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Some of the greatest horror films ever made introduced us to monsters who still haunt our nightmares. Whether you’re still afraid to go in the water because of a certain giant shark or wary of camping trips that deliver you right into the hands of some seriously demented creations, creature features are the kind of flicks that stay ingrained in your brain for days after.
There are the established classics that we all know and love – including our buddy Godzilla and others like Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Mummy – but sometimes, it can be fun to get out of your comfort zone and venture into new terrifying territory. We took the liberty of rounding up some of our favorite creature features available to stream, ranging from genre tentpoles to new hits and cult classics. We’ve got horror comedies, classic creatures, and crazy twists on the genre – so what are you waiting for? Get streaming and screaming.
'The Thing' (1982)
This John Carpenter classic takes you away from classic horror settings and deep into the Arctic tundra, where a crew finds a camp destroyed and its inhabitants dead. While they initially seem to be unable to find exactly what killed these people, they soon find themselves the target of this strange alien life form – and its ability to spread like a virus means no one is safe.
'An American Werewolf in London'
This classic horror comedy flick is primed and ready to scare you outta your wits and make you laugh at the pure absurdity of it. Two American college students on a walking tour of England are attacked by a werewolf and the survivor of the incident returns to London, but something’s… different. The lone survivor soon realizes that he’s taken on the attributes of his supernatural assailant, and he unwittingly goes on rampages around the city. Brilliantly bonkers in the best way, An American Werewolf in London is a must-see.
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'Gremlins'
Set against a Christmastime backdrop, this classic horror comedy kicks off when a man brings his teen son an unusual pet called a mogwai. Though he’s been warned not to expose the mogwai to water and light and not to feet it after midnight, the rules are broken, and complete chaos ensues. These little creatures wreak total havoc on everyone and everything – no one is exempt from their reign of terror. Unexpectedly violent and bizarrely hilarious, there’s a reason Gremlins remains a favorite after all these years.
'The Host'
A snack bar owner whose daughter is suddenly snatched from him by a death-bringing monster that has emerged from the Han River is the focus of this masterful monster film from South Korea. While the family initially mourns and agonizes over the loss, when they discover she is still alive, they resolve to do whatever they can to take on the monster and save her. Armed with genuine jump-out-of-your-seat moments, this is a truly outstanding entry into the monster movie genre.
'Creature from the Black Lagoon'
This revolutionary 1954 black-and-white 3D creature feature follows what happens when a terrifying prehistoric creature called the Gill-Man is captured by explorers and breaks free to kidnap the woman it’s fallen in love with. An integral part of Universal’s Monsters legacy, this creepy aquatic creature is enough to make you wonder whether or not taking a swim is worth it.
'The Fly' (1986)
After a quirky, brilliant scientist (Jeff Goldblum) attempts to use his teleportation device and a fly slips in with him, a terrifying accident ensues – and the rest is history. The creepy, campy remake of the 1958 sci-fi/horror classic will bend your mind, give you goosebumps, and have you cringing at some of the gnarliest moments of Goldblum’s transformation.
'Young Frankenstein'
Why watch serious takes on this classic monster when you can laugh at Mel Brooks’ kooky imagining instead? This hilarious black-and-white spoof of Mary Shelley’s classic tale finds the grandson of Victor Frankenstein (that’s fronkensteen, by the way, played by the late, great Gene Wilder) trying to escape the legend’s shadow, but all this changes when he discovers his grandfather’s diary and begins replicating his experiments – and creates his own monster.
'The Cabin in the Woods'
Written by Buffy vets Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, this self-aware horror flick may not seem like a creature feature on its surface, but what emerges along the way reveals it to be one of the most creature-heavy horror flicks in years. After five friends go on a trip to a remote, seemingly-quaint cabin, they soon find themselves in a life-or-death situation that none of them could ever have anticipated. Armed with gruesome deaths, demented laughs, and out-of-this-world monsters, The Cabin in the Woods might be the monster movie you’ve been waiting for.
'Deep Blue Sea'
Sure, we could have put Jaws on this list, but that would’ve been way too obvious. If you’re looking for a villainous shark to ruin the ocean for you, allow us to introduce you to Deep Blue Sea. On a quest to find the cure to Alzheimer’s, a group of scientists expand the brain mass of sharks while researching on an isolated research facility. While the experiments initially seem successful, the increasingly smart sharks start fighting back, and gory chaos ensues. Starring Thomas Jane, Samuel L. Jackson, LL Cool J, and Stellan Skarsgård, this bonkers flick is equal parts scary and campy – you’ll find yourself laughing one second and holding your breath the next.
'The Mist'
As we work our way through the Stephen King renaissance, it’s worth revisiting the 2007 adaptation of The Mist, a terrifying tale starring Thomas Jane and Marcia Gay Harden. After a freakishly powerful storm devastates a small Maine town, a thick fog creeps in and brings some truly horrifying creatures with them. Trapped in a grocery store, a small group of the town’s inhabitants slowly become casualties of these bloodthirsty monsters and turn on each other while they fight to survive.
