10 More Horror Movie Transformations Nobody Saw Coming

10. Michael MacCleary - The Beast Within

Granted, The Beast Within is a bit of a daft movie in and of itself, but this 1982 offering deserves immense credit for its practical effects work and for crafting one of the most intense transformation sequences ever seen.

That transformation involves Paul Clemens' Michael MacCleary, as his literal beast from within comes to the fore.

As The Beast Within opens, Eli and Caroline MacCleary find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere due to car trouble. When Eli seeks help from a nearby gas station, his wife is sexually assaulted by a creature which impregnates her. Skipping ahead 17 years, the film then introduces us to Michael, the child who was conceived as a result of this horrendous incident.

With Michael now having his own monstrous moments, it's revealed that he's becoming possessed by the spirit of Billy Connors, who was the creature who attacked his mother all of those years ago. While we get glimpses of Michael's possession, it's during The Beast Within's second half that we witness a fantastic transformation scene, as the hospitalised Michael's head expands, changes shape, and his appearance becomes something almost otherworldly.

Authored by Andrew Pollard

Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.

Posted On: 17th Oct 2023

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