Jaws
Jaws really does sneak up on you. Whether you've seen it a hundred times or never before: however good you think it is, it's better. It's been years since I've last properly sat down and watched Jaws, and over that time it sort of settled into my memory as this great film, but it's just Jaws, you know? It's familiar, you know all the beats, there have been a thousand shark movies since and this is one of them. But no. Sit down and watch it again. It's superb.
It feels super basic to say 'Jaws good', but it's regularly and nigh-unanimously declared a masterpiece for a reason. I know all about the issues they had on set with the shark model, so it's not entirely intentional, but less really is more. By not seeing the shark as much as you want/ Spielberg wanted, you're forced to adopt the viewpoint of the ragtag crew of The Orca, only catching terrifying glimpses in the water around you.
The cast are all on point, the quiet moments between them are perfect, especially when the main three get on the boat. Before that though, the scenes between Roy Scheider and Lorraine Gary are sweet and touching and real.
Then there's the editing, the tension, the pacing, the music (obviously) and the script - all perfect. It's absolutely worth the hype that surrounds it. Essential viewing.