10 Terrifying Movie Monsters That Barely Appear

Despite not being an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft, John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness captures the cosmic horror of the revered author flawlessly.

The otherworldly tale opens with investigator John Trent being hired to find horror missing horror novelist Sutter Cane. Trent initially believes Cane's disappearance is a publicity stunt, but later learns an ancient race called The Old Ones has manifested the author's writings into reality, driving people insane.

When Trent physically enters Cane's warped world, he finds himself in a long corridor, being chased by The Old Ones. Serving at the story's epicentre, you'd expect these Lovecraftian beasts to have a glorious reveal.

Instead, the scene focuses on Trent's face, with The Old Ones barely visible in the background. The camera cuts to Trent's pursuers a few times, but little can be seen, save for an out-of-focus claw or fang. The Old Ones' appearance is so vague, it's hard to tell what they look like or how many there are.

Although decisions like these are sometimes done to hide poor special effects, behind-the-scenes shots illustrate how superbly these puppets and animatronics turned out. However, it's established The Old Ones are beyond our reality and warp our world while remaining in the shadows, so this minimalism benefits the story.