10 Terrifying War Horror Movies You Need To See

Monsters director Gareth Edwards handed the reins over to newcomer Tom Green for this inventive follow-up to the critically-lauded original.

Green had made his name directing for television, including several episodes of the cult Channel 4 series Misfits, and was given carte blanche to take the franchise in a direction of his choosing – provided it included the original’s titular monsters, of course.

Teaming up with Jay Basu, they crafted a worthy follow-up, which takes a little inspiration from James Cameron’s Aliens with its story about a group of four US army soldiers deployed to Iraq to tackle an extra-terrestrial uprising.

Green and Basu’s film is a distinctly different balancing act though, serving as a fantastical sci-fi tale, full of terrifying monsters and grisly mayhem, as well as a pointed takedown of war in the 21st century and some timely social themes.

At times, viewers could be deceived into thinking they were watching a straight-up war movie, only for things to be punctuated by a surprise alien attack in a neat trick that helps to elevate the tension.

In other hands the film’s commentary on the Iraq conflict might have appeared heavy-handed, but Green’s film is bolstered by a great cast of British and Irish actors including This Is England ’86 star Johnny Harris and Game of Thrones favourite Joe Dempsie.