Brow Beat

The Honest Trailer for Jaws Promises the Most Masterful “Cheeseball B-Movie” Ever Made

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the cineplex—and just in time for Shark Week—Screen Junkies has released the Honest Trailer for Jaws. The trailer pokes plenty of fun at what can at times make the Steven Spielberg classic seem dated, after more than 40 years of parodies and homages and misconceived sequels—not to mention the whole summer-blockbuster industry that the movie helped spawn. But it also pauses to appreciate what has kept Jaws iconic and unique through decades of lackluster imitations and digital innovations. As the voiceover explains, this might just be the most beautifully constructed “cheeseball B-movie” in history.

Of course, no Honest Trailer is complete without a heap of snark to qualify the acclaim, and the latest is no exception. It also raises some worthy questions: What is the deal with this movie’s fascination with legs? What if the film, like the novel, took place on the Jersey Shore? And what’s the worst part of this monster movie’s equally monstrous mayor: his recklessness and greed, or his awful blazers?