Must-See Monster Movies About Cryptids
Ricky Rodson is an experienced cryptozoologist with several published books on the subjects of zoology, cryptozoology, and mythical beasts.
Ever since I was a kid I have had a strong interest in cryptids and cryptozoology, so obviously I was a big fan of monster movies with cryptids. The strange creatures in these films always had a way of capturing my attention and sparking my imagination in a way nothing else could. And what made them even better is the fact that they could actually be real. While all monster movies had fearsome beasts, only cryptid-based monster movies had monsters you could possibly run into on a dark night while taking out the trash.
Monster movies about cryptids are one of the most popular film sub-genres.
Monster Movies About Cryptids
With there being so many creature features on the market nowadays it can be hard to find good monster movies about cryptids. And sadly, most of the cryptid movies out are of low quality and barely worth the watch. Because of this, it has become increasingly difficult to find something new to watch over the years. To help other people in this situation I have listed out some of the best monster movies featuring cryptids.
Top 9 Monster Movies About Cryptids
9. Willow Creek
8. Big Legend
7. Chupacabra: Dark Seas
6. The Barrens
5. Reeds Point
4. Exists
3. Trollhunter
2. The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot
1. The Mothman Prophecies
9. Willow Creek
A young couple goes camping in the woods of Willow Creek, California looking for evidence that the legendary Bigfoot is real. Unfortunately for them, they get more than they bargained for when they end up encountering the terrifying beast firsthand. The pair learn more about the ways of Bigfoot than anyone else but sadly never it out of the woods to share their findings. The movie is a perfect example of why you should be careful about what you go looking for because you might just find it.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Creepy Ending | Found-Footage Film |
Impressive Performances | Iffy Monster Effects |
Effective Slow Burn | Big build-up for a small payoff |
8. Big Legend
An army veteran plans the perfect marriage proposal to his long-time girlfriend during a camping trip in Northern California. But while sleeping in the woods, the young pair is attacked by an unseen creature that ends up abducting the women. After being blamed for her death, the man is unwillingly entered into a psychiatric hospital for over a year. When released, the veteran recruits the help of a local hunter and reenters the woods again on the mission to clear his name and take down the beast he knows to be responsible for the death of his loved one.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Decent Monster Effects | Slow |
Mindless Entertainment | Overly Serious Tone |
7. Chupacabra: Dark Seas
An eccentric doctor, played by Giancarlo Esposito before he became famous, locates the terrifying Chupacabra on a small Caribbean island. The money-hungry man puts together a team of professionals and attempts to smuggle it back to the United States aboard a cruise ship. While crossing the ocean the vicious creature escapes and causes all sorts of mayhem for the unsuspecting passengers. To prevent the Chupacabra from reaching the mainland, the remaining survivors must form a plan to sink the ship and escape with their lives.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Giancarlo Esposito | Iffy Monster Effects |
Syfy Channel Original | Cheesy Plot |
So Bad, It's Good | Low-Quailty |
6. The Barrens
While on a family camping trip in the New Jersey Pine Barrens a father named Richard, played by a pre-fame Stephen Moyer, becomes convinced that the family is being followed by the legendary Jersey Devil. As people begin to die, the family has no choice but to flee deeper and deeper into the woods in a desperate attempt to outrun the creature. Along the way, the man's family begins to question whether or not the creature is real at all or if something is seriously wrong with Richard.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Stephen Moyer | Mundane |
Jersey Devil | Campy |
Psychological Horror | Uneven |
5. Reeds Point
After an RV crashes in the New Jersey Pine Barrens one of the surviving teenagers goes missing in the woods. A year after the accident, two of the survivors return to the scene to investigate what happened to their friend. But once they start to dive into the mystery they begin to question whether to not they are alone in the woods. Eventually, the pair finds themselves being attacked by the same cryptid that took their friend.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Interesting Shocks | Poor Production |
Cool Monster | Forgettable |
4. Exists
Exists is a found footage monster movie that follows the events of 5 friends visiting a remote cabin in the woods of Texas. On their way to the cabin, the group recklessly hit something in their RV but are unable to locate the animal's corpse. After getting to the cabin the students quickly learn that they are right in the middle of Bigfoot's home turf and that the creature is angry with the uninvited guest for some reason.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
New take on A monster movie | Unlikeable Cast |
Plot sucks you In | Found-Footage Film |
Generic Script |
3. Trollhunter
A group of college students set out to investigate a series of strange animal deaths. Along the way they meet up with a hunter, and learn the beast responsibly for the mayhem is actually a real-life troll. As the students accompany the hunter on his next trip they discover the horrifying truth and an elaborate government coverup. Unfortunately for them, trolls have an unrelenting craving for Christian blood, and one of their party members hid their beliefs from the rest of them.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Darkly Funny | Found-Footage Film |
Creepy | Loses Momentum |
The Trolls are Awesome | Cult Campiness |
2. The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot
Decades after assassinating Adolf Hitler, an unsung hero, played by Sam Elliott, is brought back into service by the American government to track down and capture the plague-carrying Bigfoot. But along the way, the old soldier decides that rather than allowing the legendary cryptid to become a biological weapon for a government he no longer feels loyal to, he rather kill it and prevent the plague from ever getting out.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Sam Elliott | Slow |
Orginal Story | Feels like A Character Study |
B-Movie Greatness | Can Feel Silly |
1. The Mothman Prophecies
A journalist, portrayed by Richard Gere, begins to investigate a supernatural creature after his wife experienced a strange vision of a moth-like creature immediately before she died. The depressed man's research leads him to the small West Virginia town of Point Pleasent. It is here he learns of the legend of the Mothman and begins to believe that the creature is actually an omen of death.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Richard Gere | Richard Gere |
Psychological Thriller | Slow-Paced |
Messy |
Other Movies With Cryptids
While looking up movies for this article, I came across several movies that had cryptids in them but were not the main feature of the film. And since the purpose of this article is to talk about monsters movies about cryptids, I did not think they really fit on the list. But just because these films aren't going to go on the official list doesn't mean I don't want to at least mention them.
A Goofy Movie
A Goofy Movie is an animated comedy-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and released in 1995. The film itself focuses on the relationship of Goofy and his son, Max, while they taking a road trip across America. During one part of the movie, Goofy accidentally lures Bigfoot into their campsite leading to all sorts of hilarious antics.
Big Trouble in Little China
Big Trouble in Little China is a martial arts comedy movie that was directed by John Carpenter and released in 1986. The movie is about a man who gets pulled into an adventure in San Francisco's Chinatown as he attempts to save his friend's fiancée from a group of bandits. In the middle of the movie, the group is attacked by a Yeren in a small but memorable appearance.
TMNT
TMNT is a 2007 computer-animated martial arts film based on the widely popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The movie shows the story of the Ninja Turtles as they battle the foot clan and an evil warlord named Yaotl. The key to defeating Yaotl comes down to controlling 13 mythical beasts. Several of these beasts are actually cryptids including Bigfoot and the Jersey Devil.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is the third and final installment in The Mummy franchise starring Brendan Fraser and John Hannah. Unlike the first two films in the series, this movie takes place in China and focuses on the origins of the Terracotta Army. Towards the end of the movie, the Heroes call on the help of three Yeti to stuff a group of enemy soldiers.
Want To Suggest A Cryptid Monster Movie?
As previously stated, the movie industry has become almost saturated with monster films over the past few years. With affordable cameras providing Hollywood-quality footage more and more movie studios are beginning to make their own low-budget films. And because of this, there is always that chance that you, or I for that matter, have missed out on some of the best movies of the genre. If you see any great cryptid movies that I missed please reach out to me. I would love to check them out and add possibly even them to the list.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2022 Ricky Rodson
