10 Essential Monster Movies You Need To See Before Godzilla

7. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)

Movie Monster: Giant Squid Released in the same year as Godzilla, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea was Disney's answer to the 'King of the Monsters.' You have to ask yourself - is there anything more terrifying than the deep abyss of the sea? The film bases itself on old sailor tales, rumours that come ashore aboard ships. Are the stories true? Of course they are - this is a monster movie. When the government sends Professor Arronax to investigate, we wonder just when we'll see this giant squid. It's appearance is only brief (and very memorable), but things are often best left to the imagination. This may be why the film has stood the time: it focuses more on the characters for the most part rather than the fishy fellow lurking beneath the waves. As already mentioned, Gareth Edwards may go for something similar in terms of character development and involvement - humans are more relatable than monsters, after all. With David Fincher's planned remake of 20,000 Leagues in the works, let's hope for a strong revival of the genre and this absolute classic.