Because of their disconnection from the human race, the role of the movie monster is shamefully underestimated by those outside the fanbase. It takes a lot more than CGI and synthesized sound effects to make a monster truly memorable, and the weight of this performance falls onto the shoulders of some seriously underrated and underappreciated talent.
Some performers have even made a name for themselves by playing such famous monsters, vampires, werewolves, and the like. Just like the romantic leads or the hero, it takes just as much dedication and skill to make a truly believable creature.
Lon Chaney (The Phantom Of The Opera)
If there's one performer that can trace back the role of the movie monster to one of its earliest stages, it's the great Lon Chaney. Not only was Chaney's skill during the era of silent movies unrivaled, but his self-sculpted makeup as the Phantom of the Opera reportedly scared audiences into fainting fits.
What makes his performance memorable is not just the shock factor alone, though, but how sympathetic he portrayed such a tortured and misunderstood monster. "If I am the Phantom, it is because men's hatred of me has made me so."
Elsa Lanchester (The Bride Of Frankenstein)
Elsa Lanchester was truly an underrated actress, to say the least. Although she later went onto other projects, her most famous role is undoubtedly the Bride of Frankenstein. Granted, the costume and makeup department truly made this monster memorable, but they would both amount to nothing if it wasn't for Lanchester's presence, beauty, and almost alien-like performance.
The Bride is truly a magnificent monster, and Lanchester's performance gives her character through her expressions, body language, and of course, that famous scream.
Boris Karloff (The Mummy)
Although Boris Karloff will forever be remembered as the original Frankenstein monster, his greatest performance of his career was undeniably that of Imhotep from The Mummy. Imhotep was a role that truly utilized every aspect of Karloff's talent. From Karloff's intimidating presence and stature to the hypnotic and yet soothing quality of his voice, nothing is wasted.
The performer truly is in his element in this film, even after the mummy's transformation into his human alias, Ardeth Bey. Honestly, it's probably the actor's most underestimated role.
Bela Lugosi (Dracula)
Of course, one can't talk about Boris Karloff without giving a mention to his Hungarian counterpart and friend, Bela Lugosi. Simply put, Lugosi is Dracula incarnate. Everything he did was with purpose for this character and he knew it. He became so synonymous with the role that he was even buried in that iconic cape.
From his thick accent to his shadow and charm, Lugosi takes a bigger bite out of every scene he's in than any neck of any sleeping victim. In short, he truly defined the character.
Christopher Lee (The Horror Of Dracula)
Lugosi might have invented the role of Dracula, but Christopher Lee perfected it years later. Lee not only went on to play the character more times than any performer in the history of the role, but his performance in The Horror of Dracula would cement him as a horror movie icon forever.
Lee's version of the count is a monster unleashed. While Lugosi brought more of a slow burn to his character, Lee doesn't waste time. It doesn't take long for the count to show his fangs, and fans loved it.
Bill Skarsgard (It)
In all fairness, Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise only has one note: just be scary. However, it's astounding how many levels of scary he can bring to the character. Even without the CGI, Skarsgard's performance as the infamous demonic clown never fails to give his audience nightmares.
He can be subtle, he can be bombastic, and everything in between if it means terrifying his victims. After all, they all taste so better when they're afraid, and some need more seasoning than others.
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Hobbit)
Although Benedict Cumberbatch is synonymous with Sherlock, how soon fans forget that he was not only the voice but the face behind one of the most magnificent dragons in all of cinema. Smaug the Terrible is everything a dragon character should be, and Cumberbatch nails it.
Watching that greedy smile curl over those sword-like teeth is absolutely magnificent. Truly a storybook villain come to life, the performer never overplays it but finds the sweet spot that makes Smaug so memorable.
Andy Serkis (Lord Of The Rings)
There's only one performance when it comes to the monsters of Middle Earth that could outdo Cumberbatch, and that is the immortal Andy Serkis as Gollum. Serkis has done more in his career behind makeup and motion capture than most, but his breakout role will always be Gollum.
His portrayal doesn't just make Gollum out to be some froggy little monster that crawled out of the caves, but that of a misshapen and poisoned mind. It's not easy making a monster sympathetic, but this performance is the finest example.
Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands)
An honorable mention has to go to Johnny Depp as Edward Scissorhands. Though it might seem harsh to consider this character a monster, Tim Burton technically reinvented the Frankenstein motif with his misunderstood creation. Burton's direction might have made this film the masterpiece it is, but Depp's performance as Edward was a career changer for the actor.
Edward is one of the most relatable creatures on this list, an outsider that feels misunderstood by nearly everyone. It is only when he discovers the love for another that he truly feels complete.
Doug Jones (The Shape Of Water)
The Shape of Water Was an Oscar-winning film that totally changed the way viewers see movie monsters, and while Guillermo del Toro was definitely more than deserving of the Best Picture award, Doug Jones deserved some sort of honorary Oscar for his astounding performance.
The Amphibian Man might not be the most conventional Hollywood heartthrob, but this film proves that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. Though he says not a word of dialogue, he never goes misunderstood, especially in the eyes of those who love him.