Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story

For my money, still Spielberg's best film and the one that changed cinema in terms of thrillers and blockbuster screen entertainment. There have over the years been a number of documentaries, mostly pretty good, charting how this came into being, the difficulties in making it and of course it's phenomenal success. I think there are a number of new things not said before here:

1. It shines much more of a light on Benchley and his family and how the book happened.

2. It is clearer the role shark whizzes Ron and Valerie Taylor played and their value to Spielberg.

3. The role played by, and the impact its creation had on, the Martha's Vineyard community - I had no idea how many locals took part including starring in the film.

4. A more detailed and thoughtful look at its legacy, including Robert Shaw's son's play.

The only elements I wasn't sure of were the John Williams section - fine, but nothing new and what Emily Blunt, bless her, was doing there - assume this was done in between filming Spielberg's new film in which she stars. Crucially though, the main interest is Spielberg's candour. Obviously he's a great director etc etc, but he rarely really opens up - he tends to make a lot of considered observations about all the great guys in Hollywood. Here he does and indeed from watching him talk and the mental anguish it gave him, it was a miracle the thing got made, particularly given the grief he was given by Universal executives and THAT one actor, whoever they are - you need to watch the film!

Overall then I can't say it's a ground breaking documentary, but it is interesting and has some good new stuff in it and after all it is one of the greatest films ever made and therefore richly deserving of the accolade.

I saw the recent documentary on Jaws, which was good and fairly informative, then watched the movie, probably the second or third time in my life. It was fun to see the documentary and know a little bit about the movie, then see the film.

The Definitive Inside Story gives great detail on the behind the scenes events. I grew up in Florida and was a surfer at the time Jaws came out. Up to that point when we were out surfing sharks never really came to mind but after Jaws they certainly did. One day while out surfing, 3 or 4 sharks were spotted between us and the beach, they were about 80-100 feet away and just kept on swimming.

Anyway, I digress. See this doc for a lot of good info on the film.

Saw Jaws when I was very young, and it scared the crap out of me and everyone else in the theatre. For people who know the port hole scene, this made everyone jump in the theatre. The summer of '75 was the Summer of the Shark. This was a great doc with interviews of Spielberg and a lot of cast and crew (archival footage for those who have passed). It was an epically long and tough shoot for the cast and crew. It was also interesting to see the effect on the town of Martha's Vineyard, where Jaws is still celebrated today. At the end of August 2025, they are re-releasing Jaws at IMAX, and I will be there.

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story is an engrossing documentary about one of the best films ever made. It doesn't offer anything revelatory but it's always great to see some of the greatest filmmakers to ever do it talk about a game changer with genuine passion and love. It's a fantastic collection of filmmaking talent and people more directly linked to the original film, including Steven Spielberg himself opening up about the highs and lows of making Jaws.

Over the course of its very efficient 88 minute run time, it paints a full picture from the inception of the source material to the problem filled production of the film itself before culminating with the record breaking reception and long lasting appeal that perseveres to this day. Laurent Bouzereau's direction and the editing by Jason Summers make it all feel seamless. The archive footage is wonderful, especially seeing Robert Shaw using his real accent whilst in full costume.

As "Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story" (2025 release; 88 min.) opens, the movie is opening in US theaters and immediately the lines to get in are never-ending. Spielberg comments: "I thought it would be the end of my career!". It's not long before other talking heads are gushing about Jaws, including James Cameron, Quinten Tarantino, Jordan Peele, Cameron Crowe, J. J. Abrams, and others. At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is directed by Lauren Bouzereau ("Faye"). He gets the full cooperation of Spielberg and others involved in the making of Jaws. Most notably, a number of the Martha's Vineyard locals that were in the movie reflect on it (including several of the then-kid actors). Most insightful for me is the part that deal with the building of the 3 sharks used in the film, and how all of that operated (or better: "didn't operate 80% of the time", per Spielberg). All of it is super enjoyable and the documentary flies by in no time. As an aide, I grew up in Belgium and I had just turned 15 when I saw Jaws with my parents at a (sold out) movie theater in Brussels. I still remember it like it was yesterday. A collective movie viewing experience unlike any other in my entire life. Unforgettable.

"Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story" started streaming a few days ago. I caught it on Hulu just last night. This documentary is currently rated 100% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Whether you lived through the summer of 1975 and saw it then, or you saw it at some point later, I'd readily suggest you check out this documentary, and draw your own conclusion.