12 Creature Features That Changed Pop Culture Forever

Movies that make you think, "Wow, that thing would kill me!"

1. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Universal-International

Black Lagoon's Gill-man continues to be a pop culture icon, despite every planned remake over the decades since being cancelled for one reason or another. Watching this movie as a child partially inspired Guillermo del Toro to write The Shape of Water. 

2. Godzilla (1954)

Toho

Godzilla obviously needs no introduction, and is still hailed as one of the best monster films of all time. Godzilla, or ゴジラ "Gojira," popularized the kaiju film genre in Japan, where gigantic creatures (created using impressive practical effects) serve as metaphors for fears of the era, in this case, nuclear holocaust. 

3. The Fly (1958)

20th Century Fox

Full of era-appropriate fears of the perils of science, The Fly follows a scientist whose atoms get combined with that of a housefly in an experiment gone terribly wrong.

4. The Birds (1963)

Universal-International

This Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece still delights and frightens audiences to this day. Hitchcock chose not to do a traditional score for this film, instead making use of an electronic musical instrument to create bird sounds and other sound effects. My dad is still afraid of birds after watching this when he was young.

5. Jaws (1975)

Universal

A rare creature feature that was also a Best Picture nominee, Spielberg's famous high concept shark tale is well remembered for its iconic soundtrack as well as being one of the first ever "summer blockbusters."

6. Alien (1979)

20th Century Fox

Ridley Scott's smash hit opened to middling reviews, but has since been regarded as one of the most culturally impactful horror movies of all time. Alien launched the stardom of Sigourney Weaver as well as several successful sequels, prequels, and crossover films.

7. Tremors (1990)

Universal

Tremors explores and even pokes fun at many of the tropes of early monster films. Though not a box office hit, this horror-comedy led by a charismatic Kevin Bacon stands up to the test of time and remains a very fun watch. 

8. Snakes on a Plane (2006)

New Line Cinema

In the early Wild West of meme culture, never before had a film garnered so much excitement and online buzz before it even released like Snakes on a Plane. Even in 2023, the line "I have had it with these..." (you know the rest) lives in our minds rent free.

9. Splice (2009)

Gaumont

Full of disturbing twists and turns, Splice follows the growth of Dren, a half-human half-animal creature created by genetic engineer and married couple Clive and Elsa. The film is still remembered for its shocking sex scenes and eerie, ambiguous ending.

10. Piranha 3D (2010)

The Weinstein Company

Ah, Piranha 3D. What a moment in time, right? This horror comedy led by Elisabeth Shue and Adam Scott really hit at the right moment when both 3D movies and insanely campy parodies were in vogue. This movie bravely asked, why not both? 

11. Pacific Rim (2013)

Warner Bros.

Guillermo del Toro's loving homage to kaiju, mecha, and other staples of Japanese media went on to become his most successful film of all time. The impressive international ensemble and stylistic action sequences earned this film a large dedicated fanbase, particularly from fans of anime and manga. 

12. The Babadook (2014)

Umbrella Entertainment

Australian filmmaker Jennifer Kent's Sundance debut became yet another internet sensation upon its release, particularly among queer fans who identified him as a "gay icon" thanks to his flamboyant and dramatic persona.

If you love creature features, be sure to catch The Black Demon, now playing in theaters!

The Avenue, BuzzFeed Studios

The Black Demon was produced in association with BuzzFeed Studios.