From the forthcoming Jurassic World Dominion to classics like Frankenstein or Godzilla, monster movies have been a huge part of the horror genre for decades. That said, not all monster movies are created equal. While some come out of the gate with a huge audience, others slide under the radar.
Run out of monster movies to binge? Don’t worry – there are still plenty of fun, whacky, strange and unexpected monsters out there whose films are worth the watch.
The Evil Bed In Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977)
As the name suggests, Death Bed: The Bed that Eats features an evil bed. This bed tortures one family, being passed down and used from generation to generation. The bed didn’t necessarily start out evil. In fact, it was conjured to be more or less a love nest for a demon and his human lover. But things take a turn and the bed comes to life, eating and maiming anyone who happens to sleep in it.
Death Bed, George Barry’s only feature film, is a somewhat surreal horror camp-fest that is fun to watch. The titular bed is a fantastic gothic horror creation and deserves a place in the halls of inanimate object horror fame.
The Giant Ants In Them! (1954)
Them! is a black and white horror movie from the '50s. Based largely on the fear of nuclear war, the movie features giant ants, transformed into massive monsters after they become irradiated. Most of the main action takes place either in the deserts of New Mexico or a series of Los Angeles sewers. In both locations, director Gordon Douglas and his team did a great job of making the ants seem hulking and menacing.
Them! is a creature feature classic that shouldn’t be missed, with the main monsters looking menacingly realistic as opposed to silly. Considering the time period, they’re well made. (There’s a reason the film was nominated for Best Special Effects.)
Robert The Tire In Rubber (2010)
Yet another inanimate-object-does-murder movie. Rubber features a sentient tire that one day realizes it has the power to make things explode. The tire, named Robert, decides to use these newfound powers for evil, leaving a pile of bodies in his murderous wake. Written and directed by Quentin Dupieux, this French film is a great comedy horror film that fully leans into the bizarre premise of its story.
Despite having such a strange premise, Robert proves a compelling and, at times, funny villain to watch. While not a monster in a classical sense, this rubber tire deserves to be discussed and more widely appreciated.
The Pigs In Razorback (1984)
When discussing horror films, giant pigs probably aren’t the first thing that comes to mind, but Russell Mulcahy’s Razorback is here to change that. Based in the Australian outback, Razorback is about, well, giant razorback boars. They rampage across the screen, brutalizing humans and animals alike. Sadly, they do meet their untimely demise via a meat grinder. Surprisingly, despite the ridiculousness of the premise, Razorback is a cinematically pretty, though admittedly gruesome, film to watch.
The giant boars themselves are massive, shaggy, and feel like something from prehistory. Clearly modeled to look more realistic, they prove to be an incredibly destructive force. Coupled with some fun practical effects, they hold up as monsters.
The Stuff In The Stuff (1985)
The Stuff is a science fiction horror satire and a good one at that. Written and directed by Larry Cohen, The Stuff features a malevolent, sentient goo being hawked as a delicious dessert. But pretty quickly, people start to realize that the goo has some seriously negative side effects. Namely, it turns everyone who comes into contact with it into a zombie.
The Stuff itself isn’t particularly scary to witness and looks mostly like a cross between white Play-Doh and Marshmallow Fluff. But that’s what makes it so eerie: it’s a seemingly harmless, delicious dessert. Still, it does have some creepy moments, from it consuming whole bodies to it oozing out of people’s mouths.
The Demon In The Wailing (2016)
This Korean horror gem is one that can’t be missed. The main antagonist is a Japanese man simply known as “The Japanese Stranger” (Jun Kunimara), who protagonist Jung-Goo (Kwak Do-won) believes has possessed his daughter. It turns out, he’s right! Not only is the stranger evil, but he’s also an actual demon, moving town to town and destroying the lives of entire families.
The Wailing is a truly wonderful film, and the Demon does an incredible job of hiding his identity, at times projecting a kind exterior that lends itself to sympathy more than fear. It’s not until the end of the movie where the true horror of his form is revealed.
Any Of The Dolls In Dolls (1987)
From Annabelle in Annabelle to Chucky in Child’s Play, there have been plenty of unsettling stories with children’s toys. But not enough props are given to the '80s classic movie, Dolls. The film doesn’t just give one evil doll, it’s more like an unending horde of them, each uniquely bizarre and upsetting. Aside from the obvious blinking eyes, many of them end up with weird facial expressions, their faces mushing and mashing in ways that are truly unsettling.
The old-school use of stop motion and other effects helps the movie hold up, and the sheer number of dolls used in the film is honestly intensely creepy. It's top-tier nightmare fuel for anyone who finds dolls spooky.
The Dress In In Fabric (2018)
Can a dress be a monster? According to Peter Strickland’s In Fabric, it most assuredly can. The dress itself is beautiful, a striking red piece that seems to fit nearly everyone perfectly, with a black broach at the waist. Unfortunately, it’s also evil, and quickly the first protagonist, Sheila (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), begins to fear for her life when the dress attempts to strangle her. For an article of clothing, the dress does a good job of moving through the world, ruining and ending lives.
The film is stylish with lighting and color palettes that lean towards Giallo. The dress itself holds sway as a surprisingly powerful villain. Who knew fashion could be so deadly?
The Skoda In Ferat Vampire (1982)
Is the Czech film Ferat Vampire a strange film? Decidedly yes. But is the main villain the coolest murder monster car on film? Also, yes. The premise of the film is pretty simple: car manufacturer Ferat hires a rally driver to race their prototype Skoda that runs on human blood instead of gas. The car itself is fantastic, all sleek black lines with red striping. There are some truly memorable scenes, and director Juraj Herz does a great job of ensuring the car feels very much alive.
While the film may be campy, and at times the pacing is off, the Skoda itself is truly something to behold. It's a more lowbrow Christine, but still gory fun.
Louise In Spring (2014)
Not all monsters are purely evil, which is the case for Louise in the intriguing Spring. Spring is a love story that follows Evan Russell (Lou Taylor Pucci), an American traveling to Italy for a trip. He runs into and is immediately beguiled by Louise (Nadia Hilker), who as luck should have it is secretly an immortal monster. Louise’s transformations are disturbing to watch, each time odd and at other times upsetting, leaning heavily into body horror.
The film adds an interesting sense of warmth and depth to the genre, elevating a creature film to something more unique. It's about an engaging monster who is unabashedly herself and the man who loves her for it.