10 Most Underrated Monster Movies, Ranked

From early cinema to the present, some of the most crowd-pleasing, wondrous films were from the monster genre. These bankable flicks put audiences in theaters and wowed them with their thrilling and incredible stories. With how popular these types of movies are, it might seem they are all memorable, beloved, and successful, but that wasn’t the case for many of them.

The following ten monster movies are some of the most exciting and unique in the genre’s history. Unfortunately, they weren’t that well praised or critically and financially successful when they first came out, but they are still quite enjoyable nonetheless. These are the monster movies not many audiences may have watched or did watch but didn’t like upon first viewing, but have since come around to them. Some were commercial flops, others almost forgotten, but fortunately, they all now seem to get the recognition they deserve. Here are ten underrated monster flicks you should see at least once.

10 ‘Leviathan’ (1989)

Directed by George P. Cosmatos

Starting this list is director George P. Cosmatos‘ 1989 underwater creature-feature film Leviathan, starring Peter Weller and Ernie Hudson. Set in the dark depths of the ocean floor, an undersea mining crew discovers a sunken Soviet shipwreck and searchs the vessel for its secrets. However, when they bring valuable items back, they accidentally unleash a terrifying mutated science experiment that quickly grows and starts absorbing the crew one by one.

This exciting deepsea horror flick is a lovely mix of campy sci-fi thrills and disgusting body horror. The actors are having a blast with the story, and, though they’re not too memorable, they each make their characters distinct and likable enough to get invested in their survival. While it wasn’t a critical hit, with many critics complaining it copied too many beats from Alien and The Thing, Leviathan is still an enjoyable creature feature that is anything but boring. It may not be the most original film, but it’s supported by a likable cast and awe-inspiring creature design created by the late effects artist Stan Winston.

9 ‘The Relic’ (1997)

Directed by Peter Hyams

Based on a best-selling novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, The Relic is a 1997 monster horror thriller directed by Peter Hyams. Set in the Chicago Field Museum, an evolutionary biologist and a police detective work together to kill a monster when a massive hybrid beast, shipped from the jungles of South America, begins eating the guests of a new exhibition on its opening night.

Dark, gory, and with the right amount of action, The Relic is a thrilling watch that any monster movie lover can get behind. Brought to life with impressive practical effects and CGI for wide shots, the monster shown in the film, The Kothoga, is a truly fascinating, one-of-a-kind creature designed by Stan Winston and his Studios. It’s a shame Hyams’ film doesn’t often get much recognition compared to some other monster flicks, perhaps due to its disappointing box office return and mixed reception at the time. Despite flying under most people’s radar, The Relic is a pulse-pounding film that keeps viewers entertained.

8 ‘Humanoids From the Deep’ (1980)

Directed by Barbara Peters

For B-movie excitement, one that doesn’t get much of a mention but is worth watching is Humanoids From the Deep, a 1980 eco-horror film directed by Barbara Peters. It sees a peaceful fishing community terrorized by depraved mutated sea creatures on a bloody rampage after escaping from a greedy company’s research lab.

Additionally, Humanoids From the Deep is a ridiculous shlock fest featuring goofy dialog, absurd science, weak acting, and disgustingly over-the-top, gory death scenes. However, it’s a campy good time that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Considering its small budget, there’s also some decent action and pretty impressive creature designs.Humanoids From the Deep isn’t a perfect monster movie, but at least it can be seen as cheesy fun.

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7 ‘Grabbers’ (2012)

Directed by Jon Wright

One of the funniest monster movies on this list is Grabbers, a 2012 Irish dark comedy directed by Jon Wright. When green lights fall into the ocean near a quiet Irish island community, the locals soon become under attack by massive tentacled aliens that have come to drink their blood. As their situation becomes dire, an alcoholic police officer and his resourceful partner realize the only way to battle these ferocious parasites is to repel them with a high blood alcohol content.

Grabbers is a wild, fun thrill ride full of action, comedy, and gross bits of gore. The cast does a phenomenal job making the characters rootable and downright hilarious, and they all add to the film’s comedic tone. The Grabbers are genuinely creepy but also incredibly funny, and their various sizes and designs are definitly unique. Though a financial flop, Grabbers has quickly garnered more recognition in the years since its release. It’ll make any monster lover burst out laughing and be entertained by its exciting plot.

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6 ‘Vampires’ (1998)

Directed by John Carpenter

From one of the best horror directors in the industry, John Carpenter, Vampires is a 1998 action horror western starring James Woods and Daniel Baldwin. After losing his parents at a young age due to vampires, professional vampire slayer Jack Crow (Woods) travels across the US, along with his crew, hunting down every bloodsucker in sight. But when an ancient master vampire threatens to take over the world, Jack must race against time to stop this formidable adversary before he can get his hands on a powerful holy relic.

This high-octane, action-packed monster flick is a must-watch for anyone ever fascinated with vampires. It has a remarkable cast, each of which makes their characters memorable, and it’s all elevated by the talented James Woods, who gave one of the most riveting performances of his career. Vampires was a modest hit at the box office with mixed reactions, but like most of John Caprenter’s films, it’s since garnered cult status and gets more exciting with every watch.

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5 ‘The Faculty’ (1998)

Directed by Robert Rodriguez

The Faculty is a 1998 sci-fi horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez and screenplayed by Scream‘s writer Kevin Williamson. A ’90s teen homage to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the story follows several Midwest high school students as they slowly realize their school has become the epicenter of an invasion by a mind-controlling alien hive.

Featuring Williamson’s unique blend of satirical humor, The Faculty is a meta film with the right mix of horror and comedy. Like Scream, it features several relatable teens using their love for movies and pop culture to fight against a terrifying threat. The aliens in the film are quite horrifying, as their way of attacking and taking over other people’s minds is truly nightmarish. Plus, the design for the alien queen is both stunning and intimidating. Though a commercial hit, The Faculty often isn’t brought up as much as some others of its genre but has since become a beloved cult classic.

4 ‘Deep Rising’ (1998)

Directed by Stephen Sommers

One year before thrilling audiences with his 1999 adventure smash hit The Mummy, director Stephen Sommers released Deep Rising, a high-seas action horror film starring the late Treat Williams and Famke Janssen. As part of an insurance scam, a greedy shipowner sabotages and leaves his luxury cruise liner dead in the middle of the ocean to be plundered and sunk by a hired team of mercenaries. However, things don’t go as planned as a colossal, bloodthirsty sea monster rises from the depths.

This action-packed thrill ride is an underappreciated gem that doesn’t get as much love as it should. It’s pulse-pounding and intense, featuring thrilling shoot-outs,explosions, and some truly gory and stunning practical effects. While, unfortunately, some of the generic characters and fake-looking CGI creature effects drag the film down a bit, Deep Rising‘s positive moments far outweigh the bad, and it makes for a fascinating monster movie-watching experience. Though a critical and commercial flop upon release, it’s since slowly garnered more recognition for how fun it truly is.

3 ‘The Void’ (2016)

Directed by Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski

For cosmic terror, look no further than The Void, a 2016 monster horror thriller directed by Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski. The film is about a sheriff’s deputy, Daniel Carter (Aaron Poole), who, after bringing an injured man to a mostly abandoned hospital one night, soon battles for survival when the building comes under attack by mysterious hooded cultists and all sorts of hideous, horrifying creatures.

The Void is an outstanding film to look at. From creative sets to impressive practical effects, it can wow any monster lover with its many creative and stunningly gross creature designs. It’s astonishing that The Void didn’t get much recognition in the mainstream upon release, but with time, it has since become a revered cult classic that continues to amaze and terrify fans with its impressive visuals.

2 ‘The Monster Squad’ (1987)

Directed by Fred Dekker

One of the cheesiest, feel-good horror comedies of the 1980s is director Fred Dekker‘s hilarious cult classic The Monster Squad. A darkly comedic homage to the classic Universal monster movies from the ’30s and ’40s, its story follows a small group of young horror fanatics who use their movie knowledge to stop a gang of famous monsters, led by Count Dracula (Duncan Regehr), from attacking their small town.

Initially a box office bomb and a mixed reception with critics, The Monster Squad has garnered a much-deserved fan base for its hilarious comedy and exciting thrills over the years. It pays tribute to the monster films that came before it and has fun bringing all these classic creatures all together in one movie. It might seem pretty clichéd and even dated today, but these have only enhanced The Monster Squad‘s entertainment value, and it keeps getting more enjoyable with every watch.

1 ‘Gremlins 2: The New Batch’ (1990)

Directed by Joe Dante

Here at number one is Gremlins 2: The New Batch, directed by the great Joe Dante. A wild, hilarious monster comedy arguably superior to the first film, it follows the previous movie’s heroes, Billy (Zach Galligan) and Kate (Phoebe Cates), as they again have to stop the gremlins after the mischievous little devils take over a New York high-rise.

A sequel that dares to be different, Gremlins 2 embraces the absurdity of its premise and goes all out with its humor. There are more jokes and even a shift toward meta-humor, which hilariously lets the audience know the movie isn’t afraid to make fun of itself. It’s perhaps this tonal shift and deviation from the horror elements of the original that disconnected fans of Gremlins, resulting in this one’s disappointing box office return. But despite the initial failure, Gremlins 2 has since come around to become a highly beloved cult film. It’s a ridiculously entertaining monster movie that gets better with age.

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