Spoilers ahead. These are the most terrifying cinematic creations of 2021.
Movie monsters are the byproduct of collective phobias and admirably screwed-up imaginations. The inherent fear of the unknown often leads filmmakers to dive into the recesses of their subconscious to fill in the blanks. Whether it be a manifestation of past traumas, an allegory for the times, or simply a hideous design, movie monsters continue to live rent-free in the minds of the creator and the viewer, alike.
In anticipation of upcoming 2022 releases such as Jordan Peele's Nope and Dan Trachtenberg's "Predator" reboot Prey, the following list recalls the freakiest creatures of the past year. From modern interpretations of myth and folklore to literal cancer, these are the scariest movie monsters of 2021.
Godzilla (Godzilla Vs Kong)
The iconic force of nature holds his title as the "king of monsters" through the breathtaking use of CGI and keyframe animation. Although other incarnations such as Shin Godzilla and GMK have portrayed the titan as more sinister and uncompromising, the Monsterverse-Zilla has a frightening photorealistic quality supplemented by its animalistic behaviors.
Komodo dragons and bears were modeled for their ferocious combat techniques. Alligators and whales were studied to believably depict the massive lizard's amphibious qualities according to Scanline VFX Supervisor, Bryan Hirota, in a visual effects breakdown by 3dtotal Publishing. As the kaiju maneuvers through water, its trenchant dorsal fins emerge at the surface, invoking a genuine sense of peril.
Valentine (Army of the Dead)
While Zack Snyder's zombie crime-thriller, Army of the Dead, may not have been the most successful heist, it did offer some wild imagery. Case in point: the zombified Vegas tiger named "Valentine". It was revealed at Justice Con that VFX supervisor Marcus Taormina modeled Valentine after the real-life Sapphire, a tiger at Carole Baskin's Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida.
With her blood-stained fur and rotting flesh, exposing bits of skull and viscera, Valentine is proof that the only thing more formidable than a feral animal is one reanimated by a virus. Her already impressive strength and reflexes are enhanced; exemplified in a scene in which the apex predator brutally mauls the head of security before crushing his head between her jaws.
Ītzpāpālōtl (No One Gets Out Alive)
An immigrant in search of the American dream is confronted with an Aztec nightmare in the underrated horror drama No One Gets Out Alive. The film's sociopolitical themes are, indeed, disquieting, but the supernatural presence that appears in the final third is a uniquely disturbing entity.
Keith Thompson, the creature designer behind the behemoth of The Ritual, reconceptualizes the unsettling and abstract nature of the mythical goddess, Ītzpāpālōtl, also known as the "obsidian butterfly". Feeding on their trauma, the deity ritualistically devours its poor unwilling sacrifices. With its gaping jaws, disproportionate limbs, and draping weathered skin, the appearance of the mothlike legend is hard to describe yet nearly impossible to eradicate from the mind.
Ram Man (Lamb)
Parenthood is a blessing, a curse, and a herd of absurdity in this dark Icelandic fable. When a strange, young human-sheep hybrid is bestowed upon a lonely married couple living on a farm, parental instincts and past secrets begin to surface. Nothing can prepare them, however, for a paternal rage that preys from beyond the wilderness.
Both the wintry, isolated setting and the handful of convincing performances (from humans and animals, alike) create a foreboding sense of trepidation. Lurking amidst the snow-covered countryside, the mystifying entity is hinted at being the biological father of the aforementioned "lam-brid" although it is open for interpretation. A24's Lamb concludes with a shocking act of revenge that serves as a chilling reminder to not disrupt the natural order.
Starro (The Suicide Squad)
If the sheer size of this colorful cosmic starfish doesn't generate terror at first glance, its asexual abilities are sure to permeate feelings of dread. Unleashing its arsenal of parasitic spores, the villain of James Gunn's The Suicide Squad exhibits its unnerving method of mind-control over the civilians of Corto Maltese.
With his filmmaking style firmly rooted in Troma, Gunn masterfully balances the ridiculous with the reprehensible. Once a human becomes a host, the transformation is irreversible, for a gruesome moment of body horror reveals what happens if the face-hugger is removed. Even more revealing are the villain's tragic final words that hint at a far more sentient being capable of existential reflection.
Sandworm (Dune)
The unthinkable was achieved when Dennis Villeneuve adapted Frank Herbert's Nebula-winning sci-fi classic Dune. Incorporating the use of scale that made the heptapods of Arrival, as well as the spiders of Enemy, feel imposingly lifelike, director Villeneuve and VFX production supervisor Paul Lambert (Blade Runner 2049) conveyed the sand-dwelling monstrosity with stunning realism.
The rasping mouth of this fearsome beast, coated with comb-like baleen plates, was heavily inspired by whales and lamprey. Special attention was not only given to the appearance of the worm but also the movement and the action surrounding the worm. It produces massive quakes that force rippling wakes of sand to scatter across the desert floor as it burrows beneath the terrain. The attentive detail of its destructive aftermath results in a world that truly feels lived in.
Subject 99 (V/H/S/94)
From the twisted mind behind the infamous segment Safe Haven, director Timo Tjahanto returns to the V/H/S series with a zany experiment concocted to quench the audience's thirst for blood. In Subject 99, a mad scientist kidnaps innocent citizens of Indonesia and mutilates them into horrific mechanized hybrids such as a human head with the cybernetic anatomy of an arachnid. The deranged anthological short erupts into a frenzy of action-horror chaos as the post-human guinea pigs are pit against a team of armored police officers.
The FPS-style point-of-view is an inspired narrative framing device that insidiously wraps into the sinister plot like tape winding around the drum of a videocassette. The segment is filmed through the POV of a woman referred to as "Subject 99", disfigured into a half-human half-camcorder. Amidst the carnage, she catches a devastating glimpse of her reflection, cleverly mirroring the desensitized audience.
Gabriel (Malignant)
When discussing the film Malignant and the mysterious antagonist at its core, the term most often used is "bonkers". Fair assessment. James Wan's modern take on the Giallo is so unabashedly over-the-top that the only logical response is nervous bouts of laughter.
A paranormal element is teased throughout as the protagonist, Madison, discovers a "link" between her and a vicious murderer by the name of Gabriel. However, in a head-splitting third-act reveal, Gabriel turns out to be a teratoma tumor that shares a brain and spinal cord with Madison. Gabriel creepily contorts his back and appendages when taking full control of Madison's physiology. With its unsettling movements, the surprisingly acrobatic killer slaughters an entire prison cell in a sequence that is guaranteed to leave jaws unhinged.
Raatma (V/H/S/94)
The macabre creature feature, "Storm Drain," featured in the latest installment of the popular horror anthology series V/H/S will have some viewers scurrying like a rat out of hell. Others will be hailing Raatma as they gaze upon the humanoid rodent with disgust and glee.
The hair-raising monster was conceived by Keith Thompson (No One Gets Out Alive) and spawned into the sewers by VFX artist Patrick Magee. With its beady eyes, elongated skull, and freakishly wide grin, the mortifying yet mesmerizing practical design is hard to look away from. And if being a goo-spewing alabaster nightmare wasn't malicious enough, Raatma comes complete with a devoted religious cult.
Wendigo (Antlers)
Tragedy consumes a small town in Oregon when the closing of a mine largely impacts its citizens, especially for young Lucas, his brother, and their meth-cooking father. Antlers, from director Scott Cooper and Guillermo del Toro, is a harrowing horror drama that explores the theme of domestic abuse, showing how far some are willing to go in the name of family.
Grief takes the form of a ravenous supernatural entity based on the "Wendigo," a malevolent North American spirit that satiates its hunger by possessing the greedy. From the grotesque makeup effects utilized during the horned legend's gradual transformation to the terrifying blend of animatronics and CGI used to create the final evolution, the monster at the center of this atmospheric chiller is the eeriest of the year. The image of daddy's face hanging from the Wendigo's skull like a "loose skin mask" will permanently sear into the brain.
