These Terrifying Movies Will Ruin Your Beach Vacation

The Little Mermaid would have you believe the ocean floor is a nonstop party, where crabs sing and fish play the clarinet. Unfortunately, nature's not as friendly in real life. The film 47 Meters Down, out this Friday, will do a good job of shattering any lingering childhood illusions of vegetarian sharks or musical crustaceans.

The movie starts, as so many aquatic-themed horror movies do, with a "fun activity." Two sisters, Lisa (Mandy Moore) and Kate (Claire Holt), buckle into their shark tank for a scuba diving adventure. Plot twist: The tank detaches from the boat and floats to the bottom of the ocean, where the sisters contend with circling sharks and a dwindling oxygen supply.

The summer flick is merely the latest in a long line of works that prey on our fear of the deep blue sea. Before 47 Meters Down, there was Jaws. And before there was Jaws, there was Moby-Dick, the classic novel about a war between whale and man. Each of these movies captures the terror of being lost at sea.

Enjoy your winter cruise getaway, by the way.