Top 20 Terrifying Horror Movie Animals
#20: Winston Church
“Pet Sematary” (1989) The death of a family pet is obviously tragic, but sometimes it is best to just move on. After Church has a head-on collision with a truck and loses, the cat is buried in the local Pet Sematary. That initially seems to be the end of things, but Church winds up coming back from the grave. However, the cat's likable demeanor has given way to violent outbursts and a disgusting stench. Even after its revival, Church still looks pretty ordinary for a gray cat, but that helps make its deadly acts all that more unsettling.
#19: The Sheep
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“Black Sheep” (2006) It’s a story as old as time: man tinkers with mother nature, mother nature bites him on the ass! And into several other body parts for good measure. New Zealand entrepreneur Angus Oldfield’s experiments on sheep turn them into maneaters with an ability to transform humans into weresheep. Although packed with funny moments, "Black Sheep'' and its characters take the threat of the hungry sheep very seriously, especially during an especially haunting funeral scene. After watching "Black Sheep," farm animals might just star in a few more nightmares.
#18: The Worms
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“Squirm” (1976) While perhaps not pleasant, one worm is manageable. However, thousands of worms stuck in attack mode will put the fear of creepy crawlies into just about anyone. As fun as mutated monstrosities can be, there is something deeply upsetting about killer animals that are just normal species forced into survival mode. A fallen power line leads to the ground becoming electrified and armies of worms storm the streets, bars, and boats of a small rural town that is far from prepared to face such an onslaught. While the skin burrowing scenes are gruesome, the close-ups of the worms are also pretty darn scary.
#17: The Orca
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“Orca: The Killer Whale” (1977) Revolving around a sympathetic killer who goes to extremes in the pursuit of revenge, "Orca's" titular toothed whale is basically John Wick with fins. "Orca: The Killer Whale" doesn’t hide the fact it exists in a post-"Jaws" world, as the film's marine poachers even start out searching for a great white shark before stumbling on an orca. But this deadly mammal's revenge-fueled attacks are undercut with a relatable human emotion that presents the titular killer in a different light. This is a marine mammal that will not be stopped until justice is served.
#16: Black Phillip
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“The Witch” (2015) With only a couple of appearances throughout the film, Black Phillip makes the most of its few scenes and almost steals the show in "The Witch." Played by a goat named Charlie, who was apparently a nightmare in real life to work with, Black Phillip might just look like livestock. But the animal is far more powerful and dangerous than meets the eye. Black Phillip is an ever-looming presence throughout the movie, although the goat's malicious intent and influence don’t become fully apparent until "The Witch's" blood-soaked third act.
#15: Crocodile
“Black Water” (2007) Imagine being trapped in a swamp with a capsized boat, almost no protection, and a patient crocodile. "Black Water" is an intense horror film that makes fantastic use of practical and CGI effects to craft a terrifying experience. The saltwater crocodile terrorizes the main characters while often remaining out of sight, forcing the humans to take risks while knowing a harbinger of death is waiting to pounce. Certain types of animals depend on numbers or movie magic to have a fear factor, but crocodiles only need to exist to have the same impact.
#14: The Roaches
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“Creepshow” (1982) Combining the talents of George A. Romero, Stephen King, and enough cockroaches to fill a pool, "Creepshow's" final vignette could easily trigger a case of katsaridaphobia. Cockroaches are everywhere; they’re in the walls, the plumbing, and under the bed. "Creepshow's" "They're Creeping Up on You" segment embraces the insect's apparent omnipresent nature to skin-crawling effect. Mr. Pratt seals himself away from the world and ultimately signs his death warrant after locking a panic room that is not roach-proof. The roaches did not go hungry that night.
#13: The Giant Squid
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“The Beast” (1996) Loosely based on a novel by Peter Benchley, who also wrote "Jaws," "The Beast" centers around a giant squid that initially attacks out of hunger. After the death of its child however, it goes on a rampage. As a TV movie released as a two-part mini-series, "The Beast" uses its giant antagonist quite sparingly, and the effects are a few notches below cinematic quality. But regardless, the squid's size and mythical nature still make it intimidating. Sometimes, the mere idea of a creature’s existence is enough to give you nightmares.
#12: Ramón
“Alligator” (1980) The myth of alligators roaming the sewers dates back almost a century, although this 1980 film relocates that rumor from New York to Chicago. Flushing a baby gator sounds like a horrible idea in general, but especially if the reptile begins to feast on experimented-upon animals with massive appetites. Flash forward a decade and Chicago is terrorized by an alligator that’s the size of a boat and has a fondness for crashing weddings. If 2019's "Crawl" is any indication, alligators are just perfect animals for horror films.
#11: The Boar
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“Razorback” (1984) Australia has a reputation for dangerous wildlife, but snakes and sharks tend to take precedence over wild boars. 1984's "Razorback" has a simple premise at heart: boars are destructive and not picky eaters, so it’s only natural that a supersized one would be super terrifying. Although the boar prop looks a little dated today, "Razorback" elevates the animal's haunting presence through an overabundance of atmosphere provided by some stunning cinematography. Ultimately, the thought of becoming pig slop is horrifying enough to leave a lasting impression.
#10: Ella
“Monkey Shines” (1988) George A. Romero knows a thing or two about horror, and this 1988 classic demonstrates that a monkey can be just as effective as a zombie. "Monkey Shines" presents Ella as an initially neutral force, an animal that’s only as good or evil as her master's wants and emotions. Once the monkey's owner becomes overwhelmed by negative thoughts, Ella becomes the weapon that actualizes these desires. In the right hands, Ella could have remained cute and helpful. Instead, the monkey becomes a monster, reflecting her owner’s desires, and driven by her obsession with him.
#9: The Rats
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“Willard” (1971; 2003) One rat can be scary enough. So a whole horde of the little critters is downright terrifying. “Willard” proves this point in both the more realistic 1971 original, and 2003’s stylish remake. The titular protagonist is socially awkward and beaten down by life, but he develops a sense of camaraderie with rats, especially a white rodent named Socrates and a black beast called Ben. When commanded by Willard, the rats attack in legions, leaving bodies in their wake. In an interesting twist, Willard actually turns on Ben, leading the rodent to stage a revolt against the human.
#8: The Ticks
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“Ticks” (1993) When it comes to mutated animals, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are apparently outliers as most tend to become horrifying rather than helpful. "Ticks" delivers what’s advertised by its title; parasites and plenty of them. A camp in the woods becomes a breeding ground for ticks hopped-up on steroids with a desire to feast on locals and visitors alike. These ticks bite, dig, and insert eggs into their victims, leaving them bloated and wishing for death. A super tick also makes an appearance because, of course, it does. Don’t watch this before you go camping!
#7: The Grizzly Bear
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“Grizzly” (1976) How do you make an animal with a reputation for being dangerous (accurate or not) even scarier? Just make it REALLY big. It might be cliche … but honestly, it tends to work! "Grizzly" does just that with this bear, a hulking prehistoric beast that turns a national park into its hunting grounds. The film's success can be partially credited to Teddy, the Kodiak bear who portrayed the titular grizzly and added some legitimacy to the horror. "Grizzly" might not be the most original film out there, but it plays to its strengths, which principally involves a lot of bear attacks.
#6: The Piranhas
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“Piranha” (1978) What happens when you combine the Vietnam War, government conspiracies, and fish? The answer is the movie “Piranha”. A defunct government operation comes back to haunt a local community and its resort when a school of piranhas heads out for a bite to eat. "Piranhas" wears its B-movie badge proudly and doesn’t take itself too seriously, but that doesn’t mean the sharp teeth raging beneath the waters aren’t menacing! Piranhas proved to be such great horror animals that the 1978 film ended up spawning a sequel and even two remakes.
#5: Judas Breed
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“Mimic” (1997) A mantis and a termite might be fine on their own, but fuse those two together and all hell breaks loose. "Mimic's" Judas Breed was created by scientists to eradicate a disease spread by cockroaches, but the insects evolved at such a rapid pace that they learned how to masquerade as humans within a few years. The design of Guillermo del Toro's Judas Breed bugs is nothing short of nightmare-inducing, to the point that the mutated bugs almost come across as alien. As horror movies have shown time and time again, mess with nature and it will retaliate with human-sized insects.
#4: The Crocodile
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“Rogue” (2007) A horror animal cannot fully succeed on its own, as it needs well-written human characters to hunt. "Rogue" is more than just a grisly flick about a crocodile killing a group of humans marooned in its territory; the film takes the time necessary to develop its characters, naturally heightening the tension once the action escalates. "Rogue's" crocodile is also an impressive work of art that looks incredibly convincing, while its attacks are vicious and unapologetically gruesome. "Rogue" and its crocodile are right up there with the best the horror genre has to offer.
#3: Cujo
“Cujo” (1983) Fear of the unknown is a popular and powerful theme in horror films, but there’s a lot to be said about twisting something familiar. Dogs are known as man's best friends for a reason, and "Cujo" uses that sense of comfort to its advantage. Cujo is a perfectly normal St. Bernard who turns rabid after a fateful encounter with a bat, transforming the dog from an ally to a killer with an impressive body count. While there are bigger and more dangerous animals out there, most are unlikely to be happily sharing someone’s home …
#2: The Birds
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“The Birds” (1963) Carefully paced and brilliantly acted, Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" starts as a character-driven drama before delving into horror territory without ever betraying its emotional component. Things start relatively small with an isolated attack, but Bodega Bay eventually becomes overrun with sparrows, gulls, and the iconic crows. "The Birds" relies on atmosphere, editing, and the foreboding presence of its eponymous threats to achieve its scares. The slow build makes the scenes when the animals finally attack all that more terrifying, and few sequences in horror are quite as memorable as the playground scene. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Tsavo Man-Eaters, “The Ghost and the Darkness” (1996) These Lions Are at Least Somewhat Based on Historical Events Link, “Link” (1986) Sometimes It’s Better to Just Sever Any Connection Rat, “Of Unknown Origin” (1983) Peter Weller Sells This Rodent as the Ultimate Pest Insects, “Phenomena” (1985) Even When They’re Good, Swarms of Insects Are Still the Stuff of Nightmares Tarantula, “Tarantula!” (1955) This Tarantula Is Almost Big Enough to Be a Kaiju
#1: Bruce
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“Jaws” (1975) The definitive horror movie about a rampant animal, "Jaws" deserves at least partial credit for the sheer volume of "man versus beast" films that have come out over the decades. As Steven Spielberg and his team had to work around an underwhelming prop for their great white shark, Bruce rarely makes an appearance throughout the film. This restriction ended up heightening "Jaws's" impact, as knowing a shark is lurking below is scarier than constantly seeing it in action. Bruce is a force of nature; an implacable eating machine that’s almost impossible to kill.