10 Best Monster Movies Every Horror Fan Must Watch

1. Godzilla (1954)

• Director: Ishirō Honda
• Writers: Ishirō Honda, Takeo Murata
• Cast: Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata, Takashi Shimura

I struggled with whether or not to include these giant monsters, but I actually think I'm more scared of them in film than I am of something like a mummy. Godzilla is a stand-in for mass destruction, and the original film is a poignant look at nuclear war.

The titular monster, a prehistoric beast awakened and mutated by atomic bomb testing, rises from the depths to wreak havoc on Tokyo and to leave a cultural legacy that is unmatched among monsters.

2. King Kong (1933)

• Directors: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
• Writers: James Creelman, Ruth Rose
• Cast: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot

Another name that immediately conjures the beast. We've seen several iterations of it over the decades, but this is the best one. At the time, this movie was a landmark in cinematic special effects. The groundbreaking stop-motion animation by Willis O'Brien brought Kong to life with a surprising range of emotions, making him both a fearsome monster and a sympathetic character.

The movie tells the tragic story of a giant ape captured from his island home and brought to New York City as a spectacle. There are a lot of metaphors in it and some deep thematic things to pull apart.

3. Alien (1979)

• Director: Ridley Scott
• Writer: Dan O'Bannon
• Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto

Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror masterpiece introduced one of the most terrifying creatures in film history: the Xenomorph. It's survived outer space and lots of sequels to keep us scared well into the 21st Century.

The film's claustrophobic atmosphere made it play like a haunted house in a spaceship. Scott created relentless suspense and a palpable sense of dread as the crew of the Nostromo is stalked by a deadly and intelligent alien organism.

4. The Thing (1982)

• Director: John Carpenter
• Writer: Bill Lancaster
• Cast: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David

John Carpenter's remake of the 1951 classic is a masterclass in paranoia and practical effects. It's such a fun horror movie, where you know bad things are going to happen, but sit worried the whole time.

We follow a shape-shifting alien that infiltrates an Antarctic research station, assimilating and imitating its inhabitants. The Thing has a great and controversial ending. And the film's gruesome and imaginative creature effects make it a truly chilling experience.

5. Jaws (1975)

• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Writers: Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb
• Cast: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss

Is this a monster movie? I think the answer is yes. but I put it 5th because I wanted to give some of these other movies, which leaned somehow more into their monsters and being known for their monsters more, because they're unique.

Steven Spielberg's blockbuster thriller made an entire generation afraid to go in the water, and it made people petrified of sharks. The story of a great white shark terrorizing a New England beach town redefined the summer blockbuster and remains a benchmark for creature features.

6. Frankenstein (1931)

• Director: James Whale
• Writers: Garrett Fort, Francis Edward Faragoh
• Cast: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Boris Karloff

James Whale's adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel is the definitive version of the classic horror story. It created an iconic monster that is part of the cultural consciousness.

We get Boris Karloff's iconic portrayal of the monster as a sympathetic and tragic figure. He didn't ask to be brought to life by a scientist, but once he did, he spent his days lumbering around, looking for meaning. The film's gothic atmosphere and exploration of themes of creation and responsibility continue to resonate.

7. Jurassic Park (1993)

• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Writers: Michael Crichton, David Koepp
• Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough

Look, I think this might be cheating, but I never miss an opportunity to talk about Jurassic Park. It's a movie that is so wondrous it has to be mentioned.

Steven Spielberg's awe-inspiring adventure brought dinosaurs back to life with revolutionary computer-generated imagery. You felt like these monsters were right there with you in the theater.

8. The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

• Director: Jack Arnold
• Writers: Harry Essex, Arthur Ross
• Cast: Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, Richard Denning

One of the most iconic of the classic Universal Monsters, the Gill-man is a prehistoric humanoid amphibian discovered in the Amazon. At the time of its release, this was also a landmark piece of cinema. The film's underwater photography was groundbreaking for its time.

And the design of the creature itself is both menacing and strangely beautiful in its own way. People have tried to remake it time and time again, but they never quite get to the darkness and humanity reflected in this original.

9. The Host (2006)

• Director: Bong Joon-ho
• Writers: Bong Joon-ho, Ha Won-jun, Baek Chul-hyun
• Cast: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona, Go Ah-sung

Bong Joon-ho's South Korean monster film is a unique blend of horror, comedy, and social commentary. It has it all and it does it all so well.

The movie follows the story of a mutated creature that emerges from the Han River and kidnaps a young girl. Now, her dysfunctional family must band together to save her. The Host is a thrilling and emotionally resonant film that subverts many of the conventions of the monster genre and adds a new voice into the mix.

10. An American Werewolf in London (1981)

• Director: John Landis
• Writer: John Landis
• Cast: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne

John Landis's horror-comedy is celebrated for its groundbreaking and terrifying practical werewolf transformation effects by Rick Baker.

It's a movie whose practical effects are maybe more famous than the plot. The film follows two American backpackers who are attacked by a werewolf in the English countryside, with one surviving to bear the curse. The film deftly balances genuine scares with dark humor, even if the looks of it stick with us more than anything that happens on screen, outside of the transformation.

Summing It All Up 

These are my favorite monster movies, but I bet you have some classics I left off that you want to be on here.

Well, tell me which titles you think deserve a spot in the top ten!