This fantastic documentary is likely to make a lot of people feel rather old (or older, in our case). The legendary horror romp Jaws turned 50 this summer (1975 to 2025) and this extra detailed film explores the making of and its cultural legacy.
We really got into the film in the early 1990s as kids, then grew to appreciate its wider themes as adults, and one thing is certain—Jaws is still fantastic. A masterpiece.
But for director Steven Spielberg, it was a notorious on set nightmare that left him with PTSD in the aftermath of its tortuous summer 1974 shoot. Hurray? Yes. It was all worth it.
Relieving Spielberg’s Masterclass Storytelling in Jaws @ 50
This film launched in July 2025, first on National Geographic, then Disney+ and Hulu. There have been other documentaries like this before, but this is the definitive take. For sure. Director Laurent Bouzereau has put extra effort into digging up as many archival details as possible.
Jaws was filmed on the island of Martha’s Vineyard near New York, the sleepy resort was home to thousands of islanders. Bouzereau has gone off and found many of these people to interview for the documentary.
As only eight Hollywood actors starred in this Jaws.
If you’ve seen the film, you’ll remember there are loads of people in it. Spielberg simply used locals throughout the first half to add a real sense of documentary authenticity. For example, there’s the famous opening scene. The 19-year-old Jonathan Filley played Cassidy who makes eye contact with a local beauty and they begin chasing each other along the beach.
He also had another scene early in the film alongside Scheider, already a Hollywood star. Must have been nerve wracking.
Filley appears in Jaws @ 50, has kept the jumper he has around his waist from these scene for 50 years, and it still fits him as he’s nice and slim!
These little touches add real clout and almost a homely quality, as Martha’s Vineyard (apparently, and judging from video footage of the island) maintains something of a ’70s relic status. As if it never moved on from the film, which still brings it lots of tourist attention.
Plus, there’s Mr. Spielberg himself at the forefront of Jaws @ 50.
He was 27 in 1974 and turns 79 this December, but has lost none of his clarity and ready wit. He just seems to remember everything and has an impish, youthful quality about his personality.
He’s brought in personal recorded archival footage for this documentary, including rare behind the scenes footage of the cast and crew. The three leads of Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw in their character getups. Shaw is there speaking in his RP English accent, instead of sounding like Quint, even though he was from Westhoughton of Lancashire (just up the road from where we grew up).
He talks constantly of his drinking habits in self-mockery, aware he had something of a problem. Unfortunately, he didn’t see it past August 1978 as his hard drinking and smoking lifestyle caught up with him at 51.
Away from some unique on set insights, this era’s A list directors are also ready to explain their love for the film. That includes James Cameron (The Terminator, Aliens, Titanic, Avatar), J. J. Abrams (the recent Star Wars films), and Jordan Peele (Get Out, Nope, Us).
Actress Emily Blunt is also eager to spill the beans on how it’s her favourite film. Plus, she reveals Roy Scheider was her first on screen crush! Good on you, lady.
And whilst Richard Dreyfuss (the only surviving lead actor) isn’t in Jaws @ 50, he did return to Martha’s Vineyard in June of 2025 to mark the 50th anniversary. That was an island-wide celebration to mark the occasion, a clear impact on what the film has done for the region. See: Dreyfuss returns to the Vineyard to celebrate 50 years of Jaws. He said:
“The word that’s most associated in my mind with that film is awaiting. We waited all day and all night and all the next day.”
That’s a joke about the film’s notorious production delays.
There’s footage from the event, detailing how beautiful Martha’s Vineyard is (and still capturing that ’70s vibe), plus Dreyfuss (now 77) ready and willing to answer fan questions. And, yes, we’re jealous we couldn’t attend this bloody thing, looks like it was lots of fun.
For a film about a shark murdering lots of local people on an island, Jaws has sure taken on a life of its own. As a cultural phenomenon, that’s all down to Spielberg’s genius.
If you watch the film again now, it’s beautifully crafted—the focus on family life, how Martin Brody is vulnerable and uncertain, how he gets on with his wife. Then the second half of the film is Brody, Hooper, and Quint on the boat bickering with each other. Like a metaphor for the difficulties of life, as the real enemy in the film is warring human personalities and local political demand for profits.
This documentary is a complete joy and a life-affirming celebration of it all.
There’s no doubt in our minds in 100 years from now, Jaws will still be celebrated with the same reverence. It launched Spielberg’s career and, as you may be aware, this was no fluke—he has a canon of masterpieces, but Jaws may very well be his best film.
Jaws Back in Cinemas for its 50th Anniversary
We’ve been lucky enough to see Jaws twice in the cinema before, including once in IMAX… and you can bet your ass we’ll be seeing it again. On Tuesday 2nd September, to be precise!
We did a podcast on Jaws three years ago at this point (Hey! Listen! Jaws Tribute Extravaganza Thing) to mark our appreciation for the thing.
If you’ve never seen it on the big screen before, it does take on a whole new dimension in its full glory. Especially the second half of the film where the isolation of being out at sea, a giant shark stalking the boat, and Quint losing his mind to WWII-based PTSD, feels oh so very realistic.
