Animals Gone Wild
When animals decide to go rogue, we don't have a chance.
Animals can be scary, that’s no shocker to anyone. Even when they’re cute, they’re scary. Just take a look at any bear, though specifically polar bears. They may look cuddly and drink Coca-Cola, but they also are the only species of bear to hunt humans.
Even our domesticated friends can sometimes get rowdy, although their creep factor typically comes from either staring into the empty hallway or barking at absolutely nothing. Sorry, your cat’s making you think there’s a ghost in the corner of your room? Well, you’re just going to have to deal with it.
We humans typically admire wild animals from afar, considering if we got too close to something like a lion, it would be quick to use us as a glorified cat tree. So, yes, there is a built-in fear there, but only because we value our lives.
Perhaps that’s why it translates so well in horror. After all, a bite from a rabid animal is quite the valid fear to have.
You know what? Make it bigger!
Some of my favorite horror films surrounding animals has to be the “giant” category.
There’s the iconic giant bug films of the 50s and 60s, of course, with films like Tarantula only exaggerating our very real and very valid fear of spiders. Seriously, those things are already creepy. We already have huge Huntsman spiders, why the hell do we need one that’s bigger than a skyscraper too?
Though the most famous of these “gigantic” films would be those centered around kaijus, including the menacing Godzilla and King Kong. Playing on the monster trope, these films incorporate city destroying creatures, with the human race at nature’s mercy.
Godzilla, described to be a prehistoric reptilian, is a fictional animal, though still quite the catch. From the terrifying roar to the earth trembling stomps, Godzilla has become one of the most famous movie monsters of all time, breaking the world record of the longest running movie franchise.
But with Godzilla comes enemies, like the moth-inspired kaiju of Mothra.
Mothra is more classically designed when it comes to animal-based monsters. After all, Mothra quite literally looks like a giant moth. One would think that’s not necessarily as scary sounding, but SpongeBob would beg to differ. (And yeah, I know Wormy is a butterfly. I just wanted an excuse to have SpongeBob here. Even though the footage is actually a horsefly.. so we’re all a little confused.)
But if we are to talk about enemies of Godzilla, we have to bring up the big bad known as King Kong.
King Kong is similar to Mothra, designed to look like his average sized counterparts. Kong, a mammoth sized gorilla, comes from the dangerous Skull Island, and was made in 1933 with the first original film. The 1933 film has been recognized as one of the best horror films of all time, and has since spawned a franchise just like Godzilla.
Due to their success, audiences got to see Kong and Godzilla duke it out quite a few times. Neat.
As Above…
First off, birds are used in horror typically for symbolism. This comes from the strange superstitions that surround them. Recognize any of these from your favorite films?
Crows and raven are birds of bad omen.
If birds begin to fly into your window, they’re trying to tell you something spiritual.
If a woodpecker is knocking on your house, death is coming.
Magpies are connected to the devil, and therefore bring bad luck.
Buuuut… there’s also this pretty fun horror movie about birds.
Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds released in 1963, only three years after the legendary Psycho. The film is meant to represent love and violence. The birds attack the community as a means of punishment, discipling them for not valuing nature.
The sentiment is still relevant in modern day, with humans tearing down habitats and forcing animals out of their homes everyday. Gas emissions are at an all time high, and the oceans are filled with mounds of floating garbage. Maybe we do need some birds to attack those companies who dump waste into the rivers…
…So Below
Jaws is possibly one of the most recognizable horror films about an animal. While the film may have exaggerated the reality of how sharks behave in the wild, it also managed to tell an intriguing story about corrupt officials and greed.
Though, let’s face it: the best part is the mechanical shark.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, the movie was made with an impressive amount of special effects, using multiple prop sharks as their beloved Bruce. This was no easy feat, especially combining that with the fact that Jaws was the first movie to be filmed on the ocean, making things extremely difficult for the cast and crew.
Nonetheless, Jaws became the highest grossing movie of all time (at least until Star Wars came out), and still remains as relevant as ever.
It’s a great movie, obviously, but I believe its cultural relevance also lies deep within the entire “ocean” horror category. More specifically though, the growing horror shark genre that has taken over the masses.
From the so-bad-it’s-good films like Sharknado to the more recent outrageous ones like The Meg, shark films have become ingrained in the horror genre. So much so, there’s actually a documentary about it.
The ocean has more than just sharks though. There’s actually a lot of other films based on water-based animals, trying to capitalize on Jaws just like the sharksploitation movies. Films like Piranha, Crawl, and The Cave all have different animals/creatures that thrive in the water, and while they may not all be great movies, they continue to remind me why I will not be swimming in natural bodies of water.
Revenge of the Pets
I can’t mention horror movies about animals without giving our furry friends their spotlight. Cats and dogs are just as prominent in the genre, although we usually tend to get quite uneasy when they’re shown. That’s because many films have taken it upon themselves to make family pets their first victims as a “warning” to the audience, but it really just makes us sad and angry. Like, what do you need to kill the innocent animal for?!
Pet Sematary continues this upsetting trope, flipping it on its head to reveal an even more sinister problem. When the family cat is buried in the local pet cemetery, it somehow comes back alive. However, the cat of the walking dead is way more aggressive, seemingly changing personalities.
But another Stephen King story showcases something more killer. Cujo follows the story of a poor dog that gets bitten by a bat, soon causing dangerous behavior. Cujo goes on a rampage, mauling individuals due to his infection.
Rabid animals are terrifying, and the story of Cujo proves that. But… it’s also pretty sad, considering Cujo was originally a friendly dog who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Sure, pets themselves can haunt us, but have you ever had one convince you to be a murderer? No? Just Jerry?
The Voices is a really fun horror film, exploring the life of a mentally ill factory worker named Jerry. He has two pets, a cat and a dog, who he believes talks to him. The cat tells him to let loose and kill people, while the dog tells him to continue on living a normal life.
Obviously, the pets are meant to represent the classic angel and devil that appear on the shoulders of cartoon characters. The film just so happens to play into the silly stereotypes of cats and dogs to do so.
I personally find it to be an enjoyable movie. It’s unique, fun, and certainly makes for a fascinating horror movie dissecting the psychology of the main character. It also serves as a much different type of “animal horror” film, with the animals themselves not physically attacking anyone, but rather being the puppet masters of attack. Oh, and it has Ryan Reynolds.
From the glowing eyes to the rumbly growls, animals can pose as real life monsters. They may not be Nessie, but they certainly can pose a threat to us humans. Predators are skilled, born with claws and teeth to kill and able to strategize their next hunt.
It’s no wonder why we’re so careful when dealing with big cats… well… usually anyway…
And with all the shit we’ve done, maybe the animals deserve to rise up against us humans.
With King, pets and kids always end up coming to a bad end. And, with Cujo, he does it to them both in one book. Spoiler for a 43 year old novel!
...and I've got 6 dogs!