I am back! After tackling my Zombie movies / shows lists, I moved on to Slashers and Shark Week recommendations. It’s with the shark films that my mind really started to go toward all-out creature features. Another favorite sub-genre (although at this point I suppose it’s just all of horror really), and one that’s filled with so many different baddies.
Similar to my other lists mentioned above, this is something that I may come back to and update over time, as another staple in the types of things I watch. These are all things I’ve watched; however, they are certainly not all good. Viewer beware, but probably just watch them anyway.
I do think it’s important to note that a lot of the movies I will be suggesting are ocean/water horrors, while, in truth, sharks and alligators/crocodiles are important parts of their ecosystems. They are, of course, to be handled with caution and respect, but they’re not outright man-hunting, mindless killers. With that being said, they really do make for fantastic movie antagonists.
We don’t discriminate; we watch, and we don’t judge.
So, without further ado…
For the sake of this post, a creature feature is any horror, sci-fi, action, or thriller that features a monster, alien, animal, or beast that is after a human/s. This is mostly universal, of course, but if you disagree with any, let me know!
One Creature Feature List to Rule them All
Creature from the Black Lagoon
A strange prehistoric beast lurks in the depths of the Amazonian jungle. A group of scientists try to capture the animal and bring it back to civilization for study.
*A true classic, and a good one. If only the folks from the 1950s could see the monster romance girlies of today.
Watch on Peacock
Mosquito
A violent massacre caused by human-sized mosquitoes forces the lone survivors to band together in a fight for survival as the mosquitoes continue their onslaught.
* Mosquito-apocalypse. Fun/funny practicals. It’s like drinking a juice box up.
Watch on AMC+
Jaws
When a massive killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Long Island, it’s up to the local police chief, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.
*The King of kings in the genre and horror in general, frankly. There are comparisons that can be drawn back here from all of the others … every single one. Truly one of the only “the movie is better than the book” that I can think of
Watch on Peacock / Rent on Prime
Alien
After investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin, the crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform.
*Come on … one of the best meshes of sci-fi and horror in history—a truly scary first contact story.
Watch on Netflix
Jurassic Park
An industrialist invites some experts to visit his theme park of cloned dinosaurs. After a power failure, the creatures run loose, putting everyone’s lives, including his grandchildren’s, in danger.
*I assume for most millennials like myself, this is a starting point for something for them. Whether it’s straight-up dinosaur love, horror, sci-fi, or creature features. What a spectacle the T. rex and raptors are.
Watch on AMC+ & Hulu
Predator
A team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.
*Much more on the macho, action film side, but this alien feature is certainly a beloved classic.
Rent on Prime
Gremlins
After receiving an exotic small animal as a Christmas gift, a young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet, which unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous creatures on a small town.
*Counts as a Christmas movie, so you know I’m in. As someone who is used to going to the restroom overnight, I also should not be given water or fed late at night
Watch on HBO Max
Lake Placid
Four people attempt to stop a gigantic crocodile, who is terrorizing residents in Black Lake, Maine.
*An absolute favorite that I saw multiple times before watching other horrors. Such a crazy animatronic, too. Damn it Betty White!
Watch on Tubi
Deep Blue Sea
Searching for a cure to Alzheimer’s disease, a group of scientists on an isolated research facility become the prey, as a trio of intelligent sharks fight back.
*Probably my favorite after Jaws. Another with an awesome practical shark. LL Cool J and Samuel L. Jackson in one movie … beautifully late 90s
Watch on Tubi / Rent on Prime
Anaconda (1997)
A “National Geographic” film crew is taken hostage by an insane hunter, who forces them along on his quest to capture the world’s largest – and deadliest – snake.
*From the poster to the cast, what a beautifully ’90s film. The Anaconda is cool; the kills are cool; it’s a vibe.
Watch on Netflix
Arachnophobia
A new species of South American killer spider hitches a lift to a California town in a coffin and starts to breed, leaving a trail of deaths that puzzle and terrify young Dr. Ross Jennings, who is newly arrived in town with his family.
*Is your skin itchy? Crawling? Not mine, I’m good. YUCK
Rent on Prime
The Descent
A caving expedition goes horribly wrong when six explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.
*Fun story: I saw this at a drive-in theater as a young teen when the first movie wasn’t a horror. Outside, nighttime noises; I nearly died. Don’t be dumb enough to go into caves; problem solved.
Watch on Tubi & Plex
Godzilla (1998)
French nuclear tests irradiate an iguana into a giant monster that heads off to New York City. The American military must chase the monster across the city to stop it before it reproduces.
*This feels very much like America trying to adopt the Kaiju, and kind of like Godzilla for kids? It does hold a special place in my little heart.
Watch on Plex / Rent on Prime
A Quiet Place
A family struggles for survival in a world invaded by blind alien creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing.
*To this day, one of the wildest movie openers. Kids are often even a horror no-no, and it really set the stage for the entire film’s tension. I personally really like the creature design too.
Watch on Paramount+
47 Meters Down
Two sisters vacationing in Mexico are trapped in a shark cage at the bottom of the ocean. With less than an hour of oxygen left and great white sharks circling nearby, they must fight to survive.
*Clastrophobia/confinement/finite oxygen plus sharks? Why not?!
Watch on Tubi & Starz
Tremors
Inhabitants of a small isolated town defend themselves against strange underground creatures which are killing them one by one.
*This is … something. I feel like this movie has 100 straight to VHS/DVD sequels. I recently heard they’re making another that brings Kevin Bacon back?
Watch on Peacock
The Thing (1982)
A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.
Alien, psychological, body horror practical effect GREATNESS. I’ve yet to see the other one, but this is peak.
Watch on Prime
I am Legend
Years after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure.
*The story it’s based on is vampires in a more traditional sense. And while I respect zombies as their own subgenre, the film gave us these kind of vampire/zombie/monster hybrids that officially land this in CF territory for me. Absolutely love this film, and apparently it’s finally getting a sequel?
Watch on AMC+ / Rent on Prime
The Cursed (Eight for Silver)
A brutal land baron massacres a Gypsy clan claiming his land, unleashing a curse that brings monstrous consequences to his village.
*Based on a French town that I believe still holds it as a true story. I mean, the movie is fictional, but still.
Watch on Plex / Rent on Prime
War of the Worlds
An alien invasion threatens the future of humanity. The catastrophic nightmare is depicted through the eyes of one American family fighting for survival.
*More of a full-on alien action epic, but still featured some tense CF moments. I really need to watch the original, and I really need to never watch the latest iteration.
Watch on Paramount+, Apple TV, HBO Max & Pluto TV
The Shallows
A mere 200 yards from shore, surfer Nancy is attacked by a great white shark, with her short journey to safety becoming the ultimate contest of wills.
*During this movie’s press tour, they did a lot to remind people sharks are not the enemy, but weirdly the movie itself has a really determined killer shark … looked good though
Watch on Tubi & Peacock
Dog Soldiers
A routine military exercise turns into a nightmare in the Scottish wilderness.
*Action-heavy, male-bravado-y werewolf movie. I thought the creature design was pretty solid, though used sparingly. People really seem to ride or die for this one.
Watch on AMC+, Plex & Pluto TV
Rogue
An American journalist on assignment in the Australian outback encounters a man-eating crocodile while trapped on a rapidly flooding mud island.
*A somewhat above-average monster horror from the 2000s. If there is an alligator or crocodile present, I do not go there, easy.
Watch on Tubi & Pluto TV
The Host (Goemool)
A monster emerges from Seoul’s Han River and begins attacking people. One victim’s loving family does what it can to rescue her from its clutches.
*From the director who would later give us the masterpiece Parasite, this is a really solid monster horror. Intense and tragic in the same way we’ve seen recent K-zombie movies.
Watch on Prime & YouTube
Battle Los Angeles (Battle: Los Angeles)
A squad of U.S. Marines becomes the last line of defense against a global invasion.
*An even more macho alien war movie. I personally enjoyed the ride, though.
Rent on Prime
The Meg
A rescue mission to the bottom of the ocean is terrorized by a massive prehistoric shark.
*Based on a sci-fi horror novel that gets boiled down to Jason Statham being …. well himself. “It’s a Megalodon.” Summer Blockbuster that is somehow 110% CGI
Watch on HBO Max
Cloverfield
A group of friends venture deep into the streets of New York on a rescue mission during a rampaging monster attack.
*A great mix of creature feature and found footage. It does have some strange sequels. I heard a direct sequel is incoming, though?
Watch on Paramount+ & Pluto TV
Jeepers Creepers
A brother and sister driving home through isolated countryside for spring break encounter a flesh-eating creature which is in the midst of its ritualistic eating spree.
*Sort of a Creature Feature meets slasher? Was this the first Justin Long horror?
Watch on AMC+ & YouTube
Goosebumps
A teenager teams up with the daughter of young-adult horror author R.L. Stine after the writer’s imaginary demons are set free on the town of Madison, Delaware.
*I love Jack Black as the author Stine himself. Kind of a mixture of several books from the series, all mashed together. Family CF and entry-level horror are great.
Rent on Prime
A Quiet Place Part II
Following the events at home, the Abbott family now face the terrors of the outside world. Forced to venture into the unknown, they realize the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats lurking beyond the sand path.
*Maybe not exactly as good as the first, though I did like the idea of the island. I accept Cillian Murphy in every kind of apocalypse.
Watch on Paramount+ & Netflix
Dangerous Animals
When Zephyr, a savvy and free-spirited surfer, is abducted by a shark-obsessed serial killer and held captive on his boat, she must figure out how to escape before he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks below.
*A serial killer who uses sharks to dispose of the evidence is a crazy idea. This pulls it off pretty well. Pretty loosely a creature feature the same way it is a shark horror.
Watch on AMC+ & Hulu
A Creature Was Stirring
A nurse taking care of her daughter’s mysterious affliction struggles to hide her secrets when uninvited strangers take shelter in her house during a lethal blizzard.
*It would not be a complete list from me (C. J.) if it did not include something Christmas-related. What can I say? I am a simple man. I am, however, not saying this is good.
Watch on AMC+
Pitch Black
A transport ship crashes and leaves its crew stranded on a desert planet inhabited by bloodthirsty creatures that come out during an eclipse.
*Early Vin Diesel. This is a sort of sci-fi horror-y monster flick. The sequels kind of become something else.
Rent on Prime
The Wolf of Snow Hollow
John Marshall, a struggling officer battling relapse and family strain, must confront a series of brutal mountain town killings while doubting his sanity and facing pressure to solve a case that feels myth driven.
*Sometimes you just want to watch a werewolf tear into some stupid people. This poster goes incredibly hard.
Rent on Prime
Snakes on a Plane
An FBI agent takes on a plane full of deadly venomous snakes, deliberately released to kill a witness being flown from Honolulu to Los Angeles to testify against a mob boss.
*An insane premise with a truly wild millennial soundtrack.
Rent on Prime
Under Paris
To save Paris from a bloodbath, a grieving scientist is forced to face her tragic past when a giant shark appears in the Seine.
*A mixture of eco and shark horror. Interesting that they decided to make a Mako shark undergo the change to freshwater instead of the much more plausible Bull shark? Getting a sequel too.
Watch on Netflix
The Mean One
In a sleepy mountain town, Cindy’s parents are murdered and her Christmas is stolen by a bloodthirsty green figure in a red Santa suit.
*OK, maybe I meant … a few Christmas-related films. The Grinch hates the Whos, who, frankly, are the most like humans, so you could honestly argue that even the real movie is a CF. This is worse than the real one.
Watch on Starz & Pluto TV
Reign of Fire
A brood of fire-breathing dragons emerges from the earth and begins setting everything ablaze, establishing dominance over the planet.
*An oft-forgotten, perhaps even underrated post-apocalyptic dragon movie. Sick cast, sick-looking dragons.
Rent on Prime
The Mist (2007)
In the small town of Bridgton, Maine, people become trapped inside a supermarket after a mysterious mist envelops the town.
*A Stephen King adaptation that features a ton of The Walking Dead cast and is stacked either way. This is soon getting the Flanagan treatment.
Rent on Prime
Doom
Space Marines are sent to investigate strange events at a research facility on Mars but find themselves at the mercy of genetically enhanced killing machines.
*A video game adaptation that I hate. A shocking cast for what was delivered. Was this one of the “breakout” roles for The Rock? Is this better than I remember?
Watch on Starz / Rent on Prime
The Reef
A great white shark hunts the crew of a capsized sailboat along the Great Barrier Reef.
*So there’s a shark and a reef. This isn’t one of the bad ones either …
Watch on AMC+ & Tubi
The Beast Within
After a series of strange events leads her to question her family’s isolated life on a fortified compound deep in the English wilds, 10-year-old Willow follows her parents on one of their secret late-night treks to the heart of the forest.
*More so, utilizing the idea of werewolf transformation as a commentary on domestic abuse, but you can also just watch it to see the Lord Commander’s ass
Watch on Tubi
Alligator
A pet baby alligator is flushed down a toilet and survives in the city sewers. Twelve years later, it grows to an enormous size thanks to a diet of discarded laboratory dogs injected with growth hormones. Now, humans have entered the menu.
*You’d imagine that if you just stayed out of the sewer, it’d be fine, but here we are. Kind of like TMNT, but instead of pizza, you’re on the menu.
Watch on Prime, Peacock & Tubi
King Kong (2005)
A greedy film producer assembles a team of moviemakers and sets out for the infamous Skull Island, where they find more than just cannibalistic natives.
*Directed by Peter Jackson, coming off of The Return of the King. A solid cast and a solid remake. Somewhat strange dinos, but who the hell complains about getting dinosaurs? I will complain about insects, though.
Watch on Netflix
Barbarian
A woman staying at an Airbnb discovers that the house she has rented is not what it seems.
*Is this a CF? Is it a creature? That mutant-ass-thing certainly isn’t just a person! Simply stop supporting the wicked Airbnb; problem solved.
Watch on HBO Max
Great White
A fun filled flight to a remote atoll turns into a nightmare for five passengers when their seaplane is destroyed in a freak accident and they are trapped on a raft, 100 miles from shore with man-eating sharks lurking beneath the surface.
*Better survival story than shark story. A GW bites a pontoon but an inflatable raft does alright somehow
Watch on AMC+ & Tubi
Frankenstein (1931)
Doctor Henry Frankenstein is obsessed with assembling a human being from parts of several exhumed corpses and reanimating his creation.
*While I wouldn’t necessarily agree with the CF categorization of all of these, the Universal movies really paved the way for all monster horror. And … Boris Karloff.
Watch on Peacock
Pan’s Labyrinth (El laberinto del fauno)
In 1944 Francoist Spain, an imaginative young girl meets a faun who tells her she’s a princess and that she must prove her worthiness by completing three dangerous tasks.
Pretty sure GDT is just a creature at this point, which makes him and his work perfect for the monster girlies.
Shockingly hard to find right now?
Fright Night (1985)
Charlie Brewster, a teenager believing that the newcomer in his neighborhood is a vampire. He turns to an actor in a television hosted horror movie show for help to deal with the undead.
*I think the supernatural, folk, and demonic are more their own thing. Same with vampires, usually, but this one has some wild transformations that I think push it over to CF. Some of the best practical effects ever.
Watch on Tubi
A Quiet Place: Day One
A young woman named Sam finds herself trapped in New York City during the early stages of an invasion by alien creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing.
*The illustrious and money-craving prequel-sequel! I really liked the two of them together. Apocalyptic NYC is always cool/scary to see. I want Lupita in my alien and zombie apocalypses, as well as my Greek epics.
Watch on Paramount+ & Netflix
Jaws 2
Police chief Brody must protect the citizens of Amity after a second monstrous shark begins terrorizing the waters.
*Can they make us all believe that a police chief would be the person in charge of stopping a shark a SECOND time??
Watch on Peacock
Aliens
Decades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.
*I do love this one, but there are a lot of people who prefer this to the OG. I, for one, am just not entirely sold that making it more action-forward was the move.
Watch on Netflix
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
A research team is sent to the Jurassic Park Site B island to study the dinosaurs there, while an InGen team approaches with another agenda.
*So is the whole “: Jurassic Park” thing a rebrand? It shows up that way on everything while searching, and for the life of me, I just remember it as TLW? Young Vince Vaughn!
Watch on AMC+ & YouTube
Predator 2
Los Angeles police hunt an alien creature in 1997.
*This is INSANELY ’90s, it’s actually nuts. Cast, score, the thinking it’s ahead of its time …
Rent on Prime
Werewolves Within
A new awkward park ranger arrives in a small town, and murder and havoc soon follows. The paranoid townsfolk soon suspect each other, but a devious, shapeshifting werewolf becomes their prime suspect. But who is it?
*A quirky werewolf whodunnit that’s kind of like a more comedic Knives Out? It somehow works. Low expectations, high enjoyment.
Watch on AMC+ & Hulu
47 Meters Down: Uncaged
Two sisters diving in a ruined underwater city quickly learn they’ve entered the territory of the deadliest shark species in the claustrophobic labyrinth of submerged caves.
*A good name for a second movie, but they didn’t just remove the cage, they made a pretty different movie
Watch on Tubi & Starz
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid
A scientific expedition sets out for Borneo to seek a flower called the Blood Orchid, which could grant longer life. Meanwhile, they run afoul of snakes and each other.
*I feel like there was this thing where all ’90s B-horrors got followed up with C- and even D-horror sequels in the early 2000s. The dawn of CGI hurt us all.
Rent on Prime
Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween
Two young friends find a magic book that brings a ventriloquist’s dummy to life.
*Not to say this was bad, but it is pretty copy and paste the original script. Still love the mixture of Stine stories. Still love entry horror.
Watch on Netflix
Godzilla (2014)
Following the 1999 Janjira nuclear disaster that claimed his wife Sandra, Joe Brody seeks answers. His Navy officer son Ford accompanies him to Japan, where they discover the devastating truth and see ancient monsters emerge.
*America swings again, this time from the director who would bring us Rogue One, and I feel like this time it felt more authentic. Or at the very least, it looked better.
Watch on Paramount+
Okja
A young girl risks everything to prevent a powerful, multinational company from kidnapping her best friend – a fascinating beast named Okja.
*Another from the director of the masterpiece Parasite. This one is a satirical take on the food industry that is just a little too spot-on.
Watch on Netflix
The Meg 2: The Trench
A research team’s journey into the depths of the ocean turns into chaos when a mining operation forces them into a battle for survival, facing off against Megalodons and relentless environmental marauders.
*I have serious thoughts on this one … mostly bad. But if you liked the first, here’s more of it. Ignores the source material but gives us Jason Statham stopping a meg’s mouth with his foot … yes, they are making a third
Watch on HBO Max
Ernest Scared Stupid
Ernest accidentally unleashes an ugly troll that plots to transform children into wooden dolls in the town of Briarville, Missouri.
*I swear there’s an Ernest film for just about every occasion. This one just happens to be wacky and spooky and great for the whole family.
Rent on Prime
Extinction
And suddenly, overnight, the world came to a halt. Two men, two survivors, one kid, and hatred that separates them. A place forgotten by everyone, including the creatures that inhabit the Earth… until now.
*This is intense. The creatures reminded me of 30 Days of Night, the Volatiles from Dying Light, Resident Evil, and The Descent, all rolled into one. Somehow, both zombie and zombie-adjacent monster.
Watch on Prime
Jeepers Creepers 2
Set a few days after the original, a championship basketball team’s bus is attacked by The Creeper, the winged, flesh-eating terror, on the last day of his 23-day feeding frenzy.
*Not saying this isn’t memorable, just that I don’t really remember it. He’s back; people die?
Watch on AMC+ & YouTube
The Grey
A skilled huntsman leads six oil workers to survival after their plane crashes in the Alaskan wilderness, but a pack of merciless wolves haunts their every step.
*Certainly more of a survival adventure, but there is a looming threat of wolves, so I’m counting it.
Watch on Netflix
No Way Up
Characters from different backgrounds are thrown together when the plane they’re travelling on crashes into the Pacific Ocean. A nightmare fight for survival ensues with the air supply running out and dangers creeping in from all sides.
*Very similar to 2026’s Deep Water, but worse? Though first
Watch on Hulu & AMC+
Deep Water
A group of international passengers en route from Los Angeles to Shanghai are forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters. Now they must work together in hopes to overcome the frenzy of sharks drawn to the wreckage.
*Intense plane crash, nonsensical sharks. Not bad.
Rent on Prime
The Ritual
A group of old college friends reunite for a hiking trip in a remote area of Sweden. A wrong turn leads them into a forest of Norse legend where ancient evil exists.
*This has a pretty loyal following online. I can’t say I back the hype nearly as much as the others, but the creature design is simply off the charts!
Watch on Netflix
Ash
A woman wakes up on a distant planet and finds the crew of her space station viciously killed. Her investigation into what happened sets in motion a terrifying chain of events.
*An Alien and The Thing rip that has some cool moments, but is otherwise a tad flat.
Watch on AMC+ & Hulu
Crawl
Gigantic alligators swarm around a young woman and her father as floodwaters engulf their home.
*A bit of a surprise for the genre. A good showing of modern CGI blended well with claustrophobia. The dad telling her she’s faster than an alligator very nearly ruins it for me–good laugh, though. I think a sequel is coming?
Watch on Paramount+ & Pluto TV
Thrash
When a Category 5 hurricane decimates a coastal town, the storm surge brings devastation, chaos and something far more frightening: hungry sharks.
*If the movie Crawl had sharks … and was worse. I’d watch it again
Watch on Netflix
Lake Placid 2
Man-eating crocodiles return to the lake, as two males and one aggressive female crocodile protecting their nest wreak havoc on the locals.
*Remember what I just said above about sequels? Some things are better just left alone. They didn’t.
Watch on Roku TV
Cocaine Bear
An oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converge on a Georgia forest where a huge black bear goes on a murderous rampage after unintentionally ingesting cocaine.
*An insane premise, a pretty solid-looking bear, a funny group of people for a cast. Apparently based on a real sniffing bear, too.
Watch on Peacock
No One Will Save You
An exiled anxiety-ridden homebody must battle an alien who’s found its way into her home.
*One time as a kid, I watched an Unsolved Mysteries episode on aliens late at night, and it depicted them like this. I fucking hated it. Great CF because of that lingering fear. Dever is solid considering the lack of dialogue
Watch on Hulu
The Black Demon
Stranded on a crumbling rig in Baja, a family faces off against a vengeful megalodon shark.
*Sharks are vengeful now? Apparently, based on a real-life legend, not very good, but at least less gimmicky than The Meg
Watch on Prime
Meth Gator (Methgator) (Attack of the Meth Gator)
When an alligator eats a load of drugs all hell breaks loose in Florida.
*While they claim AI was not used in the movies CGI, it might be fair to assume AI wrote it, as there is nothing scientific about the alligator … no matter how much meth it’s on.
Watch on Tubi & Prime
Eight Legged Freaks
Venomous spiders get exposed to a noxious chemical that causes them to grow to monumental proportions.
*By no means good, it does at least do viewers the favor of going all out. I liked it as a kid.
Rent on Prime
Werewolves
After a worldwide pandemic the previous year of people turning into werewolves after a super-moon event, two scientists try to stop the mutation from happening again as part of a team effort, but the experiment goes wildly awry.
*Kind of like if you mixed The Purge with Dog Soldiers? There is one seriously brutal transformation scene, but otherwise it doesn’t look all that great …
Watch on Hulu
Fear Below
A rag-tag team of divers attempting to salvage a sunken car from a river are thwarted by a highly aggressive bull shark.
*A period piece of sorts. A sunken car, money owed, a shark in a lake.
Watch on Hulu
District 9
In a future Earth in which aliens are isolated in a remote ghetto, a government agent finds himself banished there.
*More on the side of action and sci-fi epic, but the alien invasion and mutation aspects are definitely CF. Still waiting on the promised sequels.
Watch on Pluto TV / Rent on Prime
From Beyond
A group of scientists have developed the Resonator, a machine which allows whoever is within range to see beyond normal perceptible reality. But when the experiment succeeds, they are immediately attacked by terrible life forms.
*A great body horror with great practical effects.
Watch on Tubi & Pluto TV
The Flood
A daring jail break during a dangerous Louisiana hurricane is interrupted by a horde of large hungry alligators.
*Sometimes y’all, you get what you pay for, and I paid nothing to watch this … sadly, if you want to watch it right now, you’ll have to.
Rent on Prime
Into the Deep
Pirates on the hunt for sunken drugs kidnap a boat of tourists and force them to dive into shark infested waters to retrieve the contraband.
*Richard Dreyfuss comes back for another shark movie. While he wasn’t bad, he really, really shouldn’t have.
Watch on Hulu
The Birds
A wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people.
*Sort of the “sophisticated” creature feature. Still has the dark comedy and horror you’d expect.
Watch on Peacock
Sea Fever
The crew of a West of Ireland trawler, marooned at sea, struggle for their lives against a growing parasite in their water supply.
*A parasite can be a small thing to call a creature to lead a CF, but I thought it worked. Kind of reminded me, in some ways, of the game Still Wakes the Deep.
Watch on Tubi, Plex & YouTube
65
An astronaut crash lands on a mysterious planet only to discover he’s not alone.
*An actual prehistoric creature feature. Kind of sci-fi time-machine reverse Jurassic Park. They straight up said fuck-it when it came to picking and designing the dinosaurs they used. Some of them are just nonsense. I like Driver, though.
Watch on Hulu, Prime & YouTube
Jaws 3 (-D)
A giant thirty-five-foot shark becomes trapped in a SeaWorld theme park and it’s up to the sons of police chief Brody to rescue everyone.
*Similar to Friday the 13th Part 3(-D), I can’t believe they brought 3D back and made it seem like it was a thing for my generation? Young Dennis Quaid, though
Watch on Peacock
Alien 3
Returning from LV-426, Ellen Ripley crash-lands on the maximum-security prison Fiorina 161, where she discovers that she has unwittingly brought along an unwelcome visitor.
*The title has always confused me, as it is technically Alien-cubed, but I love the movie. Not my favorite sequel, but still.
Rent on Prime
Jurassic Park III
A decidedly odd couple with ulterior motives convince Dr. Grant to go to Isla Sorna for a holiday, but their unexpected landing startles the island’s new inhabitants.
*Can be hit or miss with fans of the franchise, but as I was a kid, I thought this movie absolutely ripped. Althouh the science has changed, the Spino is still iconic.
On AMC+ & Hulu
Predators
A group of elite warriors parachute into an unfamiliar jungle and are hunted by members of a merciless alien race.
*A BIG old gap between sequels, and honestly, that was probably for the best. I don’t dislike this; I think it’s enjoyable, but I do think the idea is better than the execution.
Rent on Prime
Beast of War
A group of young soldiers, fresh out of boot camp, find themselves stranded on a raft in the middle of the ocean after their ship is sunk by the enemy and must battle for their lives against a giant hungry great white shark.
*Part war film, part survival film, part shark horror, and they used a practical animatronic! Creepy
Watch on AMC+
Lake Placid 3
Killer crocodiles and their offspring terrorize residents of a small community.
*Not that the original was a masterpiece or anything, but these sequels just don’t have it. Still … I’ve seen it.
Watch on Roku TV / Rent on Prime
Anaconda (2025)
A group of friends are going through a mid-life crisis. They decide to remake a favorite movie from their youth but encounter unexpected events when they enter the jungle.
*Really not sure this needed a comedic reboot, but I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it after watching. Rudd and Black are fantastic together.
Watch on Netflix
Kong: Skull Island
After the Vietnam war, a team of scientists explores an uncharted island in the Pacific, venturing into the domain of the mighty Kong and must fight to escape a primal Eden.
*The next release in Legendary’s Monsterverse. There are a shocking number of movies on this list that feature a Samuel L. Jackson death.
Rent on Prime
Something in the Water
A group of five friends must fight for their lives in open water after a dream wedding turns into a nightmare.
*Swimming with a knife, they really went after it with this one.
Watch on Hulu
Life
A team of scientists aboard the ISS discover a rapidly evolving Martian predator that needs to be kept away from Earth at all costs.
*Space stuff is always creepy. Remember when people thought this was going to be a loose prequel to Venom?
Watch on Hulu
Bird Box
Five years after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide, a mother and her two children make a desperate bid to reach safety.
*This introduced me to Josh Malerman, who has been an auto-buy for me ever since. Remember when this took the world by storm, but because people wanted to blindfold themselves? Invisible creatures are still creatures!
Watch on Netflix
Consumed
A married couple, Jay and Beth, taking a celebratory camping trip a year after Beth’s cancer remission find themselves trapped between a wild madman and a skin-stealing monster.
*Kind of a Wendigo-y monster/creature
Watch on Prime, Plex & Pluto TV
The Requin
A couple on a romantic getaway find themselves stranded at sea when a tropical storm sweeps away their villa. In order to survive, they are forced to fight the elements, while sharks circle below.
*In this, Alicia Silverstone is doing her absolute best to give a terrible performance. She succeeds.
Watch on Tubi, Plex & Prime
Underwater
A crew of oceanic researchers working for a deep sea drilling company try to get to safety after a mysterious earthquake devastates their deepwater research and drilling facility located at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
*Remember when we lowkey got a Chuthulu cosmic horror and like no one saw it?
Watch on YouTube / Rent on Prime
Primitive War
Vietnam. 1968. A recon unit known as Vulture Squad is sent to an isolated jungle valley to uncover the fate of a missing Green Beret platoon. They soon discover they are not alone.
*Really took a big swing for an indie studio, and I think it rivals the latest JP movies. I reviewed it here.
Watch on Hulu
Wolf Man
A family at a remote farmhouse is attacked by an unseen animal, but as the night stretches on, the father begins to transform into something unrecognizable.
*Sort of family drama/trauma, but a CF nonetheless.
Watch on Peacock
Krampus
A boy who has a bad Christmas accidentally summons a festive demon to his family home.
*This is filled with creatures and sharp-toothed critters that I want absolutely nothing to do with. The holidays can be stressful, but this is a reminder that as long as you’re not a snot-nosed kid, things can be okay. Was this Adam Scott’s horror awakening?
Watch on Netflix
Open Water
Based on the true story of two scuba divers accidentally stranded in shark infested waters after their tour boat has left.
*Low budget, early 2000 tense watching
Watch on HBO Max
Alien: Resurrection
Two centuries after her death, a powerful human/alien hybrid clone of Ellen Ripley aids a crew of space pirates in stopping the aliens from reaching Earth.
*For me, this escapes much of the earlier ’90s problems with CGI. I prefer it to 3. Xenomorphs are the perfect specimen and the perfect CF.
Rent on Prime
Jurassic World
A new theme park, built on the original site of Jurassic Park, creates a genetically modified hybrid dinosaur, the Indominus Rex, which escapes containment and goes on a killing spree.
*For me, this one tried hard at least to reestablish the magic of the original. Not wholly successful, but at least the most palatable of these newbies.
Watch on Tubi & Hulu
The Predator
When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe’s most lethal hunters’ return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled scientist can prevent the end of the human race.
*As a sequel, as a movie, this one’s a steaming pile. Almost so laughably bad it could spin around, but doesn’t
Rent on Prime
Sharknado
When a freak hurricane swamps Los Angeles, nature’s deadliest killer rules sea, land, and air as thousands of sharks terrorize the waterlogged populace.
*This is a B-horror that watches like a C- or even D-Horror. I’d say people must be out of ideas, but they made how many of them??
Watch on Prime, AMC+, Peacock, Plex & Tubi
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
The crypto-zoological agency Monarch faces off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah.
*For me, these are just fine. I don’t see the need for a MonsterVerse à la the MCU, but those who like it really dig it…
Watch on HBO Max
Annihilation
A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition in which the laws of nature don’t apply.
*A really great cast and solid sci-fi. I’ve yet to read the book, but I’ve meant to for years. The bear creature still haunts me.
Watch on MGM+ / Rent on Prime
Werewolf by Night
Follows a lycanthrope superhero who fights evil using the abilities given to him by a curse brought on by his bloodline.
*I thought this was a unique road for Marvel to take, and I really enjoyed it. Not only did they give us an MCU werewolf, but also Man-Thing! The B&W was sick too.
Watch on Disney+
Santa Jaws
Trying to survive his family Christmas, Cody makes a wish to be alone, which ends up backfiring when a shark manifests and kills his entire family.
*Look, I love Christmas, and sometimes you need to check things out that aren’t just the classics. I also love when Christmas gets mixed with horror and comedy (which is why I wrote the darkly comedic thriller, Off with their Sleds). This … exists.
Watch on Prime, Plex & Tubi
Little Shop of Horrors
A nerdy florist finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed.
*More satirical comedy/musical than actual CF, but it’s still there. My niece loves this movie.
Rent on Prime
Nope
The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling phenomenon.
*Love the playing into the ‘Nope’ trope. Love Steven Yeun and Keke Palmer. This one has both a chimp and aliens!
Watch on Netflix
Primate
A group of friends’ tropical vacation turns into a terrifying, primal tale of horror and survival.
*Speaking of chimps! This movie is intense. Wild kills, gore, creepy practical chimp work. Reason #1 why you should not keep a chimp as a pet.
Watch on Prime
Cruel Jaws
A huge shark terrorizes a beach in Florida, and the locals try everything to kill it.
*Checked this out as it is often referred to as Jaws 5, a shameless ripoff of the actual franchise. Then again … there is a reason I have yet to watch Jaws: The Revenge, though
Watch on Plex, Pluto TV & Tubi
Prometheus
Following clues to the origin of mankind, a team finds a structure on a distant moon, but they soon realize they are not alone.
*The first prequel-sequel. Intended to set the franchise right and also explore its origins. I quite enjoy it.
Watch on Peacock & YouTube
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.
*Look, this movie is rated far too highly for how much it sucks. Christ Pratt is the bane of this franchise. Dinosaurs, though …
Watch on Tubi & Hulu
Prey
Naru, a skilled warrior of the Comanche Nation, fights to protect her tribe against one of the first highly-evolved Predators to land on Earth.
*A prequel-sequel for a different franchise that was intended to set everything right and explore more of the origins. It’s a banger of a film; I can’t believe it was a straight Hulu release.
Watch on Hulu
Avalanche Sharks
Avalanche Sharks tells the story of a bikini contest that turns into a horrifying affair when it is hit by a shark avalanche.
*Sometimes you stare at the TV for hours wondering what to watch, and sometimes you just throw something on. This is almost a winter slasher meshed with sharks?
Watch on Prime, Pluto TV & Tubi
Godzilla Minus One (Gojira Mainasu Wan)
A kamikaze pilot plagued by survivor’s guilt seeks redemption when a giant monster he failed to kill is transformed by radiation from atomic bomb tests and lays siege to post-war Japan.
Japan coming in with less money and better CGI to remind us that Godzilla is their Kaiju. I feel like parts of the design felt more T. rex-like? It was scary and cool at the same time.
Watch on Netflix
The End of Oak Street
The Platt family bands together to navigate their new surroundings after a cosmic event transports their suburban neighborhood to someplace unknown.
*80’s throwback creature feature goodness. Loved the cast. The dinosaur design was sick, if not entirely accurate. I need to watch it again stat.
Currently in theaters
The Silence
When the world is under attack from terrifying creatures who hunt their human prey by sound, 16-year old Ally Andrews (Kiernan Shipka), who lost her hearing at 13, and her family seek refuge in a remote haven.
*Also based on a book like Bird Box, but flipped. Those who stay quiet live. Similar to A Quiet Place, but with very different creatures.
Watch on Netflix
Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus
The California coast is terrorized by two enormous prehistoric sea creatures as they battle each other for supremacy of the sea.
*Look, yes, I have seen it. No, I am not proud. There are actually several of these …
Watch on Tubi, Plex & Pluto TV
The Gorge
Two operatives are appointed to posts in guard towers on opposite sides of a classified gorge.
*Two gorge-crossed lovers plus some irradiated men for the monster girlies. Nothing incredible, but I enjoyed it. Like them both.
Watch on Apple TV
Signs
A widowed former reverend living with his children and brother on a Pennsylvania farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields, which suggests something more frightening to come.
*Similar to my Unsolved Mysteries fear, this absolutely haunted me for YEARS. When it stalks across the driveway? Nuh-huh, not happening.
Watch on Peacock & YouTube
Arcadian
A father and his twin teenage sons fight to survive in a remote farmhouse at the end of the world.
*I liked this for what it was. Dystopian sci-fi with some of the wackiest monster designs ever. At least they’re original.
Watch on AMC+ & Hulu
Aquarium of the Dead
A scientific accident causes sea creatures in an aquarium to become zombies.
*No, I will not be taking questions.
Watch on Tubi, Plex & Prime
Alien: Covenant
The crew of a colony ship, bound for a remote planet, discover an uncharted paradise with a threat beyond their imagination, and must attempt a harrowing escape.
*A sequel to the prequel-sequel. Further explores the origins of the franchise, and I for one, thought Danny McBride was a wild, but deceptively good choice.
Watch on Peacock & YouTube
Jurassic World: Dominion
Four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar, Biosyn operatives attempt to track down Maisie Lockwood, while Dr Ellie Sattler investigates a genetically engineered swarm of giant insects.
*Chris Pratt is back with even more raptor BS that not a single person enjoys or believes. Even though the cloning thing was threaded throughout the franchise, it still feels like a mockery to me.
Watch on Netflix
Elevation
A single father and two women venture from the safety of their homes to face monstrous creatures to save the life of a young boy.
*A blend of aliens, Kaiju, and Horizon Zero Dawn mech? It’s not awful, but Mackie isn’t it.
Watch on Hulu
Shark Bait
A group of friends on vacation steal a couple of jet skis for fun and race them out to sea, ending up in a head-on collision. They struggle to find a way home with a badly injured friend, while from the waters below predators lurk.
*Does well with tension. I feel like the standard for these shark movies nowadays is that whoever is even remotely personable is the one who lives.
Watch on Tubi & Prime
The Last House
A family of four is suddenly sealed inside their house with no way out and must work together to survive against both their dwindling resources and the mysterious, looming threat that is keeping them trapped.
I really enjoyed this; it had me fully immersed. Biggest complaint I saw was that there wasn’t a pulley system in the chimney to allow for “fishing.” It’s a CF where rain keeps people locked inside their houses; don’t be so nitpicky!
Watch on Netflix
The Shape of Water
At a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely janitor forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.
*Certainly goes all out, featuring a creature (Doug Jones!!), but this is clearly mostly monster smut for the romance girlies. From GDT’s heart to yours!
Watch on HBO Max
R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead
When his brother disappears and everyone forgets he existed, Sam must unravel the mystery before Finn is gone forever.
*I know ‘Tubi Original’ doesn’t instill much faith, but I quite enjoyed this. Felt along the lines of the Goosebumps of old. A CF for the family? Entry-level horror is always a plus.
Watch on Tubi
The Devil’s Mouth
A group of college friends’ Thailand adventure turns deadly when they become trapped in submerged caves with a dangerous predator. As oxygen runs low, past conflicts emerge in their desperate fight for survival.
*Entire crew is filled with idiots, which is exactly what you’d need to be to go into a cave filled with water. It works perfectly.
Watch on Prime
Primal Rage
A newly reunited young couple’s drive through the Pacific Northwest turns into a nightmare as they are forced to face nature, unsavory locals, and a monstrous creature, known to the Native Americans as Oh-Mah.
*Knew I couldn’t make it out of a CF list without Bigfoot coming up. Certainly not the greatest feature or cast, but I thought this was a suprisingly good monster design.
Watch on Tubi & Prime
The Devil Below
A group of four amateur adventurers who specialize in exploring remote and forsaken places pay a visit to Shookum Hills, a town in the remote Appalachian Mountains, which was abandoned decades ago due to a mysterious coal mine fire.
*Redneck The Descent. When your mom says you have The Descent at home. A CF that spends way too long trying not to show you its creature.
Watch on Tubi & Prime
Crocodile (Chorakhe) (1979)
A giant crocodile is killing and frightening people living nearby rivers. Two men, whose wives and daughter have been killed by the crocodile, decide to chase and eliminate it.
*A foreign Jaws ripoff. Unfortunately shows the killing of a real crocodile on screen.
Watch on AMC+
Water Park Shark
When Great White Sharks storm a Cape Cod water park, a washed-up football star-turned-lifeguard and his ex-girlfriend police chief must uncover the shocking secret drawing in the ocean’s biggest predators before it’s too late.
*Not the worst shark movie ever. Chum could learn a thing or two. The acting’s some of the best soap opera/straight to VHS I’ve ever seen.
Watch on Tubi
Alien: Romulus
While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonists come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
*Another sequel that is a prequel-sequel, but just not a sequel to the other prequel-sequels … see, things can get a tad confusing over time. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this cast and film. And I think exploring the space in between the originals makes sense.
Watch on Hulu
Jurassic World: Rebirth
Five years post-Jurassic World: Dominion (2022), an expedition braves isolated equatorial regions to extract DNA from three massive prehistoric creatures for a groundbreaking medical breakthrough.
*Much closer to a return to form, however, after just 5 years of dinos being alive on the mainland, they made it a plot point that people are “no longer interested in them.” It felt like mocking their own audience while they force-fed us a 7th installment.
Watch on Netflix
Beneath
Six high school seniors celebrating in the middle of a lake find themselves trapped on a rowboat due to a man-eating fish.
*I just assume this is like an unofficial remake of Frankenfish? Without seeing it.
Watch on Screambox / Rent on Prime
Alien vs. Predator (AVP)
During an archaeological expedition on Bouvetøya Island in Antarctica, a team of archaeologists and other scientists find themselves caught up in a battle between the two legends. Soon, the team realize that only one species can win.
*For some reason, these mo-fos meet up on Earth, so it’s humans who pay the price. Honestly, it’s really good that they crossed over.
Rent on Prime
Jaws: The Revenge
Chief Brody’s widow believes that her family is deliberately being targeted by another shark in search of revenge.
If someone told me it’s during Christmas, I would have watched sooner. Is Vengeful Sharks all they had left in the tank? Still an animatronic, which is cool, yet it looks worse than those used 12 years prior. Lacking all the atmosphere and intensity of the original
Watch on Netflix
Trick ‘r Treat
Five Halloween stories: A principal has a secret life, a virgin is looking for her first time, a group of kids pull a prank, a woman who loathes Halloween does not respect the rules and a mean old man meets a demonic trick-or-treater.
*A Halloween anthology, so not all CF, but people really love Sam … and that sucker is a creature.
Watch on Netflix
ThanksKilling
A homicidal turkey axes off college kids during Thanksgiving break.
*Just … be careful what you watch sometimes, okay? A homicidal turkey hand puppet. Slasher, yes, but also a creature. You will lose brain cells watching this. Yes, they made more than one.
Watch on ScreamBox / Rent on Prime
The Gingerdead Man
An evil yet adorable Gingerbread man comes to life with the soul of a convicted killer – this real life cookie monster wreaks havoc on the girl who sent the killer to the electric chair.
*Child’s Play’s plot, but make it a Christmas cookie. So, not a doll, kind of a creature? In the same class as the one above. Busey doing his absolute best. They also made sequels.
Watch on Plex & Tubi
Jack Frost
After an accident that left murderer Jack Frost dead in genetic material, the vengeful killer returns as a murderous snowman to exact his revenge on the man who sent him to be executed.
*Again, same class as the two above, and a snowman can be the monster in a CF, okay? I think I just gave y’all a holiday trilogy night …
Watch on AMC+, Plex, Pluto TV, Tubi & Prime
Llamageddon
A killer llama from outer space crash lands on Earth and brings death and destruction to everyone in its path.
*I mean … the blurb says it all.
Watch on Tubi
Dragon Wars: D-War (D-War)
Once in 500 years, ancient mythical creatures come to Earth, wreaking havoc and destruction. This time they must be stopped.
*A movie I rented solely because of the cover when Redbox was still a thing. I think even young me thought it was bad …
Watch on YouTube / Rent on Prime
Chupacabra Terror
When cryptozoologist Dr. Peña traps the legendary Chupacabra on a remote Caribbean island, he smuggles it aboard a cruise ship with disastrous results.
*Another Redbox grab when I was younger, simply because I wanted to watch a movie with the actor who played Gimli … that’s how much I loved tLotR. Sadly, this is far from the work of Peter Jackson.
Watch on Tubi & Plex
The VelociPastor
After losing his parents, a priest travels to China, where he inherits a mysterious ability that allows him to turn into a dinosaur. At first horrified by this new power, a hooker convinces him to use it to fight crime. And ninjas.
*Poster goes way harder than the actual design. GOAT tagline, frankly. And honestly, a biblical run of 6 or 7 B- (or C- or D- or E-) Horror recommendations in this run.
Watch on YouTube
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (AVPR)
Warring Alien and Predator races descend on a rural Colorado town, where unsuspecting residents must band together for any chance of survival.
*Once again on Earth, and this time, a group of humans is fighting back big time. This movie is unfortunately almost entirely pitch-black. Worse than the first.
Rent on Prime
Critters
A group of small but vicious alien creatures called Crites escape from an alien prison transport vessel and land near a small farm town on earth, pursued by two shape-shifting bounty hunters.
*This is a lot of fun. Super ‘80s with its ridiculous showing of space and other beings. Like Dune turned into a creature feature. I enjoyed the puppetry, practicals, and explosions! Threw it on while working the list
Watch on Tubi
The Yeti
Merriell Sunday Sr. and Hollis Bannister vanished in Alaska. Ellie and Merriell Jr. mount a search, but an ancient threat stalks their expedition into the wilderness, hunting them as they seek the truth behind the disappearances.
Was ready to ride or die for this. Thought after the brutal opener I was in for a treat, but it was a big ol flop. Tried so hard not to show us its creature. Threw it on while working the list
Watch on AMC+
Big Shark
Three firefighters must save New Orleans from a shark attack.
*This looks like it was made for about 13cents. If you are desperate for something to watch, I’d suggest just going to bed instead, regardless of what time it is. If you are a fan of The Room, watch it immediately. Threw it on while finishing the list
Watch on Tubi.
As ever, if you made it this far, you are truly a rock star! I knew this list would include most of the Shark Week recs, so I figured it would be timely, but woof! As I said after my Slasher list, I am done for a good while. I hope you enjoy, check out something or two, and if you have other recommendations, please let me know.
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