10 More Horror Movies With The Best Monster Reveals

The Host follows street vendor Park, who sells snacks by the Hans River. As Park tends to his business one day, a mutated water creature called Gwoemul emerges from the waters and attacks the locals

Although a giant tadpole doesn't sound particularly scary, Gwoemul's introduction is incredibly effective because of how unexpected it is. Most creature features tease the monster's appearance gradually before unveiling it in all its glory. However, The Host introduces its big bad ten minutes in.

The Gwoemul's intro also stands out because of how unceremoniously it appears. No build-up. No music. After Park spots it, the monster goes on a killing spree five seconds later.

Rather than trying to make Gwoemul scary, the filmmakers focus on having the monster act like a real organism. Instead of tearing people apart like a typical monster, Gwoemul is shown to be clumsy, tripping and fumbling its way around the crowd. Even though depicting Gwoemul this way could make it come across as less threatening, it gives the creature a great sense of realism, showing that it's attacking out of instinct and confusion, not malice.