Why It Took Steven Spielberg 50 Years To Watch His Own Thriller Masterpiece

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Steven Spielberg‘s Jaws is widely considered one of the greatest horror films ever made, and it had a huge effect on popular culture, even causing many people to become afraid of sharks. Since its release in 1975, numerous shark thrillers have attempted to capture the magic of Jaws, but none have achieved the same level of success. Despite being a classic, the film’s production was famously filled with difficulties.

In 2025, the 50th anniversary of the film Jaws was marked with a documentary, Jaws @ 50, which unveiled surprising stories about the chaotic making of the movie. The production was famously troubled, to the point that director Steven Spielberg avoided watching Jaws—one of his most acclaimed works—for almost half a century.

Steven Spielberg Refused To Watch Jaws For 50 Years

Steven Spielberg is considered one of the most influential filmmakers ever, directing beloved classics such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Although he generally avoids rewatching his films—he once told E! News he doesn’t like to “dwell” on them—he had a specific reason for never seeing Jaws.

In an interview with Deadline, Spielberg admitted he was hesitant to rewatch his classic film Jaws, fearing it would bring back stressful memories from the production. He explained he wanted to experience the film as it was originally released in 1975 and see if he could watch it without being overwhelmed by the challenges of making it.

Jaws’ Production Was Full Of Problems

The movie Jaws is known for its memorable scenes, but surprisingly, many of them happened because of problems during filming. A good example is Quint’s famous story about the sinking of the Indianapolis. Robert Shaw, the actor playing Quint, was intoxicated when they first tried to film it, making those takes unusable. He eventually delivered a perfect performance in just one take, but it was a tense situation for everyone involved.

The shark was shown very little in the movie Jaws, which built incredible suspense. However, this wasn’t intentional – the mechanical shark frequently broke down, even sinking sometimes. These problems caused the film’s budget to balloon, forced last-minute script changes, and extended the shoot from a planned 55 days to over 150. As a result, making Jaws was a difficult experience for everyone, including the director.

Spielberg Eventually Watched His Own Movie (And Liked It)

Although Steven Spielberg didn’t see Jaws in theaters when it first came out, he finally watched it almost 50 years later, around the film’s anniversary. He explained to Deadline that he watched it alone, and it was the first time he’d experienced Jaws as a moviegoer, rather than as the director.

The opening scene of Jaws instantly cemented its status as a horror classic, but director Steven Spielberg had a surprisingly simple reaction when he first watched the finished film: “I liked it!” With a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Jaws remains one of the greatest and most frightening movies ever made.

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2026-02-13 01:29