10 Knock Off Horror Movies That Are Worth Watching

Knocked Off - Jaws

Jaws is responsible for launching Steven Spielberg's career, creating the modern blockbuster, and for giving millions of people an unnatural fear of going into the sea.

But there's another thing the Oscar-winning masterpiece achieved; it inspired a smorgasbord of movies revolving around a giant, man-eating creature. One such example is the 1980 film, Alligator. After a baby alligator is flushed down the toilet, is survives in the sewers by eating radioactive waste, turning the reptile into a 36ft-long monster.

Even though Alligator doesn't take place on the water, its resemblance to Jaw's story structure is unmistakable. The film centres around a dysfunctional group who put their differences aside and band together to take down an overgrown carnivore who has an appetite for human flesh. Not only that, the dismissive police chief is so similar to Jaws' Mayor Vaughn, they might as well be the same character.

Although most 'killer animal' films are terrible, Alligator was perceived as one of the better knock-offs due to its snappy humour and impressive practical effects. The film may be derivative schlock but Alligator doesn't take itself too seriously, which is probably why it gets away with its cliches.