Movie monsters/creations that are pure nightmare fuel

[Steedeel]

As the title says, which creations did you find the most terrifying?

My top 5

Xenomorphs (Alien)
Stunningly designed, almost mechanical with a dome shaped head and another set of jaws when needed, a creature that bleeds acid and is relentless in their aim of using humans as a incubator in their early lifecycle phase, by attaching themselves to the target’s face, and at the right time, bursting from the host’s chest. In any form, pretty terrifying stuff.

Pod People (Bodysnatchers)
Whichever version you prefer (1978 for me) the idea of an otherworldly threat that can replace a human being in form but not personality is pure nightmare fuel. Paranoia and suspicion, matched with the terrifying thought that you or loved ones can be present without being their old selves is surely a metaphor for a real world threat such as dementia, and it’s all the more terrifying for it.

Pennywise (I.T)
An alien that can take many forms is scary enough, however one that can feed on children’s fears and become that fear is a terrifying thought. An alien that can emotionally manipulate a child, for the purpose of devouring them eventually, well as a child watching the tv series (counts as a film now due to remake of course) it really plays into our imagination and forces us to question our own fears and where they come from.
Of all the forms the alien takes, it’s the clown that steals it for me personally.

Bob (Twin Peaks/Fire Walk With Me
Bob, the entity that feeds on fear and sorrow, stalks and torments Laura Palmer throughout her life, leading to tragedy and a town that will never be the same again. I’m sure most of us know the backstory and more recently, the origins, for me, it’s the idea that a force exists purely to cause emotional pain and sorrow to a whole community, let alone ultimately death is nightmare fuel.
Add to that, the terrifying ‘lodge’ happenings, and I just don’t think it’s gets more terrifying than that.

Running bomb (The Creator)
A much more recent entry, the idea of a robot designed for one reason, and one reason alone, to find a target, chase that target, then detonate is chilling. The fact is looks like a bulky garbage can with arms and legs doesn’t take away from that fear, with the robot able to barge through people to reach its target. Terrifying, and it just steals the glory from the far more complicated but brilliant T1000 in T2, the superior film by far, but we are talking individual creatures/creations here!

There are hundreds more, but that’s my top five.

Would love to see yours, with a short explanation why.

[sanriel]

My first horror movie as a child, and now one of my idols.



and some others

[The Debts]

The Entity from the Smile movies is definitely the thing of nightmares. Regardless of what one thinks of the films, a monster who feeds on breaking down your sanity then makes you spread the misery around to others is a pretty nasty cup of coffee.

[Ishara]

My mind jumps to those things that you cannot see but are still coming for you. Well, in It Follows only you can see it and it looks like someone you know or have seen on the street. And it's just coming straight towards you in a direct line:

or the force of death itself in Final Destination, everything around you can become the thing that kills you. Something you can't see, discern or that is tangible is pretty nightmare-ish!

[Atomic Salad]

[Show spoiler]

[Show spoiler]

[John1701D]

The best design ever? Certainly up there with the xenomorph. Scary as hell. RIP Stan Winston

[Michael11]

The Ring gave me nightmares.

Scream scared the hell out of me too because I saw it when I was about 9 or something.

[HipsterTrash]

Nope

[Show spoiler]

[Cremildo]

Recently, the Offspring from Alien: Romulus

[BluBonnet]

[Zivouhr]

SPOILERS!

Zelda from Pet Sematary 1989. Her voice and movements combined with her skin/bones malnutrition gave me nightmares as a kid after seeing the film. She crawled towards the camera, or flipped up and around to face the camera.

The floating vampires at the windows in the dark fog, the "Teacher" vampire sitting in the chair in the dark, his evil eyes glowing, and of course Mr. Barlow (Nosferatu) from Salem's Lot 1979 TV movie.

The Exorcist demon Regan girl in her full demonic look gave me nightmares growing up and I had to sit there and finally watch the VHS/DVD film, facing that fear by pausing the screen and looking at it till my sense of fear faded.

In Hereditary, the character in the film that crawls on the ceiling and walls, can run really fast and jump upside down onto the closed attic door, pounding the door with her face. Gave me the chills at how horrific that was.

The Shining as a kid, the old, decayed lady from the bathtub of the Overlook Hotel, laughing while walking towards Danny in Room 237 (137 in the book).

In The Woman in Black 1989 TV movie, he goes to rest at night, and witnesses a screaming Witch floating from the ceiling, gave me a scare that made me crawl back from the TV it was so unexpected and horrific.

I'd have to think of some more but those are 5 that really scared me to some degree and some gave me nightmares, overly cautious in the darkness at night.

[DR Herbert West]

Just the Lance face version.

[Steedeel]

Some great offerings there folks, thanks. Good mixture of old and new.


Predator would certainly make my top 10, as would the entity that possesses Sarah Palmer (Judy maybe), also the creature from The Thing, the creature that tormented William Shatner on the plane in that famous Twilight Zone episode (and can be included here because a modernised version appears in the twilight Zone Movie). Rounding that off, it would have to be Nosferatu.

Please keep them coming.

[buck135]

Dennis Quaid eating shrimp in The Substance.

[Fenway55]

When I was a kid, this thing absolutely terrified me:



(still does )

[Zivouhr]

[Show spoiler]

The Strain | The master (All face reveals season 1) - YouTube

In the del Toro series The Strain (on FX and DVD), the Master Vampire is unreal in how evil, strong and fast it can move, towering over 7 feet tall. It would be a nightmare to be within its range. It grabs the victim and then it's all over.

[Eidolon]

The thing in the sheet with the surgical shears in Exorcist III.

Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady

[The hitcher]

The thing in the pit in The Resurrected and also the thing they pull out of the river

Zelda in Pet Sematary

[Mystic]

From John Carpenter's In the Mouth Of Madness (1994)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPcGIp6GT_A

[Steedeel]

Again, some cool posts. Thought of another, The scarecrow in ‘Dark Night Of The Scarecrow’, stretching qualification perhaps, but what a creepy film. Glad to say it’s coming it out on Blu-ray this March. Haven’t seen it for decades, I wonder if the chill factor still hits.