Monster movies have always fascinated audiences worldwide, captivating moviegoers with special effects, destructive end-of-the-world sequences, and scaring creatures. Since the first monster movie was created, the 1915 German silent movie called The Golem, this subgenre has given us some of the greatest movies ever made. It has cemented itself into the horror imagination thanks to milestones like Frankenstein (1931) and King Kong (1933) and continues to thrive to this day.
This list offers creature features aficionados 10 movies that explore and, sometimes, bring forward this horror subgenre. From masterpieces like Pan’s Labyrinth to a hidden gem like Troll Hunter, be prepared to get scared by old and new creatures and witness how other cultures envisioned monster movies. Are you ready for what is about to come?
10 The Mimic
Studio Dream Capture
The Mimic tells the story of Hee-yeon (Yum Jung-ah) and Min-ho (Park Hyuk-kwon), a couple whose son went missing years before. They decide to move to Mt. Jang with their remaining daughter Joon-hee (Bang Yu-seol) and her grandmother. Everything changes when Hee-yeon takes in a girl who calls her mum and mimics Joon-hee’s voice. Written and directed by Huh Jung, this movie is a tense horror that brings the Doppelgänger theme forward.
The Mimic is a good movie that makes you tremble with fear, thanks to an intelligent construction of jump scare scenes and to an intriguing choice for the creature, taken from a South Korean urban legend story. The technical aspect of the movie is well delivered, with solid editing and fine cinematography, especially in depicting the natural environment. Finally, the performances of Yum Jung-ah and Park Hyuk-kwon are equally convincing.
9 Tokyo Gore Police
Fever Dreams
Tokyo Gore Police tells the story of Key Man (Itsuji Itao), a scientist who modifies human bodies thanks to a virus he created. These creatures are called Engineers, and they have the ability to develop weapons out of injuries they sustained on their bodies. To help the now privatized police force deal with the Engineers, we find Ruka (Eihi Shiina), the daughter of an officer killed in mysterious circumstances.
The title already gives away what the spectators are about to see if they decide to take a look at Tokyo Gore Police. This action horror movie is well-equipped with many splatter scenes that will impress every fan of the genre; at the same time, this movie lives through the detailed shots of the director Yoshihiro Nishimura, who frequently opts for close-ups while not disdaining operatic shots like the pink moon one. Tokyo Gore Police won’t satisfy everyone, but those that will are in for a bloody treat.
8 La Bête
Argos Films
La Bête has gained cult status over the years for its uncompromising and bizarre mix of the erotica style and the horror genre. Written, directed, and edited by rebel director Walerian Borowczyk, this movie is about Lucy Broadhurst (Lisbeth Hummel), the daughter of a deceased businessman who left her his possessions on one condition: she must marry Mathurin de l’Esperance (Pierre Benedetti), son of a marquee.
With its daring screenplay and flamboyant material, La Bête remains to this day a great example of surrealist and almost absurdist cinema; at the same time, the cinematography is just from another world, curated to the minimal details. This surrealist movie is definitely unsuitable for the casual movie enjoyer and should be seen only by those who have no problem watching Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom front to back. Cinema in its most extreme and unique configuration.
7 Trollhunter
Filmkameratene A/S
Trollhunter follows a group of three students who decides to make a documentary about a bear poacher named Hans (Otto Jespersen). They start to ask questions to the locals and discover doubts and oddities about the bear tracks; one night, trying to follow Hans to snatch an interview, the students realize that he is not a poacher but a hunter of trolls. Directed by André Øvredal, this found footage movie features impressive images of the Norwegian natural landscape and an intelligent iteration of the mockumentary style.
This Norwegian horror is brilliantly done, with great handheld camera work that resembles the documentary style and special effects that deliver completely. Moreover, the interpretation by Otto Jespersen is very convincing and always on point, while the dry humor typical of the Scandinavian region is fairly present throughout the script. Trollhunter is a small gem that contains beautiful scenery shots, an interesting and intelligent rebranding of the mockumentary style, and powerful interpretations by the actors.
6 Cronos
Fondo de Fomento Cinematográfico
Cronos is the first movie by acclaimed director Guillermo Del Toro. This esthetically pleasing horror tells the story of Jesús Gris (Federico Luppi), an old antique dealer who finds a mechanical gold scarab in the base of a statue. While holding it, a needle comes out and punctures him, miraculously regenerating his vitality and giving him strength. While his youth is coming back, Jesús starts to feel the need to drink blood.
Part of the trilogy that also contains The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth, Cronos already features many traits that will make Del Toro’s filmography excellent. The directing is inspired and solid, while the horror genre blends fluidly with drama sections; at the same time, the cinematography by Guillermo Navarro is just flawless. The movie’s brilliance stands in the Mexican director’s storytelling and in the possibility of anyone becoming the creature. A great excursion in the vampire genre.
5 The Wailing
Side Mirror
The Wailing is a modern horror masterpiece directed by the gifted Na Hong-jin, whose short but mesmerizing filmography speaks for itself. Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won) is a policeman who investigates killings happening in Gokseong, a small village; meanwhile, a strange illness spreading seems to be connected with the atrocious acts. This two-hour-and-a-half South Korean movie strikes you immediately for its visual beauty and proceeds to keep you glued to the screen for its intricate screenplay.
The seeming effortless grandiosity of Na Hong-jin’s directing style is hard to compare or describe; it is enough to watch the initial scene, with the discovery of the murders, to notice the cure and efficacy with which the director crafts every segment. At the same time, not one single actor is mediocre, and they are all amazing in conveying their characters. Special mention to the cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo: his vision of colors is just unrealizable. For some movies, words can’t do them justice.
4 Nosferatu the Vampyre
20th Century Fox
Nosferatu The Vampyre was directed by Werner Herzog, and it is based on the famous Bram Stoker novel as well as its first film adaptation, F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu. The movie sees Klaus Kinski portraying Count Dracula as he attempts to relocate from Transylvania to Wismar, Germany; after imprisoning the real estate agent who was helping him, Dracula boards a ship that will conduct to his destination.
One of the most appreciated movies in Herzog’s career, Nosferatu the Vampyre strikes you immediately for its dark settings and the mastery of Kinski’s portrayal. Fear and shivers travel throughout the spectators’ bodies as soon as the Count makes his first appearance, while the music by frequent collaborators Popol Vuh is brilliant in conveying the atmosphere of the movie. Finally, the slow-paced rhythm of the movie creates a hypnotic feeling that it’s easy to succumb to. Unforgettable for its scary potential.
3 Gojira
Toho
Gojira is none other than the first movie in the Godzilla franchise and a classic par excellence of the Japanese-specific monster movie genre called kaiju. Co-written and directed by the legend Ishirō Honda, Gojira tells the story of the famous 50m tall creature known in the western world as Godzilla, as it threatens the safety of the Japanese state. This movie is a masterpiece of cinema history and a critical reflection of the atomic bomb.
Gojira is notable for the pioneering special effects employed in 1954 for the scenes involving the creature. In fact, actors Haruo Nakajima and Katsumi Tezuka literally step into the monster’s shoes by wearing suits of its resemblance and acting in miniature settings. At the same time, it’s not only a straightforward monster movie but also features political undertones: in the minds of its creators, Gojira the monster is just an allegory for the atomic weapon and its destructive capabilities.
2 The Host
Chungeorahm Film
Co-written and directed by the masterful Bong Joon-ho, The Host features Song Kang-ho as the vendor Park gang-du, whose daughter Park Hyun-seo (Go Ah-sung) gets kidnaped by an amphibious monster. When the government cannot rescue his daughter, Park gang-du and his family will take things into their own hands. The Host sees Bong Joon-ho in great shape, confident in mixing horror and comedy while combining them with social and political implications.
This South Korean monster movie has continued to enlarge its fan base and today can be considered one of the best ever made. The Host is dominated by a gloomy cinematography that emphasizes especially the tones of gray and brown and the dynamic directing of Bong Joon-ho, which is always immaculate. Like his most recent masterpiece Parasite, this movie also offers a political subtext by criticizing the American presence in the country and the impersonal and bureaucratic inertia of the South Korean government.
1 Pan’s Labyrinth
Estudios Picasso
It is with no surprise that Guillermo del Toro would have been featured twice in this list. When it comes to non-English monster movies, the Mexican filmmaker is, without a doubt, the person to go to. Pan’s Labyrinth is his undisputed masterpiece and one of the most beautifully shot movies ever made. In 1944 Spain, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), the stepdaughter of the Falangist Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez), has her life changed by a magic encounter with a faun.
Pan’s Labyrinth is an exercise of style for del Toro and cinematographer Guillermo Navarro. The couple gives us a visual masterpiece, not missing one single shot. Everything is perfect from the start, and the level keeps rising as the movie progresses. Moreover, Sergi Lopez is unbelievably good in his portrayal of the fascist Vidal, in all his sadistic and psychopathic tendencies. Pan’s Labyrinth is a spectacle for the eyes and food for the brain. A magic show.
