50.
Mighty Joe Young (1949)
The
monster: A giant, Kong-like gorilla monster thing.
What
makes it awesome: It’s essentially the poor man’s King Kong but it’s effective as a fantastical film yet again with a
good-hearted giant gorilla becoming the victim. The burning building scene is
the highlight.
49.
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
The
monster: Not just Frankenstein’s Monster, but it includes Bela Lugosi as
Dracula and Lon Chaney, Jr. as The Wolf Man.
What
makes it awesome: Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are one of the great comedic
teams of all time and they’re sensational in this with the contrast to the
monsters, who play it straight. It’s pretty funny.
48.
Gamera vs. Barugon (1966)
The
monster: Giant turtle and friend to children, Gamera, and this weird
dimetrodon-like thing with a rhinoceros horn, Barugon.
What
makes it awesome: This is my favorite Gamera movie because I really enjoy
Barugon. It’s a guilty pleasure and certainly not a great movie, but it’s solid
if you’re into giant monsters.
47.
The Woman in Black (2012)
The
monster: A ghost that causes children to kill themselves.
What
makes it awesome: Like all great ghost stories, there’s the slow reveal of
whether it’s superstition or actual supernatural occurrences. As Hammer’s
return to horror, it works really well as a frightening period chiller.
46.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
The
monster: Dinosaur things
What
makes it awesome: It’s a great adventure film, while slow-moving. The last
half-hour or so is great.
45.
Shrek 2 (2004)
The
monster: Shrek and his wife Fiona, ogres.
What
makes it awesome: While certainly not as good as the first, the comedy is still
pretty good.
44.
Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
The
monster: The KING OF THE MONSTERS, Godzilla, and an underground, bomb-spitting
giant monster named Megalon. Also in the mix are weird alien thing with a
buzzsaw on him, Gigan, and a giant robot superhero, Jet Jaguar.
What
makes it awesome: The monster battles. Like a lot of the Godzilla films of this
particular era, it has many stupid moments, but the monster tag-team fight at
the end is the highlight. Jet Jaguar is awesome.
43.
Carnival of Souls (1962)
The
monster: Zombie/ghostlike things that keep appearing at inconvenient times
What
makes it awesome: This low-budget chiller plays like a feature-length Twilight Zone episode, and that’s what I
love about it. It’s got a slow, creepy atmosphere the entire time and has an
effective twist ending.
42.
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
The
monster: Gillman, who should need no introduction
What
makes it awesome: More or less the final classic Universal monster, this film
may not be as great as some of the earlier ones but it’s got the beauty and
beast tale going on, as well as a sympathetic monster. Also, it’s pretty
violent for an old, black and white movie.
41.
Signs (2002)
The
monster: Aliens that don’t show each other most of the time
What
makes it awesome: While extremely criticized, many fail to realize the
effectiveness of this movie’s suspense. The ending kind of sucks, but let’s not
forget how well-directed this is and the well-developed characters.
40.
House on Haunted Hill (1959)
The
monster: Ghosts and skeletons. Or are they?
What
makes it awesome: Aside from having a great twist ending, this is a great ghost
story and maybe the signature haunted house movie. It’s a stock tale of a bunch
of people staying in a haunted house, but it has plenty of suspenseful moments
and a few shocks. Plus it has Vincent Price.
39.
The Evil Dead (1981)
The
monster: Evil-possessed people turned into horrible, indescribable things.
What
makes it awesome: While not having the sense of humor of the sequels so much,
this is actually a really scary movie. The low-budget style works really well,
the stop-motion effects are great, and the story of the Book of the Dead is
genuinely creepy.
38.
Nosferatu (1922)
The
monster: A vampire, Nosferatu, while never explicitly called Dracula, is
clearly Dracula.
What
makes it awesome: This is the first vampire movie, and while silent, is
extremely memorable. The look of Nosferatu is great, and the slow, chilling
atmosphere makes for a great film.
37.
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
The
monster: An entire city of creative monsters
What
makes it awesome: I view this as the most underrated of the Pixar movies. It’s
terrifically funny and actually heartwarming at time, and with great
characters.
36.
War of the Worlds (2005)
The
monster: A bunch of aliens who use giant tripods to attack the earth.
What
makes it awesome: The spectacle of it all. I don’t like this movie necessarily
for the aliens—although the scenes in Tim Robbins’ basement are pretty
suspenseful—the early scenes of the bridges collapsing and all that stuff look amazing.
35.
Gremlins (1984)
The
monster: A bunch of self-multiplying little gremlins.
What
makes it awesome: This is a really fun movie. It’s got humor, fun effects, good
characters, a few scares, and a nice Christmas feel actually. What makes this
movie great, though, is the gremlins; they have personality.
34.
The Thing (1982)
The
monster: An alien that can take the shape of any person it comes in contact
with.
What
makes it awesome: Like Alien, the
film’s effectiveness lies in the helplessness of the setting and the fact that
they don’t know where the alien is. Plus the effects are a spectacular
show-stealer, still some of the best ever.
33.
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
The
monster: A lot of zombies.
What
makes it awesome: The gore effects are wonderful, yes, and it has surprisingly
good characters. But this is just such a fun movie to watch, from its
characters playing around in the mall to its darkly humorous violence.
32.
The Invisible Man (1933)
The
monster: A scientist who makes himself invisible and goes crazy.
What
makes it awesome: The film’s dark sense of humor as well as the suspense it
builds in the beginning.
31.
Zombieland (2009)
The
monster: Zombies
What
makes it awesome: Also the film’s sense of humor, and its characters. As much
as I hate Emma Stone and as much as I get annoyed by Jesse Eisenberg, they both
work really well here. Whether you view it as a horror film with some laughs or
a comedy film with some scares, it works well.
30.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
The
monster: A man-created creature with blades for hands.
What
makes it awesome: Its atmosphere and visuals. While it’s true that it’s quality
storytelling as an update to the Frankenstein legend, what truly make the film
are the gothic and fairytale visuals. Maybe Tim Burton’s best movie and Johnny
Depp’s first of many great roles and performances.
29.
Dracula (1931)
The
monster: The greatest vampire of them all
What
makes it awesome: This movie is so classic. Bela Lugosi is haunting and iconic
as Count Dracula. I also love Dwight Frye as Renfield. Overall it’s just a great
story of good vs. evil.
28.
Invasion of the Astro Monster (1965)
The
monster: Godzilla, Rodan, and Ghidorah, the greatest of ‘Zilla’s enemies.
What
makes it awesome: One of the cheesiest of the Godzilla films, it’s also one of
the most entertaining, with an interesting sci-fi plot and some good monster action.
27.
The War of the Worlds (1953)
The
monster: Martians in spaceships
What
makes it awesome: The vivid colors make the destruction look great, and the
faith element makes this deeper than the average alien invasion film.
26.
The Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
The
monster: Godzilla and his robotic rival, Mechagodzilla.
What
makes it awesome: There’s more destruction than the usual Godzilla movie, and
the fight between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla is one of the bets in the series.
Godzilla’s robotic counterpart makes for one of the most interesting and
exciting villains.
25.
Super 8 (2011)
The
monster: A giant alien thing that isn’t shown very often
What
makes it awesome: There are some moments of good action, but this is an
engaging film without all that, with good characters and some emotional depth.
24.
Rubber (2010)
The
monster: A killer…tire.
What
makes it awesome: It’s such an absurdist movie, I can’t really describe it to
give it justice. I could easily see someone hating it, but it’s one of the
strangest and most original films you’ll ever see, and one of the funniest if
you can appreciate what it’s trying to do.
23.
Men in Black (1997)
The
monster: A bunch of aliens, including a giant cockroach in an Edgar suit.
What
makes it awesome: The concept itself is great, and it’s backed up by great
chemistry between Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones and a good sense of humor.
22.
The Wolf Man (1941)
The
monster: Lon Chaney, Jr. as Larry Talbot, a man who turns into a werewolf.
What
makes it awesome: As opposed to other monster movies, this has more of a human
factor. Chaney is great as an innocent man struggling with a terrible
realization, and the drama really draws you in. It’s also aged much better than
the Universal monster movies of the ‘30s.
21.
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
The
monster: Godzilla, three-headed dragon Ghidorah, and giant moth/larva Mothra.
What
makes it awesome: The introduction of the greatest villain in the Godzilla
series. Ghidorah is so badass and the fights are great.
20.
The Mummy (1999)
The
monster: A mummy regenerating itself every time it kills a person, kind of like
in Hellraiser.
What
makes it awesome: It’s basically Indiana Jones with a monster; it’s a great
action/adventure film.
19.
Shrek (2001)
The
monster: A Scottish-accented ogre. Also a dragon.
What
makes it awesome: The characters, really. One of the funnier animated films of
all time, it also makes you care for the characters a lot.
18.
The Omen (1976)
The
monster: The son of Satan, and Satan’s powers themselves.
What
makes it awesome: Good vs. Evil at its best. It doesn’t hurt that Gregory Peck
is in this, either, as a man who reluctantly finds out he has to kill his own
son. This is such a creepy film, filled with some scary moments and it’s one of
the first horror films to feature elaborate deaths, which are fun to watch.
17.
Poltergeist (1982)
The
monster: Ghosts that are pissed off at a family for building their house on an
Indian burial ground.
What
makes it awesome: I’ll just say what others have been saying for decades: the
scariest PG movie you’ll ever see.
16.
The Thing from Another World (1951)
The
monster: James Arness as a strong alien.
What
makes it awesome: Like it’s 1982 remake, it there’s a sense of claustrophobia
as the characters are stuck in the Arctic with one hiding killer alien.
15.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The
monster: An entire town of them, Halloweenland.
What
makes it awesome: The stop-motion animation and the visuals are great, but I
also love the music.
14.
The Fly (1986)
The
monster: A man slowly turning into a fly.
What
makes it awesome: Despite displaying some of the most amazing special effects
you’ll ever see and having some great scares at the end, what makes this movie
so great is the performances from Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. It’s actually
a good love story and a fantastic tragedy.
13.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The
monster: Zombies. Lots of them.
What
makes it awesome: The film starts out with a zombie attack in a cemetery in one
of the greatest opening scenes in history, and from then on, it’s an engaging
tale of survival, with stubborn characters refusing to work together. On top of
that, it might be the scariest and most balls-to-the-wall black and white movie
you’ll ever see.
12.
Frankenstein (1931)
The
monster: Frankenstein’s Monster.
What
makes it awesome: This gothic film, while straying far from the classic film,
is great in itself. Karloff makes for one of the greatest monsters ever and
just about every scene is memorable. It’s aged a great deal but it’s still
worth a watch.
11.
Ghostbusters (1984)
The
monster: Lots of ghosts all over New York City.
What
makes it awesome: Mostly the main characters. Bill Murray is as likable,
sarcastic, and witty as ever and he’s complimented well by Dan Aykroyd and Harold
Ramis.
10.
Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
The
monster: Godzilla and Mothra, a giant magic moth thing.
What
makes it awesome: It’s maybe both the strangest and most compelling plot in the
entire series, and it really draws you in. It’s one of the earlier Godzilla
films, so he’s still the villain, and there’s also a corrupt businessman
villain who’s quite good. Also, the fight is outstanding.
9.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
The
monster: Aliens birthed from pods that make duplicates of people’s bodies.
What
makes it awesome: I love how this movie starts out, slowly, yet ominously. The
plot is both interesting and truly terrifying, and the chase towards the end is
great.
8.
King Kong (1933)
The
monster: A giant gorilla on Skull Island.
What
makes it awesome: It’s a timeless tale of beauty and beast, but also has some
amazing stop-motion effects. There are also some of the most iconic moments in
the history of cinema, like the Empire State Building scene and Kong fighting
the t-rex.
7.
Godzilla (1954)
The
monster: A giant dinosaur lizard, birthed by atomic power, GODZILLA.
What
makes it awesome: This is the original Japanese version, and it’s a great film.
It’s really serious and the destruction looks great and tragic in black and
white. There’s a sense of hopelessness throughout the entire film.
6.
Young Frankenstein (1974)
The
monster: Frankenstein’s Monster, played by Peter Boyle.
What
makes it awesome: One of the funniest movies you’ll ever see and easily the
best horror parody. My personal favorite is Marty Feldman as Igor.
5.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
The
monster: Freddy Krueger, a dead child killer who haunts teenagers in their
dreams and kills them.
What
makes it awesome: The plot. The idea behind it that if you get murdered in your
dream, you get killed in real life is absolutely terrifying.
4.
Aliens (1986)
The
monster: Multiple aliens in their home, attacking space Marines.
What
makes it great: There’s the character of Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver,
who makes for a great protagonist with some depth to her. But I just love the
action in this movie.
3.
The Exorcist (1973)
The
monster: A devil-possessed little girl.
What
makes it great: It’s been called by many the scariest film of all time, and it
very well might be. The concept is terrifying, engaging, and believable, and
this is made better than the average horror movie. Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair,
Jason Miller, William Friedkin, and William Peter Blatty were all up for the
Oscars for their work in front of or behind the camera. And on top of all this,
it’s an engaging film about faith and it’s surprisingly powerful.
2.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
The
monster: Ghosts. Well they’re never called ghosts, so just dead people.
What
makes it great: Like The Exorcist although
perhaps not as much, this is a powerful horror film, overstepping its genre
conventions and becoming an engaging drama. I love the screenplay especially,
and the acting is quite great. And of course, there’s the ending.
1.
Jaws (1975)
The
monster: A giant great-white shark.
What
makes it great: I shouldn’t even have to say what makes this great. If you
haven’t seen it, see it now. It’s one of the greatest films of all time.
