10 Horror Movies Where The Monster Isn’t The Scariest Part
5. C.H.U.D.
In Douglas Cheek's creepy B-movie C.H.U.D., photographer George Cooper notices that a large number of homeless people in New York have mysteriously disappeared. When George learns that the Manhattan sewers are infested with man-eating mutants called C.H.U.D.s, he assumes they're responsible for the unhoused population going missing.
Due to the creatures' ferocity and grotesque appearance, it's easy to perceive them as evil incarnate. However, these subterranean beasts have a tragic backstory. George ultimately discovers that toxic waste was illegally dumped in the sewers by a corrupt company called NRC, mutating the homeless living there into C.H.U.D.s.
Rather than taking responsibility for their actions, the NRC simply denies the problem. To avoid being discovered, the NRC fills the sewers with poisonous gas, hoping to rid the city of mutants and the homeless in one fell swoop. Even though George and his allies are in the sewers when the NRC puts this plan into action, the company doesn't hesitate to carry it out, since they can't risk being exposed by witnesses.
As frightening as the C.H.U.D.s are, they are merely the byproduct of the darkest side of humanity.