Top 10 Movie Monsters Of All Time

For the purposes of this ranking only non-humanoid creatures are included. There are already plenty of lists with vampires, zombies, mummies, werewolves, and gillmen. Ditto for Frankenstein, Jason, Freddy, Leatherface, Hannibal, Damian, Pennywise, Jigsaw, Pinhead,PyramidHead, PumpkinHead (notice the theme?), Predator, Creeper, Dwellers, Norman Bates and Michael Myers. Also apologies to all you ghosts, devils, demons and assorted trolls out there. Many of these FABULOUSLY FRIGHTENING monsters are included in my Top 10 Horror Movies Of All Time here, Top Horror Franchises Of All Time here, and Top 10 Horror Directors Of All Time here

Before we get to the Top 10 Monsters list, here are a few honorable mentions that almost made the cut:

Honorable Mentions:

King Kong- King Kong is one of the first movie monsters-- having been around since 1933. His most recent iteration was last year in "Kong: Skull Island". He is also slated to go up against Godzilla in 2020. Yes, a giant ape is dangerous but I dont find him particularly frightening. In fact, I'm rooting for him to crush the humans in most instances. And can someone please help the poor guy find a girlfriend? Maybe try Match.com.
Behemoth- The creatures from "The Mist" are from another dimension and many (like the Behemoth) are gigantic. Too bad we didnt get to see more of them. What we do see is truly frightening. Besides the Behemoth, there are lobster, spider, scorpion type nightmares. I dont want to run into any of them. On a side note, stick with the 2007 movie if you want the best adaption of the novella. See my review here
Clover- There are three films thus far in the series-- 2008's "Cloverfield", 2016's "10 Cloverfield Lane" and 2018's "The Cloverfield Paradox". The first film's found footage format provides brief glimpses of these enormous monsters (which adds to the suspense). And better yet, the Clover we first see turns out to just be a baby. Yes, I still have serious problems with "The Cloverfield Paradox's" plot--- but we'll save that for another day.

Top 10 Movie Monsters Of All Time:

10. Brundlefly- Poor Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) is having one bad day in 1986's "The Fly". He's working on a teleportation device but, when a fly slips in, everything goes to hell. Seth devolves into a creature that is no longer recognizable as human. His girlfriend Geena Davis obviously doesn't take the changes well. You gotta feel for the guy though--except for when he starts trying to murder people. Not cool (even for a giant fly). David Cronenberg created one of the best examples of body horror that still stands today. No matter how you read it-- an analogy to cancer, AIDS or just old age-- one thing is clear. It's very disturbing. Chris Walas and Stephan Dupuis won a well deserved Oscar for Best Makeup for this movie.

9. Kraken- It seems that the movies we saw as a child always hold a special place in our imaginations. 1981's "Clash Of The Titan's" has such an effect on me. Sure by today's standards, it's very hokey. But he gives me the occasional cause to shout "Release The Kraken"-- much to the confusion of those around me. On a side note, the original kraken from Greek and Norse mythology was an octopus type creature and doesn't resemble the guy above.

8. Faun- Guillermo del Toro's have brought us of lots of fascinating creatures including Hellboy, Pale Man, Angel of Death and Amphibian Man from last year's hit movie "The Shape Of Water". Del Toro's creations are fantasy meets horror. Note for his penchant for putting eyeballs in strange places. Very freaky. My favorite del Toro creation thus far is Faun from 2006's "Pan's Labyrinth". He's a stylish goat with some great horns. We're never sure if he's a good guy or a bad guy. Faun doesn't get much air time but he left a lasting impression...or maybe I just have a thing for goats.

Viewers may also not realize that del Toro is responsible for several monsters from other hit movies. The Reapers of "Blade II" (2002) are on many "best of" lists. They're vampires with unhinged jaws. Much the better to not only suck your blood but rip your face off. Eeeeek! He also created "Pacific Rim"s (2009) Leatherback. There are several kaiju (which is a general Japanese term for large monsters) in the film but Leatherback stands out as the best. He's an updated version of Godzilla.

7. Prawns- "District 9" was released in 2009 and had a lot to say about how we treat those different than ourselves (be they alien or a different race or religion). The show seems even more relevant now than it did back then. Prawns are a cricket like alien species who are exiled to the slums of South Africa. Continually harassed by officials, they're just doing their best to survive. Also they REALLY like cat food. If this movie doesn't punch ya in the gut, you have no soul.

6. Krampus- Krampus has appeared in several "Krampus" movies and episodes of "Grimm", "Lost Girl", "Supernatural" and "American Dad". For those unfamiliar, Krampus is a Hungarian-Austrian folk tale about a Christmas Devil that punishes bad children. If Santa Claus is the "carrot" to get children to behave, Krampus is the "stick". He beats bad children, throws them in a sack and takes them to the highest tree and eats them. He's got cool horns and cloven hooves. Did I mention I have a thing for goats?

5. The Blob- This slimy alien first appeared back in 1958 along with a 30 something Steve McQueen (who was supposed to be a teenager). It then returned in 1972 and 1988. The blob is basically a big ball of intergalactic jello that rolls around absorbing anyone in its path. Sure the premise is silly but you definitely don't want to be snuck up by the creature. To avoid capture, my advice to you is: 1. Never go in the basement. The blob can easily slide down stairs. Instead head for higher ground. I might suggest a rooftop or a tree. 2. Blobs hate the cold. Keep a fire extinguisher handy to zap them with. Or move to Antarctica. I dare say no blobs live there. However, you may have to contend with The Thing (see entry below).

4. The Thing- We actually never see the alien from John Carpenter's 1982 movie. But the physical representations we do see are hellishly frightening. The Thing absorbs any creature it replicates (be they dog, human, etc). Interrupt it in mid-absorption and things get even more freaky. Can you say spider man? Eeek! And if things couldn't get worse, our team of scientists is trapped with the being in Antarctica. On a positive note, at least Kurt Russell doesn't have to worry about blobs.

3. GodZilla- The big lizard (also know as Gojira) has been destroying cities since back in 1954. Godzilla is a metaphor for nuclear weapons (given the then recent bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki). Since it's early days Godzilla has spawns thirty something films and fought many fearsome kaiju (large monsters) such as Ghidorah, Mothra, Rodan, Mutos, etc. See list here He's scheduled to go up against King Kong (again) in 2020.

2. Gwoemul- Or as I prefer to call him FishZilla . This creature is from Bong Joon-ho's 2006 movie "The Host". Many people may not be familiar with this South Korean export. If not, you're seriously missing out. This is one of the most delightful monsters out there. It's part fish, part bat and part monkey. Plus it can pick people up with it's tail. What's not to love? On first reveal Gwoemul delightfully gallops about devouring picnicers at a riverside park. I couldn/t be happier... unless of course I actually encountered him.