With each summer comes a new Shark Week for fans to sink their teeth into. Those who love this time of the year flock to the Discovery Channel to watch as many movies, television shows, and documentaries as possible about the titular animal. Of course, the 2026 iteration of Shark Week is still a few weeks away, but that doesn’t mean that people who want to watch shark movies have nothing to do until then. Thankfully, there are some fantastic shark films out there to watch at any time of the year.

The start of July is the perfect time to check some of these movies out, especially with Shark Week on the horizon as it begins on July 26. When it comes to shark movies, there are tales of survival, horror stories that will keep you up at night, goofy projects like Sharknado, and even adventures for the whole family to enjoy. It looks like Peacock is attempting to be at the forefront of the hype around Shark Week, as the streaming service just added a trio of intriguing shark movies to its catalog at the start of July.

These might not be the three movies that immediately come to mind when you think of sharks (one of them for sure is, at least), but they’re a varied group that showcases the versatility of the genre. You can watch one per week to set yourself up nicely for Shark Week, while also experiencing all the different things that come with a great shark flick.

Jaws Is The Ultimate Shark Movie

Of course, when you’re talking about shark movies, the most famous and most iconic of them all is Jaws. The film has gone down as the one that established the summer blockbuster and is now considered a legitimate horror classic. The movie comes from legendary director Steven Spielberg and despite his incredible resume, there are people who still think this is the greatest work of his career, which is saying something.

Jaws, released in 1975 and based on a novel from 1974, tells the relatively simple and straightforward story of a police chief, shark hunter, and marine biologist who work together to stop a great white shark who is attacking people on the beach in a resort town in New England. While the story is pretty basic, it’s the execution that makes Jaws such a classic. The iconic opening scene sets the tone as we watch, from the point of view of something swimming in the ocean, something get closer and closer to a woman in the water. It then pulls her down and we’re captivated to see more.

From there, Spielberg expertly doesn’t show too much of the shark, while giving you just enough to ensure that you’re terrified. It’s a masterclass in crafting a huge horror film. Jaws is a legitimate classic for a reason and no discussion of sharks can be done without it, making it one of the best additions to Peacock in July.

Shark Tale Is A Fun Film In The Genre

From Jaws we move over to something totally different in Shark Tale. These two movies share almost nothing in common outside of the theme of sharks. Where Jaws is a horror film, Shark Tale is an animated project that’s designed for the entire family to enjoy. Released in 2004, the film was a commercial success that finished in the box office top 10 for the year, thanks in large part to the animation style and the loaded cast.

That cast in Shark Tale features some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Will Smith plays the lead and he’s joined by Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro, Renée Zellwegger, Jack Black, and even Martin Scorsese. The story centers on an underachieving fish named Oscar who lies about killing a shark to look better in front of his community. The shark he lies about happens to be a mob boss, yet Oscar teams up with the shark’s son to try and keep the lie going.

At the time of its release, Shark Tale was a commercial hit but not a critical one. Reviews were mixed at best, with the Rotten Tomatoes score sitting at a lackluster 35%. However, the film has gained even more popularity over time and some now view it as misunderstood initially. When it hit Netflix in 2024, it reached the top 10 spot on the platform and did the same on Disney+ in 2025. It’s very possible that happens again in 2026 on Peacock.

The Shallows Is A Harrowing Shark Story

The final notable shark movie to arrive on Peacock is The Shallows. This has much more in common with Jaws than Shark Tale, as it’s a live-action film that focuses on a deadly shark attack. However, The Shallows does so on a much smaller scale, which actually works in its favor. The 2016 movie, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, centers on a medical student named Nancy Adams who gets stranded 200 yards from shore and must survive as a great white shark is between her and safety.

While Jaws is very much about the shark itself and seeing the damage it can cause as they try to stop it, The Shallows is a pure tale of survival. We spend almost all of the runtime sitting with the protagonist, played by Blake Lively, as she’s alone in the middle of the water. The screenplay requires a strong performance from Lively, who is up to the task. Every decision she makes and every hurt she feels comes through in each scene. It’s the kind of film that’ll make you happy that you’re watching it on land.

While The Shallows isn’t a true classic like Jaws, reviews for the film were positive. It holds a 78% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (Jaws is at 97%) and it was praised for avoiding the tropes of the genre. We’ve seen survival movies before, yet something about The Shallows feels original enough to stand out. Watching these three movies in July will set you up for the perfect Shark Week.