10 Great Shapeshifter Horror Movies You May Have Missed
8. The Reptile
A lesser-known offering from horror royalty Hammer Film Productions, 1966's The Reptile was directed by John Gilling, who made dozens of movies across a densely-packed career.
Married couple Harry and Valerie move to a quiet coastal town, but are shocked to find that the locals have been dying off due to a mysterious "disease". It doesn't take long for Harry to realise that something is afoot, and he discovers that a local woman has the ability to turn into a half-human, half-snake monster and is killing the townsfolk to keep herself alive.
Hammer were beginning to move away from traditional villains like Dracula and The Wolf-Man in the mid-'60s ,and The Reptile was one of their first major features to do so. The special effects are pretty good, all things considered, and the film has an innocence to it that you simply do not get with modern productions.
It hasn't aged perfectly - there are some elements of Malaysia culture that don't come across too well - but if you're in the mood for a historical horror with a unique creature, you could do much worse.