Which iconic movie monster first comes to mind when it comes to the enduring genre of horror films? Audiences might be immediately reminded of the menacing extraterrestrial Xenomorphs from the Alien movie franchise, or their combative nemesis Predators (Yautja). Perhaps evil slasher killers like Michael Myers from the Halloween movies and Freddy Kreuger fromA Nightmare on Elm Street are your go-to Halloween picks.

There are still far more nostalgic and contemporary horror movie monsters that should be known to present-day audiences. From the West to the East, urban legends to grotesque leviathans, the list goes on.

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The Socialities in 'Society' (1989)

The Socialites feeding on a human in Society (1989)

This American body horror film by Brian Yuzna exemplifies the horrors of society before the psychological thriller film Joker in 2019. The Socialities resemble any normal human being, but they are secretly part of a gruesome cult organization for the social elite where after years of selective breeding, they possess the ability to shape-shift into grotesque forms and melt into a giant mass form known as 'impeccable breeding'.

In Society (1989), a film about a Beverley Hills teenager discovering the brutal truth behind his family's identity, the Socialities can be seen preying on their less privileged victims by physically sucking the nutrients out of their bodies through orgy-like rituals.

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The Broodlings in 'The Brood' (1979)

The Broodling in Canadian horror film The Brood

For most parents, children can be hard to handle, especially mutant children with sharp teeth and animalistic faces threatening to choke you to death.

Canadian film auteur David Cronenberg never fails audiences with his impressive oeuvre of body horror films. Especially The Brood (1979), an unsettling film about the distressing nature of divorce and custody battles which has led to not only the climatic scene involving an extreme display of motherly affection but the massacres condoned by the dwarf-ogre hybrids that inconspicuously blend in with other innocent children.

Art the Clown in 'Terrifier' (2016)

Art the Clown in Terrifier
Image via Grindhouse

Not the first film detailing the murderous harlequin's killing streak (as that would be the 2013 horror anthology film All Hallow's Eve), Art The Clown's soon-to-be iconic status as the most fearsome killer clown is undoubtedly cemented in the 2016 American slasher film appropriately titled Terrifier, with a sequel slated to be released this October.

Donning a black and white clown costume with a tiny top hat as a cute embellishment to his otherwise atrocious face, Art the Clown can be seen roaming around town during Halloween with a large trash bag which is where he hides his various weapons to satisfy his sadistic needs. It is insinuated that the demented villain possesses supernatural abilities, which include immortality as well as his ability to strike fear in the hearts of his victims when they are least expecting.

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The Trolls in 'Trollhunter' (2010)

Troll Hunter

Trollhunter (2010) is a Norweigian found-footage mockumentary that follows a group of students who set out to make a documentary about a series of mysterious bear killings. Instead, they encounter an enigmatic hunter who happens to track Trolls in secret.

Based on the Trolls of Norse legend, the aggressive humanoid giants are said to be semi-intelligent. Nonetheless, they are incredibly dangerous as they boast immeasurable strength that allows them to kill any human with ease. The Trolls have one lethal weakness, that is exposed to sunlight which either causes them to explode or turned into stone, but the safest option when encountering a Troll is to either run and hide or cover yourself with goo made from 'everything you can get from a Troll'.

The Mommy Monster in 'Braindead' aka 'Dead Alive' (1992)

The Mommy monster in Braindead

Also known as Dead Alive in North America, Braindead (1992) is New Zealand director Peter Jackson's horror comedy film prior to his colossal success with the Lord of the Rings franchise. The cult classic mainly centers around a young man named Lionel who has to put up with his overbearing mother's erratic behavior whilst pursuing his love interest.

After getting bit by a disease-carrying Sumatran rat-monkey hybrid, Lionel's mother Vera starts transforming into a zombie and infects other people, speeding up the zombification of the whole town whilst giving audiences innumerable violent, gross-out scenes. As Lionel and his friends try everything they can to survive, Vera's ultimate descent into madness lies in her final form, an elephantine ogre that Sigmund Freud would be eager to study.

The Slit-Mouthed Woman in 'Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman' (2007)

Carved The Slit-Mouthed Woman

One of the more globally-known Japanese urban legends that is translated into the big screen, the Slit-Mouthed Woman is often described as a young woman with long, black hair. Partially covering her face with a mask or other items, the woman would approach potential victims and ask them whether they think she is beautiful. Whether the answer is 'yes' or 'no', the woman will reveal her own disfigurement where the corners of her mouth are slit from ear to ear, and subsequently, kill her victims or gift them the same disfigurement as she owns.

The 2007 Japanese body horror film follows a divorced teacher as she investigates a series of child abduction cases, and suspects that the legend of the slit-mouthed woman is the answer to the children's disappearances.

The Crawlers in 'The Descent' Franchise (2005-2009)

A crawler behind a woman in night-vision

What's worse than being trapped in a cave and suffering from claustrophobia? Being trapped in a cave with claustrophobia and hostile humanoid creatures threatening to tear you from limb to limb.

These beasts are known as Crawlers, a species that is completely blind but due to many years of living underground in near darkness has perfectly adapted to the cave system. Having lost any traces of humanity, the Crawlers in the British horror film relish hunting down the female explorers, resulting in blood-splattered face-offs that will put off any expedition enthusiasts.

The Gwoemul in 'The Host' (2006)

A man with a shotgun facing off with the Gwoemul

Before astonishing both critics and audiences with the 2019 psychological drama Parasite, South Korean director Bong Joon-ho released an equally riveting eco-horror film titled The Host (2006), where a father is determined to retrieve his daughter from a large amphibian predator terrorizing the townspeople.

The Gwoemul, which literally translates as 'The Monster', practices the habit of devouring its human victims in one piece while dragging other victims down to its sewer system lair for some nice supper. Possessing incredibly sharp teeth and the bizarre habit of gulping any kind of liquid, the Gwoemul is an aggressive leviathan not to be messed with. According to Bong, the creature's design is largely inspired by an actual mutant fish found near the Han River.

Various Creatures in 'The Void' (2016)

Various creatures in The Void

Canadian Lovecraftian horror film The Void (2016) is definitely a must-watch for any body horror fan. After being trapped in a local hospital surrounded by radical cultists, a group of people comprised of police officers, nurses, and outsiders finds themselves confronting cryptic, freakish monsters.

From a horrifying tentacled beast engulfed by an enormous mass of tumors to a quadrupedal creature with superhuman strength and a skull-like face that eerily reminds audiences of the Newborn from Alien: Resurrection (1997). The Void (2016) also contains zombies reanimated from the dead which flaunts monster designs both innovative and refreshing in 21st-century cinema.

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The Vampire in 'Rigor Mortis' (2014)

The vampire with a warded face laced with dead people coins in Rigor Mortis

A bittersweet tribute to Hong Kong's celebrated Mr. Vampire film series, viewers of Rigor Mortis (2014) will not only witness impressive action sequences between kung-fu masters and vengeful ghouls, but the film offers a surprisingly depressive, neo-realist take on a genre once inundated by horror and comedy elements.

Whereas the grudge-bearing ghost twins are frightening forces to be reckoned with given their tragic backstory and ferocious behavior, the hopping vampire nevertheless stirs up nostalgic memories while offering audiences a panic-stricken appearance that strikes fear even before the attacks commence.

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