Xmas Day horror film with almost perfect rating hailed ‘all time classic’ on BBC | Films | Entertainment

It’s fair to say this film certainly made a splash when it was released and it’s now being shown on BBC2 on Christmas Day.

Helmed by the legendary filmmaker Stephen Spielberg, Jaws made a splash in cinemas and shattered records upon its release in 1975.

Featuring stellar performances from Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss, this inaugural film of the franchise is widely hailed as the first modern summer blockbuster, owing to its commercial triumph and widespread distribution. Its chilling portrayal of a great white shark preying on swimmers at a bustling seaside resort, coupled with an unforgettable score, has left an indelible mark on viewers.

Adapted from Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel, the film opens with a haunting scene: a young woman takes a late-night dip in the ocean off Amity Island, a New England resort town, only to be dragged underwater by an unseen entity. The following day, her remains wash up on the shore.

When the coroner identifies a shark attack as the cause of death, Police Chief Martin Brody (Scheider) advocates for closing the beaches. However, the local mayor (Murray Hamilton), fearing the economic impact of losing tourists, persuades him otherwise.

After another fatal attack, the race to capture the deadly predator begins. Brody teams up with a marine biologist (Dreyfuss) and a seasoned shark hunter (Shaw) in a thrilling battle of man versus nature to stop the beast before it strikes again, reports the Mirror.

Jaws broke new ground as the first major motion picture filmed on the open ocean, though this ambitious decision brought countless production headaches. The shoot ran significantly over schedule and budget, whilst the mechanical shark frequently malfunctioned, inadvertently inspiring the creation of that legendary musical motif which signalled the predator’s menacing presence.

Following its 1975 debut, the iconic score garnered multiple honours. The picture itself secured nominations across several esteemed ceremonies and claimed three Oscars.

Coupled with an innovative and forceful promotional strategy, it shattered box office records to become the biggest earner in cinema history—a title it held until Star Wars arrived two years afterwards.

Both productions are credited with pioneering the summer blockbuster phenomenon through their commercial triumph and revolutionary approach.

Jaws received enthusiastic critical acclaim upon arrival and continues to command respect half a century later. On Rotten Tomatoes, it boasts a near-flawless 97% approval rating, with reviewers celebrating it as a “classic”.

“Spielberg fashioned an instant classic whose success owes as much to his superb orchestration as to the substantial jolts and knockout performances by Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss,” one critic said.

Another added: “An absolute classic; a film that knows exactly what it is, and that, despite the many problems it encountered during filming, ended up becoming the film that epitomises what Steven Spielberg is capable of,” they said.

A third lauded the film’s overall execution: “The movie is just about everything viewers could hope it would be: Intelligently written, ably acted, beautifully filmed, excitingly edited and, above all, the scariest big-budget extravaganza since The Exorcist.”

Another extolled its enduring fright factor: “The first summer blockbuster elevates its so-so source material into a thrilling horror adventure that still manages to instill a sense of genuine terror to this very day,” they wrote.

Jaws is on BBC2 at 9.15pm on Christmas Day.