Jaws

Movie review by Scott G. Mignola, Common Sense Media
Jaws Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 13+

'70s classic horror tale is still scary as ever.

PG 1975 125 minutes
Rate movie

Parents say

age 11+

Based on 90 reviews

Kids say

age 12+

Based on 448 reviews

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate movie

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Jaws is the classic Steven Spielberg-directed 1975 film about a great white shark that attacks swimmers vacationing in a New England beach town. Despite having been released decades ago, this movie -- the original summer blockbuster -- is still nightmare fodder for younger and more sensitive viewers. While the shark itself doesn't look very realistic by today's standards, the discussions between the characters about the frequency and plausibility of shark attacks can be just as frightening as the scenes in which characters are attacked, bitten, and killed. Viewers see severed limbs, bloody entrails, and frenzied panic. Teens also drink and smoke pot at a beach party, and a clearly drunk teen boy passes out on the beach. The three male adult lead characters get rip-roaring drunk on a sailboat. Brief nudity in the form of young women shown topless while skinny-dipping.

Community Reviews

Lotty6
Lotty6 Adult
October 11, 2021
age 13+
This movie doesn’t have that much violence but it’s still intense there is moderate language but it isn’t to much for young teens this is how I rank blood some blood fair amount of blood lots of blood tons of blood plenty of blood and then stuff like very bloody extremely bloody violence 6%10 early in the movie someone is eaten there’s lots of blood little boy is eaten some blood a dead body emerges from a sunken ship and i think you might see his eye plucked out some one is eaten blood coming out of his mouth shark shot huge explosion and blood spatters I now there’s moderate language but I don’t remember the words this is how I rank language some language moderate language frequent language lots of language tons of language constant language and this movie also has some sex sex 3%10 a girl gos swimming naked but I don’t remember seeing anything bad and there’s also some kissing thanks for reading my review my next review will be for jaws 2
2 people found this helpful.
Kay K.
Kay K. Adult
February 11, 2023
age 14+

Jaws is a great film but can cause a lot of fear of the water

This is a very gory movie and it is very famous but keep in mind it has traumatised many kids of going into the water and the relationship with water and mother-nature is important for your kid to have. 13 also wouldn't be a bad age to watch Jaws and even 12 for that matter of fact but as parents it's best to be extra-carful. There may be nudity in jaws but very brief as looking towards the cover. Drinking, drugs and smoking shouldn't disturb your child the most compared to the other things in Jaws. But Jaws is a very breathtaking movie that is quite old and a fun thriller to watch as a family providing your child/teen doesn't get scared. 15 or 16+ also works for Jaws but only for some kids who don't have much appreciation to gory stuff.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
1 person found this helpful.
See all 90 parent reviews

What's the Story?

At the start of JAWS, during a late-night teen beach party, a girl disappears while swimming. When her remains come ashore, Police Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) believes it was a shark attack. Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), though, is worried about the effect such news might have on the tourist trade. After a few more attacks, some local fishermen catch a shark. The Mayor ignores warnings from ichthyologist Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) that the shark the fishermen caught was too small to have been the one in the attacks. Another fatality sends Brody, Hooper, and local fisherman Quint (Robert Shaw) off to find the Great White. While an unlikely group to work together -- Quint is simply doing it for the money and clearly disrespects Chief Brody's inexperience and fear of the water as well as Hooper's pedantic college knowledge -- the three slowly begin to bond when they realize that the shark is larger and much more vicious than they could have ever anticipated.

Is It Any Good?

This film remains a classic horror movie that transcends the genre and the time in which it was released, and rightfully so. As one of Steven Spielberg's early films, his adept building up of the tension -- heightened that much more by the almost universally known two-note "shark attack" music provided by John Williams -- shines in both the shark attack scenes and in the spaces in which the story is given time to build and the characters have room to develop. Even with a shark that doesn't look terribly realistic by today's standards, JAWS still delivers the suspense and the terror, and is a textbook study on how to escalate tension for maximum payoff.

In terms of the acting, the chemistry between Scheider, Dreyfuss, and Shaw is still a delight to take in. At the time of its release, it was the highest-grossing box office movie of all time, and continues to remain a staple in American pop culture.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the fact that Jaws is considered the first official "summer blockbuster." What other blockbusters can you think of? What do they have in common?

  • How is music used to build suspense in this movie? What are some other examples of well-known horror movie soundtracks?

  • Do you think the violence in the movie was necessary to the story, or was it simply included to provide added scares and horror for the audience?

  • Do you think this movie still works today, or is it too dated? Why?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

  • Jurassic Park Poster Image

    Jurassic Park

    Terrifyingly realistic dinos run amok in sci-fi landmark.

    age 12+
  • Alien Poster Image

    Alien

    Dated but still extremely scary. Not for younger kids.

    age 15+
  • The Birds Poster Image

    The Birds

    Classic Hitchcock horror film still gives the chills.

    age 13+

Themes & Topics

Browse titles with similar subject matter.

  • Cartoon picture of luggage and a map
    Adventures
    See all
  • Cartoon picture of a book
    Book Characters
    See all
  • Cartoon picture of a ghost and vampire
    Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
    See all
  • Cartoon picture of a shark and fish
    Ocean Creatures
    See all

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate