5 Best Monster Movies Nobody Talks About Anymore

When done well, a monster movie can be more than simple entertainment. It can bring a whole new creature into the pop culture lexicon. Films like "Godzilla" and "Alien" even kickstarted decades-spanning franchises. The best monster movies of all time introduce creatures that are easy to parody and reference, setting the template for generations of genre entries to follow.

Of course, not every monster flick can be a kaiju-sized hit. There's only so much attention to go around, and plenty of films simply fly under the radar. But if you're tired of seeing the same old aliens and zombies running amok, there are plenty of lesser-seen monster movies worth going down the beaten path to check out.

Ever wanted to see a killer boar wreak havoc? Or alien designs that deviate greatly from what's usually portrayed in cinema? Just when you think you've seen it all, these monster movies show there's always something new and insane to check out. 

Writers don't need to go far to come up with terrifying monster concepts. People are afraid of a lot of animals, so you can look to Mother Nature for the next iconic creature feature. "Jaws" made the world terrified of sharks, and "Cujo" had us looking twice at man's best friend. But to be honest, there aren't enough killer wild boar movies, and that's where "Razorback" fills the void.

The 1984 film opens with a wild boar breaking into a man's home who's babysitting his grandson. The boar breaks in and kills the grandson, but the man, Jake (Bill Kerr), gets the blame and is put on trial. He then embarks on a quest for revenge to find the boar. It's a gnarly movie and the boar animatronic is an impressive feat all its own. 

But what makes "Razorback" stand out is its exceptional cinematography. "Razorback" is set against the bleak Australian outback, full of gorgeous shots of the barren and terrifying landscape. There's something eerie and unnatural about it all, and the boar is far from the only dangerous thing out there. The movie makes no qualms that man is perhaps the most horrifying animal of all, giving you more to chew on than just pig mayhem. There are many underappreciated horror films from the '80s, and "Razorback" is certainly one of them.

Plenty of alien movies have become cinematic classics, but there's nothing wrong with having a few guilty pleasure alien movies in your back pocket to put on. "Grabbers" absolutely falls into the latter category, offering an ingenious spin on classic alien tropes.

The film is set on a remote Irish island where whale carcasses continually get mutilated, all stemming from an alien onslaught from creatures known as Grabbers. The only way humanity can stay safe is to remain drunk at all times. Yes, the aliens can't eat people with a high enough blood alcohol content, so everyone stows away in a pub and go to town on some pints. 

With a premise like that, you might think "Grabbers" is a full-on spoof movie. It's inherently comedic, and there are plenty of funny moments. But what makes "Grabbers" special is that the comedy never dampens the genuine tension. The characters never devolve into caricatures, which would've been so easy given the premise of a town of Irish people getting drunk. As such, the film contains a good mix of quieter character moments and great sci-fi beats, too. 

The entire Godzilla franchise began with the original 1954 kaiju film. It was Japan reckoning with the United States dropping atomic bombs on them a decade prior, as Godzilla is a manifestation of nuclear testing, wreaking havoc on the country. That same year, the U.S. put out its own nuclear-themed giant animal movie with "Them!" Only instead of a giant lizard, we have giant ants. 

"Them!" is pure '50s schlock in the best way possible. The government discovers that giant radioactive ants are burrowing underground, all leading to a final confrontation beneath Los Angeles. After the last couple of decades of CGI-created monsters, there's something charming about these ants, especially as they slowly lumber toward humans. While super old, you may still find it chilling. That's largely due to the phenomenal sound design that employs eerie chattering as the ants approach. 

"Them!" set the template for generations of monster movies to follow. It's additonally fascinating to watch "Them!" as a companion piece to "Godzilla" and see how both Japan and the U.S. were dealing with their respective histories with nuclear weapons. 

When you see one monster movie, you might assume you've seen them all. One monster (or maybe a horde) infiltrate an area, and it's up to the protagonist to stop them. But what if the main character fell in love with the main creature? That's the fascinating premise explored in the highly underrated 2014 film "Spring."

Directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, who also helmed one of the best time travel movies streaming on Netflix with "Synchronic." "Spring" is a different type of sci-fi story, with Evan (Lou Taylor Pucci) falling in love with a woman named Louise (Nadia Hilker). However, he soon discovers that she's a 2,000-year old mutant who must become impregnated every year to be reborn and restart her cycle. But she can become mortal if she falls in love. 

There's nothing like "Spring," as it's part romance film in the style of "Before Sunrise" while also having some truly horrific moments. But Louise isn't some mindless creature; she feeds because she has to. There's a cosmic tragedy to the whole affair and the question as to whether Louise is truly capable of loving someone. It's a very different type of date movie, as "Spring" asks viewers whether they'd be able to accept the most monstrous parts of their romantic partner.

Ivan Reitman is responsible for directing the sci-fi comedy hit "Ghostbusters." While that movie deservedly has its place in popular culture, Reitman has another sci-fi comedy that's the most underappreciated film in his career — "Evolution."

"Evolution" definitely has a more high-concept premise. A meteor crashes to Earth, carrying with it microorganisms. But those organisms don't stay micro for very long, as they rapidly evolve into bugs and then primate-like creatures. It's a fantastic premise, constantly keeping viewers on the edge of their seat. The surprise isn't ruined when you see the monster for the first time, because you know they are just going to turn into something else soon. 

And like "Ghostbusters," "Evolution" does a great job of combining the horror with comedy. The scientist team may not be as iconic as the Ghostbusters, but the likes of Julianne Moore, David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, and Seann William Scott have some stellar comedic banter. The film may not have made much of a mark when it first came out in 2001, but it did spawn an animated series, "Alienators: Evolution Continues," if you want to see more evolutionary chaos.