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From ancient vampires to city-crushing kaiju, the 21st century has been a golden age for creature features. Join us as we count down our picks for the greatest monster movies released since 2000, judged on scares, spectacle, originality, and lasting impact — zombies excluded, as they could haunt a list all their own!
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00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the greatest monster movies
00:12released since 2000. We're judging movies on scares, spectacle, originality, and lasting
00:18impact. However, we will be leaving zombies out, as they could infect a list all their own.
00:28Number 50, Backrooms.
00:33Inspired by one of the internet's most unsettling urban legends, Backrooms transforms a simple
00:39creepypasta into an unnerving feature-length nightmare. The film builds dread through endless
00:45yellow hallways, impossible architecture, and the constant feeling that something is watching
00:50from just around the corner. When the mysterious entities finally appear, they're used sparingly,
00:57making every encounter feel genuinely frightening. The movie succeeds because it captures the
01:02disorienting logic of dreams while expanding the online mythos without explaining too much.
01:07It's proof that modern internet horror can evolve into compelling monster cinema when atmosphere
01:12takes priority over exposition.
01:15It's beautiful. Am I right?
01:17Number 49, Reign of Fire.
01:25Years before Daenerys Targaryen unleashed dragons on King's Landing, Reign of Fire imagined them as apex
01:32predators that had nearly wiped humanity off the map. Set in a scorched post-apocalyptic England,
01:38the film follows survivors led by Christian Bale as they reluctantly join forces with Matthew
01:43McConaughey's swaggering American dragon hunter. Rather than presenting dragons as magical fantasy
01:49creatures, director Rob Bowman depicts them as believable animals dominating the food chain. The
01:55grounded approach, combined with impressive practical effects and still respectable CGI, gives the action
02:01surprising weight. It's an underrated blend of creature feature, war movie, and survival thriller that
02:06deserves far more recognition.
02:08Dig in! Work together, outlast them!
02:11Number 48, Bad Milo.
02:13What is it?
02:17You got a thing in your butt.
02:19Not every monster movie has to terrify us. Bad Milo mixes body horror with outrageous comedy by
02:24introducing perhaps the strangest creature on this list. A tiny demon that literally lives inside its
02:30owner's intestines. Whenever Duncan experiences extreme stress, Milo bursts free to violently eliminate the
02:36people causing his anxiety.
02:38Oh! Oh! What is that?
02:41It has its real-world analogies. The absurd premise is played with just enough sincerity to keep the
02:47jokes landing without abandoning the horror entirely. Equal parts gross-out comedy and affectionate creature
02:53feature, the film delivers gallons of practical effects while poking fun at workplace frustrations and
02:58family dysfunction. It's weird, hilarious, and surprisingly heartfelt.
03:02Number 47, The Void. Lovecraftian horror isn't easy to pull off, but The Void comes remarkably close.
03:10After a wounded man arrives at a nearby abandoned hospital, the characters find themselves trapped by
03:15mysterious hooded cultists, while grotesque monsters begin emerging from the dark.
03:20I refuse to let death be the end. I defy God. There are things much older.
03:27Rather than relying heavily on computer-generated imagery, the filmmakers embrace elaborate practical
03:33creature effects that recall the work of John Carpenter and Stuart Gordon. Every new monstrosity
03:38is more disturbing than the last, creating an escalating nightmare where reality itself begins to unravel.
03:43The others have all gathered to witness my daughter's rebirth. My disciples, ready for their own
03:53transformation. It's a bloody love letter to cosmic horror that has steadily become a modern cult favorite.
03:59Number 46, Only Lovers Left Alive. Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out
04:07even to the edge of doom. Jim Jarmusch approaches vampires from an entirely different angle.
04:13Instead of bloodthirsty predators, Adam and Eve are cultured immortals who spend centuries collecting
04:19art, music, and literature, while quietly lamenting humanity's decline. Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston
04:25bring remarkable warmth and melancholy to these ancient lovers, making their supernatural nature feel
04:31secondary to their deeply human relationship. Come on, tell me, what was she like?
04:37She was delicious.
04:41I bet she was. Although the film contains supernatural elements, it's ultimately less interested in horror
04:47than existential reflection. Even so, its elegant portrayal of vampires stands apart, proving these
04:53classic creatures still have fresh stories to tell.
04:56Look on this thing called love. Somebody tell me.
05:03Number 45, Sting.
05:05You called about the noises in your walls, right? Oh, no, no, no, not me.
05:11Sometimes the simplest monster concepts work best. Sting follows a lonely young girl who secretly adopts an
05:18unusually intelligent spider that rapidly grows into a gigantic, flesh-hungry predator. While giant spider
05:24movies have existed for decades, this Australian horror film distinguishes itself. It boasts strong
05:30character work, tense apartment-building set pieces, and a healthy appreciation for practical creature effects
05:36alongside digital enhancements. The monster itself feels genuinely threatening rather than cartoonish,
05:43making every encounter suspenseful. Spiders, only know two things.
05:51Eat and kill.
05:53Balancing old-school creature feature thrills with modern filmmaking, Sting serves as a reminder that
05:58audiences will probably never stop being terrified of oversized arachnids.
06:03Number 44, No One Will Save You.
06:06There's very little dialogue in this inventive science fiction horror film, placing nearly all the storytelling
06:11responsibility on Caitlin Deaver's expressive performance. Living alone in a secluded house,
06:16her character Brynn suddenly finds herself under attack by extraterrestrial visitors whose designs
06:22cleverly avoid looking like typical Hollywood aliens. Rather than relying solely on jump scares,
06:27the film constantly evolves, introducing increasingly bizarre creatures and escalating the invasion in unexpected directions.
06:47It's minimal dialogue heightens the tension while allowing visual storytelling to take center stage.
06:53Equal parts home invasion thriller and alien monster movie, it's one of the decade's most creative genre surprises.
07:05Number 43, When Evil Lurks.
07:12A co-production between the U.S. and Argentina, the scares in this Spanish-language thriller transcended borders and languages.
07:19The story begins when two brothers discover a man grotesquely infected by a demonic force known as a rotten.
07:32Their desperate attempt to remove him only accelerates a horrifying chain reaction that spreads supernatural corruption throughout the countryside.
07:40Director Demian Ruña refuses to offer comforting resolutions or predictable scares,
07:45instead crafting a relentlessly bleak nightmare where evil follows its own terrifying rules.
07:50The demonic transformations and shocking creature effects are unforgettable,
07:54but it's the overwhelming sense of hopelessness that makes this a truly disturbing monster film.
08:05Number 42, Lamb.
08:13Few monster movies are as quietly unsettling as Lamb.
08:17Set against Iceland's breathtaking countryside,
08:20the film follows a grieving farming couple who discover a mysterious newborn that's part human and part sheep.
08:31Choosing to raise the child as their own,
08:33they find happiness while ignoring the increasingly ominous consequences of disturbing nature's balance.
08:39Nay, wow.
08:45Director Valdemar Johansson favors slowly building atmosphere over conventional horror.
08:51Audiences must wrestle with questions of grief, parenthood, and morality before the inevitable confrontation arrives.
08:58The hybrid creature is simultaneously adorable, tragic, and deeply uncanny,
09:02making Lamb an unforgettable blend of folklore, fantasy, and psychological horror.
09:07Number 41, Splinter.
09:09One of the most overlooked creature features of the 2000s,
09:13Splinter squeezes maximum tension from a simple premise.
09:16A young couple and two criminals become trapped inside an isolated gas station
09:20by a horrifying parasitic organism that infects humans and animals alike.
09:25Their grisly fate involves their bodies being twisted into grotesque weapons covered with razor-sharp splinters.
09:39The constantly mutating creature is genuinely unpredictable,
09:43forcing the survivors to improvise increasingly desperate strategies.
09:47Thanks to inventive practical effects, sharp pacing, and surprisingly intelligent characters,
09:52the film elevates familiar horror ingredients into something uniquely memorable.
09:56It's a tense, lean monster movie that deserves far more attention than it received.
10:08Number 40, Willow Creek.
10:10I'm Jim Kessel.
10:12I'm here at the Trinity National Forest along Route 96,
10:15also known as the Bigfoot Byway.
10:19Found footage horror was everywhere in the early 2010s,
10:22but Willow Creek distinguished itself through remarkable restraint.
10:32Written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwaite,
10:35the film follows a couple traveling to the legendary Northern California town
10:39in search of evidence surrounding Bigfoot.
10:42Much of the runtime plays like a documentary,
10:44lulling viewers into a false sense of security
10:46before unleashing one of the genre's most nerve-wracking extended sequences.
10:50By refusing to overexpose its monster,
10:53the film lets viewers' imaginations do much of the work.
10:56It's a refreshing reminder that mystery and atmosphere
10:58can make cryptid horror far scarier than constant creature reveals.
11:05Number 39, Good Boy.
11:08One of the more unusual entries on this list,
11:10this ghostly tale cleverly flips expectations about haunted house movies
11:14by telling much of its story from the perspective of a dog.
11:18Am I crazy?
11:20It's nice here, right?
11:23Right?
11:26Indy.
11:27Right?
11:28As strange supernatural events begin unfolding around a new home,
11:32the loyal pet senses dangers its human owners cannot perceive.
11:36The result is an inventive blend of paranormal horror and monster movie,
11:40with the unseen threat becoming increasingly tangible as the tension mounts.
11:50The unique viewpoint creates genuine emotional investment
11:54while delivering several memorable scares.
11:56It's a fresh concept that stands out in an increasingly crowded horror landscape.
12:09Norway's most famous fairy tale creatures receive blockbuster treatment
12:13in this crowd-pleasing adventure.
12:15After a colossal troll awakens deep within the mountains,
12:18a paleontologist and a team of government officials
12:21race to stop the creature before it reaches the capital.
12:26Director Roar Uthau embraces the scale and spectacle
12:30of classic giant monster movies,
12:32while grounding the story in Scandinavian mythology
12:34instead of science fiction.
12:36The troll itself is impressively realized,
12:39feeling both ancient and believable
12:40as it towers over military forces.
12:42While it wears its Godzilla influences proudly,
12:45troll succeeds by giving its legendary creature
12:48a distinctly Nordic identity.
12:53Number 37.
12:54Infested.
12:58Arachnophobia reaches terrifying new heights
13:01in this French horror sensation.
13:03The story centers on an exotic spider
13:05that escapes into a run-down apartment building
13:07before rapidly multiplying into an unstoppable swarm.
13:11What begins as an isolated infestation
13:13quickly becomes a desperate fight for survival
13:15as residents find themselves trapped inside
13:18with increasingly aggressive predators.
13:25Director Sébastien Vanicek expertly balances
13:28social commentary with nerve-shredding suspense,
13:31turning cramped hallways and tiny apartments
13:33into claustrophobic death traps.
13:35The relentless pacing, effective practical effects,
13:38and deeply uncomfortable spider attacks
13:40helped establish Infested as one of the strongest creature features
13:43in recent memory.
13:45Number 36.
13:46The Ring.
13:47Have you heard about this videotape
13:48that kills you when you watch it?
13:51What kind of tape?
13:52American remakes of Japanese horror
13:54often struggle to match the originals,
13:56but The Ring remains a notable exception.
13:59Gore Verbinski successfully translates
14:01the eerie atmosphere of Ringu
14:03while crafting a haunting visual identity all its own.
14:06Naomi Watts stars as a journalist
14:08investigating a cursed videotape
14:10that kills viewers exactly seven days after watching it.
14:14The late Davey Chase's performance
14:16as the terrifying long-haired ghost
14:18introduced Americans
14:19to a new and unforgettable movie monster.
14:22Seven days.
14:29The heart-pounding television sequence
14:31instantly entered horror history.
14:34The Ring's pervasive sense of dread
14:35demonstrated that monsters
14:36don't always need claws or teeth
14:38to leave audiences sleeping with the lights on.
14:41Number 35.
14:43What We Do in the Shadows.
14:44Yes!
14:45Nighttime.
14:47So, now I'm going to wake up my flatmates.
14:51Created by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement,
14:54this mockumentary imagines a group
14:56of centuries-old bloodsuckers
14:58sharing a house while arguing over chores,
15:00roommates, and etiquette.
15:01The film affectionately spoofs
15:03classic vampire mythology,
15:05finding comedy in the everyday inconveniences
15:07of immortality.
15:08Pointing the finger at you, Deacon?
15:11You're a cool guy,
15:12but you're not pulling your weight in the flat.
15:14Oh, I'm glad to hear that I'm cool.
15:17No, that's not the point, though.
15:19Yeah, no, I know.
15:20Not the flat meeting about how cool you are.
15:22Every member of the undead household
15:24has a distinct personality,
15:26from aristocratic traditionalists
15:28to rebellious younger vampires
15:30struggling to adapt to contemporary life.
15:32Packed with clever visual gags
15:34and endlessly quotable dialogue,
15:36it's one of the funniest monster movies ever made.
15:38If you come away from this one wanting more,
15:41you're in luck.
15:41It was adapted for TV,
15:43where it enjoyed an acclaimed six-season run on FX.
15:47Don't take offense,
15:48but you don't seem like someone
15:49who would be capable of killing a vampire.
15:52But I did it.
15:52I had to believe.
15:54Well, I did.
15:54From maybe a tougher-looking guy,
15:55I'd believe it, but...
15:56Number 34, Jeepers Creepers.
15:59Before its legacy became overshadowed
16:01by controversy surrounding its creator,
16:03Jeepers Creepers earned a reputation
16:05as one of the early 2000s' most effective
16:07and original tales.
16:09The story follows siblings, Trish and Derry,
16:11as they encounter a mysterious figure
16:13disposing of bodies near an abandoned church,
16:15only to discover that they're being hunted
16:17by an ancient winged predator known as the Creeper.
16:20Every 23rd spring,
16:23for 23 days,
16:27it gets to eat.
16:30Rather than revealing its monster immediately,
16:33the film gradually escalates the mystery
16:35until the horrifying truth emerges.
16:37Jonathan Breck's performance gives the creature
16:39an unsettling intelligence and personality,
16:42creating a memorable cinematic monster
16:44whose eerie design still resonates with horror fans.
16:47Take me!
16:51You don't want him.
16:53You don't want him.
16:54Whatever you want,
16:56you can take it from me.
16:58Number 33, Alien Romulus.
17:00With this, Fede Alvarez honors the Alien franchise
17:04while giving it a fresh twist.
17:06Set between the 1979 classic and the 1986 sequel,
17:11Alien Romulus blends the mystery of Prometheus
17:13Prometheus with the terror of the originals.
17:16Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on.
17:20Get out of there!
17:21Come on, come on, come on, come on!
17:23A group of young workers stumble upon an abandoned ship
17:27only to find it's anything but empty.
17:29You know the drill.
17:31Monsters.
17:31And this one delivers.
17:43Nailing that claustrophobic, space horror feel
17:46with well-timed jump scares,
17:48it slowly descends from a suspenseful nail-biter
17:51to a full-blown nightmare.
17:53The eerie score amps up the tension,
17:55while the xenomorph remains as grotesque as ever,
17:58with that chilling, icky grin.
18:09That alien birth scene?
18:11It's easily one of the most disturbing scenes
18:13in recent horror cinema.
18:15Number 32, Spring.
18:17Justin Benson and Erin Moorhead
18:19challenge the standards of conventional love stories
18:22with this creepy body horror twist.
18:25A young man falls hard for a stunning woman
18:27who happens to be a 2,000-year-old mutant.
18:30You're the most attractive person I've ever seen.
18:33But that doesn't outweigh that you might be a mental patient.
18:35And I gotta make sure you're the kind of crazy
18:37I can deal with.
18:38Romantic?
18:39Maybe.
18:39But it's also deeply unsettling.
18:41Just watching Louise's graphic mutation
18:44is enough to weird you out.
18:45The chilling uncertainty of Evan's fate
18:48will keep you uneasy until you no longer feel so.
18:51Are you a vampire, werewolf, zombie, witch, or alien?
18:57I'm a human.
19:01Are you scared of me?
19:03Yet, Lou Taylor Pucci and Nadia Hilker
19:06sell their surreal romance so well
19:08that you can't help but root for them.
19:10Honestly, it's impressive how this unusual horror
19:13manages to be both touching and frightening,
19:16building to a powerful ending.
19:17You never got lonely?
19:22Not since I met you.
19:25Isn't it scary losing that?
19:26Even with its satisfying conclusion,
19:29one question lingers.
19:30What exactly is Louise?
19:33Number 31, Terrifier 2.
19:35This blood-soaked carnival may lack the polish
19:38of classic monster flicks,
19:40but for those who crave relentless terror,
19:42it delivers pure chaos.
19:44This time, Art the Clown sets his sights
19:46on a teenage girl and her crew
19:48as they gear up for Halloween.
19:59With his cheeky grin,
20:01seamless switch from funny to murderous rage,
20:04and an uncanny knack for messy kills,
20:07Art remains a top-tier horror maniac.
20:10The special effects are seriously gnarly,
20:12easily outdoing what we've seen before.
20:20Terrifier 2 was so gruesome
20:22that some moviegoers literally
20:24walked out of the theaters.
20:25But that's one reason it's become a cult classic.
20:28With Sienna's final girl energy
20:30as the cherry on top,
20:32it's safe to say Damien Leone's hard work paid off.
20:35He used to draw this character for me
20:37when I was a little girl.
20:39And he used to tell me I was gonna grow up
20:41to be like her one day.
20:42And I really believed it.
20:45Well, look at you now!
20:46You are her!
20:47Number 30.
20:48Eight-legged freaks.
20:50Those spiders are dangerous.
20:51And besides, they give you nightmares.
20:53Your nightmares keep me up all night.
20:56And you know what happens
20:57when I don't get enough sleep, right?
21:00Bad mood?
21:00If arachnophobia made you jump
21:02and gave you nightmares,
21:04this one definitely will.
21:06In this horror comedy,
21:07a rural town is overrun by colossal predators
21:10after toxic waste mutates tiny spiders
21:13into giant killers.
21:14It's up to mining engineer Chris and Sheriff Parker
21:17to rally townsfolk against these lethal eight-legged monsters.
21:22Perfume?
21:23Well, spiders,
21:24they have a highly developed sense of smell.
21:26The perfume could confuse them.
21:28Oh, great.
21:28You know,
21:29if we die,
21:29we die smelling nice.
21:30These spiders don't just lurk.
21:32They devour in gloriously absurd fashions.
21:35With their high-pitched squeals
21:37and chillingly convincing design,
21:39these oversized arachnids
21:41make some scenes genuinely terrifying.
21:47Oh my God!
21:49Packed with adorable references
21:51to 50s and 60s monsters,
21:54Eight-Legged Freaks is hilariously over the top,
21:56making you laugh and squirm at the same time.
21:59But it will seriously have you checking corners
22:02for any tarantula surprise.
22:04Number 29, Prey.
22:06Anyone who loves predator movies
22:08will feel right at home with this one.
22:10Instead of the Yauja facing off
22:12against gun-toting soldiers or drug cartels,
22:15this Hulu hit takes us 300 years back
22:18to Comanche territory.
22:32At its heart is Naru,
22:34a fierce hunter determined to take down
22:36this otherworldly menace.
22:38As she outwits and battles this infamous alien,
22:41the line between Prey and Predator blurs
22:44in the most thrilling way.
22:46We have him.
22:51No, he has us.
22:54Prey truly elevates its franchise
22:56with spot-on casting,
22:58practical effects that blend well with CGI,
23:00and a perfect balance of horror and tension.
23:03From the brutal fights between the invisible killer
23:06and Earth's deadliest creatures
23:08to the native warrior's raw ferocity,
23:10the action is gripping
23:11and the cinematography is simply breathtaking.
23:19Number 28, Nosferatu.
23:22With this chilling, gothic fest,
23:24Robert Eggers masterfully reimagines
23:27the original vampire tale
23:28with unsettling beauty.
23:30Nosferatu centers on a young girl
23:32tormented by a malevolent vampire,
23:34their connection intensifying
23:36when her husband is tasked
23:37with managing Count Orlok's estate.
23:46From there, you get a plot
23:48that's equal parts horror and mystery.
23:51Bill Skarsgård is downright scary
23:53as Count Orlok,
23:54cementing himself as one of the coldest
23:56Dracula-type vampires ever seen.
23:59And I shall taste of you.
24:04Meanwhile, Lily Rose Depp stuns
24:07with a performance that's both terrifying
24:09and deeply moving.
24:10The film's haunting visuals
24:12and eerie atmosphere
24:13transport viewers
24:14into a twisted, never-ending torment.
24:17It may not be for everyone,
24:18but Eggers' remake captures
24:20the original suffocating dread
24:21like few ever could.
24:29Number 27, Slither.
24:32James Gunn's sci-fi horror comedy
24:34may have been a box office flop,
24:36but it's one creepy, chaotic blast.
24:39What are we gonna do now, Bill?
24:42Cuffs don't even fit on them.
24:47Paying homage to 80s horror comedies,
24:50Slither unfolds in the town of Wheelsey,
24:53where a slithering alien crash lands
24:55and takes over.
24:56It all starts when this parasitic monster
24:58invades Grant's body,
25:00turning him into a hungry host
25:02eager to infect others.
25:06Come on, baby.
25:08Don't, don't look at me like that.
25:10As the town falls to this alien menace,
25:13things get really nasty.
25:15We're talking about gross-out body horror,
25:17plenty of gore,
25:18and a freaky alien mutation
25:20that will give you bad dreams.
25:22Between the gory moments,
25:23there's also heart-pounding action
25:25and some bizarrely hilarious scenes
25:27that sci-fi and horror fans will eat up.
25:30I'm so hungry.
25:31I never knew anyone could be so hungry.
25:34Number 26, Annihilation.
25:36Loosely based on the 2014 novel of the same name,
25:40this baffling flick follows a group of scientists
25:42who enter a mysterious zone,
25:44a place few return from.
25:46Once inside,
25:48things get weird pretty quick.
25:49Communication with the outside is gone,
25:51and their sense of time is scrambled.
25:53So we have got no compass,
25:55no comms,
25:56no coordinates,
25:58and no landmarks.
26:00As they venture deeper,
26:01they encounter strange animals and plants
26:03that make one thing clear.
26:05This is the last place they want to be.
26:07Sure, Annihilation has its plot holes,
26:10but it successfully pulls viewers
26:11right into the shimmer
26:12alongside Lena and her crew.
26:15Hey.
26:17The mystery unraveling.
26:21Something's unraveling.
26:22With its slow build and unsettling imagery,
26:25it becomes thought-provoking and deeply disturbing.
26:28And the monsters?
26:30They're expertly crafted to evoke a great deal of creepiness.
26:47Number 25,
26:48Super 8.
26:50Before Stranger Things,
26:51there was Super 8.
26:53Set in the late 70s,
26:54this J.J. Abrams love letter to Steven Spielberg
26:57follows a group of teenage heroes
26:59who discover that a mysterious entity
27:01has been unleashed on their small town.
27:07I don't want to die!
27:10From the start,
27:11an eerie tension lingers,
27:13as if something powerful and dangerous
27:15could strike at any moment.
27:16Then come the monster's guttural growls,
27:19mysterious presence,
27:20and sudden attacks turning nearly every scene
27:23into a nerve-wracking experience.
27:33Beyond the terror,
27:35the teen cast shines with convincing portrayals
27:38that bring a lot of heart and personality to this tale.
27:40Flaws aside,
27:42Super 8 is an awesome throwback
27:44to old family adventures,
27:45packed with nostalgia and suspense.
27:48You can still live!
27:53Number 24,
27:55A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
27:58Hypnotic and brooding,
28:00Anna Lily Amirpour's debut feature
28:03is as unconventional as it is haunting.
28:06She delivers a stylish Iranian vampire thriller
28:09that feels like a fusion of spaghetti western
28:11and graphic novels,
28:13all while making a bold statement about women.
28:15I'm going to be here.
28:19I'm going to be here.
28:21I'm going to be here.
28:24I'm going to be here.
28:26Unfolding in the unsettling ghost town,
28:28Bad City,
28:29it revolves around a Persian vampire
28:31who prowls the street,
28:32weeding out bad men.
28:34If you're not a good guy,
28:35you surely don't want to be caught
28:36by this lone,
28:37feminine vigilante.
28:44Sheila Vland is mesmerizing in the role,
28:47her facial expression revealing
28:49all that is to her strange,
28:51malevolent nature.
28:52Sparse dialogue,
28:53the atmospheric style
28:55and masterful use of sound
28:57add to the film's gripping impact.
29:11This excellent and inventive horror movie
29:14established the already beloved
29:16John Krasinski
29:17as a horror filmmaker to watch.
29:20It's set in a post-apocalyptic world
29:22that has been overrun
29:23with deadly, sightless creatures
29:24that hunt using hypersensitive hearing.
29:33The Abbott family,
29:34who are at the center of the film,
29:36survive by leading a life
29:37of relative silence.
29:39A single loud noise
29:40could mean the difference
29:41between life and death.
29:42Fast and ferocious,
29:44the monsters are undeniably terrifying,
29:46but it's Krasinski's alternating use
29:48of sound and silence
29:49throughout the film
29:50that really makes A Quiet Place
29:52such a remarkable
29:53and effective creature feature.
29:54With solid character development
29:56and excellent performances all around,
29:58this is a horror movie
29:59with a ton of heart.
30:01If we can't protect them,
30:04who are we?
30:06Number 22, Trick or Treat.
30:08A modern cult classic,
30:10Trick or Treat tells four different stories
30:12that play out in Warren Valley, Ohio,
30:14on Halloween,
30:15all connected by the appearance
30:17of a mysterious trick or treater
30:18named Sam.
30:19He might be modest in stature
30:21compared to other creatures
30:22on our list today,
30:23but with his dirty orange footie pajamas
30:25and burlap sack mask,
30:27he's rightfully become a minor icon
30:29of the horror genre.
30:30As for the face,
30:31well, we won't spoil the big reveal.
30:34The film was directed by Michael Dougherty,
30:36who would go on to make
30:37one of the most ambitious monster movies
30:39ever made,
30:402019's Godzilla King of the Monsters.
30:42While the latter film divided fans and critics,
30:45Trick or Treat was met
30:46with near-universal critical acclaim.
30:48For all we know,
30:50it's still down there.
30:52And so are those kids.
30:54Number 21, King Kong.
30:57We are accustomed to look upon
30:58the shackled form of a conquered monster.
31:03But there,
31:06there you can look at a thing monstrous,
31:09free.
31:10Director Peter Jackson
31:12clearly likes to challenge himself.
31:14After doing the seemingly impossible
31:16by adapting The Lord of the Rings,
31:18he chose to follow it up
31:19by remaking one of the most iconic movies
31:21in cinematic history,
31:231933's King Kong.
31:24At three hours,
31:25it does feel a bit long,
31:27but the movie is otherwise difficult to fault.
31:29It's an old-school epic
31:31that benefits from modern special effects
31:33that feel years ahead of their time.
31:35The cast as a whole is awesome,
31:37but Andy Serkis is astonishing.
31:39His motion capture performance
31:41imbues Kong with the sort of nuance
31:43rarely seen in big screen monsters.
31:51Of course,
31:52if you can't get enough giant gorilla action,
31:54Kong's Skull Island is a lot of fun.
31:56Men,
31:58place your charges.
32:00It's time to show Kong
32:02that man
32:04is king.
32:05Number 20,
32:07Colossal.
32:07When you think of monster movies,
32:09it's typically horror,
32:10epic adventures,
32:11and kaiju action
32:12that come to mind.
32:13In this unconventional sci-fi black comedy, however,
32:16filmmaker Nacho Vigalando
32:18uses a giant,
32:19city-destroying creature
32:21to tell a surprisingly small
32:22and intimate story
32:23about toxic relationships
32:25and personal responsibility.
32:27What was that?
32:28What was that?
32:29A helicopter crashed.
32:31In my head?
32:32Oscar winner Anne Hathaway
32:34plays Gloria,
32:35an out-of-work writer.
32:36After moving to her hometown
32:38and getting a job
32:39at the bar
32:39of her childhood friend,
32:40played by Jason Sudeikis,
32:42she discovers
32:43that she can control
32:44a giant monster
32:45in Seoul, South Korea.
32:46It's not without its flaws,
32:48but Colossal stands tall
32:49regardless
32:50thanks to its powerful themes
32:51and Vigalando's willingness
32:53to blend seemingly incompatible genres.
32:56Oh, come on.
32:57You're the one
32:58that killed the shitload of people,
32:59not me.
33:00Spare me the lectures.
33:01Number 19.
33:02Pacific Rim
33:03To fight monsters,
33:05we created monsters of our own.
33:09The Jaeger program was born.
33:12While monster films
33:13are often fertile ground
33:14for exploring larger themes,
33:16sometimes you just want
33:17to see huge robots
33:18throw down
33:19against giant monsters.
33:21Pacific Rim centers
33:22around mankind's
33:23desperate fight for survival
33:25against interdimensional creatures
33:26rising up from a portal
33:28in the ocean floor.
33:29Their last line of defense
33:30are the Jaegers,
33:32towering weaponized robots.
33:34Yeah!
33:34No one, Gypsy!
33:36Kick his ass!
33:39The film isn't nearly as thoughtful
33:41as filmmaker Guillermo del Toro's
33:42other monster movies,
33:44but it is undeniably epic,
33:46boasting titanic big-screen battles
33:48on a scale
33:48that felt unprecedented
33:50at the time of release.
33:51Pacific Rim is just a really,
33:53really fun time.
33:55Make sure you're watching
33:56the right movie, though.
33:57A mockbuster called Atlantic Rim
33:59was released around the same time,
34:00and it is all kinds of terrible.
34:0318. A Monster Calls
34:05I have come to get you,
34:08Connor O'Malley.
34:09Growing up is hard enough
34:10even under the best circumstances.
34:12Navigating the complex emotions
34:14of having a terminally ill parent,
34:16however,
34:16that can feel downright insurmountable.
34:19In this beautiful, dark fantasy film,
34:21adapted from a Patrick Ness book
34:23by the same name,
34:2513-year-old Connor O'Malley
34:26struggles to cope
34:27with his mother's cancer.
34:28One night,
34:29a giant tree-like monster
34:31approaches his room
34:32and offers to tell him
34:33three stories,
34:34in exchange for Connor
34:35telling him a fourth in return.
34:37Let me tell you of the end
34:39of a wicked queen
34:40and how I made sure
34:42she was never seen again.
34:44The monster's tales
34:45ultimately overlap
34:47with Connor's real life
34:48and come together
34:49to make for an emotionally charged
34:51and poignant coming-of-age story
34:54about anger and grief.
34:56Liam Neeson voices
34:57the unnamed monster,
34:58imbuing it with a charming gravitas
35:00like only he can.
35:02It is time for the third tale.
35:05Number 17.
35:06Troll Hunter
35:11A found-footage mockumentary,
35:14Troll Hunter packs a whole lot of fun
35:15into its modest runtime.
35:17Shot on a relatively modest budget
35:19of just about $3.5 million,
35:21which is nothing
35:22for a modern monster movie,
35:24this Norwegian film
35:25follows a group of students
35:26as they tag along
35:27with a, wait for it,
35:29Troll Hunter.
35:36They're all naturally skeptical
35:37of his job title,
35:38but they soon learn,
35:39like the audience,
35:40that trolls are all too real.
35:43Irreverent,
35:43delightfully over the top
35:44and boasting strong performances
35:46from its cast,
35:47Troll Hunter sometimes feels similar
35:49to Taika Waititi's later
35:50What We Do in the Shadows.
35:52But given the film's unique
35:53troll-centric mythology,
35:55unforgettable monsters
35:56and dark humor,
35:57no comparison can really do it justice.
36:16As touched on already,
36:18no one knows how to tell monster stories
36:20quite like Guillermo del Toro.
36:22Not only are his creatures
36:23instantly recognizable
36:24as a result of his unique visual style,
36:26but he also has a real knack
36:28for finding humanity
36:29in these strange
36:30and bizarre creatures.
36:31Many of his films,
36:32including Pan's Labyrinth
36:34and Hellboy 2,
36:35The Golden Army,
36:36should be considered
36:37mandatory viewing
36:38for anyone with an interest
36:39in creature features.
36:41Ultimately, however,
36:42we have to give this spot
36:43on our list
36:43to The Shape of Water.
36:44If you know something
36:46about what transpired here,
36:47it's your obligation
36:49to report any detail,
36:51no matter how small
36:52or trivial it may seem.
36:53It might not have
36:54the same variety of monsters
36:56as the aforementioned films,
36:57but in terms of storytelling
36:59and themes,
37:00it is without a doubt
37:01del Toro's most effective movie
37:02to date,
37:03and the monster is at
37:04the very heart of the narrative.
37:05You never know
37:08just how much
37:12I can.
37:18Number 15,
37:19The Mist
37:20Stephen King is widely accepted
37:22as the modern master
37:23of horror fiction.
37:24As such,
37:25many of his works
37:26have been adapted
37:26to the big screen,
37:28with mixed results.
37:29The Mist, however,
37:30is without a doubt
37:31among the more successful
37:32King adaptations to date,
37:33even with the ending
37:34having been changed
37:35from that of King's novella.
37:37It came out of the smoke,
37:39locusts upon the earth,
37:41and unto them
37:42was given power,
37:44even as the scorpions
37:46of the earth have power.
37:48Set in the small town
37:50of Bridgeton, Maine,
37:51the film centers
37:52on a group of people
37:53who seek refuge
37:54in a supermarket.
37:55Outside,
37:56a mysterious mist
37:57covers the town,
37:58concealing all manner
37:59of terrifying,
38:00deadly monsters within.
38:01The creatures
38:02are indeed terrifying,
38:04especially since
38:05you can't see them
38:06coming through that mist,
38:07but the real terror
38:08is how quickly people
38:09turn on one another
38:10in times of crisis.
38:11And it is his fault!
38:13Yes, it is her fault!
38:13No!
38:13No!
38:14It is not my fault!
38:16Number 14,
38:18Monsters
38:18They're just patrolling
38:19because behind the fence
38:20is the infected zone.
38:22Before being entrusted
38:23with 2014's
38:24big-budget Godzilla,
38:26Gareth Edwards
38:27proved himself
38:28with this remarkable
38:29little film.
38:30Monsters was
38:31Edward's directorial debut,
38:33but you'd never guess
38:34it from watching it.
38:37What is this?
38:39Whoa!
38:45It's tightly crafted
38:46and bears all the marks
38:47of a director
38:48with a clear vision.
38:49Even more surprising,
38:50however,
38:51is the fact that
38:51it was made on a budget
38:52of just $500,000.
38:54The movie follows
38:55a photojournalist
38:56as he escorts
38:57his boss's daughter
38:58through an area
38:59of land infected
39:00by extraterrestrial creatures.
39:02Embracing a
39:03less-is-more
39:04filmmaking philosophy,
39:05Edwards largely
39:06keeps the titular
39:07creatures off-camera
39:08and in the distance,
39:09they define
39:10the world of the film
39:11while still leaving
39:12enough space
39:12to tell a character-driven story.
39:15Have you seen
39:16anybody else?
39:24Number 13,
39:25Attack the Block
39:31Another directorial debut,
39:33this British sci-fi comedy
39:34horror is hard
39:35to put in a box.
39:36Attack the Block
39:37pulls from a number
39:38of genres,
39:39sure,
39:39but as you watch
39:40the film,
39:41what's most striking
39:41is that it feels
39:42out of place
39:43in 2011. It's got the sort of freewheeling spirit of adventure and a youthful ensemble cast that was
39:49far more common in the 80s and 90s, just with a modern aesthetic. And while director Joe Cornish
39:58clearly has a penchant for looking backwards for inspiration, much of this film feels totally
40:02fresh, from the characterization of our unlikely young heroes to the wholly original design of the
40:08extraterrestrials they encounter. An alien invasion story unlike any other, Attack the Block is a blast
40:14from start to finish. 12. The Cabin in the Woods
40:24Planning a monster movie marathon with a focus on fun, then consider pairing Attack the Block with
40:29this riot of a film. Directed by Drew Goddard and produced by Joss Whedon, The Cabin in the Woods
40:35is a supernatural horror comedy, but it's so much more.
40:38Cleanse the world of their ignorance and sin. Bathe them in the crimson of...
40:45Am I on speakerphone?
40:48No, absolutely not. Speakerphone, no. No, I wouldn't do that.
40:51Yes, I am.
40:52In the off chance that you haven't seen it and have managed to avoid spoilers,
40:56we're not going into detail. All you need to know is that the plot is far more elaborate than the
41:00initial setup would have you believe. By the time the credits roll, you'll have a whole
41:05new appreciation for horror tropes. You'll be drenched in figurative blood,
41:11and you will have met one of the wildest collections of monsters to ever grace the screen.
41:16Oh, shit.
41:1811. The Descent
41:20Here's a crash course in how not to plan a trip with your friends. A year after losing her husband
41:25and daughter in a car accident, Sarah meets her friends to go spelunking in the Appalachian Mountains.
41:31Unfortunately, Juno, who organized the trip, thinks it would be a good idea to lead them into an unmapped cave
41:37system.
41:37I'm not going to go!
41:40I'm not going to go!
41:41I'm not going to go!
41:42Soon enough, they not only find themselves trapped, but fighting for their lives against the monstrous creatures who call the
41:48caves home.
41:49The Descent makes for an extremely claustrophobic viewing experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat from
41:54the moment they enter the caves.
41:56After seeing the lethal crawlers in action, however, you may never want to set foot near a cave again.
42:06Number 10. Frankenstein
42:08More than 200 years after Mary Shelley's novel was published, Guillermo del Toro proves the story still has the power
42:20to move audiences.
42:22Rather than treating the creature as a simple horror icon, his film emphasizes his intelligence, loneliness, and desperate search for
42:29love and acceptance.
42:43That emotional approach is elevated by Jacob Elordi's Oscar-nominated performance,
42:48which transforms the creature into a deeply tragic figure instead of a conventional monster.
42:54Striking gothic visuals mixed with its thoughtful exploration of ambition, grief,
42:58and the consequences of playing God.
43:01It breathes fresh life into one of literature's most enduring creations,
43:05reminding us that humanity can be far more monstrous than the beings it creates.
43:28The Mist is a great film, but when it comes to monster movies adapted from the works of Stephen King,
43:34It doesn't get much better than this.
43:36With the first film in this two-part adaptation, director Andy Muschietti absolutely nailed it.
43:42The young cast delivers great performances all around, giving the film an emotional core,
43:46while Pennywise delivers one great scare after another.
43:49You'll float down here. We'll float down here.
43:53Yes, we do.
43:57Bill Skarsgård deserves much of the credit for making it such a colossal success.
44:02His performance as Pennywise the Dancing Clown is both terrifying and terrifyingly good.
44:08He wholly inhabits the role, and in doing so, manages to instill audiences with a pervasive sense of dread
44:14that is hard to shake, even long after the credits have rolled.
44:18I swear, if it isn't dead, if it ever comes back, we'll come back too.
44:26Number 8. The Babadook
44:28If it's in a word or it's in a look, you can't get rid of the Babadook.
44:33It sounds like a load of nonsense, right? But for anyone who's seen The Babadook,
44:37this little rhyme is enough to send shivers down your spine.
44:41Each year, horror fans are given dozens of movie monsters and killers to fear.
44:45After audiences get over the initial jump scare, however, most are quickly forgotten.
44:50But every now and then, a monster comes along and instantly becomes an icon.
44:55The Babadook is one of them.
44:56In this tense psychological thriller, trauma, anxiety, grief, loss, depression, denial,
45:03and repressed anger all come together to give life to the titular creature.
45:07Do not let the outfit fool you. He's a monster through and through.
45:19Number 7. Under the Skin
45:21When was the last time you touched someone?
45:26Hauntingly beautiful, desolate, deeply effective, and often challenging to watch,
45:31Under the Skin is a film that will, in fact, get under your skin.
45:34The plot can easily be summarized as follows.
45:37A mysterious extraterrestrial in the form of a human woman preys upon unsuspecting men.
45:43But that doesn't begin to scratch the surface of what's going on here.
45:46Countless critics, film theorists, and writers have attempted to unpack the movie's meaning,
45:51and have come up with countless different readings.
45:53The human condition, violence, race, gender, immigration, the nature of sexual desire,
45:59the film can be viewed through many lenses.
46:02There's no one interpretation.
46:03What we can say for certain is that Scarlett Johansson delivers a transformative performance
46:09as the central monster.
46:11Number 6. It Follows
46:31If you're trying to scare your teenage kids away from sex, just show them this movie.
46:37It Follows is far more effective than a stack of pamphlets about STDs and unwanted pregnancies.
46:43Starring Micah Munro, now considered a contemporary scream queen,
46:47It Follows was released to rave reviews,
46:50and is frequently labeled as one of the best horror films of the 2010s.
46:53Everything's okay.
47:02The story is about a killer supernatural force that is passed from one victim to the next via sexual intercourse.
47:08It's a well-crafted story built on a compelling premise,
47:11but what really sets it apart is filmmaker David Robert Mitchell's keen directorial eye.
47:16As for the unnamed monster, its slow, shambling pace and shape-shifting abilities
47:22will have you looking over your shoulder for weeks.
47:24Help!
47:28Help me!
47:31Number 5. Godzilla Minus One
47:34Just when Japan is at its lowest, Godzilla emerges to make things even worse.
47:39As this kaiju's presence becomes overwhelming,
47:41a fighter pilot joins in the fight to defend Tokyo.
47:51This Takashi Yamazaki epic brings Godzilla back to its villainous roots,
47:56pitting it against determined heroes.
47:58It echoes the brilliance of the 2014 installment,
48:02which set a high bar for the franchise.
48:04With its menacing design, atomic breath, and zero sympathy for humanity,
48:08the titular monster is an unstoppable force.
48:22Beneath its mass destruction,
48:24relatable characters remind us of World War II's lasting scars.
48:28So well-received,
48:30this movie became one of Japan's top films of 2023.
48:34Let's not forget it was Shin Godzilla's success
48:36that helped reignite interest in this Toho film.
48:47Number 4. Cloverfield
48:49I'm gonna learn to say,
48:51forget the world and hang on to the people that you care about the most.
48:55Oh my god!
48:57Oh my god!
48:58What the hell was that?
48:59The Blair Witch Project popularized the found footage genre,
49:02but Cloverfield redefined it,
49:04proving just how far this distinct approach to filmmaking can be pushed.
49:08Oh my god!
49:09Oh my god!
49:11Oh my god!
49:13Oh my god!
49:13Oh my god!
49:14Oh my god!
49:14Oh my god!
49:15On paper, Cloverfield is a fairly straightforward story about a monster attack,
49:20but in execution, it is so much more.
49:22It simultaneously harkens back to monster movies of old,
49:26while tying in post-9-11 anxieties and embracing then-modern technology
49:31to tell the story with astonishing tension.
49:33Matt Reeves,
49:34who would go on to helm two of the rebooted Planet of the Apes films,
49:38was widely praised for his direction.
49:40Mark Savlov, writing for the Austin Chronicle,
49:43went so far as to call it the most intense and original creature feature he'd seen in his adult life.
49:57Number 3, The Host
49:59With the success of Parasite,
50:01South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho cemented his place in movie history,
50:05but it was by no means his first major contribution to the medium.
50:09His third feature film, 2006's The Host,
50:12is a monster movie masterpiece.
50:14After an attack by a terrifying river creature,
50:17Park Gang-do attempts to save his daughter
50:19while navigating the ensuing chaos and military action.
50:28The CGI can feel a bit dodgy at times,
50:31but that's easy to forgive considering everything the film does right.
50:35The Guem-ho, thanks to its thoughtful creature design,
50:37makes a big impression.
50:45In keeping with the filmmaker's now-trademark style,
50:48the host sees Bong expertly blending genres
50:51to deliver a monster movie that is equal parts humorous,
50:54horrifying, and heartfelt.
50:55The virus has definitely invaded his brain,
50:58just as we suspected.
50:59I agree.
51:01Number 2, Pan's Labyrinth.
51:19Guillermo del Toro's dark fairy tale
51:21is filled with unforgettable creatures,
51:23but few filmmakers have ever made monsters feel so deeply symbolic.
51:28Set in post-Civil War Spain,
51:30the film follows young Ophelia
51:32as she escapes the brutality of reality
51:35by entering a mysterious fantasy world
51:37inhabited by fawns, giant toads, fairies,
51:40and the terrifying Pale Man.
51:47Del Toro's stunning practical effects
51:50make every creature feel tangible.
51:52While each encounter reflects the film's larger themes
51:55of innocence, fascism, and sacrifice,
51:57equal parts fantasy epic and horror masterpiece,
52:00Pan's Labyrinth reminds us
52:02that the most frightening monsters
52:03aren't always supernatural.
52:11Before we continue,
52:13check out this single from current,
52:15EDM Transformed.
52:17Check out the full track and album below.
52:25Number 1, Sinners.
52:44Ryan Coogler's masterpiece breathes exhilarating new life into vampire mythology
52:49by blending supernatural horror with southern gothic atmosphere,
52:53blues music, and American history.
52:55Oscar winner Michael B. Jordan delivers a remarkable dual performance
52:59as twin brothers smoke and stack.
53:01The brothers' attempt to open a juke joint in 1930s Mississippi
53:05attracts a far older and deadlier evil.
53:08While the vampires are undeniably terrifying,
53:11Coogler uses them to explore themes of race,
53:13community, faith, and cultural identity
53:15without sacrificing pulse-pounding entertainment.
53:18Featuring unforgettable musical sequences,
53:21rich character work, and explosive horror set pieces,
53:23Sinners quickly establish itself
53:25as one of the defining monster movies
53:27of this or any decade.
53:29You're telling the truth, Smoke.
53:32I can see his memories.
53:34Smoke, don't need your brother.
53:36This wasn't no juke joint,
53:38no club.
53:40This is a slaughterhouse.
53:43Did your favorite creature feature make the list?
53:45Let us know in the comments.
53:47Let us know in the comments.
53:48Let us know.
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