If You Look Up "Galeophobia" in the Dictionary, You'll See These 15 Horrifying Movies

Ever wondered what life would be like if Halle Berry had chosen to become a shark whisperer instead of an Oscar-winning actress? Enter Dark Tide. She stars as Kate, a diving expert whose business is failing since her last underwater excursion ended up with someone torn apart by a great white (not the kind of thing that gets you great Yelp reviews, you know?). Her ex-boyfriend (real-life ex-husband Olivier Martinez) offers her a chance for redemption by taking a thrill-seeking millionaire on a dangerous dive in "Shark Alley," but can she survive? This movie is more of a slow burn (and didn't exactly win critics over), but it's not Sharknado, so.

Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon, iTunes

Should the Open Water franchise have continued past the first film? No. Did it? You bet! This third installment isn't going to be winning Oscars anytime soon (unless an award for Most Annoying Characters exists), but it will no doubt quench your shark thirst as you see what happens to a bunch of people whose boat capsizes in the middle of the ocean and they're left to float in shark-infested waters.

Where to watch: Amazon

Oh my god, this movie is just bonkers, and for that reason alone I adore it. It's so bad! And so hilariously worth watching! (At least once.) Not only do we get to see a giant shark tearing into a banana boat, but the shark in question happens to be psychic and seeking its own personal revenge against the Brody family. (Yes, really.)

The film follows widow Ellen Brody (Lorraine Gary, reprising her role from the original) and her remaining family members after her youngest son is eaten by a massive great white. Ellen goes to visit her other son, Michael (Lance Guest), in the Bahamas in an effort to ease her grief, but the shark follows her there! (And the award for pettiest animal goes to . . . ) Come for the insane plot, stay for seeing Michael freakin' Caine in a bit part as a pilot named Hoagie.

Where to watch: Amazon

Shark Night 3D follows the tried and true formula of scantily clad teens + Spring break = disaster, but it has a few other things going for it. For one, the CGI sharks look surprisingly solid (as does The OC star Chris Carmack's bare chest, but I digress), and it's exactly the kind of sloppy silliness you'd expect from Snakes on a Plane director David R. Ellis. Still, when you have sharks flying through the air to decapitate people on jet skis, it's practically made to be a guilty pleasure.

Where to watch: Amazon, iTunes

Jaws 3-D has a mildly interesting (if hokey) premise — what would happen if a deadly shark infiltrated Sea World Orlando and ate everyone and everything in sight? — as well as a cast that includes Dennis Quaid and Lea Thompson, but ultimately it fails in its execution. But you knew that already! You should still watch just to see what happens when you think you can keep a great white shark in captivity (its 35-foot mother goes on a rampage, obviously). And, as a bonus, you'll get to see what it's like to be eaten by a shark from inside its mouth. Whew.

Where to watch: Amazon

Sure, Bait isn't a high-brow horror film, but the Australian shark flick's claustrophobic premise helps to ratchet up the tension. After a freak tsunami hits a small beach town, a group of people find themselves trapped on the top of shelves in a grocery store while great white sharks lurk in the half-submerged store below, picking off survivors one by one. In other words, it's a very effective ad for Amazon Pantry.

Where to watch: iTunes

I know I just dragged the latter two sequels in the Jaws franchise over the coals (or the coral, if you will), but hear me out on this one. The second installment doesn't have the excellence of Richard Dreyfuss or Robert Shaw, but Roy Scheider returns as Brody, and the story isn't half bad. A second equally monstrous shark begins terrorizing swimmers in Amity and eventually goes after a group of teenagers (including Brody's son) who are out for a sail. On top of the truly traumatizing jump scares and bloody deaths, the way they get rid of the shark at the end is pretty amazing. It's not enough to forgive them for Jaws 4: The Revenge (Michael Caine, what were you thinking?), but still.

Where to watch: Amazon, iTunes

The Meg pits action hero Jason Statham against a prehistoric Megalodon shark as he attempts to rescue a crew of scientists deep below the sea, and later, a ton of tourists off the coast of China. Although it's silly and light on gore (which is a bit surprising, considering it's a giant freakin' shark), Statham and his new, bloodthirsty buddy will no doubt keep you entertained.

Where to watch: The Meg is in theaters now.

You can't be a fan of shark movies and not enjoy Deep Blue Sea. Dr. Susan McAlester (Saffron Burrows) is working on DNA-altered sharks on a remote island research facility, and naturally they get loose and start attacking their creators. It's good, bloody fun, and that scene with Samuel L. Jackson (you know the one) can't be beat.

Where to watch: Amazon, iTunes

47 Meters Down stars Mandy Moore and Claire Holt as two sisters whose fun-filled Mexican vacation takes a steep nosedive (literally). While cage diving to get up close and personal with great white sharks, the chain holding their cage snaps and sends them plummeting (you guessed it) 47 meters down to the ocean floor. The dialogue in this movie might cause you to roll your eyes a few times, but the premise feels fresh. It's not your typical, ridiculous "shark seeks vengeance" kind of story; the sharks are certainly terrifying, but it's more about the lengths two women will go to survive.

Where to watch: Netflix

If silly shark horror isn't really your speed, consider checking out Blue Water, White Death. Yes, it's a documentary, but parts of it are just as terrifying as its fictional counterparts (and it's 100 percent true). Peter Gimbel and James Lipscomb's 1971 film about great whites premiered years before Jaws and features appearances by Australian shark experts Ron and Valerie Taylor (who actually helped Steven Spielberg with his movie later on). If seeing the divers swim outside their cages in the middle of a vicious feeding frenzy doesn't get your heart racing, nothing will.

Where to watch: Amazon, iTunes

I don't care what you guys say: Blake Lively's shark movie is entertaining as hell!!! Obviously it's a little cheesy (she becomes BFFs with a seagull, after all), but it's also beautifully shot and tense as hell. Lively stars as medical student Nancy, who decides to spend a leisurely day surfing on a secluded beach in Mexico only to find herself attacked by a great white shark. Injured and stranded on a rock 200 yards from shore, she has to use everything she's ever learned to stay alive.

Where to watch: Amazon, iTunes

If Jaws and The Blair Witch Project had a baby, it would look something like Open Water. This 2004 thriller is based on a true story about an American couple who gets left behind on a dive trip in the middle of the ocean. Not only do they have to survive the sharks closing in on them, but also the frigid water and lack of food. It ditches over-the-top special effects for realistic shots of real sharks, which only further adds to the terror.

Where to watch: Amazon, iTunes

If you haven't yet seen The Reef and you have any vacations coming up, I strongly urge you to wait until you come back to watch it. The 2010 Australian horror movie is well done and legitimately scary, as it follows a group of friends whose sailing trip takes an unfortunate turn when their boat capsizes. The nearest island is 12 miles away, so they decide leaving the boat for a dangerous swim through shark-infested waters to safety is a better option (it's not).

Where to watch: Amazon, iTunes

The OG. The King. The reason I'm even afraid of swimming in the deep end of a pool to this day (what if a shark comes through the vent?!). Jaws hit theaters in 1975 and forever changed the way people view sharks (and not exactly for the better). Although shark attacks are rare, Spielberg's adaptation of Peter Benchley's novel about a great white shark's brutal feeding frenzy on a small beachside town is the reason for nearly all the other movies on this list and remains a flawless, brilliantly scary monster movie. Thank you for your service, Bruce.

Where to watch: Amazon, iTunes