Jaws: Horror or not?

[analogue]

I always include Jaws on a list of my favorite horror films of all time. I usually meet resistance by being told that Jaws isn't a horror film. What do you think? Is it a horror film? I say yes

 

[Galactus123]

I wouldn't call it a horror. Even the wikipedia page says thriller film.

 

[analogue]

It's a film that made people afraid to go into the water. If that's not horror, then I don't know what is. And the only difference between Jaws, and a typical slasher film is that the killer is confined to the water. Especially Jaws 2. That movie was basically Jason Vorhees as a shark

 

[MJJ'slilgrl]

A good horror film will have you unable to sleep that night. A great horror film will have you thinking about it for weeks on end. There's only one film that comes to mind whenever you go in the ocean.

Despite all that, it is classed as a thriller, although it is pretty horrifying; I first saw it at the age of three, and even now 20 years later, I will not step foot in the ocean (I also think watching Titanic at 4 contributed to that, haha.)

On a side note, my little sister watched it when she was eight; she enjoyed it, although when Quint got eaten, she was so scared that she cried hno:

 

[barbee0715]

Lol-I think of it as a thriller, because the suspense was the best part about it-that, the music, and the 3 leads. I saw it on opening day when it premiered. I was a teenager and no way would I have gone to see it-because I don't care for scary movies-but my little brother and his friends wanted to go. I dropped them off at the theatre at 7 in the morning so they were first in line, and when I got back a few hours later, there must have been 1000 people in the line.

And we had this huge, dark, cram packed theatre with everybody collectively screaming their heads off. It was pretty horrific and quite an experience. So guess it qualifies as both.

 

[ChrisC]

Isn't Jaws always cited as the highest grossing horror film of all time when adjusted for inflation?

 

[Lisha]

I personally would not consider it a horror film, but there are definitely some horrifying elements you witness in it. I would put it in the thriller genre. The movie was well done, that's for sure, being very effective while being just plain good entertainment as well.

 

[MJ_Rocks My World]

I can't even watch the gore bits i close my eyes, and the jump scares agh, i'd say it was a thriller? Maybe? It's kinda like a horror though...cause its gore is horrible :lol: i guess it comes down to opinion

 

[Miel]

I've always considered Jaws a Thriller movie, not a horror movie.
This saga emphasizes the tension (the tension preceding any attack) way more than typical horror movies that emphasize the horror (that resulted from) of the attack.
I wouldn't put Jaws in the same category as The Thing or the Saw saga.