4. The Shallows (2016)

Being stranded in the middle of the deep, shark-infested waters, with no land in sight, has been the terrifying concept of several movies already, so The Shallows tries to do something different. It’s a cruel twist of fate for Nancy (Blake Lively), who ends up stranded on a tiny, isolated rock only 200 yards from the shore. All that’s between her and safety in the shallow waters is a giant shark. She’s so close yet so far. Jaume Collet-Serra, who also directed Orphan and House of Wax, has a very lyrical vision that makes even the simplest of his horror movie concepts feel grand and mythic, which really works for this stripped-down survival concept. Blake Lively gives her character some gumption and emotional gravitas that makes us invested in her survival. There are some very creative set pieces involving jellyfish and a buoy, plus some welcome levity from a seagull named Steven Seagull. The Shallows is a solid B-movie that doesn’t pretend to be anything more than it is, but still manages to rise above most brainless shark thrillers.