Prime Video just added one of the most intense shark thriller movies — and it’s powered by pure adrenaline

Blake Lively as Nancy in "The Shallows" movie (2016) — (Image credit: Sony Pictures Releasing / Alamy)

When asked to think about a great shark movie, most people would say “Jaws,” and that’s pretty much the only correct answer. While I don’t think anything could ever top it in the world of shark thrillers, there are a small handful of movies that still provide a similar bolt of adrenaline, just without the iconic status. “The Shallows” is a solid example, and now that it’s streaming on Prime Video, there’s a good chance it’ll make the trending list.

I distinctly remember watching “The Shallows” in theaters back in 2016 and coming away pleasantly surprised. Starring Blake Lively in the lead role, this shark thriller hits all the necessary beats of a survival story and ramps up the tension enough to make your heart race. While it doesn’t take place on Amity Island or see Chief Martin Brody beefing with a shark named Bruce, it does place you on a secluded Mexican beach, with enough open water to trigger anyone’s fear of the ocean.

This survival thriller may not be for the faint of heart, given how visceral it is, but it’s an unexpectedly solid and gripping piece of entertainment. If you’re looking for something tense to stream this week, or enjoy a survivalist chess match between human and nature, here’s why you should check out “The Shallows” on Prime Video.

What is ‘The Shallows’ about?

THE SHALLOWS - Official Trailer (HD) - YouTube

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“The Shallows” follows medical student Nancy Adams (Blake Lively), who travels to a remote beach in Mexico that her late mother once loved. After arriving, she spends the day surfing and catching up with her sister and father over video calls. While riding a wave back toward shore, Nancy notices the carcass of a whale, drawing her closer to deeper water.

Suddenly, a great white shark attacks, biting her leg and leaving her badly wounded. She manages to drag herself onto a rock about 200 yards from shore, but the shark continues to circle in the shallow water below, cutting off her path back to land. With limited supplies and no immediate help, Nancy must contend with her injury, the changing tide, and the persistent presence of the shark.

‘The Shallows’ is a minimalist survival story with maximum tension

Survival thrillers don’t tend to carry especially high expectations. If you’re going into the genre, you’re usually anticipating plenty of tension and a protagonist trapped in an unfortunate situation, scrambling to find a way out. “The Shallows” is fully aware of this, wasting no time on extensive backstories or side plots to focus entirely on the fight for survival. Instead, it presents a tightly focused thriller built around one central character and one clear goal. Concepts like this thrive because they don’t overcomplicate the stakes.

In this case, we follow Lively’s character, Nancy, a medical student who travels to a secluded beach in Mexico to find space to heal after her mother’s passing. Thankfully, the movie kicks into high gear quickly. After meeting a few locals and heading out for a surf herself, she encounters the beach’s resident shark in a brutal, unexpected attack. From there, Nancy is left stranded with a severe leg wound, a damaged surfboard, and no safe route back to shore.

“The Shallows” makes the smart choice to focus primarily on how she survives. While we see bits of backstory about her career and family, those details serve a purpose. Her medical training, for example, becomes crucial in allowing her to stitch her wound using her jewelry and fashion part of her wetsuit into a makeshift compression bandage. At its core, this is a classic human-versus-nature story, with Nancy forced to contend not only with a relentless shark but the unforgiving elements surrounding her.

Of course, it may not reach the heights of “Jaws,” but “The Shallows” stands out as a refreshingly well-made and genuinely exciting shark thriller in a sea of low-budget misfires. It’s easily one of the best shark movies I’ve seen in the past 10 years. Granted, you do have to suspend your disbelief at times (as you often do with movies like this) and the ending leans a little silly compared to the thriller’s otherwise plausible setup. Still, if you’re simply looking for an adrenaline rush, “The Shallows” is your movie.

Stream "The Shallows" on Prime Video now

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Alix is a Senior Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, which basically means watching the best movies and TV shows and then writing about them. It’s a dream job for someone who’s been obsessed with storytelling since she first figured out how to work a remote.

Before joining Tom’s Guide, Alix honed her skills as a staff writer with outlets like Screen Rant and Bough Digital, where she discovered her love for the entertainment industry.

She heads to the cinema every week as a tradition, no matter what’s showing. For her, movies aren’t just entertainment — they’re a ritual, a comfort, and a constant source of inspiration. When she’s not at her desk or at the cinema, you’ll probably find her deep into a horror video game on her PC.

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