1975 Horror Classic Ranked Among 'Best Movies' to Watch on the Fourth of July

Besides the BBQs, hot dogs, endless lemonade, and fireworks, the 4th of July is also a time to kick back and watch quintessential American films like a Steven Spielberg cult classic horror.

The list of watchable films is endless, from hits like National Treasure, The Sandlot, Independence Day, Nashville, and even Apollo 13. There appears to be one common denominator among a majority of watchable films for the 4th of July celebrations: Jaws.

Esquire posted a list of the 26 best movies to watch, and the New York Times released its own list of what sports events, TV shows, and movies to keep tabs on over the weekend. Both lists rank Spielberg’s Jaws as a must-watch, and for good reason.

“Are you still afraid to go in the water? Over 50 years later, Jaws still rips as the greatest summer thriller ever made,” commented Esquire

What makes it a perfect film for the Independence Day festivities? Beyond the fact that its storyline takes place on the 4th of July in a small New England beach town, the New York Times explains, “John Williams is an American hero. And it evokes such a vast range of American narratives — Moby-Dick and The Old Man and the Sea, horror and campiness, camaraderie and humility.”

The thriller film was released in 1975, based on the novel published by Peter Benchley the year prior. It was one of the first major motion picture films to be shot on the ocean and used locations in the picturesque Martha’s Vineyard. Actor Roy Scheider stars as police chief Martin Brody, who gets the help of a marine biologist and professional shark hunter when a man-eating great white shark wreaks havoc among beachgoers.

Not only is a small coastal community banding together to survive and eliminate a disruptive force, but Jaws is also set during peak summer tourism amid the backdrop of crowded beaches, cookouts, and plain fun in the sun. Its storyline also ties in historical elements as Robert Shaw‘s character Quint has ties to World War II and the real Navy heavy cruiser, the USS Indianapolis.

Rotten Tomatoes even ranked the film at No. 2 on its list of films to watch on the 4th of July weekend, under Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s award-winning Broadway musical film Hamilton. Jaws has become more than a simple horror cult classic that spawned a franchise, but an unconventional way to celebrate America’s Independence Day with jump scares and a killer shark.

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