Monsters here, monsters there – they are everywhere.
If you already watched Stranger Things‘ fourth season (who didn’t?), then you already know who Vecna is. Played amazingly by Jamie Campbell Bower, this creature turned out to be the main threat to humanity in the Upside Down.
Yes – Stranger Things‘ Vecna is one of the best monsters we have seen on TV recently. He’s powerful, intelligent, and has the powers to literally enter your mind. Once he’s done it, it’s almost impossible for you to escape. Vecna becomes your master before eventually taking your life away.
Here we are not going to talk about who is Vecna in Stranger Things, as this article is spoiler-free. But we will present you with other memorable monsters we have seen on TV and in movies.
The aliens from A Quiet Place
A Quiet Place is a brilliant horror movie created and directed by John Krasinski – someone we know from the legendary sitcom The Office. It tells the story of an alien invasion that almost brought humanity to extinction.
The action revolves around a family trying to survive by any means necessary. The most crucial thing, in that case, is to avoid making any sound – the aliens are blind but have extraordinary hearing.
Once the alien hears you, it engages in close contact. And you’re gone – it’s almost two powerful to fight it. What you can do is eventually shoot it if you’re quick enough with the gun.
Predator
Predator is a legendary action franchise that debuted with an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie in 1987. It tells about an alien from the Yautja race that comes to Earth with one primary goal – to hunt.
That’s right. In most movies, aliens are trying to enslave us and conquer the planet. Still, the Predator does not have any interest in that. Its only ambition is to enjoy the hunting and go home with some trophies.
These creatures are the perfect hunters. They are extremely physically strong but also equipped with high-tech gadgets. It requires a lot of skill to defeat a Yautja. And a little bit of luck, too.
Alien
Just like the Predator, the Alien is another movie monster that rose to the status of a cult classic. Representing the Xenomorph race, the Alien is the closest thing to death you’d meet in your life. It’s freakishly fast and leaves you almost no chance in a “one-on-one” encounter. It’s arguably one of the Top 10 monsters of all time.
Beating the Alien with bare hands is impossible, so you need all kinds of weapons to defeat it. At the same time, many soldiers lost their lives in such encounters despite being perfectly equipped with guns and stuff. The Xenomorph is just merciless.
The first two Alien movies were perfect, but we have doubts about the next two. In recent years the franchise was revived with prequel stories produced by one of Alien‘s creators, Ridley Scott.
The Shark from Jaws
Steven Spielberg’s Jaws is one of the movies that defined the horror genre. Most viewers were stunned by the monstrous shark Spielberg and his team created for the movie plot. It was huge, and it had… guess what? Enormous jaws!
We could say that Jaws is a movie that left thousands of people traumatized about entering the Ocean again. Although everyone knows the shark was fake, fear is still there. It’s stronger than you!
Jaws remain one of the greatest horror movies of all time, while the shark (nicknamed ‘Bruce’) is unforgettable. Especially if you saw it on the big screen!
King Kong
How about a giant guerilla the size of a building that fights airplanes and helicopters? Indeed it looks like an exciting thing to watch on the big screen. And it is!
King Kong was found on an island far away from civilization. We get to know him better with time – he’s angry when you bother him, and he has a thing for beautiful blonds. Plus, he likes to climb on tall buildings.
Don’t be surprised if you start to feel empathy for Kong, too. In the end, he looks like the victim here – he’s being hunted on his own island and acts through self-preservation. One would ask who’s the real villain here – is it the giant guerilla or the humans?
The Thing
When John Carpenter created The Thing in 1982, he really redefined the horror genre. This movie was almost too perfect. Starring Kurt Russell, it tells the story of a research time in Antarctica that stumbles on a deadly creature from another world.
The alien is so tricky that it even assumes its victims’ appearance through shape-shifting. This makes it even more difficult to be killed. Now the researchers know that humanity’s fate could be in their hands.
The suspense and tension in The Thing are on another level. You would hardly remain in your seat while watching this movie. It was and still is a true horror masterpiece.
Pennywise
It is probably one of Stephen King’s most influential novels of all time. It serves as an inspiration for many horror writers to reach this level of perfection. Even the already mentioned Netflix original Stranger Things was heavily inspired by that book.
At the story’s core is an alien creature that is called Pennywise. It usually accepts the appearance of a clown, but it could also do shape-shifting. Just like Jaws made people afraid of getting into the water, It successfully made them terrified of clowns.
Pennywise was a creature that was almost unbeatable because of its superpowers. But like we said – almost. The Losers Club defeated the monster twice. They knew what his kryptonite was – to stop fearing it. That’s what Pennywise usually does – it feeds on people’s fear.
Brundlefly
The Fly was probably a movie that messed a lot of people’s minds. The remake by David Cronenberg was brilliant because of many reasons. Still, one of them was unquestionably the Brundlefly – such a disgusting creature.
Clearly, Cronenberg decided to make it as gross as possible, and he succeeded. The Brundlefly might look kind of lame now, but in 1986 it was a spectacle to see it on the screen.
Portrayed by Jeff Goldblum, the Brundlefly was once a gifted scientist named Seth Brundle who began to turn into a fly after an experiment gone wrong. Can you imagine a combination between a human and a fly? Yes, it doesn’t look good. It remains one of the best horror movie monsters to date.
The Cenobites
The Cenobites are classic movie monsters that every fan of the horror genre knows. These creations can enter our world through a schism of time and space that could be opened using specific artifacts.
The Cenobites are more than one – they are a legion. You can watch them in the Hellraiser films and read about them in various comic books. They are described as “demons to some, but angels to others” – complex creatures that can bring you death in the quickest way. Famous movie monsters, but more than monsters at the same time.
Pale Man
Guillermo del Toro is a master of aesthetic horror. He makes the genre more beautiful than ever before. And one of his finest creations is the movie Pan’s Labyrinth from 2006.
This film is filled with many fascinating creatures, but the most mesmerizing was probably the Pale Man. He appears in just one scene in the entire production. Still, he’s also the proof that sometimes quality is more important than quality.
Pale Man was portrayed by Doug Jones. In his lair, you can see children’s clothes and shoes but no bones – the Pale Man eats his victims entirely. He’s evil and powerful, but his most impressive trait is his sinister pale skin. A presence that you simply can’t forget.
From Vecna, the scariest monster in Stranger Things, to Pennywise and Pale Man, cinema offered us some terrifying creatures to see. And many sleepless nights because of it. Which is your favorite? Leave us a comment!