth and final part in the list of Jaws movies order, titled ” Jaws: The Revenge (1987),” was rushed into production and completed in just nine months, resulting in a drop in quality compared to the previous films.
The movie centers around Ellen Brody (Lorraine Gary) as a widow after her husband, Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), dies from a heart attack off-screen. Despite attempts to revive his character, he remains deceased. The film opens with a grim scene of the youngest Brody son, Sean, being brutally killed by a great white shark, setting up the potential for exploring intergenerational trauma and the Brody family’s haunting experiences. However, the story quickly devolves into a comical fourth installment as the same shark illogically follows the family to the Bahamas. We discover that Ellen has developed a psychic connection with the creature. This concept is particularly bizarre even for a franchise known for its absurd shark-related plots.
All Jaws movies in order of release dates
Here is the list of all the Jaws movies released to date
- Jaws (1975) – June 20, 1975
- Jaws 2 (1978) – June 16, 1978
- Jaws 3-D (1983) – July 22, 1983
- Jaws: The Revenge (1987) – July 17, 1987
What is the best Jaw movie?
The Jaws franchise began with massive success but lost its popularity over time due to poor production quality. According to IMDb, the Jaws movies are ranked from best to least-best as follows:
| Movie Title | IMDb Rating |
|---|---|
| Jaws (1975) | 8/10 |
| Jaws 2 (1978) | 5.8/10 |
| Jaws 3-D (1983) | 3.7/10 |
| Jaws: The Revenge (1987) | 3.0/10 |
How many Jaws movies are there?
There are four movies in the Jaws film franchise, with three revolving around the story of The Amity Island and the Brody family. The fourth movie, Jaws 3-D, is at an Orlando theme park.
Is Jaws based on a true story?
The book and movie “Jaws” are works of fiction, but they were influenced by shark attacks in New Jersey in 1916.
In what order should I watch Jaws movies?
The Jaws film series is an American natural horror franchise adapted from a novel published in 1974. While the movies can be enjoyed as stand-alone films, they are interconnected and follow the same storyline. Watching the Jaws movies chronologically is recommended for a better understanding of the plot.
Are there any more Jaws movies releasing soon?
Jaws: The Revenge (1987) was both a critical and commercial failure, and the franchise has been absent from the big screen for over 30 years. There is little chance of a fifth installment being produced.
Wrapping it up!
The Jaws franchise, which saw massive success with the first installment in the 1970s, directed by Steven Spielberg, gradually lost popularity due to inconsistent casting and a lack of planning. However, it still remains one of the best franchises to binge-watch for those who love horror-adventure films.
Thank you for visiting Indiecuts. I hope the information provided about the Jaws movie series has been helpful. Can you share which title from the list of Jaws movies in order is your favorite? If you’re interested in reading more posts related to movies, please take a look at some of the recommended articles below.
