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 edit
See also the section on insects.
Arachnids edit
- 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 edit
Birds edit
- 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 edit
Piranhas edit
- 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 edit
- 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 edit
Ants edit
- 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 edit
- 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 edit
- Creepshow (1982, killer cockroaches)[58]
- Mimic (1997, evolved human-sized genetically engineered cockroaches)[59]
Locusts edit
- Locusts: The 8th Plague (2005)[60]
Wasps edit
Mammals edit
Bats edit
- The Devil Bat (1940; mutant bats)[62]
- Nightwing (1979; vampire bats)[3]
- Bats (1999; genetically altered bats)[63]
Bears edit
- 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 edit
- 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 edit
- Orca (1977; a killer whale)[3][50]
Felines edit
- Black Zoo (1963; lions and tigers)[73]
- Maneater (2007; a Bengal tiger)[1]
- Burning Bright (2010, a tiger)[74]
Pigs edit
Primates edit
- Blood Monkey (2007)[78]
- Shakma (1990)[79]
- Monkey Shines (1988)[80]
Rats edit
- Willard (1971)[81]
- Ben (1972)[82]
- Deadly Eyes (1982; a.k.a. The Rats)[83]
- Graveyard Shift (1990)[84]
- Willard (2003)[85]
Others edit
- Night of the Lepus (1972; giant rabbits)[86]
- Black Sheep (2006; genetically engineered killer sheep)[7]
Mollusks edit
Gastropods edit
- Slugs (1988; abnormally large killer black slugs)[87]
Octopuses and squids edit
Reptiles edit
Alligators and crocodiles edit
- 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 edit
- Rattlers (1976)[105]
- Anaconda (1997)[106]
- King Cobra (1999)[110]
- Silent Predators (1999; rattlesnakes)[1]
- Snakes on a Plane (2006)[111]
- Mega Snake (2007)[112]
Plants edit
- 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 edit
- Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959, giant leeches)[115]
- Squirm (1976, bloodworms and sandworms)[50]
- Blood Beach (1982; a giant worm)[7]
Miscellaneous edit
- 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 edit
References edit
- ^ 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.
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- ^ "Piranha II: The Spawning (1982)". AllMovie. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Piranha (2010)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
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- ^ "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.
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- ^ "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.
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- ^ "Cujo (1983)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "The Breed (2006)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
- ^ "The Pack (2015)". AllMovie. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
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- ^ "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.
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- ^ "Dark Age (1986)". Allmovie. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ "Killer Crocodile". Really Awful Movies. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
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- ^ "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.
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- ^ "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.