5 Monster Movies Everyone Needs To Watch At Least Once

Nothing thrills quite like a monster movie. Pitting man against creature, this type of film becomes a story about survival and serves as a demonstration of how the sheer stupidity of humans almost results in our collective downfall as a society. In some cases — looking at you, "Anaconda" and "Lake Placid" — it isn't unusual to root for the monsters over the humans, because at some point, you come to terms with the fact these characters deserve to be eaten alive.

Anyway, human snacks aside, let's take a look at the monster movies that everybody should check out at least once. In terms of selection and criteria, four of these films are critically acclaimed and widely regarded in pop culture as some of the best in their genre. For the fifth film, while it isn't critically reviled by any stretch of the imagination, it finds its way onto the list solely because it features an action hero against a menacing creature — and who doesn't want to watch that clash of the ages?!

There's always one kid in a neighborhood who will poke something strange on the sidewalk, then be surprised when it leaps at them. Effectively, Ridley Scott's "Alien" is this concept — but in space. In the film, the Nostromo crew heads back to Earth, making a quick pitstop at a planet nearby to investigate a signal. If the truth is out there, they should have left it there, but no. Instead, Kane (John Hurt) becomes the unlucky host for an alien parasite after he touches an extraterrestrial egg, and a creature bursts out of it and latches onto him. Now, with this alien onboard the Nostromo and growing up fast, it picks off the crew members, leaving only Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and the heroic ginger cat Jonesy to fight for their lives.

While the "Alien" movie saga expands in weird and wonderful ways afterward, the 1979 original remains the crème de la crème of the franchise. The film was pitched as "'Jaws' in space," and it's the most succinct and accurate description. As a filmmaker, Scott does what Steven Spielberg did before him, keeping the Xenomorph lurking in the shadows for the majority of the film and toying with the audience's anxiety as his greatest tool to stir up the fear factor.

On Rotten Tomatoes, "Alien" holds a 93% critical approval rating and 94% audience score. It's not just a killer monster movie, but it's also one of the best cosmic horror films of all time.

If you were to watch every "Godzilla" movie made, let's say you wouldn't need a Netflix subscription for a year. There have been so many of them that it's tough to keep track of them all, but one of the best is 2023's "Godzilla Minus One," which takes the franchise back to basics.

Written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, this film doesn't try to get too cute or set off multiple sequel-baiting branches. Instead, it's a simple story about redemption, as World War II pilot Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) experiences guilt for failing to shoot Godzilla when he had the chance, resulting in the death of many of his teammates. Now, a few years later, the kaiju wreaks havoc on Japan, and Shikishima has a chance to make matters right.

Not only does "Godzilla Minus One" deliver a visually spectacular epic on a budget that's lower than some comedies in Hollywood, but it also produces a compelling and believable story of man vs. monster. Let's be real here: If Godzilla rocked up in anyone's backyard, most people would freeze and not know what to do. This isn't a drunken fistfight outside of a 7-Eleven situation here. Through this authentic exploration of fear and regret, "Godzilla Minus One" delivers a more realistic tale, while also heightening the genuinely terrifying nature of the creature. The 99% and 98% on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer and Popcornmeter, respectively, suggest that both critics and audiences agree. 

So, there's man vs. monster, but what happens when man becomes monster? That's the crux of 1986's "The Fly." The David Cronenberg remake of the 1958 film, which itself was inspired by a short story from author George Langelaan, sees scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) conduct an experiment that goes horribly wrong after a housefly slips into the mix. Gradually, Seth transforms into a hybrid human-fly creature and becomes out of control.

As one of the finest body horror movies ever made, Cronenberg unleashes a frightening film about a man slowly losing his humanity and evolving into a grotesque creature. It's not one for the queasy, and the special effects look great even decades after the film's release, but this monster movie is a must-watch for anyone who loves stories about what happens when scientific ambition goes unchecked. Plus, who doesn't welcome the opportunity to see Goldblum get extra weird on screen?

On Rotten Tomatoes, "The Fly" has a 94% critical approval rating and 83% audience score. It's a disturbing and gory film, but it's a buzzing creature feature that hits all the right spots and holds a remarkable rewatchability quality.

Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" is scary, but you know what's scarier? The prehistoric 75-foot shark in Jon Turteltaub's "The Meg" (definitely not named after Meg Ryan). Now, this movie doesn't have Richard Dreyfus or Roy Scheider fighting the shark; instead, it has the all-action Jason Statham. When Statham whispers in his hushed and composed tone, this megalodon scatters, because it doesn't want the Stat's smoke.

Look, "The Meg" is a totally outrageous and bonkers film, but who doesn't want to see Statham battling against a giant shark and stabbing it in the eye? This is the best of the action and horror genres, combining the ridiculousness of both worlds to fantastic effect. It's a popcorn movie through and through, so don't try to dissect the science and physics of it too much, or else the entire premise crumbles to pieces.

"The Meg" isn't universally beloved on Rotten Tomatoes, harboring 47% and 44% on the Tomatometer and Popcornmeter, respectively. Yet those who are in on the joke are likely to have a better time with it. Don't take life too seriously; sometimes, it's okay to watch a movie where you just want to see Jason Statham teach a shark a lesson. Let's hold thumbs for the "Sharknado" and "Meg" crossover.

John Hammond (played by the late Richard Attenborough) had a dream: to genetically engineer dinosaurs and allow human beings to marvel at these wonders in a theme park. What ends up happening is the humans are trapped on this island with hungry and dangerous dinos, proving once again that if someone's backup power plan is "trust me, bro," just stay at home.

While the "Jurassic Park" and "Jurassic World" movies have gone to strange places, including weaponizing dinosaurs and creating mutant species, the original Steven Spielberg film — based on the Michael Crichton novel — still roars louder than the rest. It doesn't shy away from basking in the majesty of these creatures, but it also confirms that humans and dinosaurs weren't meant to coexist, because we would automatically be lower on the food chain and become tasty snacks for raptors.

Even though "Jurassic Park" was released in 1993, it remains spectacular to watch and holds up visually, as the creatures continue to feel real and impressive in their design (despite them not being scientifically accurate). On Rotten Tomatoes, it has 91% on both the Tomatometer and Popcornmeter, confirming its place as one of Steven Spielberg's best films, as well as one of the greatest monster movies ever made.