Credit: Netflix

Shark-infested thrillers tend to tap into a very specific, primal cocktail of fears that few other sub-genres can replicate, and Thrash on Netflix effortlessly succeeds in capitalising on this mix of phobias, creating a complex web of intrigue and fascination that makes viewers want to explore more.

While slashers or horror stories rely on the shock factor of man-made or supernatural threats, shark thrillers fall back on the alien aspect of nature.

Although the obsession with shark thrillers began way back, with Steven Spielberg’s groundbreaking Jaws in 1975, Hollywood has done a good job of feeding into that frenzy with movies such as 47 Meters Down, The Meg, and now Thrash on Netflix, which is set amidst a Category 5 hurricane that unleashes ravenous sharks into the main streets and people’s homes.

So, if Thrash managed to spike your own fear of sharks while also convincing you to dip your toes in the water a little longer, here are five shark-infested thrillers on Netflix to follow up with.

Five shark-infested thrillers to stream after Thrash

Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975)

Directed by Steven Spielberg, based on Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel, Jaws is an American thriller film that opens with the death of a young woman who is killed on a late-night swim, setting the stage for the town’s denial. Although the incident pushes Police Chief Martin Brody to call for the closure of beaches, fearing massive financial setbacks, Mayor Larry Vaughn goes against his advice, leading to yet another death.

After marine biologist Matt Hooper confirms the cause of the deaths to be a great white shark, the police warn the unwilling mayor yet again, but that too comes to no use. Determined to end the hellish nightmare once and for all, Brody, along with Hooper, joins forces with grizzled hunter Quint to hunt the mighty predator at sea, culminating in a tense, bloody confrontation that’s jaw-dropping to say the least.

Jaws 2 (Jeannot Szwarc, 1978)

Serving as the sequel to the 1975 film, Jaws 2 is the second instalment of the Jaws franchise, which sees the return of Police Chief Martin Brody and Mayor Vaughn. Set four years after the original attacks, the follow-up film opens at a time when tourists have returned to Amity Island following years of persistent trauma. But as soon as things get back to normalcy, body bags roll back in, convincing Brody that a new great white shark is in the area.

Mayor Vaugh and the town council yet again dismiss his fears, assuming Brody is still reeling from the trauma of the past incidents. However, when the negligence at the upper level soon puts Brody’s son and his friends right at the mouth of a deadly shark, Brody takes matters into his own hands to pull off a seemingly impossible rescue, luring the predator in with a severed high-voltage underwater cable.

Jaws 3 (Joe Alves, 1983)

Jaws 3 is the third entry of the Jaws franchise that embraces the DNA of its predecessors. But this movie focuses on a new set of characters, primarily Mike Brody, son of the original film’s chief, who now works as an engineer at SeaWorld Florida, which is connected with underwater tunnels. When a baby great white shark sneaks into the park through those water gates, panic spreads fast as rapid attacks fill visitors and employees with fear.

Jaws 3 follows Brody and the park team’s far-fetched efforts to capture the young shark, who unfortunately dies in captivity. Although the turnout is tragic, townspeople soon mistake the brief aquatic silence for peace until the 35-foot mother shark surfaces, seeking her offspring and causing a streak of terror simply not for the faint-hearted.

Under Paris (Xavier Gens, 2024)

For those wondering what to watch next after Thrash now that the Jaws series is done, continue the marathon with an equally gripping entry, Under Paris, on Netflix. The French action-horror disaster film tells the story of Lilith, a Mako shark who kills marine biologist Sophia’s research team in the Pacific, and is subsequently tracked to the Seine.

Under Paris centres on preventing a massacre during a World Triathlon Championship as the Mako shark learns to adapt to fresh water, becoming capable of asexual reproduction. Although activist Mika tries her best to protect the predator, hindering efforts to catch it, resulting in her death and mass casualties, despite warnings, when the Paris Mayor proceeds with the event, a bloodbath follows, culminating in a tense climax.

Deep Fear (Marcus Adams, 2023)

Lastly, to end the shark thriller marathon on Netflix, we have the high-stakes survival thriller, Deep Fear. The action-horror movie follows Naomi, an accomplished yachtswoman sailing solo in the Caribbean to meet her boyfriend in Grenada. On the way, she runs into three people clinging to a wreck and looking at their sorry situation, she decides to rescue them, oblivious to the fact that they’re dangerous traffickers.

Soon after the rescue, the drug traffickers take over the yacht, forcing her to dive into the shark-infested waters to retrieve their cocaine stash from the sunken wreck. With no choice left but to obey the orders, Naomi dives into the wreckage, only to find it covered by man-eating white sharks. Deep Fear revolves around Naomi’s conquest of the impossible, which involves not only surviving the sharks but also the humans who stand as threats.