The episode argues that Jaws is perhaps the most rewatchable movie ever made, with its enormous summer-blockbuster impact, iconic score, strong central performances, and remarkably durable suspense. The hosts praise Spielberg’s direction, the film’s cultural footprint, and its ability to work as both a thrilling event movie and a near-perfect piece of craft.
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01The movie delivers sustained suspense and a final stretch that the hosts describe as nearly perfect and impossible to stop watching. Opening minutes
02John Williams's score is instantly recognizable and does major emotional work with only a few notes. About 32 min
03The film balances beach-town atmosphere, character interplay, and monster-movie payoff in a way that feels timeless. About 32 min
04The movie remains effective across generations, with the hosts describing watching it with their kids and rewatching it in the age of HD/streaming. Opening minutes
WHAT DID NOT WORK
Their main criticisms
moderateThe mechanical shark often looks bad and breaks the illusion in a few shots, especially in Quint's death. About 40 min
moderateThe movie is extremely white and male, with almost no women and no apparent minorities in the town. About 40 min · medium confidence
minorThe book's more explicit subplot material was cut, which the hosts joke would have made a different movie. Opening minutes
SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO
Standout moments
Favorite
Opening beach attack
The woman being pulled under at the beginning is cited as a perfectly terrifying opening beat.
About 24 min Favorite
4th of July shark attack
The holiday attack and the mother's realization her son is missing are described as gut-wrenching.
About 24 min positive
Brody family dinner / shark book beat
The scene where Brody's son imitates him at the table is singled out as a classic Spielberg character moment.
About 24 min Favorite
Town hall / Quint introduction
The meeting after the July 4th attack, including Quint's entrance, is praised for comedy and momentum.
About 24 min Favorite
Indianapolis monologue
The long monologue is treated as one of the great scenes in movie history and the emotional peak of the film.
About 32 min positive
Ben Gardner's head reveal
The scuba-diving jump scare is praised as a great extra scare and a directorial flourish.
About 56 min Favorite
Cage attack and shark confrontation
Hooper's cage sequence and the shark's attack are singled out as a thrilling part of the finale.
About 56 min Favorite
Quint's death
Although gruesome and a bit fake-looking, Quint's death is treated as unforgettable and deeply disturbing.
About 8 min
WHERE THEY DISAGREED
The biggest debates
They partly agreed Opening minutes
Is Jaws the greatest movie of the last 50 years?
Bill Simmons
Maybe the most rewatchable, but not definitively the best movie.
Chris Ryan
It's his favorite movie of the last 50 years and nearly untouchable.
No final agreement About 1:20
Which career peak matters most for Roy Scheider?
Bill Simmons
Jaws is his apex mountain and career peak.
Chris Ryan
All That Jazz is the culmination and his most significant lead role.
They left it as a friendly argument About 48 min
Whether Mayor Vaughn is a villain
Sean Fennessey
He is making a pragmatic business case given the limits of 1975 media and local politics.
Bill Simmons
He is a suspect but understandable pro-business mayor, not a cartoon villain.
They agreed About 1:04
How the shark should have been killed
Bill Simmons
He likes the movie's ending but notes the book's harpoon-to-death approach.
Sean Fennessey
The film's scuba-tank ending is superior and more cinematic.
10 People discussedActors, directors, writers, and producers
neutralPeter BenchleyBill Simmons: Discussed mainly for the novel, the screenplay process, and his reported objections to parts of the adaptation. Opening minutes
