10 Recent Monster Movies Better Than Godzilla: King Of The Monsters
Which monster kicked Godzilla's ass at the box office (and in our hearts)?
A monster is defined as a large, ugly, and frightening imaginary creature; and yet, somehow, we’re absolutely in love with them – and the biggest and scariest of them all? Godzilla.
Well, not anymore. Godzilla: King of Monsters was an absolute flop among critics who scored it a measly overall 41% - though some would absolutely argue that it deserved much less.
Fear continues to saturate our lives: fear of nuclear destruction, fear of climate change, fear of the subversive, and the fear that Godzilla: King of Monsters will set the tone of quality for all future Godzilla films. One thing you certainly wont feel during Godzilla: King of Monsters, however, is fear (that's if you feel anything other than apathy at all).
Whilst Godzilla might tower over any city skyline, he is absolutely caught in the shadows of some recent monster films that you'd much rather spend time glued to the screen for.
10. The Meg (2018)
A deep-sea submersible - part of an international undersea observation program - has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific... with its crew trapped inside.
Whilst The Meg might be small in comparison to the 164-foot-tall Godzilla, it certainly made a much larger impression with audiences to the tune of an extra $150m at the global box office.
Godzilla: King of Monsters was criticized for its 2D, unsympathetic and unbelievable characters – but The Meg was filled to the brim with personalities that you just couldn’t help but to relate to and fall in love with. Unlike Godzilla: King of Monsters, it was dished up with a fair amount of humor as well.
The Meg might not be able to contend with the likes of Jaws, but it's a fun yet scary experience that'll keep you on the edge of your seats. The enjoyment factor should help it outlast its modern contemporaries.
The action scenes, the chase sequences, the way the shark haunts the humans, and a plethora of jump scares all create a sense of tension and anxiety as The Meg mercilessly preys on humans in open water.
Overall, The Meg doesn't take itself half as seriously as Godzilla, and still somehow manages to top it. While producers are little more interested in Big G as an expression of existential dread, The Meg is something entirely fresh and doesn't seek to delve into the unambitious monster worship that the Godzilla-franchise has become.