Hulu's Prey, released in 2022, marked the return of one of horror's deadliest monsters. While the focus was primarily pulled to the film's Comanche tracker, the movie will more than likely be remembered for its armor-clad terror from beyond the stars. Monsters are so easy to cast in the role of the antagonist, but how soon viewers forget that there are just as many movies where they have the lead.
Monsters and creatures can be just as interesting and sometimes even more compelling protagonists than their human counterparts. Whether for good, for evil, or something in between, monster movies have catered to several tastes in creature features.
The Beast (Beauty And The Beast)
Whether it's the Disney version or the 1946 adaptation by Jean Cocteau, the Beast essentially fits the description of many vampires, monsters, and other creatures of the night in many a classic horror story. He is a nobleman cursed with a wretched appearance who lives alone in a giant gothic castle with gargoyles, secret passages, and other such things that keep him shut away from the outside world.
That all being said, he is also one of cinema's most iconic romantic leads. A viewer only has to watch the iconic ballroom scene in the Disney version to know that beauty does indeed tame the beast in this enchanted fairytale.
Mike And Sulley (Monsters Inc)
Of course, not all monster movies have to be horror or fantasy, sometimes a good workplace comedy works just as well. Pixar is home to several different animated duos, but Mike and Sulley are one of the studio's most beloved. From their designs to their personalities brought to life by Billy Crystal and John Goodman respectively, they are near-perfect comic foils of one another.
Most of the comedy seen in the Monsters Inc. series comes from the friendship and interaction between these two larger-than-life residents of Monstropolis. Both complement each other so well that it's hard imagining a trip beyond the closet without encountering either one of them together.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde)
Some horror movies have characters facing and fighting the monster in question, but then there are those where the victim becomes the creature in question. Perhaps the most famous case of this horror phenomenon is that of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
In order to separate the dual nature of mankind's inner soul, Dr. Henry Jekyll invents a formula to separate the two personals. Instead of coming out as a better version of himself, he transforms into the sinister Edward Hyde and wreaks havoc throughout the dark streets of London. Hyde is every malicious impulse lurking in Jekyll's subconscious, making him the antithesis to everything that makes his other half so loved and trusted. Unfortunately, one cannot exist without the other.
Louis And Lestat (Interview With The Vampire)
Although Louis might be doing most of the talking in the overall narrative of Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, both he and the infamous Lestat are the focus of both the iconic book series and the film of the same name. However, while they might be the protagonists of this bloody tail, they are still monsters.
Louis is certainly the more reluctant of the two, but that only makes him a perfect antithesis to his predatory companion. Either way, they both end up being staples of the vampire genre by becoming a balance of both scary and seductive.
Edward Scissorhands (Edward Scissorhands)
Since many fans of Tim Burton's work consider this his adaptation of Frankenstein, it's only fitting that the film be told from the point of view of Edward as he experiences the strange and unusual lands of suburbia. Stitched together in an old inventor's mansion, Edward is the unfortunately abandoned project of a vivid imagination.
During his time outside the topiary gardens of his home, Edward learns about life, love, and how quickly people's perceptions can change. At least he returns home safer, wiser, and with an impeccable gift for ice carving.
Emily (Corpse Bride)
If there's one director who knows how to make truly lovable monsters, it's Tim Burton. The titular corpse bride from his gothic stop-motion musical defies genre conventions by being its sweet, caring, romantic lead. While it stopped beating years ago, she has one of the sweetest hearts out of any Tim Burton character.
Beauty really is only skin deep, and that maxim can certainly be applied to Emily. With her removable eye, skeletal arm, and rotting flesh, she captures all the elements of a traditional zombie aesthetic but does so in a way that doesn't hinder the beauty of her soul.
Larry Talbot (The Wolf Man)
There is perhaps no better textbook case of the reluctant monster archetype than the original cinematic werewolf, Larry Talbot. Under an ancient curse, the once-gentle Larry undergoes a horrific, lycanthropic change when exposed to the full moon at night.
This monster classic from Universal Pictures set the bar for the werewolf genre as a whole by adding a sort of tragic element to Larry's narrative. It's one thing for a character to spend the majority of the film fighting their inner monster, but there's an extra element of terror when they are forced to become one.
Seth Brundle (The Fly)
On the subject of becoming monsters, there are perhaps few more terrifying examples than that of the unfortunate Dr. Seth Brundle. David Cronenberg is the undisputed master of body horror, and his adaptation of The Fly is perhaps one of his best forays in the genre.
Over the course of the film, a brilliant scientist slowly mutates into a grotesque insect hybrid after a fly accidentally becomes trapped in his teleportation chamber. This case of man-made-monster is a cautionary tale of self-experimentation as well as an absolutely stomach-turning horror show.
Hellboy (Hellboy)
Some of the best monster movies in the industry are those that involve monsters fighting other monsters, and Hellboy literally makes it his job to keep the more vicious creatures of the night in check. Whether it's the original adaptation by the great Guillermo del Toro or the Neil Marshall version from 2019, Watching Red duke it out with monsters and demons is undeniably a satisfying experience.
Unlike characters like the Wolf Man or the Fly, Hellboy rejects his inherently monstrous nature and uses it as a force for good. He still has a very demonic appearance and cambion powers but utilizes them to the success of the BRPD, whether that's taking down carnivorous tooth fairies or evil cultists.
The Monster (The Bride Of Frankenstein)
While his first film debut was the original Frankenstein, the iconic monster had much more of a lead role in the sequel. The first film saw the monster as a lumbering mass of reanimated flesh brought to life by Dr. Frankenstein, but his return to the big screen saw him as a more developed and expressive character.
While he might not be impeccably verbose, the monster experiences various aspects of the human condition after pulling himself from the rubble of the mill from the first film. After rising himself from the ashes, he is immediately feared and hated by the side of humanity he meets. He goes from a mumbling monster to a tragic figure only a short time out of the lab, making him the most compelling part of the film. Even with his reanimated bride.