Movies of this sort were small, scrappy, and sometimes moderately successful. With time, they would become cult classics. And by the ’90s, the genre writ large garnered mainstream appeal, cultivating a horror revival that really blossomed in the early ’00s.

The success of Jaws made way for an entire horror subgenre " giant animal attacks." Though few of these were able to match the power of the filmmaking in Spielberg's movie, Alligator is the clear king of the Jaws rip-offs.

Horror movies and franchises are usually remembered by their villains. Here are the most iconic antagonists you can see on the big screen.