Culture Bites

E81 - Episode 79: Jaws turns 50 - Which came first, the phobia or the film?

Published: June 19, 2025

Duration: 26:11

In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews are joined by The National’s arts and culture editor William Mullally to talk about Jaws to mark the film’s 50th anniversary.

The iconic shark attack film had such a massive impact in Hollywood when it was released in 1975, carving out an entire thriller genre for decades to come. In fact, people began describing hit summer films as "blockbusters" because of Jaws. The hosts discuss with William how director Steven Spielberg masterfully tapped into a primal human fear to create a work of art that...