The horror genre is not only known for its human killers but also for the incredible monsters that have been created for this specific genre. For the last several decades, classic villains have been making their way across the big screen and streaming apps, enticing viewers to peer into the world of the unknown. The horror genre is a popular one, but it also goes well with other genres such as comedy, drama, sci-fi, and adventure. Even if some viewers aren't too keen on being scared, there are several movies to watch first to ease into the horror genre.
It seems like new streaming channels are popping up every day, but when it comes to the best monster movies available, Amazon Prime Video has the goods.
The Relic: 5.6 (1997)
After a string of decapitations in Chicago, Detective Hollingsworth (Clayton Rohner) suspects he might have a killer on his hands. The case brings him to a museum where someone else is found murdered in the same way. He meets an evolutionary biologist named Dr. Margo Green (Penelope Ann Miller) who is also puzzled by a recent finding involving a mutated beetle. The detective and doctor band together when they realize these two coincidences are connected and soon find out a mythical monster — one that has insect and reptilian DNA — is lurking about. They try to figure out what it wants and how to stop it before more people end up decapitated and dead.
The movie is based on a novel, but at the time of its release, it was criticized for taking liberty with the source material. Even though The Relic did not fare well at the box office, it's developed a cult following thanks to its characters and Stan Winston's effects.
House: 6.2 (1986)
An author with PTSD moves into his aunt's house after she passes away and after he splits up with his wife. He's currently working on a novel about his time in the war, instead of the typical horror books he usually writes. Once he's settled, he starts to experience supernatural happenings and realizes there is a presence in his new home.
One night, after he wakes up from a nightmare, he hears something in his aunt's bedroom, and that's where the monsters start visiting him. He's attacked by a hideous monster, levitating garden tools attack him, as well as a ghoul trying to kidnap the kid from next door. The effects are practical and typical of the '80s, but nevertheless, it's a fun and campy horror film that is quite underrated like many others often are.
The Creeping Flesh: 6.3 (1973)
The Creeping Flesh is a British film that was released in 1973 and centers on Professor Emmanuel Hildern (Peter Cushing), a Victorian-era scientist. After returning from a trip to Papua New Guinea, he brings back a souvenir that is much more dangerous than he thinks. He enlists another doctor and tells him about the evil he brought back that wasn't supposed to be discovered.
The evil can grow with water and is a living organism. Is Professor Hildern sane, or did he just stumble upon something that can change science forever?
Matango: 6.5 (1963)
This Japanese horror mystery from Toho, the studio behind Godzilla, concerns a group of shipwrecked survivors. This seems fairly up-front until they all start to turn into deadly mushrooms already on the island. Matango is loosely-based on William H. Hodgson's short story called "The Voice in the Night."
This movie was nearly banned because of several scenes because of the makeup the cast portrayed, but it made its release and went straight-to-film in the United States.
Attack The Block: 6.6 (2011)
From the writer of Ant-Man, Joe Cornish released a horror action film in 2011 called Attack the Block. The films follow a group of tough inner-city kids in South London who have come together to survive an alien invasion. Star Wars' John Boyega stars as Moses, who is one of the kids trying to seek safety in an apartment complex.
Once the aliens realize there are survivors in there, the fight is on. Even though Attack the Block didn't do so well at the box office, it certainly gained approval ratings online.
Nightbreed: 6.6 (1990)
Nightbreed is the ultimate monster movie with a 1980s style to die for. Written and directed by Clive Barker, the man behind horror classics such as Hellraiser and Candyman, the movie has cool monsters and also has a unique twist on the human/creature relationship. While the creatures of Midian are civil and have taken the good parts of mankind, above them, things are different.
Up top, a serial killer is on the loose, which begs the question: who here is really a monster?
Hellraiser: 7.0 (1987)
Based on Clive Barker's 1986 novella The Hellbound Heart, Hellraiser became an instant classic in the horror genre and is still hard to beat today. The monsters to fear are the Cenobites, a group of terrifying sadomasochists from another dimension. The monsters don't know the difference between pain and pleasure, which turns ugly fairly soon in the movie.
Despite what some of the original critics have said, Hellraiser is one of the best horror films to pave the way for others in its shadow. So much so, that nine movies followed after it. There have been a lot of Cenobites throughout the Hellraiser franchise, but one of the best is Pinhead, played by Doug Bradley.
Super 8: 7.0 (2011)
Produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by J.J. Abrams, Super 8 is an underrated coming-of-age and sci-fi movie. The film is set in the summer of 1979 and centers on a group of kids witnessing something amazing. After a train crashes before their very eyes, the children experience strange events in their small town. Upon further investigation, they are faced with something much bigger than they could've ever anticipated.
It's hard to understand why the film didn't enjoy more success. The storyline is nostalgic, the casting is perfect, the special effects are spot on and overall, it's an enjoyable movie.
The Cabin In The Woods: 7.0 (2012)
The Cabin in the Woods is a 2012 gem that begs to be seen. It has become a classic for the perfect doses of comedy and horror entwined into one movie, and the underlying storyline throughout the entire movie. Not only is the cast funny, but the monsters are scarily plentiful, and the reasoning behind the unleashing has to do with ancient gods that need to be satisfied.
The cast is stacked with actors Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchinson, Chris Hemsworth, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford. When the world is about to end, is a little scare and blood all that's needed to feed the flame? From start to finish, The Cabin in the Woods is a thoroughly entertaining flick.
The Monster Squad: 7.0 (1987)
Perhaps the best creature movie on Amazon Prime Video right now is Monster Squad. Although it might not be as scary as a few others, this one is hard to beat. Not only does this movie have Count Dracula, but it also has a werewolf, a creature from the lagoon, and a mummy. These classic monsters come together for a greater cause; for Dracula to rule the world.
Leave it to the kids of the neighborhood to put a wrench in their plan when they figure it out and prepare for a battle.