Jaws

Steven Spielberg's Jaws invented the summer blockbuster and ruined beaches forever. The mechanical shark barely worked — it sank, corroded in salt water, and broke down constantly — so Spielberg was forced to show the shark as little as possible. That technical limitation became the film's greatest asset. By keeping the threat invisible for most of the runtime, Spielberg made every ripple in the water, every shadow beneath the surface, a source of primal dread. John Williams' two-note theme is the most effective piece of horror music ever composed. Robert Shaw's Indianapolis monologue is the greatest scene in any Spielberg film. Jaws is proof that constraints breed genius.