The Shallows (2016)

The Shallows parents guide

Graphic gore, which is more than most PG-13 titles carry. Beyond that, real scares and several jump scares.

Scare

Properly scary

Frightening, not just tense.

Jump scares

Several

More than a couple of sudden jolts.

Gore

Graphic gore

Blood and wounds shown clearly.

Violence

Strong violence

Violence is frequent or intense.

Sex and nudity

Mild

Mild means innuendo, or sex implied off screen, with no nudity.

Language

Mild

Mild words like damn, hell or crap.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Three questions

Is The Shallows scary?

Yes, properly. The Shallows is the real thing without being an endurance test.

How gory is The Shallows?

Graphic gore and strong violence. If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.

What is The Shallows rated, and is it OK for kids?

Better for teens than younger kids: it is rated PG-13, with real scares, several jump scares and strong violence.

What is The Shallows about?

While surfing on a secluded beach, Nancy finds herself in the feeding grounds of a great white shark. Though stranded only 200 yards from shore, survival proves to be the ultimate test of wills, requiring all of her ingenuity, resourcefulness, and fortitude.

Cast and crew

More like The Shallows

• The Departed (2006)Gritty · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastatingUndercover lives collide in a gritty, relentless game of cat and mouse within Boston's criminal underworld.
• Whiplash (2014)Gritty · emotionally devastating · relentlessA young drummer's pursuit of perfection under a ruthless instructor becomes a relentless, gritty battle for his soul.
• A Quiet Place Part II (2021)Properly scary · light gore · strong violence · emotionally heavyThe fight for survival against sound-hunting creatures becomes a gritty, relentless gauntlet in the outside world.
• Fight Club (1999)Gritty · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastatingAn insomniac and a soap salesman unleash primal aggression, igniting a darkly comic, surreal spiral toward oblivion.
• Inglourious Basterds (2009)Pulpy · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyJewish-American soldiers brutally scalp Nazis in occupied France, leading to suspenseful, darkly comedic encounters.
• The Silence of the Lambs (1991)Properly scary · graphic gore · strong violence · emotionally devastatingA brilliant, imprisoned psychopath offers chilling insights into a serial killer's mind, if a young agent dares to listen.
• The Dark Knight (2008)Suspenseful · light gore · strong violence · emotionally heavyA relentless, gritty crime thriller where a hero's war on chaos takes a darkly comic and epic turn.
• Aliens (1986)Properly scary · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA space marine faces an alien horde in a relentless, gritty fight for survival.

The Shallows is on our Horror on Netflix, Thriller on Netflix and Sports lists.

More like this feeling

Prompts we typed into CouchRot, and the lists that share its tags.

• “a horror movie that's actually scary”
• “scary but not gory”
• “a thriller with a twist, no spoilers”

Lists with the same feel: Edge of your seat.