“Best” is a subjective term, and the definition of what constitutes a “best” movie or game can vary wildly. This list is an attempt to provide some guidance on what movies are considered “classics.”
The 2017 horror movies is a list of the best horror movies that have been released in 2017. This list will be updated every year with new releases and older ones.
While horror films come in all shapes and sizes, one subgenre has always had a particular place in the canon: monster movies. We’ve spent almost a century watching onscreen creatures of different kinds and sizes try to murder mankind, from Godzilla destroying Tokyo in the 1950s to the beast from Cloverfield rampaging through New York in 2008. While many monster movies have degenerated into massive cheese fests over the years, they can still be terrifying, suspenseful, exciting, and even funny when done properly.
There is a primal fear connected with seeing anything unreal on screen, whether it is frightening or acting as a sidekick to the characters in a film. After all, our imaginations run wild on a daily basis, and seeing the results of a filmmaker’s daydreaming is just as interesting as seeing a creepy horror film. With that in mind, and in celebration of the May release of A Quiet Place 2, one of the greatest monster films, here are the 60 best monster movies that everyone should watch in 2024.
1. The Cloverfield Paradox (2008)
This “found-footage” film made over $170 million in theaters, much like how this horrible space monster wreaks devastation on New York City in only a few days. The monster’s idea is similar to that of a terrified elephant on the loose, but much larger. The head of the Statue of Liberty has been severed, sending a clear message: flee for your life.
The US Defense Department discovers a recording in the old Central Park. A group of pals throws a surprise goodbye party for Rob Hawkins in his Lower Manhattan apartment in the film. Rob is a young guy about to leave New York for employment in Japan, and his buddy Hud is recording messages from his friends. An earthquake stuns them, and they hear through the news that a ship has capsized in the port area. They travel to the rooftop to watch the catastrophe unfold and see explosions all around them; when the building’s electricity goes out, they escape to the streets to avoid the monster.
2. The Situation (1982)
When a parasitic alien life form infiltrates your secluded Antarctic research station, it’s tough to trust your friends. The Thing assimilates and imitates other species, making it almost impossible to tell which one it is inhabiting. That is, until enormous and incomprehensible creatures arise.
A picture of a US research station in Antarctica taken in early winter 1982. Unexpectedly, a helicopter from a neighboring Norwegian research station buzzes the building. They’re trying to kill a dog that has escaped their fortress. After the Norwegian chopper is destroyed, the members of the US team go to the Norwegian base, only to find that everyone is either dead or missing.
They do come upon the charred remains of a strange creature set aflame by the Norwegians. It is sent to an American base, where it is determined to be an alien life form. After a length of time, it becomes apparent that the alien has the ability to invade and absorb different life forms, including humans, and that it might spread like a virus. This increases tensions by implying that everyone on the base is at danger of being possessed by The Thing.
Godzilla is number three (1954)
Godzilla is not just one of cinema’s most well-known monsters; he’s also the inspiration for the world’s longest-running film series. With 36 films under his belt, it was tough to choose just one of these well-known kaiju films to put on our list, but in the end, nothing surpasses the original. Ishiro Honda’s original Godzilla picture was not your typical fun big monster movie; it had darker origins and, at its heart, symbolized nuclear devastation.
The film is a metaphorical story about a dinosaur that shoots atomic breath from its mouth and is an unstoppable force on the streets of Tokyo. The film’s total chaos and terror, as the monster tramples the city, mirror the real-world devastation wrought by the World War II atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Apart from these somber problems, the film was the first of its kind to use suitmation, which revolutionized the subgenre and cemented its place in cinematic history.
King Kong is number four (1933)
Despite our fondness for Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake, the culturally important and groundbreaking original 1933 monster film cannot be ignored. The film portrays the story of a monster who shows himself to be a lover at heart, and is focused around a gigantic gorilla-like creature called Kong.
In quest of an ancient beast, a film crew goes to an undiscovered island. However, as soon as they arrive, their leading lady is kidnapped and offered to Kong as a sacrifice by the island’s inhabitants. Fortunately, the colossal ape takes a shine to her right away, sparing her life as the squad sets out to save her.
5. The Insect (1986)
In David Cronenberg’s 1986 film The Fly, Jeff Goldblum played scientist Seth Brundle, who garnered great critical praise. After a teleportation failure, Goldblum’s character’s DNA is accidentally combined with that of a common housefly, resulting in a science fiction/horror hybrid. He decomposes into a larger-than-life insect after that. The protagonist of this horror movie turns into the monster, which is a surprise.
Goldblum’s transformation into a human-sized fly is shown in the film. Despite the gruesome and disgusting visual effects, Goldblum’s grounded acting makes the far-fetched scenario oddly realistic, and he manages to evoke pity as his character loses humanity.
Godzilla vs. Kong is the sixth installment in the Godzilla vs. Kong series (2024)
Godzilla and Kong, nature’s two most powerful forces, clash on the big screen in a spectacular battle for the ages. A conspiracy threatens to wipe all species, good and bad, off the face of the earth forever as a squadron embarks on a dangerous mission into magnificent unknown terrain in quest of answers to the Titans’ very origins and the survival of humanity.
Godzilla resurfaces after an epic battle with his three-headed arch-enemy King Ghidorah, and destroys everything in its path. Dr. Ilene Andrews, an anthropological linguist at Monarch, and her smart adopted daughter, Jia, detect the re-emergence of latent, centuries-old conflict as yesterday’s saviors become a danger to the world.
Now, two massive alpha Titans are fighting for dominance in the last battle, and mankind is once again caught in the crossfire. Kong, on the other hand, is fearful of anybody, while Godzilla is an unstoppable natural force. In the epic battle, who will survive and who will perish?
The Mummy is number seven (1999)
Because there are so many, it’s impossible to choose a single favorite film on everyone’s favorite Egyptian monster. The attraction of a mummy is undeniable. It is usually a member of ancient Egyptian royalty who has been wrapped in clean bandages and buried in a tomb (or pyramid) as their last resting place. The mummy awakens and spreads its curse since scientists and treasure hunters are unable to avoiding disturbing those graves.
Evelyn Carnahan, an English librarian, is intrigued by the prospect of undertaking an archaeological dig in Hamunaptra. After saving Rick O’Connell from imminent death, she enlists his help. What Evelyn, Jonathan, and Rick don’t know is that the dig is also of interest to another group of explorers. This group, unfortunately for everyone, ends up breaking a curse put on the recently dead High Priest Imhotep. It will take more than guns to restore ‘The Mummy’ to his roots now that he has awakened.
8. The Labyrinth of Pan (2006)
Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth is less of a horror film than the rest of the films on this list. It’s more of a dramatic fairy tale set during a political upheaval in Spain during the 1940s. Take into account that this is a weird flick. This is something we’re well aware of. It is, however, beautifully directed and has received many awards, including three Academy Awards.
During the post-Civil War era in Spain, rebels continue to fight Falangist troops in the highlands in 1944. Ofelia and her sick and expectant mother, Carmen Vidal, go to the country to meet and live with her stepfather, the cruel and ruthless Captain Vidal, in an old mill. During the night, Ofelia meets a fairy, and the two go to a pit in the middle of a labyrinth, where they meet a faun who tells them that she is a princess from a subterranean kingdom.
He also tells her that her father is expecting her, but she must first accomplish three harsh, tough, and dangerous tasks. Meanwhile, she meets Mercedes, a servant who is really helping the gang and is the sister of one of the rebels. Ofelia is trying to fulfill her duties and reunite with her father and king in a dark, harsh, and deadly world.
The Evil Dead (#9) (1981)
Is Ash vs. Evil Dead a real monster movie? We debated this for a long time internally before deciding that Deadites and Kandarian Demons (not to be confused with outright zombies) are monsters.
Ash Williams, his fiancée Linda, and three other friends go to a rural Tennessee house. They leased the cottage for a song — sight unseen – and found it to be in good shape, but they were soon plagued by strange occurrences and sounds. In the basement, they find a strange book and audio recordings with a translation of the text. When they play the recordings, they summon a malignant entity bent on annihilating them. They get possessed over time and begin fighting one another. In the end, only one will live.
Frankenstein is number ten (1931)
James Whale’s gothic monster thriller Frankenstein (1931), starring Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, and Boris Karloff, is one of the most well-known horror films ever made, based on Mary Shelley’s 1818 book of the same name. The story follows a young scientist called Henry Frankenstein and his assistant Fritz as they unearth a number of corpses and assemble them in an effort to create life.
Henry Frankenstein is a gifted scientist who has been researching the reanimation of dead creatures for a long time. He’s experimented on small creatures and is now ready to breathe life into a man he’s built from body parts he’s collected from different locations such as graveyards and the gallows. His fiancée Elizabeth and friend Victor Moritz are concerned for his health since he spends much too much time in his laboratory working on his study.
He’s succeeded, and the creature he’s created is kind yet afraid of fire. Baron Frankenstein, Henry’s father, pulls his son back to reality, and Henry agrees that the monster should be humanely killed. However, the monster escapes before they can do so, and in its innocence, it kills a little kid. The people rise up, intent on slaying the terrifying creature.
Cloverfield Lane, No. 11 (2016)
Dan Trachtenberg directed 10 Cloverfield Lane, a 2016 American science fiction psychological thriller film. The film was produced by J. J. Abrams and Lindsey Weber. It’s the third installment in the Cloverfield film series. The story follows a young woman who wakes up in an underground bunker with two men after a car accident. They claim that something happened to make the Earth’s surface uninhabitable.
Following a car accident, Michelle wakes up in a weird bunker with two men named Howard and Emmett. Howard gives her a pair of crutches to help her stay mobile as she recovers from her leg injuries sustained in the car accident, and tells her to “get good on them” before leaving the bunker.
She has been told that the outside world has been poisoned as a result of an alien assault. Howard and Emmett’s motivations, on the other hand, soon become suspicious, and Michelle is compelled to examine the following: Is it preferable to be here or there?
The Hills Have Eyes, No. 12 (1977)
Before creating Freddy Krueger, Wes Craven created a whole other kind of scary monster in his 1977 classic The Hills Have Eyes. The film capitalizes on public concern over nuclear testing in the United States. It revolves on a vacationing family that is terrorized by a mutant family living in the Nevada hills. As the film deteriorated into a fight between the two families, with only one surviving, the hill people had all mutated as a consequence of the area’s nuclear research and had acquired cannibalistic inclinations.
Big Bob Carter and his family stop at a remote gas station for fuel and leisure while driving through the desert in a trailer to California. Bob is accompanying his wife Ethel, son Bobby, daughters Brenda and Lynn, son-in-law and Lynn’s husband Doug, and their newborn daughter Katy on their journey. When they leave the gas station, the owner advises Bob to stay on the main route.
On the other side, the stubborn driver makes a detour through a nuclear testing facility, totally destroying his station wagon. Bob and Doug set off on a journey down the road in quest of help for a family that has been stranded in the middle of nowhere. Bob is kidnapped by a crazed and cruel member of a terrible neighboring family. Doug returns to the trailer, and the Carter family is attacked by a band of cannibal criminals in the middle of the night. The killers have fully ensnared them, and they must fight for their lives.
Jeepers Creepers (#13) (2001)
Another picture that, like ‘The Howling’ (see above), loses its horror factor once the monster arrives. The first thirty minutes of this unexpected old-school sleeper hit are truly remarkable: first, a thunderous, ‘Duel’-inspired truck chase, then one of the all-time great ‘you’ve got to be kidding’ sequences, in which our plucky teen heroes descend a grimy, gore-spattered pipe that leads directly into the beast’s lair.
Nothing in Noughties horror comes close to the genuinely wet, claustrophobic dread of this scene – but sadly, director Victor Salva is unable to maintain that atmosphere throughout the film, and things meander towards an entertaining but not especially spectacular climax when the winged monster emerges.
IT is number fourteen (2017)
Tim Curry will always be linked to Pennywise the dancing clown, a terrifying figure. Bill Skarsgrd is the one who scares you to death in this 2017 adaptation of Stephen King’s epic book, set in the 1980s rather than the 1950s. As Pennywise, Skarsgrd’s eyes move in two different directions, giving the creature a really terrifying and crazy look.
As he interacts with the children, he drools, as if hungry and eager to devour them and their fear. The young performers provide outstanding performances, which serve to alleviate any discomfort connected with child acting, while the themes of friendship and the loss of innocence are reminiscent of both ‘Stand By Me’ (another King adaptation) and ‘ET.’ It may be lovely at times, but when it scares – and it does terrify – it serves as a clear warning that clowns, regardless of age, are deadly.
The Descent is number fifteen (2005)
While the concept of “people are the real monsters” has been used in horror films for decades, The Descent takes a different approach with its skillful use of monstrous protagonists and anthropomorphic creatures. The less said about this one, the better, although it thrives on the claustrophobia created by both the cave setting and the interpersonal ties that quickly disintegrate when the “crawlers” appear. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s a must-see for anybody who enjoys both frightening and real animals.
She and five other women go to North Carolina for their annual “expedition” a year after her husband and daughter are murdered in a car accident, but things go horribly wrong when they discover that the cave they are in is inhabited by strange, humanoid creatures.
The Babadook is the sixteenth novel in the Babadook series (2014)
Amelia’s husband died in a car accident while driving her to the hospital to give birth to their son, Samuel. She has stopped writing children’s books and now works at a nursing home to support Samuel. The kid, on the other hand, is unruly and is ostracized by his classmates, as well as his aunt Claire and cousin Ruby. Amelia reads stories to Samuel every night before he goes to bed, and one night he gives him the fascinating book Mister Babadook, which he found in his room.
The novel, which describes a strange monster that torments people, worries Amelia and Samuel, and Samuel says that Babadook haunts him at night. Amelia rips up the book and throws it away, but Babadook soon follows them. Amelia and Samuel are able to sleep through the night because they take medicines. Strange events occur in the home when the book Mister Babadook is found mended at her front door. Is Mr. Babadook a trustworthy individual?
17. Gigantic (2016)
This is a monster movie unlike any other. While the rest of the world is frightened of a terrible creature wreaking havoc in South Korea, an alcoholic single woman from New England (Anne Hathaway) discovers that she has control over the monster’s every move. When her friend Oscar offers to help, he manifests a huge robot in South Korea, giving the scene a strange Pacific Rim vibe complete with human puppeteers.
Gloria’s life is a total catastrophe, to put it bluntly. She has a serious alcohol problem, she parties nonstop, she is an unemployed online magazine writer stuck in a creative rut, and she was just evicted from her ex-New York boyfriend’s flat. Gloria will inevitably return to her hometown’s old house, shamefaced and penniless, to figure things out, get her life together, and lick her wounds, when she will cross paths with Oscar, an old elementary school friend.
On the other side of the globe, in Seoul, an unexpected appearance of a gigantic Kaiju monster shakes the bustling city, inflicting devastation without mercy and triggering a global state of emergency, while hazed Gloria attempts to restart her life in any manner imaginable.
Pacific Rim (18.) (2013)
Pacific Rim is lacking in subtlety and a compelling narrative, but who needs that when there are giant robots battling kaiju? As enormous monsters assault humanity’s final bastions, it’s the end of the world as we know it. Is that their only rebuttal? Building-sized mechs resemble massive Gundams, and their operation requires careful coordination between two pilots. The action is worth seeing throughout, and the last half-hour of the film is a devastating, thrilling set piece that should please monster lovers worldwide.
Kaiju, massive monsters that emerge from a portal under the Pacific Ocean, have been attacking Earth on a regular basis for years. The Jaeger program, which includes the creation of massive, complex robots that need pairs of neurally linked pilots, is the only possible defense. Humanity’s tactics must change as each Kaiju assault increases in power and frequency.
Raleigh Becket, a former Jaeger pilot, is revived for this purpose in a last-ditch effort to destroy the portal. While Raleigh tries to heal his inner scars and help his new friend overcome hers, a brave scientist finds a way to connect with the Kaiju’s brains in order to learn more about them. Unfortunately, this proves to be a mixed blessing, as crucial information is shared between the two groups inadvertently, increasing the stakes for the final showdown.
They’re number 19! (1954)
After a number of people, including an FBI agent and the majority of his family, go missing or are murdered in the New Mexico desert, police Sgt. Ben Peterson teams up with FBI agent Bob Graham to figure out what is causing the strange events. They report to the Department of Agriculture an odd print found in one of the prime sites. Doctor Harold Medford and his daughter, Doctor Patricia Medford, arrive at a place where a number of people have gone missing and want to be taken there.
When they arrive, they are shocked to discover gigantic ants, whose mutations were caused by the first atomic bomb explosion nine years before. The ant nest is ultimately destroyed, but not before two-winged queen ants and a few drones hatch and escape. It’s now a race against time to find the two queen ants before they build more nests and give birth to other queens.
Monsters, Inc. is the twenty-first film in the Monsters, Inc. franchise (2001)
Aficionados may object to a list of prowling lurchers from beyond including this consistently cheery and charming Pixar classic. To them, we can only say this: if a film’s title includes the word “monster,” it almost definitely deserves to be included on our list.
Monstropolis, a city of monsters without humans, revolves on Monsters, Inc., the city’s power company. When a 2-year-old baby girl nicknamed “Boo” inadvertently slips into the monster world with Sulley one night, he and his wisecracking best buddy, small, green cyclops monster Mike Wazowski, learn what happens when the real world collides with theirs.
And now it’s up to Sulley and Mike to reintroduce Boo to her door before anyone notices, especially two evil villains: Sulley’s chief scarer rival, the chameleon-like Randall (a monster Boo is terrified of), who can change the color of his skin, and Mike and Sulley’s boss, Mr. Waternoose, the chairman and chief executive officer of Monsters, Inc.
Little Shop Of Horrors (No. 21) (1986)
Is there a Venus flytrap that can communicate? Little Shop of Horrors is a musical comedy with a dark heart, and here is the monster at its center. Rick Moranis’ character, Seymour Krelborn, runs a failing flower shop, but when he learns that the Venus flytrap can grow to gigantic dimensions when fed human blood, commerce booms…and so do the antics. While musicals aren’t for everyone, and those expecting a straight-up monster movie may be let down by the unusual creature and song breaks, those who enter the Little Shop of Horrors will be rewarded with one of cinema’s most lasting monsters.
A Quiet Place (number 22) (2018)
A Quiet Place is a horror film directed by John Krasinski and written by Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, and Krasinski, based on a script by Woods and Beck. The film follows a father (Krasinski) and a mother (Emily Blunt) as they fight to survive and raise their children in a post-apocalyptic world populated by blind animals with acute hearing.
The Abbotts fight for existence in the dismal urban jungle of New York City, characterized by a new era of total silence, in a broken Earth overrun by relentless predators of unknown provenance. Indeed, since this new species of intruder is attracted to noise, even the slightest sound might be fatal; yet, it has been twelve months since the fearsome animals were first discovered, and this resilient family is still thriving. Naturally, understanding the rules of existence in this muted dystopia is essential; yet, now, more than ever, an otherwise happy event jeopardizes the fragile balance. And now, maybe more than ever, the Abbotts must keep their mouths shut.
A Quiet Place 2 (number 23) (2024)
Evelyn Abbott finds herself alone, with two young adolescents, a helpless newborn son, and nowhere to escape, thanks to the recently found weakness of the apparently invulnerable animals. Now, 474 days after an all-out alien invasion in A Quiet Place (2018), the Abbotts gather all their courage to leave their now-burned-to-the-ground farm and embark on a hazardous journey to find civilization. With this in mind, and in a desperate attempt to test the limits, the intrepid survivors are compelled to enter the eerily quiet, undiscovered dangerous region in the hopes of a miracle. This time, though, the enemy is everywhere.
24. Frankenstein’s Bride (1935)
The first sequel to Universal Pictures’ 1931 picture Frankenstein is Bride of Frankenstein. It takes place shortly after the events of the previous film and is based on a storyline from Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818). The story follows a chastened Henry Frankenstein as he tries to abandon his plans to create life, only to be lured and ultimately persuaded by his old mentor Dr. Pretorius and threats from the Monster to produce a spouse for the Monster.
The Host is number 25. (2006)
Bong Joon-magnum Ho’s masterpiece “The Host” is a frightening warning tale about the consequences of pouring tainted formaldehyde down the kitchen sink (we’ve all done it!). Bong pulls off the clever feat of infusing old-school genre suspense into a nuanced (and ultimately frightening) human tale, standing up to Spielberg’s “Jaws” in terms of both the beast’s brilliant introduction and its savage assault on regional government bureaucracy.
Park Hee-bong, a man in his late sixties, is the protagonist of the tale. He lives with his two sons, one daughter, and one grandson near the Han River’s banks, where he owns and runs a little snack shop. The Parks seem to enjoy a regular and happy life, although they may be a bit poorer than the average Seoulite. Hee-eldest bong’s son, Gang-du, is a clumsy and incompetent man in his forties whose wife has long ago abandoned the household. Nam-il is the youngest son, an unemployed grouch, while Nam-Joo is a member of the national archery squad and an archery medalist.
An unknown monster rises from the bottom of the Han River, spreading terror and murder, and Gang-daughter du’s Hyun-Seo is kidnapped and disappears. Each member of the family is grieving the death of a loved one. When they find she is still alive, though, they swear to rescue her.
Basket Case (No. 26) (1982)
Modern horror fans have largely forgotten the name of Frank Henenlotter, who was once associated with inventive cinematic filth. The tale of a browbeaten, morally ambiguous twentysomething and his homicidal, basket-bound vestigial twin as they embark on a quest for vengeance against the doctors who drove them apart was told in his early 1980s calling card, ‘Basket Case.’ This darkly comic story of monstrous brotherly love is most fascinating to contemporary audiences as a portrait of New York in its awful heyday, a shattered urban hellscape inhabited almost exclusively by prostitutes, thieves, junkies, and killers and lighted by flickering neon and ambulance sirens.
With a basket and a backpack, Duane Bradley, a lovely country bumpkin, checks into a hotel room in New York. In a flashback sequence, we see that the basket carries his surgically removed Siamese twin, who is not only physically deformed to the point that doctors struggle to call him a human, but is also the vengeful driver of their trip, bent on killing everyone he holds responsible. Duane, on the other hand, has his first date at one of those doctors’ offices, with the receptionist, and wants to start a new life. The scene is set for a grim ending as the strange twin escapes.
Cabin in the Woods (#27) (2012)
Joss Whedon’s horror-comedy spoof is essentially a monster horror-comedy. Cabin in the Woods upends expectations all the way to its unforgettable conclusion, following a group of adolescents who are subjected to terrible horrors while being controlled by enigmatic (and hilarious) office employees played by Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford.
For the weekend, five teenagers flee to a secluded home in the woods. They arrive to find themselves cut off from the rest of the world, with no means of contact. As the basement door flings open, they instinctively descend to investigate. When one of the women, Dana, reads from a book, she wakes a family of bloodthirsty zombie killers. But there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye.
Swamp Thing (#28) (1982)
You’ve probably seen the green pulp that forms when spinach is overcooked. That seems to be the unhappy swamp man’s motive. Swamp Thing was first developed for the pages of DC comics to show that while discussing the environment, we must include horrifying mutant avenging vegetable men alongside majestic redwoods and fresh azalea bouquets.
Dr. Alec Holland is trying to create a new species — a combination of animal and plant capable of adapting to and living in the toughest conditions – while hiding in the murky depths of a swamp. Regrettably, he becomes a victim of his own creation and undergoes transformation… Arcane is on a mission to capture the Swamp Thing in order to get the formula. A frantic pursuit follows, ending in a confrontation between Holland and an Arcane who has been changed…
Creature of the Black Lagoon (No. 29) (1954)
Despite being entirely filmed in black and white, this is a well-known monster movie that inspired many sequels and spin-offs and contributed to the early 1950s 3D cinema fad. Director Jack Arnold presented audiences to the monster from the Black Lagoon in 1954 with Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, and the now-iconic Gill-Man.
The monster is a long-extinct creature discovered deep in the Amazon rainforest. Despite the fact that Gill-Man murders many of the individuals who try to catch it for study, this film does an excellent job of presenting the strange fishy man as the victim, causing audiences to sympathize with the terrible creature. After all, he’s just trying to protect himself and his property from armed invaders.
The Wolf Man is number thirty (1941)
The Wolf Guy is a Curt Siodmak film about a guy called Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) who returns to Wales after his brother is murdered. Talbot is attacked by a wolf soon after arriving, which he kills with his silver walking cane. Talbot immediately learns that the wolf he killed was really a werewolf, and that after being bitten during the assault, he would soon become one as well.
The Wolf Man is without a doubt the most well-known werewolf picture of all time, yet it was not Universal’s first. Stuart Walker’s Werewolf in London premiered in 1935, six years before The Wolf Man was published. Despite the film’s poor reception, some critics think Henry Hull’s performance was better to that of Lon Chaney Jr., which we respectfully disagree with. Chaney’s preparation and dedication to the role are two key reasons why his performance is still regarded as the gold standard in Hollywood.
31. The haze (2007)
Frank Darabont’s film The Mist was one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King novel. The story revolves on a strange mist that sweeps over a small New England town after a rainstorm, bringing with it a slew of terrible creatures that attack the locals. It traps a group of residents in a grocery store, creating a Lord of the Flies-style scenario in which we see how fragile and cruel people can be when they are pushed to their limits. This film also has an amazing, though sad, conclusion.
Tremors (number 32) (1990)
When corpses start stacking up around Valentine “Val” McKee and Earl Bassett as they try to escape their dead-end existence in the desert town of Perfection, Nevada, they are diverted. When Val and Earl come face to face with some terrifying tentacled monsters that have devoured a road crew for lunch, they escape to town to spread the news. Despite the fact that these creatures are not thinkers, their mental skills are amazing. When they find a person hiding in a vehicle, they excavate underneath it and bury it in the ground. Val and Earl are helped by a number of members of the community. Val and Earl, with the help of Rhonda, kill one of the monsters.
However, three of them survive, each measuring about 30 feet in length. The creatures are now referred to as graboids by Walter. When the survivors think they’ve outwitted the graboids by taking shelter on building roofs, the graboids simply destroy the structures’ foundations, killing two people. When it comes to tracking their prey, graboids are fast learners, and humans must constantly be on their toes in order to live when fighting the graboids.
Gremlins (number 33) (1984)
Nothing came close to Dante’s extravagantly chaotic satire on consumerism, conformity, and publicly maintained small-town values, even if the 1980s were a golden period for unrestrained cruelty and bone-crushing violence masquerading as children’s amusement.
The Gremlins, on the other hand, are totally crazy – as if an Alien crossed with a toilet brush – and act like a rabid pit bull while annihilating the Christmas festivities in the lovely backwater village of Kingston Falls. The destruction caused by these punks may be interpreted in a variety of ways, but what matters most on this list is that they’re fast, loose, and out of control.
Jaws (#34) (1975)
Since Steven Spielberg set a high-concept standard with Jaws in the summer of 1975, we’ve been afraid to put our toes in the water. The ferocity with which the massive man-eating shark preyed on helpless beachgoers – and on the minds of onlookers – made this film a contender for the scariest film of all time.
Martin Brody, the new police chief, has reason to believe that the mangled corpse of the missing teenage swimmer found up on a beach is the work of a ravenous shark one week before the small summer resort town of Amity Island’s annual Fourth of July festivities. Brody insists on shutting the beaches for the protection of naïve visitors; however, greed and Mayor Larry Vaughn hinder security, culminating in a succession of additional fatal assaults.
All eyes are now on the deep blue sea, where Brody, marine biologist Matt Hooper, and professional shark hunter Quint are searching for the water’s undisputed ruler: a massive, slate-grey great white shark that patrols the oceans, hungry for human flesh. Can they, however, outsmart the ultimate aquatic man-eater and avoid its massive jaws?
The Fly is number 35. (1986)
In David Cronenberg’s 1986 film The Fly, Jeff Goldblum played scientist Seth Brundle, who garnered great critical praise. After a teleportation failure, Goldblum’s character’s DNA is accidentally combined with that of a common housefly, resulting in a science fiction/horror hybrid. He decomposes into a larger-than-life insect after that. The protagonist of this horror movie turns into the monster, which is a surprise.
Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) is a Bartok Sciences research scientist who invented “Telepods,” which are two-matter transmission pods capable of teleporting anything across space from one “Telepod” to the other. However, Seth does not achieve successful teleportation until he meets journalist Veronica Quaife.
However, when Seth uses himself as a guinea pig in a matter transmission experiment, teleporting without understanding his genes have been combined with those of a housefly trapped in the telepod with him, everything goes horribly wrong. Seth is now gradually transforming into the terrifying mutant creature known as “Brundlefly,” a losing battle against his changed DNA.
Jurassic Park (number 36) (1993)
What starts out as a peaceful trip into the realm of dinosaurs quickly turns into a bloody adventure through the horrors of cloning and the dangers of reviving the dead. Jurassic Park spawned a franchise, theme parks, and a plethora of memes, but the film itself is all action and suspense, putting a team of experts against a formidable foe in the form of a ravenous T-Rex and the fiercest raptors ever shot. While the T-Rex is clearly the star of the show, the human counterparts, especially Jeff Goldblum’s Dr. Ian Malcolm, do just enough to keep the viewer interested beyond the prospect of being the massive dinosaur’s next meal.
37. It Is Then (2014)
Sex is terrifying. It Follows is a horror film about a monster that hunts after anybody who has had sexual contact with someone who has previously been “infected” by the entity. While It Follows is a clear and unmistakable metaphor for sexually transmitted diseases, it succeeds by heightening the atmospheric thrills and mounting dread of death. While the picture stands on its own, it is bolstered by a delightfully terrified Maika Monroe in the lead role of Jay, an unfortunate victim of the monster’s unfathomable wrath.
The Brood (number 38) (1979)
David Cronenberg has directed some of the most disturbing films in cinema history, with The Brood (1979) being the most disturbing. This is a body horror film about a husband and wife whose marriage has degenerated to the point that their pain and sadness manifest themselves in their daughter.
Dr. Hal Raglan’s authoritarian therapy treatment of Frank Carveth’s problematic ex-wife, Nola, at the far-flung Somafree Institute of Psycho-Plasmics is causing Frank Carveth increasing worry. The controversial therapist has developed a cutting-edge procedure that focuses on the physical manifestations of his patients’ symptoms, particularly their bottled-up rage; however, the horrifying purple-black bruises and nasty scratches on Frank and Nola’s shell-shocked little daughter, Candice, are alarming.
Is it potentially dangerous for the poor girl to have such private mother-daughter meetings at the institute? What about the town’s recent spate of unexplained heinous murders? Finally, do they have anything to do with Somafree’s mysterious practices?
Attack The Block, No. 39 (2011)
Despite the fact that aliens are essentially monsters, the alien horror film subgenre deserves its own discussion (which we have!). By concentrating the horror on Earth and making it very funny, Attack the Block plays less like the original Alien. John Boyega is without a doubt the star, and if it wasn’t the part that launched him to stardom, it was definitely the one that proved he deserved it. Alien invasions have never been so fun.
The Babadook (#40) (2014)
The Babadook was an Australian “monster” film released in 2014 that functioned as a metaphor for more serious real-world issues. The Babadook is based on Jennifer Kent’s 2005 short film about a woman who is left to raise her six-year-old son Samuel after her husband dies. Her son has acquired sleeplessness and thinks he is being followed by a monster, leading him to start building weapons to fight the creature. The monster is the trauma that almost kills the mother’s family, and the whole film is a metaphor for grief.
Hellboy (#41) (2004)
Ron Perlman deserves praise for his depiction of Hellboy in Guillermo Del Toro’s monster-filled film. Hellboy may have failed because of its ludicrous character design and fantasy-infused plot, but the care with which the idea was handled and Perlman’s performance take it to new heights. It also helps that Del Toro and his crew have created some incredible creatures; without giving anything away, the final set piece is a monster filmmaking miracle.
Hellboy, the scarlet-skinned, cigar-chomping, gun-toting, hornless demon born in the fiery depths of Hell, finds himself fighting the same evil forces sixty years after foiling Adolf Hitler’s occult plan in 1944.
Hellboy, along with his equally odd brothers-in-arms—the telepathic amphibious man Abe Sapiens and the beautiful fire-starter Liz Sherman—team up with FBI agent John Myers to stop the deadly Russian mystic Grigory Rasputin’s plans. The fate of the world is once again in jeopardy. Is Hellboy, the devilish hero, up to the task of saving the day?
The Day of the Triffids (#42) (1962)
On a clear night, the whole globe is treated to a spectacular meteor shower. Due to his bandaged eyes, Bill Masen will be unable to attend the London performance. He wakes up the next morning to find his doorbell unanswered. He self-administers the bandages and soon discovers that he is one of the only people who has retained their vision, since everyone who saw the meteor shower has gone blind. Bill steps in to save a young blind girl from a crumbling civilization. They must not only live in this new environment, but also fight against triffids, flesh-eating plants that are rapidly spreading and consuming people.
The Blob (#43) (1958)
Despite the fact that The Blob was remade in 1988, it was a critical and commercial flop. We’re going back to the original 1958 version of a monster movie made especially for drive-in cinemas for this episode. Seriously, it was part of a double feature with I Married a Monster from Outer Space that Paramount Pictures expressly promoted for drive-in cinemas in the late 1950s, which were a popular trend among teenagers and young adults.
Steve McQueen makes his feature picture debut as Steve Andrews, a young boy who sees a strange object crash land in rural Pennsylvania, harboring the all-consuming Blob. The strange creature terrorizes a café and a theater before being put out by carbon dioxide fire extinguishers — the Blob, it turns out, despises the cold.
The Toxic Avenger (#44) (1984)
Melvin, the Tromaville Health Club mop boy, unknowingly and naively trusts the hedonistic, contemptuous, and egotistical health club members to the point of unintentionally finding himself in a hazardous waste tank. As a result of the catastrophic repercussions, his alter ego is released and the Toxic Avenger is born, with deadly and comic consequences. The local mop guy has transformed into a neighborhood Superhero, a hero who fights corruption, thuggish bullies, and indifference. A pleasant surprise, a Troma classic with superb make-up and stunts.
Alien No. 45 (1979)
On her journey back to Earth, the commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a remote moon in the far future. The seven-person crew is jolted awake from hypersleep, and the spacecraft crashes on the moon. A three-person crew finds a derelict spacecraft and a huge chamber inside it packed with millions of eggs while exploring the moon. When a member of the crew approaches the egg with curiosity, the parasite within strikes and knocks him unconscious. The spaceship is launched once he is escorted aboard. The parasite dies after a short time, and his host reappears, apparently undamaged. Everything returns to normal fast, but only for a short time.
Night of the Lepus (#46) (1972)
Mongrel bunnies have invaded Cole Hillman’s Arizona ranch, and he wants to get rid of them in an ecologically friendly way. As a favor to school patron Hillman, college president Elgin Clark enlists the help of scientist Roy Bennett. Bennett starts injecting hormones and genetically engineered blood into rabbits right once, hoping to find a method to stop rabbits from reproducing. A breed of aggressive, wolf-sized, man-, horse-, and cow-eating bunnies is created when one of the tests subjects escapes. The National Guard is finally called in to deal with the marauding bunnies once and for all.
Nightbreed (#47) (1992)
A masked serial killer is torturing and murdering families. Meanwhile, a young guy named Aaron Boone is experiencing dreams about monsters from the Midian area. He sees psychiatrist Dr. Philip K. Decker for therapy, and his girlfriend Lori Winston wants to go on vacation with him. When Aaron meets with Dr. Decker for a session, the psychiatrist persuades him that he is a serial killer and demands that he turn himself in to the police. He also gives him a sedative to help him relax.
Despite the fact that it is a psychedelic, Aaron is hit by a vehicle. In a hospital, he regains consciousness while sharing a room with the insane Narcisse. When Aaron overhears a man discussing Midian’s location, he figures it out. When he gets to the site, he finds Midian is a cemetery. In addition, animals are hiding underground from Peloquin’s bite victims. Dr. Decker, Detective Joyce, and a squad of police officers meet Aaron outside the cemetery as he flees the monsters.
Decker fabricates and screams that Aaron is in possession of a weapon, and the cops kill him. The bite, however, revives him, and he goes to Midian, where he joins a monstrous subterranean society. Meanwhile, Lori is on the hunt for him, and Decker is hell-bent on eradicating the ancient creatures.
IT Chapter 2 (48) (2019)
Following the survivors’ irreversible blood pledge in It (2017)—and almost three decades after their horrific encounter with the demonic shape-shifter Pennywise the Dancing Clown—the alienated members of the Losers’ Club confront a terrible obligation: to return to Derry and fulfill their vow. As the frightening monster emerges from the shadows of oblivion to torment the little village, bent on revenge and murdering, the horrific death of an innocent brings back awful memories, reuniting the old band of friends.
Whether they like it or not, the now-successful Losers must dig deep into the fundamental fears of their terrible childhood in order to put a stop to the terrifying creature’s reign of terror. Derry’s ghostly warriors must fight one last battle. Will this last confrontation put the Losers Club to an end, or will it bring the dreadful thing known as IT to an end?
Dragonslayer, number 49 (1981)
This 1981 effort took a brazenly cod-medieval stride across damsel/dragon territory, ultimately becoming the lodestone of dark-tinged family fantasy before Peter Jackson gave Sword and Sorcery (because that is what they are) an irresistibly alluring sheen. A child on the brink of maturity stands between a huge fire-breathing beast and a rather fey cadre of aristocrats intent on giving up their virgins to the monster in a world where the dung hovel is the typical unit of social habitation, as the trailer may have suggested.
It wasn’t the ideal premise, but it worked until Sir Ralph Richardson’s always confused wizard retired and set the scene for a fantastic revenge tale for his young apprentice. Despite his early immolation, Richardson steals the show, but the Industrial Light & Magic special effects come in second and have an ethereal beauty that CGI-heavy offspring like Beowulf can’t match. Following test screenings that left young viewers in tears, Disney’s violent mash-up sequel, “Pete’s Dragon Slayer,” was scrapped.
Willow is number 50. (1988)
Ranon and Mims, the children of Willow Ufgood, a dwarf farmer and magician, come upon a newborn girl in a river and adopt her. However, Willow’s village is attacked by a terrifying canine-like beast in pursuit of the baby. Willow meets with the village council and a wizard named The High Aldwin. Willow is given a mission by High Aldwin, and she leaves the village to fulfill the task of delivering the baby daughter to a responsible person.
Willow soon realizes, however, that the baby is Elora Danan, the newborn girl destined to bring Queen Bavmorda to her knees. Willow, with the help of his friends, swordsman Madmartigan, sorceress Fin Raziel, and the Brownies Franjean and Rool, takes it upon himself to defend Elora from Queen Bavmorda, who intends to kill her and prevent her from fulfilling her destiny.
And Willow and his companions are pursued by Queen Bavmorda’s daughter Sorsha and the evil commander of Queen Bavmorda’s army General Kael, who are on the hunt for Elora and intend to bring her back to Queen Bavmorda’s castle, where Queen Bavmorda plans to execute Elora in a ceremony to avert the prophecy of her death.
The Monster Squad (number 51) (1987)
When Dracula and other monsters were assaulted by Dr. Van Helsing and his troops with a magical amulet a century ago, they survived. In the present day, Dracula travels to the United States and lives in a little hamlet. To recover the amulet, he enlists the help of the Werewolf, the Mummy, the Swamp Thing, and Frankenstein’s monster. In town, a man dresses himself as the werewolf and goes to the police station to have him arrested. Meanwhile, a mummy disappears suddenly from a neighboring museum, prompting police detective Del to investigate.
When Sean, a monster fan, hears the news, he goes to his monster club with his friends Patrick, Horace, and Rudy to read a Van Helsing journal that his mother gave him. However, since the book is written in German, they are unable to translate it. As a result, they seek help from their odd neighbor, whom they refer to as Scary German Guy, and discover that they must gather the amulet as well as a virgin in order to fend off Dracula and the monsters.
Meanwhile, while trying to join the club, Sean’s younger sister Phoebe encounters Frankenstein’s monster. Patrick’s sister, who claims to be a virgin, is invited to read the chapter that banishes the monsters by the unlike group. Will they be able to complete their mission?
Lake Placid is number 52. (1999)
Local Fish and Game inspector Jack Wells enlists the help of paleontologist Kelly Scott of New York City to undertake an inquiry shortly after the horrific underwater attack in Maine’s Black Lake.
Jack and Kelly embark on a hazardous quest to find the elusive predator with just a mangled corpse to guide them, while Sheriff Hank Keough, a mythology professor, and an eccentric local all want to identify the rare species first. However, something deadly lurks under the tranquil pond, and it has already acquired a taste for the delectable human flesh. What is the secret of Lake Placid?
Pitch Black (number 53) (2000)
When the transport ship “Hunter-Gratzner” is hit by a meteor shower, pilot Carolyn Fry wakes from cryogenic sleep and tries to manage the ship’s forty passengers. Carolyn, bounty hunter William J. Johns, the devout Abu “Imam” al-Walid, the dealer Paris P. Ogilvie, Sharon “Shazza” Montgomery, the runaway teenager Jack, John “Zeke” Ezekiel; Suleiman; Hassan); Ali, and the lethal criminal Richard B. Riddick all make it out alive. Riddick escapes, and Johns tells the survivors of the danger he poses.
When the group gets stranded in the desert and learns that the region is heated by three suns, they join together in quest of water and supplies. They quickly discover that the planet is being attacked by flesh-eating aliens that strike in the dark; furthermore, owing to a total eclipse, the globe will be totally dark. They conclude that Riddick isn’t worth worrying about.
54. The Island of Forgotten Souls (1932)
After being rescued by a passing freighter after his ship sinks, Edward Parker is suddenly abandoned on Dr. Moreau’s island. His host makes him feel at ease, but he is warned not to cast judgment on whatever he sees on the island too quickly or harshly. Moreau has been doing genetic experiments on animals in order to create man-beast hybrids. Despite the fact that Parker is disgusted by what he has found, Moreau decides that he might be helpful in some of his research. Parker’s fiancée comes to the island in an effort to persuade him to return. Finally, Dr. Moreau must face the financial burden of his research.
Piranha (number 55) (1978)
An abandoned US Army test facility on the side of a mountain, replete with a huge pool, is discovered by a young couple. They jump in, thinking it’s just a regular swimming pool. However, piranhas dwell in this pool, and the couple is eaten alive. The father hires a young woman private investigator to find one of the missing children, and she meets an alcoholic outdoorsman who lives on the mountain. They find the test location and drain the pool to see what’s within.
Dr. Hoak, the test site’s sole resident, approaches them as they leave and informs them that the inhabitants of the pool were the result of a gene-splicing experiment known as “Operation Razorteeth,” which aimed to create a mutant strain of piranha fish for use against the NVA during the Vietnam War. In cold water, the fish could live and reproduce quickly. They set out to stop the piranhas since they were directly in the way of a children’s summer camp and the Lost River Lake Resort.
The piranha is well ahead of them, and on their way downstream, they kill a large number of people. They’re being held because they tried to warn the camp director and resort owner about the danger. They avoid imprisonment due to the woman’s ingenuity, and they use a state police vehicle to drive down to the camp to warn them. The piranha, on the other hand, has already attacked – while others want to keep the piranha danger hidden…
Dog Soldiers (number 56) (2002)
In the Scottish Highlands, a British squad is on a training mission against a Special Operations force. They continue their mission, ignoring childish “campfire” stories heard about the area, and come upon the gory remnants of the Special Ops Squad, as well as a terrible howling piercing the night sky… They escape with two severely injured guys, only to run across Megan, a scientist who understands exactly what they’re up against. What started out as a training mission soon turns into a life-or-death battle with the most unlikely foe they could have imagined — werewolves.
The Stuff (n.d.) (n.d.) (n.d (1985)
Despite the fact that his work as a writer-director remained intermittent for another decade as his health worsened, ‘The Stuff’ is generally regarded as Larry Cohen’s final and maybe greatest subversive statement. Cohen imagines a world in which a weird sentient dessert material known only as “the stuff” has captured the hearts, minds, and stomachs of a civilization that is becoming more couch-bound.
The next dessert fad is a delicious, mystery goo that oozes from the ground, but the exquisite delicacy rots more than teeth as zombie-like snackers obsessed with eating more of the strange substance at all costs infest the globe.
Re-Animator (#58) (1985)
Following the terrible incident at the Swiss Institute of Medicine, Herbert West, an ambitious medical student, arrives to New England obsessed with the idea of transcending death and eager to establish his theory. Herbert would soon continue his trials using dead feline tissue, followed by fresh human cadavers, convincing his sceptical roommate, Dan Cain, to assist him in his grandiose project.
As the two young scientists go further and deeper into uncharted terrain, the campus will inevitably become overrun by West’s reanimated corpses, drawing the attention of Dr. Hill, West’s arch-nemesis, who is eager to take credit for this incredible discovery. The dead will rise again, even with a little help; but can the young reanimator harness the power of his phosphorescent green reagent?
The People Under The Stairs (No. 59) (1991)
The People Under the Stairs tells the story of a thirteen-year-old slum kid named Fool. In an effort to break into the home of his family’s evil landlords (together with two others), he gets trapped inside their massive suburban home, where he discovers the mystery of the “children” his insane brother and sister have been “raising” under the stairs.
Nightbreed (number 60) (1990)
Clive Barker, the horror novelist, directed Nightbreed, a strange monster picture based on his book Cabal, in 1990. It was a unique monster movie in that the monsters were the good guys, creatures that sought isolation but were hunted and killed by humans who hated and feared them. The kaleidoscope of creatures battling for their homes and lives in Craven’s kaleidoscope was both hideous and terrifying.
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