Steven Spielberg’s Jaws is an undeniable cinematic masterpiece whose impact can still be felt on filmmakers today. Based on Peter Benchley’s novel of the same name, what makes the movie’s achievements even more impressive are the countless setbacks that the production faced, which could have doomed it before it was ever released. Like many Spielberg movies, what makes it so effective is that, while it’s about a monster-sized killer shark, it delivers heart, humor, thrills, and more. Based on recent comments from the filmmaker, however, there’s one classification he seemingly doesn’t give it.
Nearly everyone who has ever seen Jaws has developed a fear of the ocean, as we don’t know what is lurking underneath the calm surface of the water. To many, Jaws is the greatest horror film of all time. Spielberg, on the other hand, recently claimed he’s never made a horror movie, which reveals that he’s taken a side in whether or not you could classify the adventure film in such a way. Speaking with Empire Magazine, the filmmaker shared:
“I haven’t directed a horror film yet, and I’ve always wanted to, and someday I may. “
This brief quote might initially be confusing, given how many different Spielberg films are thrilling yet apparently don’t qualify as “horror.” Apparently, even his movie Duel, in which a salesman is stalked and terrorized by a man driving a semi truck, doesn’t count as horror to the filmmaker. On the other hand, while Disclosure Day is set to be released in theaters this summer, the filmmaker teased he might make what he considers a horror film “someday,” so now we can’t wait to see what a full-blown Spielberg horror movie is.
What’s also worth noting is that, while some filmmakers might opt to avoid using the term “horror” as they might think it belittles or undermines their work, Spielberg has a great affinity for the genre. He further elaborated:
“There have been some great horror films out already that satisfy that itch … When I see a great horror film like Weapons, I don’t have an itch I need to scratch. I see Weapons, and it doesn’t make me want to make a horror film that’s as scary or scarier than Weapons. It satisfies me so completely, it actually arrests my desire to someday make a really, really scary movie.”
Still, these recent comments will leave us scratching our heads. Not only do Jaws and Duel feel like full-blown horror movies, so does War of the Worlds, as does his segment in Twilight Zone: The Movie. Additionally, he served as a producer on Poltergeist, Arachnophobia, Monster House, The Lovely Bones, and Super 8. Given how effectively he revisited Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining for a key sequence in Ready Player One, if Spielberg says he’s never made a horror movie, then we’re counting down the minutes until he finally makes one.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
