Dan Trachtenberg has made a lot of stuff I’ve liked. I thought his Black Mirror episode “Playtest” was a standout for its season, I thoroughly enjoyed 10 Cloverfield Lane up to a point, and Prey was a welcome return to form for the Predator franchise. Trachtenberg is spinning up for the press tour of Predator: Badlands, the next installment in the revitalized franchise, and so he’s getting asked plenty of questions about what folks can expect from the new movie.
Which led Trachtenberg to referencing Jaws as one of his favorite movies. Well, Jaws just happens to be the greatest film ever made according to the subjective reality my consciousness is trapped inside. So, I was looking forward to what Dan had to say about the pinnacle of the cinematic art form.
But, alas, he immediately went into a description that had me going full Picard facepalm. Trachtenberg said that he doesn’t view Jaws as a horror film. So, it’s time for me to load my movie critic harpoon and aim it at his brain.
Jaws Is A Horror Movie
To be fair, Dan Trachtenberg’s whole spiel about Jaws is that it’s incredibly effective at whatever goals it sets for itself. When it wants to be funny, Jaws is very funny. When it wants to be character-focused, it delivers dramatic performances unlike anything else. When it wants to be a political satire, it bites with teeth as sharp as the great white shark. When it wants to sweep you up into the adventure of the story, it’s as rousing as actually being out on the high seas. And look, Dan is right on the money when he says Jaws perfectly executes all its creative goals.
But, Dan Trachtenberg also separates the horror of Jaws as one of these segmented factors. This is where he’s wrong. The horror of Jaws is the primary driving force of its story. This is a tale about a monster destroying a community and all the fears that ripple out from its siege upon Amity Island. Like the twisted tales from the Brothers Grimm, Jaws is a cautionary tale designed to scare you into understanding the importance of safety through community.
Seriously, Jaws Is A Friggin’ Horror Movie
Horror is a disrespected genre no matter how much it proves its popularity with culture. To be called a “horror movie” is to be seen by a certain sect of viewers (read: ignoramuses) as “lesser.” That’s clamspit to anyone who actually appreciates and celebrates fictional storytelling, especially in the realm of the motion picture. Horror is the best genre as it encapsulates a much wider range of storytelling than most folks give it credit.
It’s why I have to suffer such dull and dim opinions as “Jaws isn’t a horror movie.” Of course it is. It’s the horror movie that proves the infinite versatility of the genre. Horror can be funny with emotionally driven and well-crafted characters that take you on a journey of political intrigue and swashbuckling adventure. It is not limited by the confines so many people want to put on it. I love horror because it can be so many different things. One of those happens to be the genre of the best movie ever made.
Sorry, Dan. Jaws is a horror movie and better for it.
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