Top 10 Scariest Movie Monsters

So often, the perfect ingredient in a good (typically cheesy) horror movie is a fantastically monstrous beast on the prowl for blood.

This list compiles the best scary movie monsters ever to terrorize teens on the screen.

The Top Ten

The Xenomorph (Alien)

The Alien, also known as a Xenomorph XX121 or Internecivus raptus, is a fictional extraterrestrial species that serves as a primary antagonist in the Alien film series. First introduced in Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien, the Xenomorph is known for its terrifying life cycle and acidic blood. The creature... read more

The Alien franchise has held itself together pretty well, if you excuse the 3rd and 4th movies, in terms of remaining popular all these years. The first movie came out in 1979.
You can probably give thanks to this freaky-looking thing for the series' success. He's big, he's black, he's bony, he's big-headed, he's double-mouthed, and he's absolutely disgusting to look at. That's what makes him beautifully scary.

If I watch the movie, I would have been having nightmares because I have xenophobia.

They mostly come out at night. Mostly.
Pale Man (Pan’s Labyrinth)

Guillermo del Toro's disturbing fantasy film, Pan's Labyrinth (2006), will likely go down in history as one of the great fantasy movies of its generation - for the practical effects alone.
What truly stands out among the amazing visuals is the "Pale Man." Honestly, it is his scene that steals the show. We watch as the blind creature, who has no eye sockets, picks up a pair of eyeballs and places them within sockets that he has in the center of his hands. He then positions his hands over his face so that he can look around. I am shivering typing this. It creeps me out so much. Honestly, it's gross, but it's awesome.

Guillermo del Toro's 2006 disturbing fantasy film, Pan's Labyrinth, will likely go down in history as a classic for its special effects alone. It features brilliant set pieces, an interesting story, wonderful makeup effects, and this thing.
Easily the most memorable moment in the entire film is the "Pale Man," who doesn't have eye sockets. Instead, he picks up two eyeballs and places them in sockets located at the center of each palm. Then, he uses them to look around.
I'm shivering right now, typing this. He's petrifyingly scary. Enough said.
The Thing (The Thing)

I am referring to the title character that is featured in John Carpenter's 1982 film and its 2011 prequel. It doesn't really have a solidified appearance that we know of since it is basically only ever seen in the form of some other living creature.
But when it starts to transform, yuck! This nasty little piece of work deserves top marks for being equal parts nasty, badass, and horrifying.

I can't even explain how creepy this guy is. It's a good thing he's not real.

The scariest thing about The Thing is that it could be anyone.
Count Orlok (Nosferatu)

An almost forgotten classic character from the silent film era, Count Orlok remains one of the most frightening-looking monsters and is easily the most frightening vampire ever to grace the big screen.
Many people around my age will probably recognize him from appearing briefly in the SpongeBob SquarePants season 2 episode Graveyard Shift. He appears briefly at the very end of the episode. Take one good look at him and tell me he's not terrifying.

Yes, this is scary. I saw the episode Graveyard Shift. So funny, and it came back in Night Patty, so creepy and weird. I loved it.
Frankenstein's Monster (Frankenstein)

Frankenstein's Monster, often mistakenly called "Frankenstein," is a fictional character created by Mary Shelley in her 1818 novel Frankenstein. The creature is brought to life by the scientist Victor Frankenstein using unorthodox scientific methods. Over time, the monster has become a pop culture icon... read more

At the foundation of this list is the undeniable king of scary movie monsters, Ol' Franky. Throughout the many adaptations of Mary Shelley's brilliantly creepy tale, one incarnation stands out.
This monster would likely have never reached the peak of its popularity if not for Boris Karloff's iconic portrayal of the big green brute. He manages to remain unsettling and disturbing to this day, some 80+ years later.
Pennywise the Clown (It)

It (sometimes capitalized as IT), more commonly known as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, is the main antagonist of Stephen King's novel It, as well as its 1990 television miniseries and the 2017 film adaptation. It is a shapeshifting and ancient malevolent entity that is millions, possibly billions, of... read more
Candyman (Candyman)

Daniel Robitaille, colloquially known as Candyman, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Candyman film series. The character originated in Clive Barker's 1985 short story The Forbidden. In the film series, he is depicted as an African-American man who was brutally murdered in the 19th... read more
Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street)

Fred "Freddy" Krueger is the primary antagonist in the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series. He first appeared in the original film, directed by Wes Craven, in 1984. Freddy is known for his burned face, red-and-green striped sweater, and glove with razor-sharp blades.

Freddy Krueger is my personal favorite. A Nightmare on Elm Street is my favorite movie.
Jaws (Jaws)

Bruce is the fictional great white shark featured in Peter Benchley's 1974 novel Jaws. The shark was brought to life in the 1975 film adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg. The mechanical sharks used in the movie were nicknamed Bruce by the production team.

While a shark is as real as you and I, this shark is undeniably a monster! He doesn't stop coming. He doesn't seem to feel pain, and seeing the world through his eyes makes the human protagonists seem like insignificant insects awaiting execution from a man-eating killing machine. And that's terrifying.

Dude, it's a shark. It's not that scary.

It seems so real. It lurks in the deep, dark waters like real sharks. It comes close and looks scary.
Dracula (Dracula, 1931)

Dracula is a vampire. So, he is scary.

The Newcomers

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Grievers (The Maze Runner)
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Gmork (The NeverEnding Story)

The Contenders

The Predator (Predator)

The Predator is a fictional extraterrestrial species featured in the Predator science fiction franchise, characterized by its trophy hunting of other species for sport. The franchise began with the 1987 film Predator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and has since expanded to include multiple sequels, crossovers... read more

Any monster that can take out Arnold's entire team of strong men, and almost Arnold himself, is a darn good monster!
Godzilla (Godzilla)

Godzilla is a giant monster originating from a series of Japanese tokusatsu films that began with the 1954 film Godzilla, produced by Toho. Over the decades, the character has appeared in numerous films, television shows, comic books, and video games. Godzilla is widely regarded as a cultural icon and... read more
Neomorph (Alien: Covenant)
Brundlefly (The Fly)

In David Cronenberg's 1986 loose remake of the classic 1957 film The Fly, Jeff Goldblum spends almost the entire film slowly turning into a half-man/half-fly hybrid creature that he himself refers to as the "Brundlefly" (his character's name is Seth Brundle).
I won't go into too much detail as to what happened to start this horrid transformation, but once the finished result appears on-screen, it's safe to say that it's nothing short of an abomination. I have a hard time watching it now without chuckling slightly to myself, but I definitely feel this monstrous fly-man deserves to be on this list.
The Wolf Man (The Wolf Man, 1942)
Zombies (Night of the Living Dead)
Velociraptors (Jurassic Park)
King Kong (King Kong)

King Kong is a giant ape-like monster that first appeared in the 1933 film King Kong. The character quickly became a cultural icon and has been featured in various films, television shows, and merchandise. The original film was widely acclaimed during its initial release and continues to be celebrated... read more
The Babadook (The Babadook)

If this thing doesn't give you shivers, then you are a special person.
Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th)

Jason Voorhees is a fictional character from the Friday the 13th horror film series. He first appeared in the original 1980 movie as the young son of the killer, Mrs. Voorhees. Over the course of the series, Jason became the central antagonist, known for wearing a hockey mask.
Valak (The Conjuring 2)

The hallway scene, enough said.
Pumpkinhead (Pumpkinhead)
Pazuzu (The Exorcist)

Pazuzu is a fictional demon character and the primary antagonist in The Exorcist novel written by William Peter Blatty and the subsequent film series. The character is inspired by an ancient Mesopotamian demon associated with wind and storms. Pazuzu is most famously known for possessing Regan MacNeil... read more
Dementors (Harry Potter)
Clover (Cloverfield)

Matt Reeves's Cloverfield (2008) was a refreshing return to monster movie form during a decade when these types of movies didn't really exist. We had remakes of Godzilla and King Kong in 1998 and 2005, respectively, but both used pre-established monsters, while Clover was something new and unseen. The best thing about it was its mysterious nature. It never really clearly showed its face over the course of the movie, although we got a good look at him once, and that was plenty enough. I always say that the scariest things in life are the things you don't really see.