The Scariest Monsters in the Movies and TV Shows We Love

Aliens, clowns, and flies, oh my!

Some horror movies rely solely on human monsters: murderers, serial killers, and the like. But lots of scary movies and TV shows feature horrific monsters that haunt us well after we finish watching. Sometimes they are extraterrestrial creatures dreamt up by filmmakers; other times they are monsters concocted out of our most human fears of the limits of our humanity. Either way, they are thrilling. There are many entities that try to rank the scariest movie monsters, but we’ve put together our own list here of the ones that we find especially horrifying. Warning! Potentially creepy images ahead!

The Xenomorph, Alien

The 1979 film Alien received an Academy Award for special effects, so that fact alone is proof that the monster in this film is pretty scary. Known as the Xenomorph, the alien in the movie is a terrifying, highly evolved extraterrestrial with a sleek, dark, and biomechanical appearance. Its elongated, ridged skull, eyeless face, and a double set of jaws that extend outward for lethal strikes give it an insect-like quality. The Xenomorph’s exoskeleton is both organic and metallic-looking, and it possesses acid blood, which acts as both a defense mechanism and a way to deter attacks. The alien’s stealthy, relentless hunting behavior, along with its capacity to adapt to its environment, makes it a perfect predator. As the movie progresses, the audience rarely sees the alien’s entire body, often appearing in shadow. The hint of the alien’s full form rather than seeing it in its entirety is more terrifying and adds to the suspense throughout the film–until it is fully revealed and is even scarier than you thought!

The Demogorgon, Stranger Things

Like Alien, Stranger Things’ Demogorgon doesn’t appear in full form for a while, adding to the building tension of just what the heck is going on in this series. When the audience is introduced to the Upside Down, we learn about the Demogorgon, a humanoid creature from this alternate dimension. Towering over most humans, it has a thin, wiry frame with long limbs that allow it to move swiftly and terrifyingly. Its skin is leathery and mottled in shades of gray, giving it an unnatural, decayed appearance. Its most distinctive feature is its flower-like head, which opens up to reveal rows of sharp, needle-like teeth, creating a gaping mouth that can quickly close around its prey. The Demogorgon’s movements are animalistic and predatory, and it seems almost unstoppable in its drive to hunt and capture anything it encounters. When the Demogorgon is finally seen in its full glory, it could not be more terrifying.

Clover, Cloverfield

Clover is a massive, towering extraterrestrial creature that wreaks havoc on New York City in the 2008 film Cloverfield. Its anatomy is a disturbing blend of amphibian and crustacean traits, with pale, almost translucent skin that reveals muscle fibers beneath, giving it a sickly, unnatural appearance. The creature stands on two long, spindly hind legs that support its gargantuan weight, while two shorter front limbs extend for balance and grabbing, allowing it to navigate and crush structures with ease. Its head is relatively small compared to its body, with a gaping mouth and lidless, emotionless eyes. Adding to the terror are the gross parasitic creatures that drop from its body, attacking humans on the ground. Together, the Cloverfield creature and its parasites create a chaotic and merciless force. 

Brundlefly, The Fly

In the 1986 film, The Fly, the transformation of scientist Seth Brundle (played by Jeff Goldblum) into a monstrous “Brundlefly” is gradual but extremely horrifying. Seth Brundle begins to exhibit strange, insect-like abilities and instincts after a failed teleportation experiment fuses his DNA with that of a common housefly, and it becomes clear he is becoming less human. As his metamorphosis progresses, his body degenerates into a grotesque hybrid of man and insect. His skin becomes mottled and diseased, sprouting coarse hairs, while his limbs twist into unnatural angles, and he begins emitting an acidic vomit to dissolve his food (which also harms others). His final form is a hunched, distorted creature with bulging, compound-like eyes, elongated limbs, and mandibles instead of a mouth, retaining only faint traces of his former humanity. Brundlefly is both pitiful and terrifying, a tragic figure undone by his own ambition, embodying the visceral horror of losing oneself to a monstrous mutation.

The shark, Jaws

The shark in the 1975 classic, Jaws, is an enormous great white with a relentless, predatory presence that haunts the waters of Amity Island. (The animatronic used was referred to as “Bruce” by Spielberg himself, named after his lawyer.) In the movie, this shark is the biggest anyone has ever encountered. Measuring 25 feet long, this shark is far larger and more menacing than any real-life great white, with cold, black eyes that seem devoid of emotion, emphasizing its role as an unthinking force of nature. Its body is sleek and muscular, built for speed and stealth, allowing it to attack with terrifying precision. The shark’s mouth, lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth, snaps shut with lethal force, capable of inflicting devastating bites. Seen mostly in brief, suspenseful glimpses, the shark is a looming, unseen terror for much of the film, symbolizing the fear of the unknown lurking just below the water’s surface, a creature motivated by pure, insatiable hunger.

The Gremlins, Gremlins

The Gremlins in the 1984 classic Gremlins are mischievous, malevolent creatures. But they don;t start out that way, which is what makes this movie terrifying. The audience is introduced to  cute, furry Mogwai creatures that come with a grave warning: no eating after midnight. But when they do, something terrible happens: these adorable pets transform into reptilian monsters. In their transformed state, they have scaly, greenish skin, bat-like ears, and wide, sinister grins lined with sharp teeth, giving them an impish, goblin-like appearance. They’re small, but their intelligence and chaotic energy make them highly dangerous, as they gleefully vandalize and terrorize everyone around them. Each gremlin has a distinctive, cartoonish personality, making them not just threats but twisted caricatures of human mischief, from playful pranksters to outright vandals. Their erratic behavior and glee in causing havoc make them unpredictable and deadly, embodying the comedic yet terrifying spirit of the film.

Zuul, Ghostbusters

Like Gremlins, the 1984 film Ghostbusters has a bit of a lighter feel at first as a comedy. But things get progressively creepy as the Ghostbusters encounter spirits and the main characters of the film seem to become possessed. The culprit is Zuul, also known as “The Gatekeeper,” and when we finally see it in all its glory, it’s a demonic, dog-like creature that serves as one of the minions of Gozer, the powerful god of destruction. With a hulking, muscular frame covered in a rough, leathery hide, Zuul has a fearsome, monstrous appearance, highlighted by glowing red eyes and sharp, prominent horns jutting from its head. It has sharp teeth, and its movements are slow but predatory, exuding a sense of barely-contained menace. As a supernatural entity, Zuul has the power to possess humans, using their bodies to carry out its dark mission to bring Gozer into the human world. 

The Thing, The Thing

The creature in the 1982 movie The Thing is a horrifying alien life form capable of perfectly assimilating and imitating any living organism it encounters, making it nearly impossible to detect. When it reveals itself, its true form is grotesque and ever-changing, resembling a nightmarish amalgamation of its previous hosts. Flesh contorts into twisted, monstrous shapes with mismatched body parts, teeth, and tentacles emerging in chaotic formations that defy normal anatomy. The creature can split, sprout additional limbs, and attack from any angle, making it both unpredictable and incredibly dangerous. Its ability to remain hidden by assuming the appearance of anyone creates a suffocating atmosphere of paranoia. This alien is not just a creature but a psychological terror, embodying the fear of the unknown and the loss of trust in those around you.

The Babadook, The Babadook

The Babadook, from the 2014 film The Babadook, is a supernatural entity that manifests as a shadowy figure haunting a mother and her son, embodying their suppressed grief and trauma. It appears as a tall, gaunt creature dressed in a black coat and a top hat, with elongated, claw-like fingers and a pale, corpse-like face partially hidden in darkness. Its movements are jerky and unnatural, giving it an eerie, nightmarish quality that intensifies its disturbing presence. The Babadook’s voice is a chilling, guttural whisper that repeats its own name, heightening its psychological terror as it feeds on the family’s fears and insecurities. More than just a monster, the Babadook symbolizes the inescapable weight of repressed emotions and unresolved loss, making it as much an internal horror as an external one.

Pennywise the Clown, It

Often cited as one of the most terrifying monsters on film (and contributing to the clown fears of many), Pennywise the Clown, from Stephen King’s It, is a malevolent entity that takes the form of a clown to lure children, embodying their deepest fears. With a bright, garish appearance, Pennywise is dressed in a colorful clown costume adorned with ruffles and oversized buttons, which contrasts sharply with his sinister demeanor. His face is painted in a hauntingly exaggerated style, featuring a wide, menacing grin, sharp, jagged teeth, and bright red balloons that draw in unsuspecting victims. His eyes shift from playful to predatory, often filled with a chilling malice that reveals his true nature as a shapeshifter and embodiment of terror. Pennywise’s ability to manipulate fear makes him a psychological tormentor, using illusions and shape-shifting to exploit the vulnerabilities of his victims, ultimately representing the darkest corners of childhood fears and trauma.

Want more? Our Discord is where you’ll find tons of other fans there chatting in our forums about the books, TV shows, movies, music, and games we all love! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, tumblr, and Spotify for more fandom content—and hit that subscribe button so you never miss a thing at rmrk*st!