Monster movies have been around almost as long as the invention of moving pictures. Kings of the genre like Godzilla and King Kong are known the world over, and the Universal Monster movies were responsible for Universal Pictures staying in business and scaring audiences for decades. All of these examples are groundbreaking movies beloved by fans, but there are some inventive, original monster movies that deserve equal attention.
Whether by exploring disease or addiction through the manifestation of a monster, or stitching disparate genres together to meld beautifully, the following monster movies are excellent examples of creativity. These are the ten most original monster movies, ranked by their subversion of the genre, their success in doing so, and by being so original that other directors are irritated they didn’t think of the idea first.
10
‘Cloverfield’ (2008)
The destructive assault of New York City by a massive monster is caught on camera by the people below in Cloverfield. A camera passed around a going-away party quickly becomes a tool to document the unspeakable when a rampage sends citizens scrambling for safety. With no understanding of where the monster came from or how to leave the city, viewers get an intimate perspective of what surviving an encounter would feel like.
Mixing a found footage film with a kaiju disaster flick was an ingenious enough concept that it seems wild in retrospect that it took so long to make. Fans of Godzilla movies have no doubt wondered how they would fare if they were dropped into a similar catastrophe, and Cloverfield demonstrates the many perils to face. Of course, no peril is greater than the monster itself (affectionately nicknamed “Clover” by fans), which remains a horrifying presence whether it’s onscreen or not.
9
‘The Cabin in the Woods’ (2011)
A group of college students walk into every horror trope simultaneously in the inventive horror comedy The Cabin in the Woods. A weekend getaway becomes a descent into certain death when the young adults awaken a vicious evil in their creepy and rustic cabin. If the plot sounds familiar, then that is by design, because the cabin is the face of something far more organized than it appears.
Whereas many of the entries are focused on the originality of the monster, The Cabin in the Woods is notable for how it uses them. The clever horror comedy uses every horror cliché imaginable while acknowledging them in a meta commentary that doesn’t overstay its welcome. The plot continues to deliver new twists, and the cast, which includes a pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth, gives the audience a group of young adults who are so likable, it’s a shame to see them die.
8
‘Little Otik’ (2000)
In Little Otik, a couple’s inability to conceive a child leads to the creation of a monstrous baby with an insatiable appetite. Bozena (Veronika Zilkova) is heartbroken that she can’t have a baby, so her husband Karel (Jan Hartl) attempts to cheer her up by turning a freshly dug-up tree stump into a rudimentary “child.” Problems quickly arise when the stump inexplicably comes alive and requires constant feeding of anything or anyone that comes within its grasp.
The movie’s length and the tree baby could each use a little trimming down, but the odd, slightly ethereal world in Little Otik should keep viewers waiting to see what happens next. As the baby grows to an absurdly large degree, and subsequently its hunger, Little Otik quickly shifts gears from an offbeat fairy tale to a horror movie smoothly. What’s not smooth is the way in which the baby eats its victims, and even though the audience sees little, the sounds are enough to put down any snacks while finishing the movie.
7
‘It Follows’ (2015)
Image via RADiUS-TWC
After an intimate encounter with her boyfriend, Jay (Maika Monroe) finds herself strapped to a chair and told she has been cursed. A monster will slowly pursue her until it kills her, and the only way to pass the threat on is to have sex with someone else, hoping they pass the curse on as well. As Jay begins to encounter the frightening creature that can appear as anyone, she is faced with the option to fight or assign someone else a death sentence.
It Follows proves that some of the scariest monsters are the ones the victims can’t see approaching until it’s too late. The calmness in the monster’s relentless approach is unnerving, especially since the audience quickly sees how violent the creature is when it catches its target. The monster of It Follows is original in its simplicity, following rules that are easy to understand but impossible to learn why they exist at all.
6
‘The Shape of Water’ (2017)
The Shape of Water takes the traditional monster aesthetic and applies it to an unconventional but impactful romance. Set in the early ’60s, The Shape of Water follows the lonely and mute Elisa (Sally Hawkins), who works as cleaning staff in a discreet government facility. When an amphibious creature (Doug Jones) is brought to the facility for examination, Elisa forms a bond with the new arrival that grows into something deeply profound.
The Shape of Water is one of director Guillermo del Toro’s finest films, combining his trademark visual style with a timeless love story that is refreshing and unique. Although the pairing of a woman and a sea creature as soul mates is an unorthodox choice, the performances between Hawkins and Jones don’t ever steer the story toward unintended parody. The Shape of Water is a genuinely beautiful movie that would be a top recommendation as either a monster movie or a romantic drama.
5
‘The Babadook’ (2014)
A widowed mother already struggling to raise her son is visited by a menacing force in The Babadook. Amelia (Essie Davis) is barely able to suppress her resentment and depression while raising her six-year-old son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman), but a bedtime story from an unrecognized book, “Mister Babadook,” invites a dark creature into her home. While Amelia fights to retain her sanity, she’ll have to protect her son from the unseen force that threatens to consume them both.
Of the modern horror movie monsters lurking in the shadows, there is an eerie, undefinable quality about the Babadook that makes it special. The audience can see how creepy it is in small form, and so, during moments where it’s inferred that the larger version is in the room just out of sight, it inspires palpable dread. Classic in its presentation and chilling during rare appearances, the Babadook has thankfully maintained its aura by not starring in a franchise of sequels capped off by The Babadook 7: The Babadook Goes to Space.
4
‘Little Shop of Horrors’ (1986)
B-movie monsters meet musical numbers in the comedy classic Little Shop of Horrors. Seymour Krelborn (Rick Moranis) is a walking doormat to everyone around him, but his discovery of a strange plant begins to make him a local celebrity. However, when Seymour discovers the plant can talk and needs human blood to survive, he’ll go down a darkly hilarious path to find fresh plant food while impressing Audrey (Ellen Greene), the woman he loves.
Originally an off-Broadway musical based on Roger Corman‘s 1960 film of the same name, Little Shop of Horrors blends multiple genres and stylistic influences together seamlessly. Each song walks a line of grim and hilarious, and the puppetry work lends to worthy visuals of the man-eating plant that still holds up for a modern-day watch. Little Shop of Horrors is a musical horror comedy with an all-star cast of comedic actors, each performing at the top of their game, creating a classic that will age like a fine world-conquering plant.
3
‘Trollhunter’ (2010)
In Trollhunter, a group of college students making a documentary stumble upon the existence of trolls and the work it takes to conceal their presence. The surprising subject of the footage, Hans (Otto Jespersen), reluctantly takes the trio into his world of late-night hunts and the subsequent paperwork that goes with his nomadic work. As they search for the cause of increased troll activity, the young filmmakers will learn just how dangerous Hans’ line of work can be.
Trollhunter is easily one of the most original monster movies, mixing fairy tale lore with the banality of bureaucratic red tape. While there are elements of movies like Men in Black in the presentation of a blue-collar approach to an outrageous scenario, there is an underlying sense that something bad will soon happen to the camera crew. Jespersen is perfect as the world-weary troll hunter expert, and many will walk away from the movie wishing they could follow him on more adventures.
2
‘Colossal’ (2017)
If anyone ever says the destructive impact of alcoholism can’t be explored using giant monsters, they’ve never seen the movie Colossal. Anne Hathaway stars as Gloria, an alcoholic writer who moves back home due to her reckless and self-destructive behavior. Her destruction takes on new heights when, each night she’s under the influence, a giant monster appears in Seoul, mimicking her movements and terrorizing the city.
Although the premise may strain the strongest suspension of disbelief, Colossal examines the dependence on alcohol and its toxicity accurately and insightfully. Hathaway balances Gloria’s negative qualities with a pained desire to do better, and her journey, as compared to that of her possible love interest, Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), offers two sides of the same coin. Colossal uses the kaiju monster concept in an original fashion while also telling a small and intimate story.
1
‘Bride of Frankenstein’ (1935)
When the concept of monster movies was still a fresh attraction for moviegoers, the Bride of Frankenstein reexamined the very nature of what is considered a monster. Taking place directly after the events of Frankenstein, audiences see that Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and his monster (Boris Karloff) both survived their encounter with the angry mob. Henry wants to put the past behind him, but the nefarious Doctor Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger) convinces Henry that his monster needs a mate that only he can create.
The rules of a monster movie were fairly simplistic from the jump: the monster was bad, and the humans were good. Where Frankenstein blurred the lines of villainy, Bride of Frankenstein explored the concept deeper, showing that it was the humans who were the ones capable of the most offensive evils. Bride of Frankenstein was a daring subversion of expectations and is still widely considered to be a top-tier classic Universal Monster movie made in the famed era of black and white horror.
