I finally watched Jaws for the first time — 3 reasons why I'm glad I did

Jaws (1975)
(Image credit: Alamy)

No matter how big a fan you are of watching classic movies, there’s always something that slips through — some gap in your knowledge. And for me, that gap is Jaws.

It’s not like I haven’t known Jaws is a classic. And even though I had never seen the movie, I knew its iconic score. But for one reason or another, I never got around to watching it. So when the opportunity came here at Tom’s Guide to write about a classic movie we’ve never seen before, I jumped at the chance — and knew just the movie.

Jaws

Release year: 1975
Run time: 2 hrs 4 min
Box office: $260 million (unadjusted)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
MPAA Rating: PG
Where to watch: Tubi (w/ ads) or VOD

Spoiler alert: Mild spoilers for Jaws to follow 

For those of you who also haven’t seen the movie, Jaws is a thriller about a man-eating great white shark plaguing the New England town of Amity Island. Of course, they don’t know it’s a great white at first — when police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) closes the beaches of Amity following the first attack, the town’s mayor, Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), begs him to reconsider. 

Brody reluctantly gives in to the mayor’s demands, and it backfires almost immediately as a young boy is killed. What follows is an epic game of cat and mouse between Brody, grizzled shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw) and marine biologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) — and Jaws.

Jaws: Picture perfect casting

Jaws is incredible across the board. The direction and editing noticeably add to the viewing experience. The pacing never feels off for the entire movie and the dialogue — which had to be redone on the fly for much of the movie — never feels out of place. It’s remarkable to think that the production delays that plagued this movie, including rewriting the dialogue on the fly, are probably the reason the end result is so good.

And the casting is a big reason that the end result has stood the test of time. The big three of Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss have excellent on-screen chemistry, particularly in the latter half of the movie which puts them in close quarters for a large portion of the film. 

And you wouldn't know it, but none of the three were household names at the time. A shocking revelation given that Jaws has made all three famous ever since.

Jaws is incredible — but the score really shines 

Jaws (1975)

(Image credit: Alamy)

While the casting is perfect, it’s honestly the John Williams score that really makes Jaws a true classic. As I watched, the Jaws theme that plays as the shark attacks got me excited every time. Even though I knew what was coming.

Jaws is very reminiscent of Hitchcock’s thrillers in that sense, and just as rewarding. And in other places, the additional pieces of the Jaws score control the mood of the movie with a masterful touch. It won’t surprise you to learn that he won an Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score.

Jaws stands up to any Hitchcock thriller

The similarities between Jaws and Hitchcock weren’t lost on director Steven Spielberg either. And they aren't just limited to the film's iconic score.

In reference to the having to ditch the prop sharks for much of the movie — the first glimpse of the shark isn't until about two-thirds of the way through — Spielberg said that “The film went from a Japanese Saturday matinee horror flick to more of a Hitchcock, the less-you-see-the-more-you-get thriller." 

Yes, you read that right — you don’t see much of Jaws in Jaws, but it makes the thriller aspect of the movie all the better. Much like having to rewrite the dialogue, the absence of the shark until it's absolutely needed is another production delay that ultimately made this movie a true classic.

Verdict: Jaws is a classic for a reason, so go watch it now 

Jaws (1975)

(Image credit: Alamy)

While fans of short movies may balk at the two-hour and four-minute runtime, the film never feels like it's dragging even for a second. I got through the first hour without realizing it had even been that long.

And for fans of Hitchcock, Jaws is a no-brainer. Its pacing, editing and score all combine for an experience that can only be described as “Hitchcockian.” Admittedly, the PG rating for Jaws is a bit eyebrow-raising, but a PG-13 rating wouldn’t feel out of place today, so don’t be afraid to turn it into a family movie night choice.

I could go on, but I don’t want to spoil too much of the film — or take more of your time away from watching it. So queue up Tubi, one of our favorite free streaming services, to watch Jaws now for free (with occasional ads), or rent it from your favorite video on demand service. 

More from Tom's Guide

TOPICS
Malcolm McMillan
Streaming Editor

Malcolm McMillan is a Streaming Editor for Tom's Guide, covering all the latest in streaming TV shows and movies. That means news, analysis, recommendations, reviews and more for just about anything you can watch, including sports! If it can be seen on a screen, he can write about it.

Before writing for Tom's Guide, Malcolm worked as a fantasy football analyst writing for several sites and also had a brief stint working for Microsoft selling laptops, Xbox products and even the ill-fated Windows phone. He is passionate about video games and sports, though both cause him to yell at the TV frequently. He proudly sports many tattoos, including an Arsenal tattoo, in honor of the team that causes him to yell at the TV the most.

Read more
Jonas (Jason Statham) with the megalodon behind him in a scene from "The Meg"
5 best underwater thrillers to watch right now
The Mana One research team standing side-by-side in a scene from "The Meg"
Prime Video just added one of the best action blockbusters for shark movie fans — stream 'The Meg' now
Matilda Firth and Julia Garner in "Wolf Man" (2025)
One of the most underrated movies of 2025 so far is now streaming — and it’s a thrilling watch
Chris Hemsworth as Owen Chase in "In the Heart of the Sea"
Netflix’s new No.1 is this underrated action-adventure movie — and it’s based on a true story
Elisabeth Moss as Cecilia in "The Invisible Man"
This dark thriller is streaming for free on Prime Video — and it's 91% on Rotten Tomatoes
Peter Sarsgaard as Roone Arledge in "September 5"
One of the best thriller movies of 2024 is now available to stream — and it’s rated 93% on Rotten Tomatoes
Latest in Streaming
A phone with the Plex logo in front of an out-of-focus background of movie posters
Yikes! Plex is getting a price hike and this key feature is going behind a pay wall
Poster for The Sex Lives of College Girls
'The Sex Lives of College Girls' canceled by Max after 3 seasons
Park Hae-soo as Kim Beom-jun in "Karma" on Netflix
Netflix’s latest crime thriller show just got a new trailer — and I can’t wait to see this ‘Squid Game’ star back in action
Michaela Kell (Julianne Moore) petting a bird in a promotional still from Netflix's "Sirens"
Netflix just teased a new dark comedy series with Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, and Meghann Fahy — here's your first look
Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller in "Adolescence"
Netflix top 10 shows — here's the 3 worth watching right now
Split image of Keegan and the aftermath of the Joplin tornado in "The Twister: Caught in the Storm"
Netflix just got one of the most gripping disaster documentaries I’ve ever seen — and you need to watch it now
Latest in Opinion
March Madness games on YouTube TV using multiview
This is how I've streamed March Madness for the past 2 years — and it's the only way to watch every second of all 67 games
woman shopping for TV with retail worker giving advice
I've been testing TVs for a decade — 5 things to avoid when shopping for a cheap TV
Adam Scott as Mark S and Britt Lower as Helly R in Severance, standing by an elevator
'Severance' season 2 finale — here's my wild theory based on episode 9
Mark Duplass and Ellen Pompeo in "Good American Family" on Hulu
Hulu’s new true crime drama is one of the most shocking shows I’ve ever watched — and you can stream it now
Finn Cole as Chris Lemons in "Last Breath"
You can now stream this gripping survival thriller that had me holding my breath — here's why it's one of 2025's best movies yet
Two women sit on the Nolah Natural 11 Mattress
I'm a sleep editor and I'm ditching my memory foam bed for an organic mattress — here's why
  • J P C
    You probably waited so long because of the sequels. When we were young, somehow we considered seeing sequels the same as seeing the original. So like if someone asked "Did you ever see JAWS", you might say "No but I saw some of JAWS 2", or "I saw JAWS 3D, hoo boy that stank!", as if that meant you were plenty familiar with JAWS, thank you! And if you had seen JAWS 2, you probably thought "Meh, what's the big deal?" and that's it.

    But JAWS is JAWS though; nothing else is JAWS. I didn't see it until I was like 35 and I was amaaaaazed.
    Reply