Pooja Sharma
Reviving prehistoric horrors, ‘The Meg’ revolves around a 75-foot-long shark thought to be extinct. The story follows a group of scientists exploring the deepest oceanic trench in the Pacific Ocean. Here, they encounter nature’s largest pelagic predator. As the group of experts finds themselves at the whim of the sea creature, several ghoulish and devastating themes follow. To undo the vicious terror perpetrated by the great creature, an oceanographer recruits diver Jonas Taylor to save the crew and the sea from the unimaginable threat that looms close by.
Helmed by Jon Turteltaub, the 2018 sci-fi action film features the inexplicable world that lies within the depths of the ocean. The movie features compelling performances by Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, and Cliff Curtis. So, if you enjoyed the interwoven themes of fear, adversity, and nature at large, here is a list of movies like ‘The Meg.’
8. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Like the balance of horror and humor in ‘The Meg,’ ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’ is also an action-packed comedy movie that centers on the terror cast by a Jaguar Shark. When the mysterious creature brutally kills Steve Zissou’s partner, he gathers a crew and hunts the thalassic animal.
Several hilarious themes follow as the group stumbles into the deep waters to capture the elusive Jaguar Shark. The star-studded cast features Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, Michael Gambon, Jeff Goldblum, Anjelica Huston, Owen Wilson, and Seu Jorge. So, if you enjoyed the deep-sea adventures and the thrilling terror of a predator in ‘The Meg,’ then you’ll find this Wes Anderson directorial equally intriguing.
7. The Reef (2010)
Adding a layer of realism, ‘The Reef,’ shot with real-life sharks, elevates the movie’s horror through the potentially fatal situation it was filmed within. The story revolves around a group of passengers whose sailboat capsizes along the Great Barrier Reef. The adventure horror movie is directed by Andrew Traucki and features performances by Damian Walshe-Howling, Gyton Grantley, Adrienne Pickering, and Zoe Naylor.
Much like the unbearable suspense that leaves a group of oceanographers and a diver battling a prehistoric creature of mammoth proportions, ‘The Reef’ also features a fight for survival amidst a life-threatening predicament, making this the right movie to watch next!
6. Open Water (2003)
Based on a true story, ‘Open Water’ features the story of two scuba divers, Susan and Daniel, who are left behind in shark-infested waters. The duo lost at sea strives to survive in an expanse of sharks. However, as they try to battle the unforgiving wrath of the sea creatures, numerous terrifying sequences follow. Directed by Chris Kentis, the movie features the horror that lies near. Like ‘The Meg’ features the morbid devastation that converts unwitting individuals into shark food, ‘Open Water’ also features the undeterred fight for survival, making this story of resolve equally intriguing.
5. Deep Blue Sea (1999)
Just as ‘The Meg’ features the dangerous consequences of invading a secluded ecosystem teeming with life, Renny Harlin’s ‘Deep Blue Sea’ also features a commentary on the devastation that follows when nature is mishandled. In a feat to create a medical antidote, Dr. Susan McAlester harvests the brain tissue of DNA-altered sharks to cure Alzheimer’s.
However, when an executive arrives to conduct a routine investigation into the experiments, things turn awry, and the sharks turn the cards on the researchers. As the tables turn and sharks outnumber their human captors, the team finds themselves doing just about anything to stop their escape into the ocean and prevent them from breeding.
4. Bait (2012)
Following a cataclysmic tsunami, an ordinary supermarket soon transfers into a death trap. Rendering the underground market habitable for sharks post a tidal wave flood, the movie features the brutal horror that comes to pass. Much like the harmless expanse that had been a neutral ground for study for oceanographers in ‘The Meg,’ ‘Bait’ also features the catastrophe that follows in a seemingly harmless vicinity. So, if you enjoyed the thrilling horror that followed from the terror cast by a sea creature in ‘The Meg,’ then you’ll find Kimble Rendall’s opus equally interesting.
3. 47 Meters Down (2017)
Like ‘The Meg,’ ‘47 Meters Down’ also showcases how a seemingly secure vessel can become ineffectual in the face of actual terror. The plot follows two teenage sisters who head to Mexico for a holiday of adventure and fun. When they decide to cage dive during their holiday. However, things turn upside down when their protective vessel breaks away from the boat and plummets to the ocean floor.
With a supply of oxygen that reduces with each passing second and a group of sharks surrounding their cage, the sisters find themselves fighting for their lives in several ways. Starring Mandy Moore and Matthew Modine, ‘47 Meters Down’ by director Johannes Roberts features an intriguing premise highlighting the deep sea’s inexplicable dangers.
2. The Shallows (2016)
Like the scientists who hurry to the deep point of the ocean to fulfill their curiosity, Jaume Collet-Serra’s directorial ‘The Shallows’ also features the story of a medical student named Nancy Adams who surfs afar from the shore to experience solace and rediscover the magic of the ocean.
However, when an enormous shark unleashes its horror and injures the surfer, Nancy finds herself battling death in several ways. With Blake Lively as the lead, ‘The Shallows’ is also an aquatic thriller taut with tension. So, if you were enthralled by the perseverance to survive in ‘The Meg,’ then you’ll find the gratifying tale of Nancy equally immersive.
1. Jaws (1975)
Paving the way for a stream of shark movies, ‘Jaws’ by austere director Steven Spielberg features the hair-chilling horror brought forth by a deep sea creature. The story revolves around the maritime tourist town of Amity Island, where a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny dipping.
However, when mayor Larry Vaughn refuses to shut down the beach, ichthyologist Matt Hooper and a disgruntled ship captain Quint (Robert Shaw) decide to undo the terror cast by the shark, along with police chief Martin Brody. Much like the 75-foot-long creature capable of disrupting the tranquility of the ocean, ‘Jaws’ also features the elevating tension created by a shark, making this the right movie to view next!
Read More: Best Shark Movies
