10 Horror Movies With The Most Shocking Monster Reveals

These movie monsters left some very strong first impressions.

By Jacob Simmons /

If you're going to make a horror movie with a monster in it, then you should probably think quite carefully about how you want said monster to make its debut.

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Imagine how less impactful Jaws would have been had Bruce first been shown just swimming in a big circle for no reason. Or how un-iconic Freddie Krueger would be if he'd slipped on a banana peel. Actually, that does sound pretty good.

The point is, the first time an audience sees a monster should be special, and one way to do this is to make the reveal as memorable as possible. These 10 horror films understood the brief, as the debuts of their big-screen beasties were truly unforgettable.

Some of these creatures shocked viewers in the most literal way possible, by appearing out of nowhere suddenly and violently. Others were more subtly disturbing, through their appearance, their backstory, and the circumstances of their introduction.

In some perfect monster introductions, they embodied all three of the above.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

10. Jason Voorhees - Friday The 13th (1980)

This might be cheating as Jason is technically the monster in every subsequent Friday the 13th movie, but it cannot be denied just how awesome the moment where he first reveals himself is.

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After surviving her deadly stay at Camp Crystal Lake by defeating the psychopathic Pamela Voorhees, Alice Hardy floats out into the middle of the water on a boat, exhausted.

When she wakes up the next morning, the cops have arrived on the scene, and she's finally safe. Or so she thinks...

Just as Alice comes to, a grossly decaying body emerges out of the lake behind her, wrapping a gruesome arm around the young woman and dragging her under. This is the big screen debut of Jason "Wait Till You See Me In A Hockey Mask" Voorhees.

Pamela's son, whose supposed death was what turned her into a knife-wielding murderer, would of course go on to become one of horror cinema's biggest icons, but he is in his primordial, most zombie-like form here.

Still, the moment has gone down in history for a reason; it's historic, its horrifying, and it will make you think twice before ever going canoeing in a tranquil-looking woodland lake.

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