10 MORE Horror Movie Monsters You Were Completely Unprepared For
7. Raatma - V/H/S '94
During the Storm Drain chapter of V/H/S '94, news reporter Holly ventures into the sewers to investigate the urban legend of Raatma the Rat Man, who supposedly nests there.
What works well about this sub-story is how increasingly unnerving it is before the creature shows up. As Holly descends deeper underground, the camera becomes more frantic and utilises close-ups, creating a sense of claustrophobia and paranoia. Holly encounters a vagrant, who utters the words, "Hail Raatma," making the cryptic sound like a deity rather than a monster.
In the end, Holly learns there's a group in the sewers who worship Raatma and intend to sacrifice Holly to it. Raatma appears shortly after, but isn't shown outright, heightening the tension. When Raatma comes into focus, it's revealed to be a human/rat hybrid, adorned with beady eyes and a disproportionately long head.
Rather than relying on excessive CGI, Raatma was brought to life with physical performance, practical effects, and subtle digital touch-ups. Excessive close-ups are used on the overgrown rodent, emphasising its malformed appearance but not showing its full body. This decision makes Raatma more eerie, since viewers recognise its monstrous nature but don't get a sense of its true appearance.