Best On Netflix

The 13 Monster Movies on Netflix with the Highest Rotten Tomatoes Scores

By Anna Menta

Published June 4, 2019, 8:30 a.m. ET

collage of -Hellboy (2004) -Gremlins (1984) -Pans Labyrinth (2006) — Photos: Everett Collection ; Illustration: Dillen Phelps

monster with eyes on palms — **Pan's Labyrinth**
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
No one does monsters like Guillermo del Toro, and *Pan's Labyrinth* is the film to watch for all the best del Toro critters. Following a young Spanish girl who discovers a fantastical world in a mysterious labyrinth, this dark fairy tale is less about creature battles, and more about the wondrous and strange beauty to be found in terrifying monsters.
[Stream *Pan's Labyrinth* on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

**Backcountry**
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
*Backcountry*, a 2014 Canadian film from director Adam MacDonald gets to the heart of the fear that drives all monster movies: Man vs. beast. In this case, the beast is all the more scary because it's real--a black bear, loosely based on the true story of a man-eating bear in Ontario, Canada and the two campers who faced him. Fair warning: This is a very violent and gory film, so don't watch with kids or kids-at-heart.
[Stream *Backcountry* on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

girl standing by cute elephant-like monster — **Okja**
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
I admit I feel a little bad calling *Okja* a monster movie, thus implying that the adorable super pig named Okja is some kind of monster, when in fact, Okja is the best, most beautifully pure pig to ever not exist. Still, taking cues from classic monster flicks like *King Kong*, this Korean-American film introduces us to a fantastical, potentially monstrous creature, and shows us that we shouldn't believe the worst in folks--even if they're very large.
[Stream *Okja* on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Gremlins asleep on the ground next to boy and dog asleep on bed — **Gremlins**
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
You may find the tiny monsters (or "mogwai," as they are called in the film) in this film to be annoying, but that's kind of the point. Written by *Harry Potter* director Chris Columbus and produced by Steven Spielberg, this comedy horror film may not be remembered as fondly as some of its contemporaries, but it's still a classic.
[Stream *Gremlins* on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Hellboy pointing gun — **Hellboy (2004)**
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
Thankfully, it is not the 2019 *Hellboy* on Netflix but Guillermo del Toro's far superior 2004 take on the Dark Horse Comics demonic beast-turned superhero, starring Ron Perlman as the grumpy half-human. And yes, *Hellboy* is perhaps more of a superhero film than a monster film, but being king of monsters, del Toro delivers plenty of weird and wonderful creatures.
[Stream *Hellboy* on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

woman covered in blood cowering away from monster — **The Monster**
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
This small indie horror film from director Bryan Bertino flew under the radar when it came out in 2016, but it's a hidden gem that's now streaming on Netflix. It's a simple set up: Zoe Kazan plays an alcoholic single mother named Kathy, and Ella Ballentine plays her 10-year-old daughter who would rather live with her dad. Then one night, Kathy hits a wolf with her car. Or is it a wolf at all? (Spoiler: It's not. It's a monster.)
[Stream *The Monster* on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

two people sword fighting in street — **Bleach**
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
This 2018 Japanese film--based on the manga of the same name--stars Sota Fukushi as a teenage boy who suddenly acquires the powers of a soul reaper, and must now help lost souls find their way in the afterlife. Anime monsters are, without fail, fascinating and inventive, and the monsters in *Bleach*--ghost-like creatures that feed on human souls--are no exception.
[Stream *Bleach* on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

baby Nessie — **The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep**
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%
Scotland's most famous monster gets the spotlight in this 2007 film adaptation of Dick King-Smith's children's novel The Water Horse. If you're looking for a not-so-scary "monster" flick to watch with your kids, this adorable CGI version of the Loch Ness Monster will enchant and delight the whole family.
[Stream *The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep* on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

MONSTER HOUSE, Chowder, D.J., 2006. — **Monster House**
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%
Another monster movie that's fun for the whole family, the 2006 hit animated film Monster House is witty, sweet and enjoyable, thanks to a screenplay from Dan Harmon, Rob Schrab, and Pamela Pettler. Steve Buscemi, Nick Cannon, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Kevin James all lend their voices to the many monsters discovered by three adventurous kids in a haunted house.
[Stream *Monster House* on Netflix]Photo: ©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

THE MUMMY, Brendan Fraser, 1999. — **The Mummy**
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 58%
Sure, 1999's *The Mummy* starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz isn't a cinematic revelation, but it's the definitive mummy movie of the modern era. Mummies are a classic MonsterVerse creature, and despite *The Mummy*'s low Rotten Tomatoes score, you can't deny its lasting impact on USA Network's movie schedule.
[Stream *The Mummy* on Netflix] Photo: ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

shark circling shark cage underwater — **47 Meters Down**
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 53%
What could be scarier than the real-life monsters of the oceans, AKA sharks? In this survival horror film from 2017, Claire Holt and Mandy Moore trapped in a cage at the bottom of the ocean, surrounded by great white sharks while their oxygen tanks run out. Sounds fun, right?
[Stream *47 Meters Down* on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS, Eileen Ryan, David Arquette, — **Eight Legged Freaks**
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 48%
Let's get some bugs on this monster list, am I right? This 2002 comedy-horror starring David Arquette, Scarlett Johansson and a bunch of giants spiders is not good by any stretch of the imagination, but it is very good at being bad. And isn't that what you really want from a monster movie?
[Stream *Eight Legged Freaks* on Netflix]Photo: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

woman screaming at mummy face — **The Mummy Returns**
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 47%
Oh yes, you better believe that Netflix has not only *The Mummy*, but also its 2001 sequel, *The Mummy Returns.* (It also has the third film in the franchise, *The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor*, but an abysmal 13 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes meant I couldn't justify its inclusion in this slideshow.) More Brendan Fraser! More Rachel Weisz! And most importantly, more mummies!
[Stream *The Mummy Returns* on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

monster movies

'Godzilla Minus One' Ending Explained: Did They Kill Godzilla or What?!?

'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' Comes To Digital, But When Will 'Godzilla x Kong' Stream on Max?

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Love and Monsters’ On Netflix, An Apocalyptic Adventure With A Big Heart

5 ‘Godzilla’ Movies to Watch To Get Hype For ‘Godzilla Minus One’

Godzilla: King of Monsters may have been Godzilla: King of the Box Office in theaters this weekend, but for those who would rather stay at home, there are plenty of great (or, in the case of Godzilla, not so great) monster movies on Netflix. Whether you’re looking for monsters of fantastical beauty—like those seen in Guillermo del Toro’s classic Pan’s Labyrinth—or monsters of laughable campiness—like those seen in mostly-forgotten about 2002 comedy Eight Legged Freaks—Netflix has you covered.

That said, Netflix’s monster movie library isn’t as impressive as it once was. Both the 2014 Godzilla and the 2005 King Kong recently left the streaming service, likely to the disappointment of fans looking for some creature feature content after King of Monsters. But there are still some decent films left if you’re willing to wade through a lot of truly terrible B-horror films—or if you had the good sense to Google “Best Monster Movies on Netflix,” which I see you did. Well done, you!

Your logic will now be rewarded with a list curated by me, the entertainment reporter who spent all day painstakingly looking up the Rotten Tomatoes score of each and every movie in Netflix’s “Monster Movie” tag. I found movies that ranged from hidden gems like the Canadian survival thriller Backcountry to classics like 1984’s Gremlins. Just tap through the slideshow above to reap the sweet benefits of my labor. Enjoy!