10 More Horror Movies With The Most Shocking Monster Reveals
Terrifying drum roll, please.
Whether it be the result of a suspenseful build-up or simply just the abject terror that their appearance brings, nothing says "holy crap" quite like a jaw-dropping monster reveal.
By their very nature, cinematic monsters inspire terror, shock and awe. From bloodthirsty aliens to frightful supernatural spectres, their existence defies logic and convention - the cinematic embodiment of things that go bump in the night.
A great reveal in this regard can operate as the ultimate left-field moment in a horror movie - the frightful cherry on the cake after carefully cultivating an aura of nail-biting suspense. Conversely, a poorly executed take can irreparably doom proceedings. Nothing saps legitimacy like an unconvincing tormentor, and many promising horror pictures have gone down in flames after producing a monstrous antagonist with less credibility than Kermit the Frog playing Hannibal Lecter.
Offering a variety of unique takes on what makes these cinematic beings terrifying and utilising a polished blend of sound, cinematography and visual effects, the following films have mastered the art of the monster reveal. Be it through a grotesque physical appearance or simply the sheer unexpectedness of their antagonist's arrival, the inhabitants of this list serve as proof that there is no set form to a perfect shocking monster introduction.
10. The Monstrosity - Smile
While Smile's grinning antagonist technically appears in many forms throughout the 2022 horror, director Parker Finn saves the unveiling of the creature's true appearance until the film's climactic sequence. Finn's method proves to be an inspired choice, ratcheting up the suspense levels to the highest point imaginable before letting rip with one of the most harrowing monster reveals imaginable.
After being plagued by the smiling entity for the film's duration, protagonist Rose Cotter seemingly escapes her tormentor after burning down her family home with the creature inside it. Unfortunately for Rose, she's hallucinated the whole thing - Sosie Bacon's dramatic charge is still trapped in the house with her smirking tormentor.
The monstrosity rips apart its latest appearance - a grotesque visage of Rose's mother - to reveal its nightmarish true form. Cotter is confronted with a vision straight out of the deepest circle of hell - a hideous skinless face with multiple grinning jaws leering at her like a hyena staring at a wounded gazelle. Proceedings somehow get even more disturbing from there as the monster levers Rose's jaw open, forcing its hideous frame down her throat.
It's an unforgettably macabre sequence and one of the most shocking monster appearances in recent memory.