Natural horror is a subgenre of horror films that features natural forces, [1] typically in the form of animals or plants, that pose a threat to human characters.
Though killer animals in film have existed since the release of The Lost World in 1925, [2] two of the first motion pictures to garner mainstream success with a "nature run amok" premise were The Birds, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released in 1963; and Jaws, directed by Steven Spielberg and released in 1975. Following Jaws, numerous horror films of a similar narrative were produced, including Grizzly (1976), Piranha (1978), and Alligator (1980). [3]
Arthropods
See also the section on insects.
Arachnids
- Kingdom of the Spiders (1977; tarantulas) [1]
- Arachnophobia (1990; spiders) [4]
- Ticks (1993; giant ticks) [5]
- Eight Legged Freaks (2002; giant spiders) [6]
- Big Ass Spider! (2013; giant spider) [7]
- Lavalantula (2015; giant lava-breathing tarantulas) [8]
Crustaceans
Birds
-
The Birds (1963; flocks of vicious gulls, crows, sparrows and other birds)
[3]
- The Birds II: Land's End (1994) [10]
- Beaks: The Movie (1987) [1]
- KAW (2007; ravens) [11]
-
Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010; mutated birds)
[12]
- Birdemic 2: The Resurrection (2013; mutated birds) [13]
Fish
Piranhas
-
Piranha (1978; genetically enhanced
piranhas)
[14]
- Piranha II: The Spawning (1982; mutant piranhas) [15]
- Piranha 3D (2010; prehistoric piranhas) [16]
- Piranha 3DD (2012; prehistoric piranhas) [17]
- Piranha (1995; killer piranhas) [18]
Sharks
- Jaws (1975; a large great white shark) [19] [20]
- Up from the Depths (1979; a prehistoric shark) [23]
- Great White (1981 a.k.a. L'ultimo squalo; a great white shark) [24]
- Deep Blood (1989 a.k.a. Sangue negli abissi; a great white shark) [25] [26]
- Cruel Jaws (1995, a great white shark) [27]
- Deep Blue Sea (1999; large genetically engineered shortfin mako sharks) [28]
-
Shark Attack (1999; great white shark)
[29]
- Shark Attack 2 (2000; great white shark) [30]
- Shark Attack 3: Megalodon (2002, a Megalodon) [31]
- Megalodon (2004; a Megalodon) [32]
- Red Water (2003; a bull shark) [33]
- Shark Zone (2003; great white sharks) [34]
- Open Water (2003, Caribbean reef sharks) [35]
- Blue Demon (2004; a great white shark) [36]
- 12 Days of Terror (2004; great white shark) [37]
- Shark Swarm (2008; great white shark, mako shark, thresher shark) [38]
- Shark in Venice (2008; great white sharks) [39]
- Malibu Shark Attack (2009; goblin sharks) [40]
- The Reef (2010; a great white shark) [41]
- Shark Night (2011; great white shark, hammerhead shark, cookie-cutter shark, sand tiger shark) [42]
- Jurassic Shark (2012; a prehistoric great white shark) [43]
- Bait (2012; two great white sharks) [44]
- 2-Headed Shark Attack (2012; a mutated great white shark) [45]
- Sharknado (2013; swarms of various species of sharks emerging out tornadoes). [46]
- 47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019; cave-dwelling great white sharks) [47]
- Great White (2021; two great white sharks) [48]
- The Requin (2022; a great white shark) [49]
Insects
Ants
- The Naked Jungle (1954; army ants) [1]
- Them! (1954; giant mutated ants) [50]
- Phase IV (1974; super-intelligent ants of various species) [1]
- Empire of the Ants (1977; large mutated ants) [51]
- It Happened at Lakewood Manor (1977) [52]
Honey bees
- The Deadly Bees (1966) [53]
- Killer Bees (1974) [54]
- The Savage Bees (1976) [55]
- The Bees (1978) [56]
- The Swarm (1978) [3]
- Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare (1995) [57]
Cockroaches
- Creepshow (1982, killer cockroaches) [58]
- Mimic (1997, evolved human-sized genetically engineered cockroaches) [59]
Locusts
- Locusts: The 8th Plague (2005) [60]
Wasps
Mammals
Bats
- The Devil Bat (1940; mutant bats) [62]
- Nightwing (1979; vampire bats) [3]
- Bats (1999; genetically altered bats) [63]
Bears
- Grizzly (1976; a grizzly bear) [3]
- Prophecy (1979; a mutant bear) [50]
- Grizzly Rage (2007; a grizzly bear) [1]
- Grizzly Park (2008; a grizzly bear) [64]
- Bear (2010; A grizzly bear) [65]
- Backcountry (2014, a black bear) [66]
- Into the Grizzly Maze (2015; a grizzly bear) [67]
- Cocaine Bear (2023, a black bear) [68]
Canines
- Dogs (1976; domestic dogs turned into killers) [69]
- The Pack (1977; feral dogs) [50]
- Cujo (1983; a Saint Bernard infected with rabies) [70]
- The Breed (2006; mutated feral dogs) [71]
- Frozen (2010; gray wolves) [1]
- The Pack (2015; feral dogs) [72]
Dolphins
- Orca (1977; a killer whale) [3] [50]
Felines
- Black Zoo (1963; lions and tigers) [73]
- Maneater (2007; a Bengal tiger) [1]
- Burning Bright (2010, a tiger) [74]
Pigs
Primates
- Blood Monkey (2007) [78]
- Shakma (1990) [79]
- Monkey Shines (1988) [80]
Rats
- Willard (1971) [81]
- Ben (1972) [82]
- Deadly Eyes (1982; a.k.a. The Rats) [83]
- Graveyard Shift (1990) [84]
- Willard (2003) [85]
Others
- Night of the Lepus (1972; giant rabbits) [86]
- Black Sheep (2006; genetically engineered killer sheep) [7]
Mollusks
Gastropods
- Slugs (1988; abnormally large killer black slugs) [87]
Octopuses and squids
- Bride of the Monster (1955; a killer octopus) [88] [89]
- Tentacles (1977; a giant octopus) [50]
- Octopus (2000, a giant octopus) [90] [91] [92]
Reptiles
Alligators and crocodiles
- The Great Alligator River (1979; an alligator god) [93]
-
Alligator (1980; an abnormally large
American alligator)
[3]
- Alligator II: The Mutation (1991; a mutant alligator) [1]
- Dark Age (1986; a monstrous crocodile god called Numunwari) [94]
- Killer Crocodile (1989, mutated large crocodile) [95]
-
Lake Placid (1999; an abnormally large
saltwater crocodile)
[96]
- Lake Placid 2 (2007) [97]
- Lake Placid 3 (2010) [98]
- Lake Placid: The Final Chapter (2012) [99]
- Crocodile (2000; an abnormally large Nile crocodile) [100]
- Blood Surf (2001; a monstrous giant crocodile) [101]
- Black Water (2007; a saltwater crocodile) [73]
- Croc (2007; a saltwater crocodile) [1]
- Primeval (2007; Gustave) [102]
- Rogue (2007; a giant saltwater crocodile) [103]
- Crawl (2019; several American alligators) [104]
Snakes
- Rattlers (1976) [105]
-
Anaconda (1997)
[106]
- Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004) [107]
- Anaconda 3: Offspring (2008) [108]
- Anacondas: Trail of Blood (2009) [109]
- King Cobra (1999) [110]
- Silent Predators (1999; rattlesnakes) [1]
- Snakes on a Plane (2006) [111]
- Mega Snake (2007) [112]
Plants
- Little Shop of Horrors (1960; mutant Venus flytrap) [113]
- The Day of the Triffids (1962; man-eating plants) [20]
- Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978; killer tomatoes) [20]
- The Ruins (2008; vines) [114]
Worms
- Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959, giant leeches) [115]
- Squirm (1976, bloodworms and sandworms) [50]
- Blood Beach (1982; a giant worm) [7]
Miscellaneous
- Godzilla (1954; a giant irradiated Godzillasaurus) [116]
- Frogs (1972; various species of animals) [117]
- The Food of the Gods (1976; various species of animals) [118]
- Day of the Animals (1977; various species of animals) [3] [50]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Puckett, Terek (27 October 2013). "Revolt of Nature Horror Films: The Must-Sees". PopOptiq. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ "The Lost World (1925)". Internet Archive: The Public Domain Review. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hickman, Matt (28 October 2014). "12 horror films that reveal Mother Nature's evil side". Mother Nature Network. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- ^ "Arachnophobia (1990)". AllMovie. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- ^ "Ticks (1993)". AllMovie. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
- ^ "Eight Legged Freaks (2002)". AllMovie. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
- ^ a b c Ann, Melissa (17 March 2016). "Man vs Nature: 10 Crazy Natural Horror Films". PopHorror. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
- ^ "Lavalantula (2015)". AllMovie. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ^ "The Bay (2012)". AllMovie. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ "The Birds II: Land's End (1994)". AllMovie. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
- ^ "Kaw (2007)". AllMovie. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
- ^ "Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2008)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Birdemic 2: The Resurrection (2013)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Piranha (1978)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Piranha II: The Spawning (1982)". AllMovie. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Piranha (2010)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Piranha 3DD (2012)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Piranha (1995)". AllMovie. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Jaws (1975)". AllMovie. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ a b c Gregersdotter, Katarina; Höglund, Johan; Hållén, Nicklas (22 February 2016). Horror Cinema: Genre, History and Criticism. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 4–5. ISBN 978-1137496386.
- ^ "Jaws 2 (1978)". AllMovie. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "Jaws 3 (1983)". AllMovie. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "Up from the Depths (1979)". AllMovie. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ "Great White (1981)". AllMovie. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Deep Blood (1989)". AllMovie. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ Palmerini, Luca M.; Mistretta, Gaetano (1996). Spaghetti Nightmares: Italian Fantasy-horrors as Seen Through the Eyes of Their Protagonists. Fantasma Books. ISBN 9780963498274.
- ^ "Cruel Jaws".
- ^ "Deep Blue Sea (1999)". AllMovie. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "Shark Attack".
- ^ "Shark Attack 2".
- ^ "Shark Attack 3".
- ^ "Megalodon".
- ^ "Red Water (2003)". AllMovie. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "Shark Zone".
- ^ "Open Water (2003)". AllMovie. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "Blue Demon".
- ^ "12 Days Of Terror".
- ^ "Shark Swarm".
- ^ "Shark In Venice".
- ^ "Malibu Shark Attack".
- ^ "The Reef (2010)". AllMovie. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "Shark Night (2011)". AllMovie. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "Jurassic Shark".
- ^ "Bait (2011)". AllMovie. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "2-Headed Shark Attack".
- ^ "Sharknado (2013)". AllMovie. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019)". AllMovie. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ "Great White (2021)". AllMovie. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "The Requin (2022)". AllMovie. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g Gambin, Lee (8 October 2012). Massacred by Mother Nature: Exploring the Natural Horror Film. Midnight Marquee Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1936168309.
- ^ "Empire of the Ants (1977)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "It Happened at Lakewood Manor (1977)". AllMovie. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "The Deadly Bees (1967)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Killer Bees (1974)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "The Savage Bees (1976)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ "The Bees (1978)". AllMovie. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare (1995)". AllMovie. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
- ^ "Creepshow (1982)". Allmovie. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ "Mimic (1997)". AllMovie. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
- ^ "Locusts: The 8th Plague (2005)". AllMovie. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- ^ "Stung (2015)". AllMovie. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
- ^ "The Devil Bat (1940)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Bats (1999)". AllMovie. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
- ^ "Grizzly Park".
- ^ "Bear".
- ^ "Backcountry (2014)". AllMovie. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- ^ "Into the Grizzly Maze (2015)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ Bradley, Laura (3 March 2023). "'Cocaine Bear' and the Wild, Ridiculous History of Horror-Movie Beasts". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "Dogs (1976)". AllMovie. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ^ "Cujo (1983)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "The Breed (2006)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "The Pack (2015)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ a b Gregersdotter, Katarina; Höglund, Johan; Hållén, Nicklas (February 22, 2016). Animal Horror Cinema: Genre, History and Criticism. Springer. pp. 51–53. ISBN 978-1137496393.
- ^ "Burning Bright (2009)". AllMovie. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ "Pigs (1973)". Allmovie. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ "Razorback (1984)". AllMovie. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
- ^ "Pig Hunt (2008)". Allmovie. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ "Blood Monkey (2007)". AllMovie. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ "Shakma (1990)". AllMovie. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
- ^ "Monkey Shines (1988)". AllMovie. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- ^ "Willard". AllMovie. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ "Ben". AllMovie. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ "Deadly Eyes (1982)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Stephen King's 'Graveyard Shift' (1990)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Willard (2003)". AllMovie. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- ^ "Night of the Lepus (1972)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Slugs (1988)". AllMovie. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- ^ Weldon, Michael (1983). The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-34345-X. Page 89
- ^ Rhodes, Gary; Weaver, Tom (2015). Ed Wood's Bride of the Monster. BearManor Media. ISBN 1593938578.
- ^ "Movies". The Daily Oklahoman. October 8, 2000. p. 72.
- ^ "Miscellaneous Notes". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ Bokamper, Jerry (October 6, 2000). "'Octopus' Gets Tangled in Own Plot". The News-Press. p. 14.
- ^ "The Great Alligator River (1979)". Allmovie. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ "Dark Age (1986)". Allmovie. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ "Killer Crocodile". Really Awful Movies. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
- ^ "Lake Placid (1999)". AllMovie. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- ^ "Lake Placid 2 (2007)". AllMovie. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "Lake Placid 3 (2010)". AllMovie. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "Lake Placid: The Final Chapter (2012)". AllMovie. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "Crocodile (2000)". AllMovie. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ "Blood Surf (2001)". Allmovie. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ "Primeval (2007)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Rogue (2007)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Crawl (2019)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Rattlers (1976)". AllMovie. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "Anaconda (1997)". AllMovie. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)". AllMovie. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "Anaconda III: Offspring (2008)". AllMovie. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "Anacondas: Trail of Blood (2009)". AllMovie. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "King Cobra (1998)". AllMovie. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
- ^ "Snakes on a Plane (2006)". AllMovie. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "Mega Snake (2007)". AllMovie. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)". AllMovie. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ "The Ruins (2008)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "Gojira (1954)". AllMovie. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
- ^ "Frogs (1972)". AllMovie. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- ^ "Food of the Gods (1976)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
External links
| Subgenres | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Territories | |||||
| Film lists |
| ||||
| Topics | |||||
| Related | |||||
