- 5 months ago
From underground legends to overlooked gems, these monster movies deserve more love than they get! Join us as we count down the most underrated creature features that fly under the radar. From giant prehistoric beasts to misunderstood mutants, these films deliver monstrous thrills without the recognition they deserve.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for those monstrous slices of cult cinema
00:13that we feel deserve a little extra love.
00:15You think we may have another shark problem?
00:19Are you serious?
00:21You bet I'm serious.
00:30You bet I'm serious.
00:40Director Bong Joon-ho seemed to set out on a mission with 2006's The Host.
00:44The filmmaker's love of genre cinema is clearly on display.
00:47Although we admit that the computer-generated effects of the monster might have been better suited, pun intended, with practical effects.
01:00That said, the director also inserts themes of environmentalism into the mix, while never forgetting to make the host move at a kinetic pace.
01:09This combination of fishy monster action and deeper, introspective questionings from the characters makes the host feel both deserving and underrated.
01:30Just so we're clear, there are cinematic dragons, and then there's Vermithrax Pejorative.
01:49This massive, practically-achieved antagonist from 1981's Dragon Slayer sits at the top of a jewel throne, ruling as king of his kind.
02:00Indeed, the work performed here by the team of George Lucas's Industrial Light and Magic has been cited as influential to such artists as George R.R. Martin and Guillermo del Toro.
02:15Meanwhile, the performances of Peter McNichol, Caitlin Clark, and Ralph Richardson helped prove that Dragon Slayer isn't just a monster movie or a fantasy movie, but one of the early 80s' most underrated slices of imagination.
02:30Number 28, The Relic.
02:46Come on, what's the matter with you?
02:50The late 90s' release date of The Relic served as a crossroads of sorts, an era when many movie makers were still utilizing practical effects, but combining them with new CGI technology.
03:07The chimera-esque monster of The Relic, Cthoga, was created by special effects legend Stan Winston and his team.
03:12When I get my hands on him...
03:15Meanwhile, wider shots incorporated CGI for movement, effects that admittedly haven't aged well by modern standards.
03:35Still, the movie's museum setting, its chaotic monster, and interesting premise of South American origins have allowed for The Relic to remain somewhat underrated today.
03:44Number 27, Deep Star 6.
04:02That sound always gives me the creeps.
04:05It's only the structure adjusting to the pressure.
04:07I designed it to do that.
04:08The late 80s and early 90s were a watershed, pardon the pun, of subterranean aquatic horrors.
04:14Deep Star 6 was also proof that director Sean S. Cunningham could do cool work outside of the Friday the 13th franchise.
04:20The film stood alongside James Cameron's The Abyss, while critics of the day also noted how Deep Star 6 was riffing on tropes established by the Alien franchise.
04:40Still, Cunningham's film boasts a weirdly unique creature, the Deplodon, which sort of looks like a giant sea scorpion.
05:01Deep Star 6 is a trashy drive-in picture with a higher budget, and this is no insult.
05:05In fact, the film is a lot of fun.
05:26Number 26, Razorback.
05:27Every country seemed to have its own exploitation industry back in the 60s, 70s, and 80s,
05:45with Australia being no exception. The term Ozploitation has been used to describe films
05:50like Razorback from this era, a 1984 film featuring a unique monster antagonist, a wild boar.
05:57It's a very simple premise, really, but it's the execution that elevates Razorback above so many of its contemporaries,
06:15both at home and abroad. The Outback setting is definitely unique, while the attack scenes feel genuinely tense and exciting.
06:27Additionally, the titular Razorback is well-actualized, with physical heft that makes each set piece feel earned.
06:39What can we say? Razorback rules!
06:41Number 25. Leviathan
06:52It should be carved into stone somewhere. If your movie production has hired Stan Winston to handle the effects,
07:09then it's going to look great. Leviathan from 1989 was yet another sub-aquatic horror movie existing in a crowded sub-genre.
07:16However, it's Winston's effects and creature design that allowed this film to get a leg up on the competition.
07:21The fact that this underwater mutant assimilates its victims, a la John Carpenter's adaptation of The Thing,
07:43lends Leviathan heft and menace. Meanwhile, the claustrophobic setting and solid direction from George P. Cosmatis
07:49solidify Leviathan as a winner.
08:05Number 24. Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah
08:08Giant Monsters All Out Attack
08:10Fans of the Godzilla franchise love to debate over the giant monsters' different eras,
08:33from the Showa era to the constant rebooting of the Millennium Era.
08:36Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah Giant Monsters All Out Attack was the third film from this latter period,
08:42and stood in stark contrast to the Showa era's family-friendly appeal.
08:54This was a fairly violent entry in the franchise that saw Godzilla not only terrorizing people and property,
08:59but routinely annihilating other guardian monsters in its path.
09:03Baragon, Mothra, King Ghidorah all fall before the might of this King of the Monsters.
09:08The only winners in this battle seem to be us, the audience.
09:12Number 23. Jaws 2
09:31We love Jaws. You love Jaws. Heck, everybody loves Jaws.
09:52Yet comparatively little ink seems to be spent on the film's many sequels.
09:56This is a shame, because Jaws 2 is actually a lot of fun.
09:59Not only did this film's trailer feature one of the most iconic promotional lines of all time,
10:04Jaws 2. The terror continues.
10:09But Jaws 2 still managed to deliver Shark Week thrills in abundance.
10:13Director Jeannot Schwark worked in both film and television.
10:17Jaws 2 feels sort of like one of the myriad drive-in rip-offs rather than Spielberg's OG.
10:22Yet this isn't an insult.
10:23Hey, Bly, someone pop your balloon?
10:25No problem. No problem.
10:29Instead, the exploitation elements lend Jaws 2 a lighter, less heavy feeling without skimping on the action.
10:43Ah, no!
10:45Over the line! Over the line!
10:47Hey, oh!
10:50Number 22. Q
10:56The films of Larry Cohen all feel very different, yet all retain the writer-director's penchant for smart humor, satire, and imagination.
11:16Q, the winged serpent, manages to combine a lot of genres under the umbrella of what's ostensibly a drive-in monster movie.
11:22Oh, no!
11:39Elements of exploitation, police procedurals, and crime thrillers cohabitate in Cohen's universe of a New York City terrorized by the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl.
11:47The latter's appearance as a giant winged serpent looks great, but Q also boasts an awesome lead performance from the ever-reliable Michael Moriarty.
11:56I'll send for my things.
12:00And if you can't wait,
12:03throw them in the f***ing incinerator.
12:06He's assisted by Shaft's Richard Roundtree, Candy Clark, and David Carradine for a film that works gangbusters, just like most of Cohen's work.
12:14Number 21. Tremors
12:26This movie is a great example of how to do PG-13 rated horror in a correct and effective manner.
12:37Tremors never feels as if it skimps on the monster action, nor the tense action set pieces.
12:41It's also smart and funny in all the right places.
12:45Broke into the wrong goddamn rec room, didn't you, you bastard?
12:50Yet the lack of explicit gore and restrained profanity, barring a particular epic F-bomb...
12:55We killed it.
12:57F*** you!
12:59...still makes Tremors suitable for a wide audience.
13:02Meanwhile, the creature design of the Graboids is awesome.
13:05Toothsome subterranean worms that never quit.
13:08There's a reason why Tremors spawned a franchise, yet the OG still feels as if it never gets mentioned as frequently as it should, in our opinion.
13:29Number 20. Super 8
13:31This movie makes you wait a long time to get a good look at the monster.
13:43In fact, the audience isn't even sure there is a monster until the story is well underway.
13:48The plot builds slowly by starting with a terrifying train derailment that's followed by a series of bizarre happenings.
13:54People go missing, electronics disappear, and the power fluctuates.
13:59The tension never lets up.
14:01And the child actors at the movie's heart deliver brilliant performances that keep you glued to your seat.
14:06It's also excellently shot and contains a great blend of special and practical effects.
14:11All of the performance and technical elements make the payoff well worth the wait.
14:16It's been locked up for years. It's terrified and hungry and it just wants to go home.
14:21When it touched me, I knew it would help me get...
14:22Number 19. A Monster Calls
14:24I will tell you three stories. And when I finish my stories, you will tell me a fool.
14:32I don't know anything about stories.
14:34This monster isn't here to terrorize people or smash cities.
14:37Instead, he is the embodiment of 12-year-old Connor's feelings about his mother's terminal illness.
14:42This dark fantasy deals with difficult themes like grief, anger, and loss through the stories the monster tells Connor.
14:49Liam Neeson's deep, gravelly voice gives weight and heart to the creature.
14:52There was once an invisible man who had grown tired of being unseen.
14:59It was not that he was actually invisible.
15:03It's amazing to see something that starts out mysterious and scary becomes the friend that Connor desperately needs.
15:09Despite critical acclaim, audiences didn't turn out to see this movie in theaters.
15:12Still, this powerful family film is a unique entry in the giant monster genre.
15:18Number 18. Gorgo
15:20The headlines of the entire world are being monopolized by the news of the capture of a fantastic monster, seemingly of prehistoric origin, off the coast of Ireland.
15:29Don't kidnap animals out of the wild.
15:31That's the moral of this British contribution to the Golden Age of Kaiju.
15:35Much like King Kong's Carl Denham, Sea Captain Joe Ryan is determined to make a few bucks by capturing a giant sea monster and selling it to a circus.
15:43But it turns out this little guy is just a baby.
15:46After the young one is displaced, his much bigger mother comes looking for him.
15:50Like many of the best creature features, Gorgo makes the beast sympathetic.
15:55The real villains here are not the massive monsters, but the humans eager to exploit them for profit.
16:00Leaving the haunts of man, and leaving man himself to ponder the proud boast that he alone is lord of all creation.
16:10Number 17. Varan the Unbelievable
16:13Produced by Toho Company Studio, a major player in the Japanese kaiju movie industry, Varan is a classic of the genre.
16:29A holdover from dinosaur times, this colossal winged lizard just wants to be left alone in his lake.
16:34The village priest tries to warn away the scientists who want to conduct experiments there, but naturally they do not listen.
16:41A few years after the film was released, an American version was produced that also took place in Japan and followed a similar storyline.
16:48Besides the iconic flying scenes, Varan stands out for its unusually witty humor and dialogue.
17:01It's such a delight that genre fans might find it hard to believe they didn't discover this soaring tale sooner.
17:07Number 16. Deep Rising
17:09The 90s were the heyday of over-the-top disaster movies.
17:18This is an underrated gem from the decade that delivers on every level.
17:21When a band of mercenaries attacks a luxury cruise ship, they discover the passengers and crew mysteriously missing.
17:28The culprits are a group of ferocious worm-like creatures, or at least that's what they seem to be at first.
17:33In reality, they are the tentacles of the Octalus, a sea monster with a taste for human flesh.
17:42Now there's something you don't see every day.
17:45The film got extremely mixed reviews and flopped at the box office at the time.
17:49But it's since gained a cult following in the decades following its release.
17:53While it's not the deepest kaiju movie in the sea, it certainly is one of the most fun to watch.
18:04Number 15. Pacific Rim
18:06You might be tempted to write this one off as a generic smash-em-up action movie, but that would be a mistake.
18:24Guillermo del Toro put a ton of thought into the design of all the kaiju.
18:27He took inspiration from both the great monster movies of decades past and classic works of art.
18:32And as a bonus, he set up a plot where humans and giant robots have to stop the creatures from tearing humanity apart.
18:38While the monsters are naturally the biggest stars of the show, the plots surrounding the human characters are just as engrossing.
18:45That fact and the great designs resulted in a gorgeous-looking movie filled with monsters that feels somehow both futuristic and timeless.
18:56Come on! Let's do this! Together!
18:58Number 14. 20 Million Miles to Earth
19:02If you're a giant monster mega-fan, then you're probably familiar with the work of Ray Harryhausen.
19:12The stop-motion animator was responsible for some of the most famous American film monsters, including the Ymir.
19:18This poor alien didn't ask to be here.
19:21After being brought back to Earth from Venus as an egg, it hatches and quickly grows to gargantuan proportions.
19:27It never intends to torment people, it just takes issue with the scientists who want to cage and study it,
19:33and later, the soldiers who are determined to kill it.
19:36This film's visual effects are way ahead of their time.
19:39By the end of the film, you'll find Ymir's tragic fate to be genuinely heart-wrenching.
19:43Number 13. Eight-Legged Freaks
19:52Our town is being attacked by giant spiders. We need military intervention.
19:57When done right, horror and comedy can be a match made in movie heaven.
20:02After a barrel of toxic chemicals gets dumped into a lake, it mutates the local crickets, Ninja Turtle style.
20:08An eccentric spider collector then decides to feed the enhanced bugs to his brood.
20:13Unfortunately, the arachnids become enormous and wreak havoc on the town.
20:17They quickly progress from snacking on pets to catching ostriches to attacking humans.
20:22This wacky early 2000s flick is the perfect blend of scary, funny, and occasionally disgusting.
20:28And did we mention that it features a young Scarlett Johansson?
20:31Seeing the future Black Widow have to deal with giant spiders is wonderfully ironic in hindsight.
20:36How many spiders did Joshua have?
20:38I don't know. A hundred? Maybe two hundred?
20:42Two hundred? Are you kidding?
20:44Number 12. Gamera, the Giant Monster
20:47While at the time it was dismissed as a Godzilla rip-off,
20:50this 1965 film kick-started the second most prolific kaiju film franchise,
20:55one that would end up setting the tone for other monster films of the era.
21:01After an accidental nuclear blast in the frozen north,
21:04a colossal turtle emerges from the ice,
21:07one that can breathe fire and even fly.
21:12The film inspired numerous sequels,
21:14and their kid-friendly tone helped them to draw in children,
21:17a move later adopted by the Godzilla movies themselves.
21:27In the 1990s, a trilogy of grim and gritty films rebooted the franchise,
21:31but the original is still sorely under-viewed.
21:38Number 11. Monsters
21:40Are you sure it's dead?
21:42Yeah, it's dead. Stay here.
21:45This low-budget sci-fi flick took the 2010 film festival scene by storm,
21:50and quickly became an unexpected critical darling.
21:53Its plot took place near the U.S.-Mexico border
21:55a few years after gigantic creatures land on Earth.
21:58During the film, two American protagonists try to get back into the States.
22:03Along the way, they encounter obstacles both extraterrestrial and earthly.
22:08The film was praised for tackling heavy themes amidst the terror and wonder of an alien invasion.
22:13Additionally, the relationship drama at the movie's heart
22:16is punctuated by scenes of brilliant tension,
22:18breathtaking visuals, and deeply human connection.
22:21This is it.
22:28I don't want to go home.
22:30Number 10. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
22:33Ordinary bullets have no effect,
22:36and a method of destroying the awesome creature
22:38has not yet been formulated.
22:40But the battlefield has been cleared.
22:43Another classic featuring stop-motion from the brilliant Ray Harryhausen.
22:46This movie was based on a short story by Ray Bradbury.
22:49It follows a massive retasaurus who was awakened by atomic bomb tests
22:53after being frozen in the Arctic Circle since ancient times.
22:56The creature eventually makes its way to New York City,
22:59where it menaces Manhattan and Coney Island.
23:02Speaking of which,
23:03the movie utilizes the urban setting incredibly well.
23:06And the film was historic,
23:08as its atomic plot and creature helped inspire Godzilla.
23:12In fact, the film's success was a major reason
23:15for the profusion of monster movies that came out in the decade that followed.
23:19Number 9. Rodan
23:26Another creature spawned from the 1950s monster movie craze,
23:37this ancient pteranodon has earned a place in the Kaiju Hall of Fame.
23:41When miners are attacked and killed by a mysterious underground menace,
23:44the local people discover not Rodan.
23:47They instead find a group of huge prehistoric bugs.
23:51Yet hidden near their lair is an enormous egg that soon hatches out the immense flying beast,
23:55who can flatten a city just by flapping his wings.
23:59After the film's initial release,
24:01an English dubbed version was created.
24:03It quickly became one of the most successful Japanese films in the American market.
24:07After study of all the relevant data,
24:10I can now state that the unidentified flying object
24:13is a giant flying reptile,
24:15closely related to the extinct pteranodon.
24:17And do you recognize that voice?
24:19It's Hollywood icon George Takei in his first film role.
24:23Number 8. Daimajin
24:25Released in the 1960s,
24:27this film is fairly unique for its period setting,
24:30with feudal Japan taking the place of modern cities
24:32as the site for giant monster action.
24:34The titular monster is a giant magical stone statue
24:43that comes to life to punish the wicked.
24:45In this case, an evil lord who schemes his way to power.
24:53Even after having an iron rod driven into his forehead,
24:57the wrathful monster is more than able to deliver some divine retribution,
25:01smashing the lord's stronghold.
25:02With excellent special effects
25:04and a unique and interesting period setting,
25:06this film and its two sequels are well worth checking out.
25:19Number 7. Big Ass Spider
25:21There's something about a movie title
25:23that tells you exactly what you're getting
25:25with no messing around.
25:26And this 2013 giant monster romp
25:29certainly has one of those titles.
25:30An intensely tongue-in-cheek throwback
25:35to classic giant insect movies,
25:37the film follows a good-natured exterminator
25:39as he helps try and destroy an increasingly giant spider.
25:42It appears to be climbing up the top of City Hall.
25:45The size of it is just unbelievable.
25:47This may not be the most polished film out there,
25:50but it's clear with every frame
25:52that the filmmakers put their hearts and souls into the production.
25:55And the result is a fun and endearing crowd-pleaser
25:58with action, excitement, and heart to spare.
26:01Number 6. Colossal
26:10This sci-fi puts an interesting twist on the giant monster genre
26:14when it's revealed that the giant monster attacking soul
26:16is in fact being unwittingly controlled by Anne Hathaway's Gloria,
26:20an unemployed writer with alcohol use disorder
26:23who's trying to sort out her mess of a life.
26:25We've all been to some dark places when life isn't going our way,
26:34but learning you've accidentally been contributing
26:36to the destruction of a major city is on a whole other level.
26:39So far, this is the best footage we have
26:41of the creature vanishing into thin air.
26:44The giant monster action in this film
26:46mostly takes a backseat to the character drama,
26:48but that doesn't stop it from being a funny,
26:51exciting, and moving character piece.
26:53Just like I thought.
26:55It's a good monster.
26:57He's been a good guy the whole time.
26:58Number 5. The War of the Gargantuas
27:01This unsung classic from Godzilla director Ishiro Honda
27:04focuses on a spectacular battle between two giant monsters.
27:07The friendly Sanda and the evil Gaira.
27:15In addition to a knock-down, drag-out battle royale in the finale,
27:19this film also features some of the best effects
27:21and miniatures ever produced
27:23by the legendary Eiji Tsuburaya and his team.
27:26This is because, by kaiju standards,
27:28Sanda and Gaira are positively puny.
27:30That meant that the sets and models
27:36had to be much more detailed,
27:38as the audience would be seeing them much closer than normal.
27:40The results speak for themselves.
27:45Number 4. King Kong Escapes
27:48Intended as a thematic follow-up
27:50to the King Kong animated series from the same era,
27:52This gloriously goofy film mixes everyone's favorite giant ape with spies,
27:57supervillains, and a giant robot gorilla known as Mechani-Kong.
28:01It's exactly like the original Kong.
28:03With this, the world is ours.
28:07When an evil doctor creates Mechani-Kong
28:09to unearth the highly valuable Element X,
28:11his plan backfires,
28:13forcing him to capture the real Kong to use as manual labor.
28:16My Kong could never dig like that.
28:19This does not go to plan,
28:20and Kong winds up battling his robotic doppelganger atop Tokyo Tower.
28:24If you ever wanted a King Kong movie
28:26to feel more like a Saturday morning cartoon come to life,
28:29this movie's for you.
28:30Thank you, Kong.
28:34Number 3. Frankenstein Conquers the World
28:36Frankenstein's monster may not be the first thing to come to mind
28:39when you think of Japanese monster movies,
28:41but this one takes Mary Shelley's creature to whole new heights.
28:46When the monster's disembodied heart is exposed to radioactive fallout,
28:50it regenerates a new giant-sized body,
28:53and things get even more complicated
28:55when an ancient creature called Baragon emerges,
28:57leading to a fiery confrontation.
29:01This hidden gem features more fantastic Tsuburaya effects
29:05and a stellar cast led by American actor Nick Adams.
29:08It's also unique in that the titular monster
29:11is played by an actor wearing only makeup and prosthetics
29:14rather than a full suit.
29:16Number 2. Godzilla vs. Hedera
29:20A.K.A. Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster
29:23When the pollution-fueled alien creature Hedera arrives on Earth,
29:30only Godzilla can save the day.
29:35Director Yoshimitsu Banno's oddball 70s entry in the Godzilla franchise
29:39is without a doubt the strangest film in the series,
29:42with touches of surrealism,
29:44animated interstitials,
29:46a truly baffling tone,
29:47and did we mention the part where Godzilla flies?
29:56The film also bucks the trend toward kid-friendliness,
30:00with a dark tone and even on-screen deaths.
30:03It feels like an odd mash-up of a Godzilla movie
30:06and an avant-garde art film,
30:07making it a truly unique experience for better or worse,
30:11and one that every fan should check out.
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30:31Another excellent found-footage giant monster movie,
30:38this Norwegian film follows a group of journalism students
30:41who are seemingly on the trail of a bear poacher.
30:51However, when they follow the man into the woods,
30:54they discover he's actually after a much different sort of game.
30:58Trolls.
30:58It turns out that Taciturn Hans is really a troll hunter
31:03in the employ of the Norwegian government,
31:05tasked with tracking down trolls that escape from a preserve.
31:09With a streak of black humor a mile wide
31:11and some seriously impressive visuals
31:13for a relatively low-budget movie,
31:15this film is a must-see for fans of offbeat genre movies.
31:24What, to you, is the golden era of monster movies?
31:27Let us know in the comments.
31:28Sheriff, you're not going to use that on her.
31:31What do you want me to do, put salt on her tail?
31:33First, go!
31:33Let us know!
31:35Go!
31:35bother you!
31:36Awesome.
31:37Go!
31:38Go!
31:40Go!
31:40Rachel!
31:40Go!
31:41Go!
31:42Go!
31:43Bye!
31:44Go!
31:44Go!
31:44Go!
31:45Go!
31:45Go!
31:47Go!
31:48Go!
31:49Go!
31:49Go!
31:50Go!
31:51Go!
31:52Go!
31:53Go!
31:54Go!
31:54Go!
31:55Go!
31:55Go!
31:55Go!
31:56Go!
31:57Go!
31:59Go!
31:59Go!
32:00As I go!
32:00Go!
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