The Best Sea Monster Movies, Ranked

Summary

• Sea monster movies tap into the fear of the unknown depths, offering a mix of horror and entertainment that resonates with audiences.
• Films like “The Shape of Water” and “Godzilla” bring sea monsters to life with emotional stories that elevate the genre to new heights.
• From classic creature features to modern horrors, sea monster movies continue to captivate and terrify viewers with their imaginative tales.

As much as the ocean is a popular tourist destination, the best sea monster movies have caused anxiety about going into unfamiliar waters. Just as the vastness of space has given way to countless fictional stories about possible terrors up there, the unknown depths of the world’s oceans offer tales of aquatic mystery. Though the topic of sea monsters has given the world a seemingly endless amount of schlock, there have been several cinematic riffs on the formula, mostly in the horror genre, but not always.

There has always been something terrifying about the possibility of creatures lurking below the surface, and these movies capitalize on that shared fear. Some tell more grounded stories, while others embrace the campiness of the horror subgenre. The wide variety of aquatic creature features of this kind shows just how much these stories resonate and entertain people. From Best Picture Oscar winners to enduring B-Movie classics, the best sea monster movies stand out for both the monsters themselves and the world in which they live.

20 Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Toho Revives Godzilla

There have been a lot of Godzilla movies released over the years. The American versions finally picked up steam with the MonsterVerse, but many fans prefer the Japanese movies. But no matter what kind of Godzilla enthusiast a viewer may be, the fandom’s world was rocked in 2023 when Toho released its latest version of Godzilla in the new movie, Godzilla Minus One. This film does several things right, but the most important is that it makes the sea monster scary once again.

The best thing about
Godzilla Minus One
is that it makes the humans mean something as well.

Godzilla is a force of nature here. He isn’t trying to save Japan from other monsters nor is he making connections with humans and finding some sort of soul. This Godzilla is a rampaging beast who destroys everything in his path and can’t be stopped. The best thing about Godzilla Minus One is that it makes the humans mean something as well, as it is one of the rare movies where viewers actually feel for the people rather than just wanting to see the monster destroy everything.

19 Pacific Rim (2013)

Giant Robots Versus Underwater Kaijus

Guillermo Del Toro has become a master at making art that geek fans love and doing it in a way that pays homage to his love of melodrama, fairy tales, and classic horror monsters. Here, Del Toro appeals to monster movie nerds tenfold and throwsgiant mech robots together with giant kaiju sea monsters rising from the bottom of the ocean in an epic battle. The movie sees humans controlling the robots, but the battle with the kaiju seems to be one that they can’t win.

There was a sequel that arrived to lackluster reviews, but this original movie delivers what fans wanted to see — giant robots punching and shooting giant kaiju, and vice versa. There are some solid human actions and drama as well, but even in a movie by Del Toro, who wants to make things as well-rounded and fulfilling as possible, it is all about visceral action. For movies about sea monsters and giant robots, Pacific Rim delivers everything a fan could want.

18 Deep Blue Sea

Genetically Engineered Sharks

There are a lot of shark attack movies, but those are about animals in the oceans, and they are not technically “monsters.” However, that is not the case with Deep Blue Sea. These sharks are not regular beasts swimming in the waters and protecting their homes. The sharks in this movie are genetically engineered, which gives them increased intelligence, super strength and speed, and the ability to hunt and kill humans with relentless precision.

The story is silly, as a scientist (Saffron Burrows) has genetically engineered these killing machines in an attempt to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease. However, everything goes wrong when the sharks decide they are tired of the experiments and want to kill everyone aboard the water research station. There is also the “tough guy” (Thomas Jane), a shocking and crowd-pleasing death (Samuel L. Jackson), and a chef who wants revenge for his dead parrot (LL Cool J).

17 The Meg (2018)

A Megalodon Rises From The Deep

Sharks tend to get a bad rap within the movie world despite generally being standoffish creatures. However, the giant prehistoric shark in The Meg would turn off even the staunchest shark defenders. The movie stars Jason Statham as a deep sea diver who faces off with the megalodon shark, one of the largest predators in existence that was slumbering deep in the ocean’s depths.

Though shark movies generally follow a human-vs-the-wild story, The Meg is truly a monster movie. The shark is impossibly large and can destroy an entire ship if it feels angry enough. It is also a fun action movie, with Statham fighting the megalodon one-on-one in the finale. The Meg: The Trench continued the story in 2023, turning this into a new sea monster movie franchise by adding more Megs, prehistoric dino-creatures, and a giant octopus, all attacking a small island.

16 The Sea Beast (2022)

An Animated Movie Based On A Legendary Beast

The Oscar-nominated animated adventure The Sea Beast delightfully throws the concept of sea monsters on its head by suggesting the creatures people fear are just animals trying to exist. The Netflix original movie follows a veteran sea monster hunter on the trail of Red Bluster, a legendary destructive beast, before finding a young stowaway. They then discover the unseen side of these creatures. With most sea monster movies focusing on horror, this refreshing take still delivers great monster action.

The animation in this movie is top-notch, with similar techniques used in the Spider-Verse movies used here. The reviews were overwhelmingly positive, with the movie sitting at 94% positive on Rotten Tomatoes. On top of the Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, it also picked up six Annie Awards nominations and four nominations from the Visual Effects Society Awards.

15 Leviathan (1989)

A Mutated Aquatic Monster Is Discovered By A Submarine

RoboCop‘s Peter Weller stars in 1989’s Leviathan as a geologist overseeing a mining operation that discovers a scuttled Soviet sub at the bottom of the sea, where they discover a safe containing information about the ship’s crew as well as a deadly infection. That infection begins to kill and mutate the staff of the mining facility, using their bodies to transform into a horrifying giant aquatic monster that becomes known as homo aquaticus, as it earned a spot in cinematic history.

It is an unforgettable creature design and one of the most grotesque cinematic creatures to emerge from the ocean

Though the movie itself seems to have faded from relevancy, it is an unforgettable creature design and one of the most grotesque cinematic creatures to emerge from the ocean depths. It’s the perfect example of a sea monster movie that isn’t widely known to those who aren’t fans of the subgenre but is highly enjoyable for those who are. For horror movie fans, there is a lot to love about this monster classic.

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14 Deep Rising (1998)

A Giant Tentacled Sea Creature Of Unknown Origin

1998’s Deep Rising follows a team of jewel thieves as they attempt to infiltrate a luxury gambling cruise ship only to discover it has already been attacked by strange tentacle-like monsters that begin devouring the survivors. As they make their way through the ship on the hunt for their big score while attempting to survive the beast, they learn the tentacles are all a part of the giant Octalus, which was nesting in the ship as it fed on the crew and gamblers after attacking and disabling it.

It is a clever way of hiding the monster to have its sentient tentacles appear to be a threat for most of the movie, only to reveal they are attached to a gigantic monster at the end. The movie was a box office failure with a few familiar faces (Famke Janssen, Djimon Hounsou, Jason Flemyng), but it has since become a cult classic for fans of monster movies.

13 Cloverfield (2008)

A Creature From A Deep Sea Incident Attacks The Surface World

While the found-footage horror Cloverfield takes place in Manhattan as a giant and mysterious monster attacks it, the “Clover” is revealed to have started its attack after exiting the ocean. During the film’s promotion, an alternate reality game was launched that teased the monster’s origins through the revelation of a deep-sea drilling accident that awakened it. The movie only glimpses the monster as the characters run, yet it makes for a memorable monster to kick off the Cloverfield universe.

It sits at 78% on Rotten Tomatoes and is compared to
The Blair Witch Project
meeting
Godzilla
.

While the original film itself didn’t reveal its status as a sea monster movie, its status as one after the fact makes it one of the most successful in the genre. It was a huge success, making $172.4 million on a $25 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). It also received mostly positive reviews, sitting at 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, and is often described as The Blair Witch Project meets Godzilla.

12 Godzilla (2014)

A World War II Era Atomic Sea Monster

The giant atomic lizard first appeared in 1954’s Godzilla before the legendary kaiju achieved mega-stardom and appeared in 30+ movies over the years that further cemented the sea monster’s cinematic legacy. While Godzilla has appeared as a villain against humanity, he is also seen as Earth’s protector against other kaiju — including other sea monsters. 2014’s Godzilla kicked off the new MonsterVerse that eventually pits the sea monster against a giant ape in Godzilla vs. Kong.

This movie wasn’t Hollywood’s first time trying to make a Godzilla movie, but the last attempt failed with Roland Emmerich’s 1990s version. This time, things worked out better, with great visual effects and a story featuring some exciting humans and a new mythology for the sea monster. It worked out so well that it spawned several sequels and a TV series on Apple TV+ exploring Godzilla’s past.

11 The Host (2006)

A Mutated Sea Creature Rises In South Korea

Before winning an Oscar for his Korean drama Parasite, Bong Joon-Ho’s 2006 monster movieThe Host explores the consequences of the U.S. Military’s disposal of toxic waste in Seoul’s Han River, which mutates an aquatic lifeform into the monstrous Gwoemul, the original name of the South Korean film. The Gwoemul attacks the citizens of Seoul and kidnaps a small child after unleashing an infectious disease on the city.

The first scene of the Gwoemul attacking the on-lookers cements it as a brilliant 21st-century movie sea monster.

This plot point further highlights the dangers of the illegal disposal of toxic waste that has led to the creation of far too many dangerous sea monsters over the years. The first scene of the Gwoemul attacking the on-lookers cements it as a brilliant 21st-century movie monster, capturing the feeling of an animal causing chaos without reason. However, what makes the movie special is the family trying to survive, as they are more than just canon fodder for a sea monster; they are characters viewers want to see make it to the end.

10 Underwater (2020)

A Deep Sea Creature Based On Cthulhu

After sitting on the shelf for a couple of years before finally getting an early January 2020 release, Underwater seemed destined to fly under the radar. Though the Kristen Stewart-led thriller has the inescapable feel of being sewn together from elements of sci-fi thrillers past, a handful of inspired sequences stand out and make for some fantastic sea monster moments. The movie takes place in the future (2050) with a research team exploring the ocean.

The most unforgettable of those sequences is the Lovecraftian finale, whichgives viewers a high-budget rendition of the iconic Cthulhu. This ending offered something that most fans watching the movie never expected, as the Cthulhu remains the most iconic of all sea monsters. Having it arrive here to cause havoc was a perfect ending to an otherwise decent horror survival movie.

9 Lake Placid (1999)

Giant Mutated Crocodile On The Hunt

Lake Placid is a blend of comedy and creature features, and it is a lot of fun to watch, the definition of a guilty pleasure. Bill Pullman, Oliver Platt, and Bridget Fonda lead a team of scientists trying to defeat a giant crocodile who can’t stop eating cows. It’s silly, but Betty White’s supporting turn as a local who quips her way around the film helps make it an enduring romp that delivers something a little off-kilter.

The practical effects used to create the crocodilealso help elevate the movie as a beloved creature feature. What really makes the movie stand out is the humor (especially from the foul-mouthed White) and the main cast taking things way too seriously. These moments helped elevate this from a forgettable B-grade monster movie into a true cult classic that picked up several sequels (none of which were anywhere as good as the original).

8 Sea Fever (2020)

A Parasite Rises From The Deep

This Irish indie sea monster movie is the debut of director Neasa Hardiman. Relying on atmosphere and mounting suspense over special effects and set pieces, Sea Fever is a claustrophobic ‘parasite from the deep’ tale. After a trepidacious biologist joins the crew of a fishing vessel, the ship’s captain veers them into forbidden territory. What follows is a brilliantly written nightmare with at least two scenes guaranteed to make anyone’s skin crawl.

A film with cult potential, Sea Fever marks a great showing of potential for its debut director. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019 and arrived as a VOD release in 2020. The movie had a surprising number of positive reviews for a smaller release, sitting at 87% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with praise for its claustrophobic atmosphere and sci-fi-horror elements making it an effective scary movie.

7 Sweetheart (2019)

A Humanoid Sea Creature On A Deserted Island

2019’s Sweetheart plays like a mix of Jaws and Cast Away. After a young woman is stranded on a tropical island, her quest to survive is complicated by the revelation that a humanoid sea creature is living offshore in a pit on the ocean floor. From the first scene onwards, Sweetheart maintains steadily growing tension that culminates in a riveting final showdown between woman and beast. The film relies heavily on star Kiersey Clemons (Dope), and thankfully, Clemons is more than up to the task.

A Jason Blum horror movie production, the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival before being released as a streaming video rather than a theatrical one in 2019. It received almost universal acclaim, with a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and critical reviews that made it Certified Fresh. Most of the praise went to Clemons’s performance as the survivor trying to survive the sea monster.

6 Tale Of Tales (2015)

An Anthology Tale With A Sea Monster Story

A dark fantasy anthology of fairy tales, Tale of Tales begins with a surreal sea monster story that sets the tone for all the bizarre events. Salma Hayek leads the story dealing with the sea monster in a performance that breaks from her usual sly seductress. The mixture of CGI and practical effects used in the film to bring the leviathan-like sea monster to life results in an unusually unsettling sequence of imagery. One of the more traditional renditions of the classic sea serpent, Tale of Tales is a singular work.

The movie itself is based on a series of fairy tales called Pentamerone, and the film is inspired by three of those tales, with the sea monster story influenced by The Enchanted Doe. Tale of Tales premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and competed for the Palme d’Or, although it didn’t win that prestigious award. It did receive critical praise, sitting at 83% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

5 The Lure (2015)

A Mermaid Horror Story

“Original” is a word thrown around a lot when it comes to genre films. However, there is no doubt the Polish oddity The Lure is worthy. One part disco musical, one part mermaid horror film, and another part modern fable, The Lure is the story of two mermaid sisters who become land-walking, lounge-singing, love-seeking girls in a local community. Based loosely on The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson, the film’s unusual mixture of cinematic entertainment with genuinely unsettling stretches of body horror secured its spot as a cult classic from the time of its release.

The Lure enjoyed its premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and followed that up with a screening at the Fantasia Film Festival. Critics loved it, ranking it at 89% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. The film has gone on to have a loyal following and a Criterion Collection release.

4 The Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954)

The Universal Monsters Sea Creature

One of the more pure pulpy and entertaining films under the “Universal Monsters” banner, The Creature from the Black Lagoon is one of the best B-movies of the 1950s. After a geological expedition uncovers an Amazonian monster with gills and fins, the titular monster wreaks havoc around the crew’s steamboat. Less iconic than its earlier peers, Dracula and Frankenstein, the film nonetheless spawned a series, none of which matched the campy heights of the original. The film is simply one of the best of its kind.

The Creature from the Black Lagoon is also the first real version of a sea monster on film when it comes to its legacy holding up in modern times. Guillermo Del Toro made his Oscar movie, The Shape of Water, with this as its true inspiration, and just about any movie with a humanoid sea monster has TheCreature from the Black Lagoon to thank for its existence.

3 The Lighthouse (2019)

A Creepy Movie Featuring Merfolk

A stomach-churning descent into nautical madness, The Lighthouse was one of 2019’s most talked about horror films. It’s a chamber piece of a tête-à-tête between a lighthouse keeper (Willem Dafoe) and an employee keeper (Robert Pattinson). Sea monsters and myths of the old sailor worlds play a role in the world-building, including one of cinema’s most terrifying depictions of merfolk. The Lighthouse‘s surreal edge makes it one of the more challenging and unique horror experiences of the past decade.

Shot in black-and-white with an almost expressionistic feel, this was Robert Eggers’ daring thriller about claustrophobic terror, and the sea monster was just an added twist. Critics praised the look and feel of the movie, awarding it a 90% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also picked up an Oscar nomination for its cinematography, although it didn’t win. Eggers won the FIPRESCI Prize for directing at the Cannes Film Festival.

2 The Abyss (1989)

The Discovery Of An Alien City Deep In The Oceans

James Cameron’s sea monster movie about an oil crew investigating a sunken submarine thousands of miles below the sea was notoriously hard to make. Cameron’s vision has rarely been as focused and imaginative as it is here, especially in later sequences utilizing revolutionary computer-generated effects. One of Cameron’s oft-forgotten films, The Abyss stands as a fitting conclusion to the filmmaker’s incredible run in the 1980s.

This was the film that made Cameron fall in love with his underwater filmmaking obsession.

The movie was also a foreshadowing of the further blending of technological progress and blockbuster filmmaking that he would go on to achieve in the following decade. The Abyss was what made Cameron fall in love with his underwater filmmaking obsession, leading to Avatar. Not only was it beloved at the time, but The Abyss received a new chance for fans to discover it with its first 4K release, including a short return to theaters at the end of 2023.

1 The Shape Of Water (2017)

A Love Story Between A Woman & A Sea Creature

Guillermo Del Toro has always shared a love for both dark fairy tales and classic horror monsters. In The Shape of Water, he was able to take both those loves and create a strange yet touching romantic drama. The movie featured a sea creature captured from his home in South America and brought to America to be studied and experimented on.

Truly a masterful blend of old-school monster movies and classic doomed love stories, The Shape of Water is one of the most creative sea monster movies of the past 20 years. The fact that this dark romance film about a deaf woman falling in love with a reptilian water-based humanoid took home the Academy Award for Best Picture is still mind-blowing to this day. Sally Hawkins gives a career-best performance as the solitary woman and gives the film its emotional pulse that elevates the entire affair — it’s a masterpiece and easily one of the best sea monster movies ever made.