What does the word monster really mean? By definition, a monster is typically a large, ugly, and frightening creature that means to destroy everything. And while many people accept this definition anytime they see a monster on the big screen, there's more to a monster than meets the eye.
Yes, monsters are meant to be horrifying and scary. But each one has its own purpose and drive. Some are made to evoke terror. Others are created for a cheap scare. A few transcend the decades and work as immortal creatures of horror. The question is: which movies get monsters right?
Alien (1979)
Whenever audiences imagine outer space, the far reaches, usually their minds go to creatures who'd be more than happy to meet humans on earth and greet them with open arms. However, there are moments when many should fear space.
Alien can be highly attributed for this, for creating a place where no one can hear a scream and bringing the Xenomorph, a classic movie monster, to life. A monster that embodies the fears and unknowns of space, the Xenomorph is a perfect killing machine that no one would want to encounter in space.
Halloween (1978)
The typical image of a monster is a silent beast, a creature that stalks the night and strikes terror into the hearts of men and women alike. Yet, sometimes can't shine through with just a simple monster. Sometimes, it needs a face.
Halloween took the holiday to a whole other level with the character Michael Myers, showcasing the masked killer running about Haddonfield. Not only did he craft a new age of terror but it gave fear a face and allowed for a masked monster to be something more.
A Quiet Place (2018)
Of course, just having a mindless, faceless, and unknown beast running amok does make fear work wonders. That being said, the monster needs to be done properly, with a level of terror that separates it from all the others.
One may call it a gimmick but the unnamed monster in A Quiet Place, a film fans of the Mandalorian should check out, has the advantage of enhanced hearing despite its lack of sight. Able to hear a pin drop miles away, the beast is the perfect killing machine and an excellent example of a terrifying monster with no name.
Lights Out (2016)
As mentioned before, monsters sometimes have gimmicks to them, something that embodies what makes them horrifying and allows them to enforce fear in new methods and manners. After all, audiences crave the light after a scary movie.
Lights Out asked the question of why audiences really need that light and answered it with a flourish, crafting a unique and horrific monster. When the power goes out, this dark ghost strikes, taking any helpless victims with it and giving the dark a new form while crafting a new and unspeakable horror.
Train To Busan (2016)
Zombies. Once, they were one of movie's most unique and frightening creations but as the years wore on and the Romero flicks became a thing of the past, zombies and the sub-genre became a bit of a joke rather than a true threat.
That is, until recently, when Train To Busan was able to recapture what made zombies so horrific and became one of the more unique zombie films to be streaming on Netflix. Moving fast, turning in the blink of an eye, and shambling about in hordes, the zombies in Busan have proven themselves to be the pinnacle of the sub-genre, reigniting it.
It (2017)
Years ago, Stephen King wrote what many consider to be one of his best works. Years later, Hollywood tried to bring it to life with a miniseries. While the series failed, in 2017, the terror known as It was recreated in a horrific manner with Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise, a character who doesn't make the most sense.
Despite Tim Curry giving it his all, he was simply diving too deep into the goofy yet diabolical nature of clowns while Skarsgard's Pennywise delved deep into a force of pure evil that still keeps audiences up at night.
Jaws (1975)
Sources of fear come from all different kinds of places. Truth is, the best kind of fear derives from an evil being unseen. A force that lies just beneath the surface, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Usually, aided by a killer soundtrack.
Without the shark known as Bruce, which has become a classic movie monster lurking out of sight for most of the film, Jaws never would've been a hit. With the suspense of the unseen beast always lying in wait and it's few appearances making audiences jump, Bruce left his mark on Hollywood.
10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
Every now and then, audiences need a reminder. That while monsters lurk in the shadows, some of the supernatural variety with others of psychopathic ideals, there are those who live among us. Monsters in flesh.
For most of 10 Cloverfield Lane, the real monster is unseen, a horrific beast that hunts the protagonist throughout the last act. Yet, for the rest of the film, Michelle finds herself at the mercy of the deranged Howard. With John Goodman's performance, the film allows for a human to take on the role of monster brilliantly.
Saw (2004)
Then again, there are moments when there are no other threats present other than the human ones. Whether they be psychopaths or random killers working to work their evil in one form or another, they run rampant across the world of Saw.
John Kramer, Jigsaw, the notorious serial killer who coined the term gore porn off of some of the most brutal scenes in movie history. Jigsaw managed to recreate what made a serial killer a killer and extend the thought of what makes a monster beyond the world of the supernatural.
Frankenstein (1931)
In the end, not all monsters are truly terrible. Some monsters are simply seen that way, seen as being creatures of the night when in reality, they can be broken beings. And there's none broken quite like the creature that becomes known as Frankenstein.
Even though they're only called the Creature in Mary Shelly's book, making it one of many films to be inspired by a book, the Universal monster isn't like Jigsaw, the Xenomorph, or Micheal Myers. This version of the legendary monster has a sympathetic side to them, showing a child-like intellect alongside its child-like rage.