Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Peter Benchley novel Jaws is a return to the major elements of fear and the use of suspense in telling a story. With its release in June 1975, Jaws proved to be a huge commercial success and became the first ever Summer Blockbuster. Here is a list of films that involve dangerous water creatures or terror on the sea. After 43 years it's still not safe to go back into the water.
Jaws 2 (1978)
Sequel the 1975 Blockbuster picks up a few years later with a group of teens going sailing and getting stranded after a shark causes the boats to collide. Not as huge a movie as the first one yet the young cast are all likable, and you do cheer for them to survive.
Piranha Series (1978 & 2010)
The original Piranha was a surprisingly fun Jaws ripoff that has become a cult classic and one that even Steven Spielberg liked. The 2010 remake is an amazingly well made B movie that amps ups the blood, gore and scares with a great cast and campy style. This remake is easily one of the best horror films of the past decade.
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
The crew of a remote research facility finds trouble when their genetically modified sharks escape and show off their newly enhanced abilities as they stalk the survivors after a devastating hurricane has damaged the facility.
The Shallows (2016)
A young woman travels to Mexico after her mother's death and goes surfing only to find herself injured and stranded on a small rock with a shark stalking her. She then must find a way to survive as the tide threatens her safety.
The Reef (2010)
A yacht carrying friends sailing to Indonesia hits a reef and capsizes. The survivors then find more trouble when they become the target of sharks looking to attack. The Reef is based on an actual event that occurred in the early 1980s off the coast of Australia.
Open Water (2003)
A couple on a scuba charter are mistakenly left behind by the crew of the boat and find themselves stuck in the middle of the ocean with no means of rescue in sight. They then face the elements as well as predators hoping to be rescued. Open Water was based on a real event and is a fictionalized account of what the couple may have faced when they were lost at sea. 
Orca (1977)
A salty old fisherman faces off against a pissed off killer whale after he accidentally kills its mate. This Jaws ripoff is one of those rare movies that has you cheering for the deadly creature. A genuine drive-in classic that seems a bit absurd in a few scenes but delivers the goods and plenty of thrills.
Bait (2012)
A group of shoppers is trapped in a grocery store after a tsunami floods their beach community only to discover that a deadly shark has swum into the store and begins to stalk them as they are waiting for help. As silly as this movie sounds it comes off better than you would expect and is surprisingly entertaining.
Shark Night (2011)
A group of college kids vacationing on a remote lake finds themselves being attacked by sharks that are not only out of place but purposefully released by some group looking to profit on shark attack videos. This shark movie is not as well received as many of the other films on this list yet is still fun to watch for the over the top special effects and variety of deadly sharks shown.
47 Meters Below (2017)
Two sisters on a Mexican vacation go on a shady boat tour that promises a once in a lifetime shark cage encounter that leaves them stranded under water after the cable breaks. With limited air and injuries drawing sharks it is a race against time to see if they can survive in this distressing thriller.
Sharknado Series (2013-2018)
This franchise is pretty absurd, yet the movies are fun and best enjoyed if you sit back and watch the likes of Ian Ziering and Tara Reid battle all sorts of crazy storms and sharks flying about causing havoc. Get your chainsaw ready as there are now six movies as of 2018. 
Below (2002)
A US Navy submarine picks up the survivors of an attack on Allied hospital ship. Once aboard the survivors begin to question the actions of the Captain and crew as they face an attack by an enemy ship and encounter some bizarre events that seem supernatural. 
Lake Placid (1999)
A very salty Betty White highlights this movie about a giant saltwater crocodile that is feasting on the local wildlife and people in a Maine lake. The efforts to catch or kill the beast pretty much cover the plot in this standard monster movie. 
Deep Rising (1998)
A group of armed mercenaries set out to hijack a luxury cruise liner on the high seas instead find an abandoned ship save for a few survivors who are terrified of something. They are then stalked by a savage seaborne tentacled creature that is an FX extravaganza of what is great and bad about CGI in action movies.
The Deep (1977)
Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bisset's wet t-shirt highlight this thriller by the author of Jaws that focuses on the pair finding a sunken treasure and a World War Two era cargo ship that has a secret cargo that someone is willing to kill to get their hands on. No deadly sharks in this one but did I mention Jacqueline Bisset's wet t-shirt. 
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