Deep Blue Sea (1999)

We like a movie that mixes a smart setup with cheap thrills more than just about anything, and Deep Blue Sea — our favorite shark movie of the CGI era — does a terrific job settings things up before the carnage begins.

A well-cast team including Saffron Burrows (pictured), Thomas Jane, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Rapaport, and LL Cool J are part of a well-meaning project to breed super smart sharks to help cure Alzheimer’s disease. But intelligent sharks aren’t necessarily what you want surrounding you when you find yourself suddenly stranded in a damaged facility in the middle of the ocean.

There’s a very specific moment — Samuel L. Jackson is involved — when this movie goes totally wild, and we absolutely love it. Directed by Renny Harlin, it was a solid hit that spawned a franchise.