1975 Critics React to Jaws – Early Movie Reviews

When Jaws hit theaters in June 1975, it didn’t just make a splash. It triggered a cinematic tidal wave. The film didn’t quietly creep into pop culture. It roared out of the water and rewrote the rules of Hollywood. And, judging by the 1975 Jaws reviews, critics immediately recognized that Steven Spielberg had delivered something different. Something bigger. Something terrifying.

Today, Jaws is widely credited with launching the idea of a summer blockbuster. But, back then, the response from early critics was a fascinating blend of admiration, thrill, and a few raised eyebrows about all the blood in a PG-rated movie. 

Let’s dive into the waters to see what the original Jaws critics were saying, and why this tale of a mechanical shark and a doomed beach town became such a lasting cultural obsession.

On Jaws’ 50th Anniversary, a Look Back at Its First Reviews

Many of the Jaws reviews applauded Spielberg’s uncanny ability to wring suspense out of silence, suggestion, and shadows in the water. 

Gary Arnold of The Washington Post hailed Spielberg as a “brilliant young director,” praising how he turned a “pedestrian” novel into a “classic of cinematic horror and high adventure.”

Others like Roger Ebert gushed that the film was “one hell of a good story, brilliantly told,” notably pointing out its restraint. It had blood and guts, but not too much. It was just enough to keep audiences clutching their armrests.

Meanwhile, Variety’s A.D. Murphy admired how the shark remained unseen for the first 82 minutes, calling it a “fast-moving” and “enormously suspenseful” film that was terrifying because of what wasn’t being shown. 

Spielberg's decision to hold back the big reveal turned mechanical flaws into cinematic genius. That kind of tension had people jumping out of their seats, and swearing off the ocean for a good long while.

Character First: It Wasn’t Just About the Shark

One of the more thoughtful throughlines in the Spielberg Jaws reviews of 1975 is how critics noted the film’s attention to its human characters. 

Arthur Knight from The Hollywood Reporter praised how the story gave audiences time to connect with the trio of Brody, Hooper, and Quint. By the time the shark showdown arrives, we’re emotionally hooked, and not just watching for gore.

Even The New York Times critic Vincent Canby, who wasn’t entirely sold on the film’s mechanics, conceded that the leads – Scheider, Shaw, and Dreyfuss – delivered performances with “wit and easy self-assurance.” Spielberg may have built his thrills around a shark, but the heart of the film lay in the small, panicked town and its reluctant heroes.

Not Everyone Was Completely Sold

Of course, Jaws’ early reception had a few less-than-stellar write-ups. After all, no film makes a clean sweep. Some Jaws critics in 1975 had mixed feelings. Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times labeled it “coarse-grained and exploitive,” criticizing its land-based scenes as “awkwardly staged.” 

Others raised concerns about its PG rating, especially given the intensity of the violence and blood. The shark may have been fake, but the terror felt real, and not everyone thought that was appropriate for a general audience.

Yet, even the less enthusiastic reviewers seemed to agree on one thing: this movie was going to be huge. Champlin admitted Jaws would make “a bloody fortune.” And it did. With $100 million in U.S. box office earnings that summer, it was clear that Spielberg’s film had changed the game.

Jaws: The Summer Blockbuster Origin Story

More than anything, the original Jaws critics were witnessing the birth of a new kind of movie experience. Time magazine called 1975 the “Summer of the Shark.” Moviegoers lined up around the block, and a new phrase entered the Hollywood dictionary: the “summer blockbuster.”

Critics like Michael Sragow of Boston Magazine understood that something had shifted. He described Jaws as “a horrific action story redeemed by inspired filmmaking,” a thrill ride that never insulted the audience’s intelligence.

And Derek Malcolm of The Guardian summed it up best, noting that Jaws didn’t try to be the best movie ever made. Instead, it focused on doing the basics right, and with such polish and clarity that it earned its place in cinema history.

Why the 1975 Jaws Reviews Still Matter

Looking back, the 1975 Jaws reviews weren’t just hot takes on a summer hit. They captured the arrival of a bold new director, a redefinition of movie suspense, and the moment Hollywood realized that summer didn’t have to mean throwaway fare. Spielberg had kicked off something seismic, and the critics knew it – even if they didn’t all agree on how to feel about it.

Fifty years later, we’re still talking about Jaws, quoting it, and watching it every time beach season rolls around. The shark may have been mechanical, but the fear – and the filmmaking – were very real.