Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to choose what they think is the best movie under a certain topic related to a recent release. So this week, with the release of Meg 2: The Trench, we’re counting down our favorite movies featuring sea creatures! Let us know @SiftPop what your ranking is!
Before Disney started basing their films off of attractions, it was actually the other way around. Ride designs were inspired by movies, and none were interpreted that better than the sadly defunct 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Disney could not have picked a better film to base a ride experience on, because 20,000 Leagues has it all: intrigue, adventure, danger, and deception. Considering it was released in 1954, the practical effect used to immerse the audience in the undersea landscape, as well as the luxe interiors of the Nautilus, are quite impressive, as they perfectly reflect the words of the original novel. Kirk Douglas, Peter Lorre, and Paul Lukas are cast as an eclectic group of a whaler and two scientists, respectively, tasked with investigating a number of mysterious shipwrecks, when they are taken prisoners and held captive by the tyrannical Captain Nemo (James Mason). Once aboard his mysterious submersible, it’s full steam ahead for a thrilling maritime adventure filled with scientific discovery, vengeance, storms, cannibals, battles at sea, failed escapes, and a murderous giant squid. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a unique story of a time both past and never realized, from the fantastical mind of the father of science fiction, Jules Verne. (Patrice Downing)
After all the delays, pandemics, and internet hot takes (“Who even cares about this?” “This will flop; you will see!”), Avatar: The Way of Water came, saw, and conquered. James Cameron delved even deeper into this world this time, and it shows, because this sequel is mostly world building of the best kind. You can argue that there are parts of this film where “nothing happens,” and we just go with the flow, many times literally. And you wouldn’t be wrong, as Cameron spends more time on world building and establishing the characters, as we will get at least three more Avatar films, so what’s the rush? Especially when your film looks as stunning as this one does, there is no rush. I loved this sequel, which surpassed everyone’s expectations, and proved yet again that A) films take time, and it’s better to wait than release something subpar, and B) never bet against James Cameron. There is something unique about his box office grip, and how both Avatar movies brought many people into the cinema who otherwise don’t go at all. The Way of Water is a blast that gives us a clear indication that the things to come should be even better, and I, for one, can’t wait. (Luke Burian)
The Abyss is a film teeming with life, set in the deep recesses of the ocean, that centers on humanity and its close encounter with aquatic alien lifeforms whose motives are initially unclear. Desperate to rescue any survivors of an American nuclear submarine that lost power and sank into the Cayman Trough, the Navy enlists a crew of deep sea oil drillers for a salvage operation into the unknown. It’s a movie that notably pushed the boundaries of blockbuster digital effects, as director James Cameron is wont to do. A scene where a methodically serpentine shaft of seawater mirrors the faces of underwater drilling foreman, Bud Brigman (Ed Harris), and the rig’s designer, Dr. Lindsey Brigman (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), is a special moment that is as apprehensively haunting, as it is childlike and whimsical. Truly, this water tentacle walked so that the liquid metal T-1000 could murderously sprint just two years later in Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Between the 140-minute theatrical cut released in 1989, and the 171-minute special edition that substantially changed the finished product in 1993 — delivering a version of the story’s ending that I personally prefer — The Abyss is a unique film with gorgeous visuals which successfully captures the claustrophobic feel of its underwater setting. But beyond that, it was a pivotal moment in Cameron’s career as a filmmaker, existing as a summation of all of his stories told to that point, and a roadmap for the stories he would tell for decades to follow. (Jonathan Fedee)
Guillermo del Toro has always embraced his love for monsters, and his science fiction romance, The Shape of Water, takes that to a whole new level. A band of misfit people find their way into the life of a majestic gill-man creature and our mute protagonist, Eliza (Sally Hawkins), falls for him. Hawkins gives a moving and empathetic performance that anchors this beautiful and strange fairy tale (like only del Toro can tell), and the man of many faces, Doug Jones, embodies the creature in a way that only this talent can. The film adds thematic depth, as it tackles racism and sexuality through Octavia Spencer and Richard Jenkins’ wonderful supporting additions. But the true monster of this tale is the aggressive and controlling man on the hunt, portrayed with so much malice and intensity by Michael Shannon (yet again… like only he could). This is a wonderfully unique take on the sea creatures tale, as this gill-man is portrayed like no other before him. Del Toro is the master of such tales, and this is a crowning achievement for his vision and career. (Shane Conto)
Before Snowpiercer or the Oscar-winning and history-making Parasite, Bong Joon Ho made his own monster movie. But if you expect anything ordinary, you aren’t paying enough attention during his films. The Host starts as your stereotypical “toxins made this mutant, and now the mutant is mad” movie, but it quickly devolves into a quest for one father to save his daughter. The most intriguing thing about this movie is that it successfully combines drama, a monster movie, and a thriller, and it won’t let you go until the very end. The only tiny knock against is is the monster’s CGI. You can tell this was made in the mid-2000s with a low budget, but honestly, that doesn’t bother me as much, given the story is more about humans rather than the creature. As with all of Director Bong’s movies, there is something extra there, and The Host is worth a watch. Especially if you have only seen Parasite, this is an underrated sea creature flick many still sleep on. (Luke Burian)
What do you get when you combine the beauty of Polynesia, the music of Lin-Manuel Miranda, the charisma of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and the directorial talents of John Musker and Ron Clements? Just one of the best Disney animated films to come out so far this century. Following the eponymous heroine Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) as she sets out on an oceanic adventure to save her small island kingdom from ecological disaster, the film has vibrant animation, a great message about self-discovery, and the best soundtrack Disney’s made since the ‘90s. Alongside our headstrong protagonist, the film is full of memorable side characters, such as the shapeshifting demigod Maui (Johnson), Moana’s fearful chicken Heihei (Alan Tudyk), and Tamatoa (Jemaine Clement), a giant, monstrous coconut crab who hoards treasures. There are a lot of other famous sea creatures on this list, but only one gets to sing a song espousing his flamboyance and love for all things shiny. From start to finish, I find it’s hard to watch Moana and not spend the entire time laughing, crying, and singing along. (Jake Hjort)
A Studio Ghibli film that’s both fantastical AND charming as hell? Inconceivable. Ponyo tells the tale of the relationship that develops between the daughter of a wizard with a vendetta against humans and a sea goddess and the five-year-old son of a ship’s captain who discovers her and names her Ponyo. Our two protagonists are absolutely adorable, and it’s impossible not to fall in love with them as they race against time to fulfill Ponyo’s dream of becoming human before the world is thrown out of balance. If that sounds a bit The Little Mermaid-y, that’s probably true, but there’s some DNA of a lot of other sea-based animation here. I found splashes of Finding Nemo and Moana, too, in how this fantasy world brings their version of the sea to life. Blending fantasy and charm is certainly director Hayao Miyazaki’s bag, and he once again pulls it off swimmingly here. (Jake Bourgeois)
The Little Mermaid was a start of a significant era: the Disney Renaissance. This animated musical was the beginning of a string of great films in the following years. The story follows Ariel (Jodi Benson), a young, headstrong teenage mermaid who dreams of being a part of the human world who falls in love with a young human prince, Eric (Christopher Daniel Barnes). Rebelling against her father, King Triton (Kenneth Mars), Ariel discovers the hard way to true love when she trusts Ursula (Pat Carroll), the sea witch, as Ursula grants her the wish of being human. With 83 minutes of vibrant imagery, hilarity, impressive voice performances, and fantastic music, including the Oscar-winning “Under the Sea,” and Oscar-nominated “Kiss the Girl,” you have yourself a classic. One everyone will always talk about. The Little Mermaid will always be the animated film to sit down and enjoy. Yes, a live-action adaptation recently came out, and I also love it. But nothing can ever beat the first. (Chantal Ashford)
There is no greater sea creature in cinema than the one that has succeeded for 48 years running at making each subsequent generation afraid of going back in the water. In tandem with the novel by the same name, Jaws continues to inspire equal parts fear and fascination with sharks, leading to the creation of Shark Week and, ironically, a substantial spike in conservation efforts. The failures of the mechanical shark Bruce were a gift to cinema, as they necessitated the creativity of a young Steven Spielberg. His decision to craft fear through what’s not seen has reverberated throughout the horror genre, and launched his prolific career. John Williams also deserves credit for his dynamic score, highlighted by the brilliantly simple theme which induces terror through just two notes. The lead trio of Roy Scheider as Brody, Richard Dreyfuss as Hooper, and Robert Shaw as Quint enhance an already superb script with enticing performances, and supporting roles like Lorraine Gary as Ellen and Murray Hamilton as Mayor Vaughn also crush it. The scene with Quint’s speech about the Indianapolis highlights how Jaws pulls you in and gets you invested in the characters above the horror. Filled with iconic performances, lines, shots, climactic scenes, and more, Jaws earns its reputation as the creator of the summer blockbuster. No sea creature feature has ever lived up to its greatness, and none ever will. (Jason Mack)
Movies about parents searching for their lost children have crossed every genre of film, but a favorite of mine is Finding Nemo. The movie tells the story of clownfish, Marlin (Albert Brooks), who, after a tragedy, is left to raise his only son, Nemo (Alexander Gould), until one day Nemo is taken. Marlin then leaves the safety of the Great Barrier Reef to find his son. Along the way, he meets a host of other characters who help him grow from being an overprotective parent to a great father. This movie came out in 2003, and really showed Pixar’s knack for animation. It is almost entirely underwater, and it still looks phenomenal. Andrew Stanton serves as a co-writer and -director, and this is just another great one under his belt. Finding Nemo is stacked with great comedic actors and has a lot of heart. (Austen Terry)
Luca
In 2021, Pixar again released a superb, mostly underwater, animated feature called Luca. It follows Luca (Jacob Tremblay), a sea monster living in the waters of the Italian Rivera who dreams of one day traveling to the surface world. When he meets Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), they create a fantastic friendship that makes this movie truly wonderful. Director and co-writer Enrico Casarosa brings this beautiful story to us, and it will have you shouting, “Silenzio, Bruno!” before the end. Luca is a truly heartwarming film with an amazing cast. The story speaks volumes on friendships, setting out on your own journey, and seeing where life takes you. (Austen Terry)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
In a post-Endgame world, wins for the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been hard to come by, but Shang-Chi may be the one film to be pretty universally praised in Phase Four. Simu Liu puts in a star-making turn as our titular character who has to confront the past he left behind concerning the mysterious Ten Rings organization. With a supporting class including Tony Leung as one of Marvel’s best villains of recent years, Awkwafina as Shang-Chi’s best friend, and appearances by other heavy hitters like Michelle Yeoh, it’s one of the strongest casts of new characters to be introduced to the franchise in a minute. For a franchise constantly told it doesn’t know how to shoot action, the martial arts are a joy to watch, and the film provides a couple of the more creative sequences the MCU can offer. Throwing a giant water dragon into the mix for good measure is just icing on the cake. (Jake Bourgeois)
Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim gets a lot of credit from me for its creativity with making aliens, or in this case kaijus, come from the depth of the Pacific Ocean instead of space. Guillermo Del Toro paints an astonishing look at how humanity rallies together to find a common solution to the invasion from the sea. If you’re looking for a true spectacle of a movie, Pacific Rim should be exactly what you want. The fights between the jaegers and kaijus are outstanding, and the mythology behind each of the creatures and robots is superb. This movie helps solidify two things for me: I’m terrified of the deep, and there’s hope for humanity if we all work together. Idris Elba’s speech about cancelling the apocalypse is now iconic, even if it is a little corny. Pacific Rim knows exactly what it needs to be: a fun summer blockbuster that doesn’t take itself too seriously, which also delivers a rich story that can expand in a lot of different ways. I’m hoping more of these get made down the road, because there’s more story to tell. (Mike Hilty)
The Meg
I don’t think it would be presumptuous to say The Meg has brought back giant monster movies. When walking into this movie, you are agreeing to a social contract that everything you are about to watch is ridiculous. You are also agreeing to have fun. Sometimes you just want to watch a shark eat people. It’s a weird thing to say out loud, but here we are. What makes this film even better is honestly how serious they take the megalodon. Jason Statham is not a wise-cracking skeptic, making fun of the idea of the giant shark. Instead, he does everything in his power to protect the world from a serial killer fish. That even means punching it in the eye. The rest of the cast is rounded out with lovable fish food consisting of Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Masi Oka, and Cliff Curtis. What I believe makes this stand out is that the meg itself does not discriminate against star power. If you are in the water when you see the mammoth dorsal fin coming at you, it doesn’t matter how many hit TV shows you are on, the meg will swallow you up all the same. (Scott Batchelor)
Also See: Shin Godzilla, Free Willy, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Jurassic World, The Sea Beast, The Lighthouse, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Aquaman