Cue the 'Jaws' music! 10 movies to watch ahead of Shark Week, Discovery Channel marathon

It's about that point of summer when suddenly a million shows about sharks pop up on TV.

Discovery Channel's 35th annual Shark Week starts July 23 and will run until July 29, boasting a full schedule of shark content hosted by actor Jason Momoa ("Aquaman," DC's "Justice League").

According to Discovery officials, the content gives a "close-up look at a great white shark feast for the first time, dive into what happens to sharks when they feed on illegal drugs dumped in public waters, and spend hours exploring the fascinating world of sharks."

Shark Week 2023 shows will premiere on Discovery Channel each night of Shark Week, and programming will stream on Max. TBS, TNT, truTV, TLC, Food Network, HGTV, CNN, Travel Channel, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, Science Channel, ID, and TCM will also air Shark Week shows or Shark Week-inspired content.

Outside of Shark Week content, most movies, TV shows and video games haven't been too kind toward the finned friends. Often, they are depicted as scary, human-munching monsters ready to strike as soon as you step into the ocean. That's a stereotype the Discovery Channel wants to bring more awareness to and debunk.

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To help you prepare for Shark Week, here are some movies to check out before the weeklong marathon.

"Jaws" (1975)

It would be a crime to start off a list of best shark movies with something other than "Jaws."

A movie that instilled a fear of great white sharks for generations, "Jaws" has become an icon that has withstood the test of time and is considered the best shark movie of all time. As IGN describes it best, this tale about summertime madness shows what happens when "mayors care more about their 4th of July tourist influxes than beachgoer safety."

Director Steven Spielberg pushed the envelope by using an animatronic great white shark, a move that makes the scenes seem extra terrifying and realistic. It's also a perk that John Williams’ score is so iconic that it brings a sense of doom no matter where you are when you hear it.

"The Meg" (2018)

Martial arts star Jason Statham ("Fast and Furious," "The Expendables," "The Transporter") fighting a 75-foot-long shark from the Mariana Trench? Name a more iconic duel.

"The Meg" delivers on many desired factors for a perfect action, shark movie — a giant prehistoric shark, stack cast, nonstop energy, dramatics from the lead, and zany one-liners to cut the tension when needed. The combination of it all leaves you on the edge of your seat as a massive Megalodon is awakened from the bottom of the ocean and starts devouring beachgoers like it's no one's business.

And somehow, it's up to Statham and his crew to singlehandedly stop this big shark from destroying the entire ocean.

"Sharkwater" (2006)

Taking a brief pause on the thrillers to shed light on a documentary, Sharkwater showcases biologist Rob Stewart as he travels to the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica, and other places where sharks can be found.

The goal of the documentary is to not only show viewers the waters of some of the most beautiful places on Earth but also bust common myths about sharks and their importance to the ecosystem. With 90% of the shark population destroyed by indiscriminate hunting, Stewart joins forces with conservationist Paul Watson to fight poachers who illegally kill the animals for their fins and sell the meat to the Taiwanese Mafia.

"The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" (2004)

Not exactly a shark movie but the premise does revolve around a search for one.

For all the film buffs and artsy moviegoers, prepping for Shark Week with one of Wes Anderson's cult classics may be more your vibe than "Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus." It may not be accurate in terms of how actual marine biologists and scientists go on deep-sea dives to search for wildlife, but it's certainly a more quirky and colorful one.

In Anderson's tale, Bill Murray ("Ghostbusters," "Groundhog Day") plays renowned oceanographer Steve Zissou, who is on the hunt to kill the rare shark that devoured one of his crew members. Joined by the talents of Owen Wilson ("Wedding Crashers," "Meet the Parents"), Cate Blanchett ("Thor: Ragnarok," "Carol"), and Angelica Houston ("Addams Family"), viewers watch as Zissou experiences challenges and triumphs on his mission to see the "jaguar shark."

"47 Meters Down" (2017)

In the most anxiety-inducing movie ever, Mandy Moore ("This is Us," "A Walk to Remember") and Claire Holt ("H2O," "The Originals") play sisters trapped 47 meters down on the ocean’s floor after a shark diving expedition gone wrong. They are running out of oxygen and can't escape until alerting a murderous shark that they are free.

It's scary, claustrophobic and unsettling. Everything you want to feel as a moviegoer.

"Deep Blue Sea" (1999)

Did you watch Samuel L. Jackson ("The Avengers," "Captain Marvel") fight snakes in "Snakes on a Plane" and ask, "I wonder if he's fought sharks before?"

You're in luck because seven years prior, he had. In the 1999 thriller, scientists accidentally enhance sharks to where they are smarter and more dangerous while creating a cure for Alzheimer's disease. You know, an easy little mistake we all make. It all goes awry when the sharks begin escaping from the lab and start attacking people.

While the dodgy animation due to the late '90s does look silly with a 2023 lens, the movie still packs a punch and remains a great watch.

"The Shallows" (2016)

This scenario is truly a nightmare. You're just a regular ol' hot girl going surfing and minding your business when a great white shows up to shoot its shot and forbids you from leaving a tiny rock yards away from the shore. Talk about a beach day ruiner.

Blake Lively ("Gossip Girl," "The Age of Adeline") handles it like a champ, going toe to toe with the CGI shark in the 2016 thriller. Despite the few set locations and actors, the movie still remains to keep viewers entertained and on the edge of their seats as Lively works to return to the beach.

"Sharknado" (2013)

And now this is where you close the tab and start writing an angry email about why this was included.

However, it's hard to deny that as arguably bad as this movie is, it had an immense impact on early 2010s pop culture and spawned multiple sequels from its success. One could say the straight-to-TV movie falls under the "so bad, it's good" category.

The title gets straight to the point, it's a tornado filled with sharks. That's a recipe for chaos and laughs. If you need a little bit more of a synopsis to convince you to watch it, here it is: the Santa Monica coast gets hit by a cyclone that causes shark-filled water spouts all over the city and a group of friends have to save everyone. Ian Ziering of "Beverly Hills, 90210" and Tara Reid ("American Pie," "Van Wilder") star in the "Sharknado" series.

"Bait" (2012)

If you want another fear to add to the list when storm season approaches, just add the entirety of "Bait."

The movie is set following a tsunami, trapping patrons and workers inside a supermarket while a robbery is taking place. Already a hectic and scary situation to be, then add an agitated great white shark that's trapped inside with them. There’s an amazing blend of CGI effects, tension and action that make this movie stick out among most shark or "trapped inside with animal during natural disaster" movies.

"Blue Water, White Death" (1971)

Finishing off on a lighter note, this 1971 documentary follows the quest to film a great white shark underwater for the first time.

Years before Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg released his hit film "Jaws," this documentary shows the adventures led by Australian shark experts Ron and Valerie Taylor and, interestingly, folksinger Tom Chapin. They do encounter great white sharks in cooler waters off Australia, close to beaches where there are colonies of seals.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Shark Week 2023: From 'Jaws' to 'Sharknado,' these films are must-see