It’s a common story that the reason Jaws (1975) was so terrifying was that the monster (“Bruce” the shark) wasn’t fully revealed until the end. In reality, the reason he doesn’t make any huge appearances for most of the film is because of technical difficulty. Nevertheless, Bruce’s absence proved massively effective not only in building suspense but in solidifying his almost-mythical presence in our imaginations. All movie monsters have the ability to do so, and the best way to kickstart that process is with a memorable reveal. This list (in no particular order) details some of the greatest monster reveals of all time, spanning not only horror, but other genres as well (because a monster is still a monster, no matter the genre). Spoilers ahead!
Clash of the Titans (1981)
The classic Greek tale of Perseus is definitely not a tale of horror. Still, the mythical monsters in the story are just as frightening as ones we’re familiar with today. I’m not talking about Medusa or the Kraken though (even if they are totally awesome creatures); we’re talking Charon, ferryman of the River Styx. In Clash of the Titans, Perseus needs to cross these waters to reach Medusa’s lair on a remote island in the Underworld. As the boat glides closer to Perseus and his crew, Charon appears as a hooded figure. What is cloaked underneath? A living skeleton, lifeless and terrifying. The quietness of the scene makes him all the more eerie, and it’s so well-done that we forget how awful the rest of the film’s 80s effects are.
Halloween (2018)
Oh boy, I’ll get right to it; in this scene, we see Michael Myers — after a 40-year hiatus — put his mask back on. That’s it. It’s so simple, but the implications of what is about to happen send shivers up our spines. It’s as if we’d seen an old friend! Michael has no doubt been killing people all this time up until this point, but it doesn’t feel as real until he puts the mask back on. That Shatner face essentially is Michael — they are one and the same, kindred spirits that belong together. And once he has the mask on, the movie truly starts, bringing in one of the most awesome single-shot killing sprees we’ve ever seen… but that’s for another tier list!
Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Cabin in the Woods is known to be one of the greatest meta horror comedies of the century, and rightfully so. There are so many monsters — and reveals — that we could honestly count all of them on a separate list. But one in particular sticks out as both the coolest, and funniest, reveal: The Merman. Half human and half fish, this abomination took a starring role as we were teased of its existence earlier in the film. As monsters escape into the lab, we’re treated with a hilariously ironic kill scene as operator Hadley is killed by his favorite monster in a gnarly, wet, blood fountain… appropriately sprayed through the merman’s blowhole. Eat your heart out Ariel.
Godzilla (2014)
Nothing quite holds a candle to the original 1954 flick, but 2014’s rendition is still a pretty good entry to the series. In the second half of the film, the titular Godzilla is engaged with a MUTO in a fight to the death in the middle of San Francisco’s downtown. Meanwhile, military Halo jumpers are flown in just above the battle. While this certainly isn’t the first appearance of Godzilla, this “reveal” scene is an awesome example of scale. Up until this point, we’ve gotten fleeting visuals of the kaiju as a whole, similar to Cloverfield’s monster. Seeing Godzilla fight a MUTO from a Halo jumper’s perspective — while flying through a thunderstorm cloud and dust from destroyed buildings — makes them seem a hell of a lot bigger than we realized. Godzilla towers over most of the buildings, and though the scene is overlaid with a choral piece, we can hear his roar as he opens his mouth.
Before our last pick, we want to give these movies a shoutout for amazing monster madness:
- Harold, the Pale Woman, the Jangly Man, Big Toe Corpse – Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
- Void creatures – The Void (2016)
- Wildlife – Annihilation (2018)
- Marrow creatures – Digging Up the Marrow (2014)
Haunt (2015)
Last but not least, we have Haunt. If you thought you were getting yet another “kids go to a murderous haunted house on Halloween” movie, you’d be mostly right. That is, until you get to the end. The main villains in Haunt are the haunted house’s staff, all dressed up as traditional monsters: a clown, a witch, a ghost, a demon. Under the masks are actually the same things, as these people are part of a cult and have mutilated themselves to match their spooky exteriors. As each mask comes off, we’re met with gruesome plastic surgery-esque faces that resemble what those masks would be in real life, and it’s not fun to look at. Only a crazy person would cut up their face to match a Halloween mask, and that makes Haunt both exciting and unsettling.
What are your top monster reveals? Let us know in the comments!
