With the release of Crawl this weekend bringing some Alligator carnage to the big screen, I decided to take a look back at some of the scariest killer animals in movies. Here are my personal favorites:
The Bear – Annihilation
Annihilation flew under the radar last year as one of the best sci-fi films of recent years. Weird, and horrifically whimsical, Annihilation graced audiences with one of the most horrifying sequences of animal savagery in recent memory. A partially decomposed and genetically mutated bear, who’s roar blends a traditional bear growl with the screams of it’s victims is just as disturbing as you would imagine (and makes for possibly the scariest movie scene in the last decade or so).
Scariest Moment: All tied up
Velociraptors – Jurassic Park / The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Before they were inexplicably turned into 6ft tall glorified dogs (among other dumb things in the Jurassic World half of the franchise), Velociraptors were striking pure terror into the visitors of Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna. Imposing, deadly and devilishly clever, the velociraptors landed a spot as an iconic cinematic killer animal. An argument could also be made for the T-Rex, but due to some late heroics, the Raptors take this one.
Did you really think I’d keep JP off of a list like this?
Scariest Moment: “…I think we’re back in business.”
Wolves – The Grey
I have said for a while now that The Grey is a horribly underrated film, and the bloodthirsty wolves stalking Liam Neeson & Co. throughout the film are chill inducing. Large, aggressive, and working as a team, the Wolves in The Grey are animals that nobody would want to run into in the wilderness. The fact that they stay out of sight for the vast majority of the film also adds to the fear factor.
Plus any creature giving Liam Neeson a true challenge deserves notoriety
Scariest Moment: fireside standoff
Birds – Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds
You can’t beat a classic. Although dated, The Birds is still horrifying. Spine chilling squawks, pure aggression, and sheer numbers make these feathery monsters induce paranoia in most people that step outside after watching this film. The Birds takes animals that would otherwise go unnoticed in our everyday lives, and puts them at the forefront of our nightmares.
Scariest Moment: The phone booth
Great White Shark (AKA Bruce) – Jaws
What list of killer animals would be complete without the giant Great White that terrorized Amity? Lurking just off the beach and swallowing creepy sailors whole, I don’t need to say much as to why Jaws himself caps off this list. Gigantic, restless, and hungry, it’s completely justified that this Great White kept an entire generation out of the ocean.
Scariest Moment: The pond
FlickFix 