James Wan is one of our favorite filmmakers because he makes exciting, weird, and distinctly unique films that typically launch franchises. Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring, and, my personal favorite, Malignant, are just some of the hits he’s responsible for. Because he has such a specific aesthetic, it’s only natural that we’d wonder what horror movies he’s watching. Luckily, our friends at IndieWire did the Lord’s work and combed the internet to find interviews where Wan recommends his all-time favorite movies.
This necessary research uncovered an article where Wan shared five movies that scared him with The Hollywood Reporter. While the list contains some standards like Ringu and Poltergeist, it was one specifically wet movie that the filmmaker says educated him while terrifying him. The iconic title in question is none other than Jaws!
Wan explained:
“It’s the movie that made me terrified of the great, watery unknown. It educated me on the power of suspense filmmaking (along with every other movie by Steven Spielberg) through camerawork, editing, music, and mise en scene.”
For those needing a refresher, Jaws premiered in 1975. The iconic shark movie was directed by Steven Spielberg. It was adapted for the screen by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb from Benchley’s novel of the same name. It starred Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, and Murray Hamilton.
Jaws is also one of the few horror films, and probably the only shark movie, to win four Oscars. That’s especially hard to do because the academy has a history of ignoring the genre. So, James Wan isn’t alone in believing this film is 100% that fish.
If you want to swim in these scary waters, the movie is currently streaming on Netflix. However, I must tell you, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” should you choose to watch it.
Were you expecting Jaws to be one of the movies that had the biggest impact on James Wan? Are you like me and planning to use this new information as an excuse for a long-overdue rewatch? Then let’s compare notes at @misssharai.
Categorized: News
