With autumn setting in and Halloween creeping closer, there’s nothing like an evening at home with snacks, drinks, good movies, and good company! Themed movie nights are the perfect way to celebrate Halloween’s swift and spooky approach.
They feed our natural fear because they really exist – dangerous animals, creatures that could potentially become predators and turn humans into prey. Whether it’s a killer spider, shark, or other aquatic creature, here’s what to watch if you’re going to throw a dangerous animals-themed Halloween movie night!
Jaws (1975)
Even if you’ve never seen Jaws, you would recognize the theme song (composed by John Williams) from Steven Spielberg’s classic thriller. When a mangled body washes ashore in Amity, New England, the new police chief, Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) is sent to investigate. The mayor wants Brody to tell the town the victim was killed by a motorboat, but shark expert Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) insists it was a shark.
The rest has become cinematic history. Jaws remains one of the most suspenseful and terrifying movies of all time. Despite being over thirty years old, its cinematography and special effects are still brilliant. Jaws is an absolute must for any movie night with a dangerous animals theme.
Arachnophobia (1990)
Another creepy classic based on real-life creatures that can kill. In Arachnophobia, a lethal spider from South America accidentally gets transported to the United States. It breeds with a local species and before you know it, California residents are dropping dead from killer spider bites. With a cast including Jeff Daniels and John Goodman, Arachnophobia (directed by Frank Marshall) is sure to have your skin crawling. After watching this movie, you’ll be checking every nook and cranny of your house for a potential killer.
Rogue (2007)
Rogue is like an Australian homage to Jaws, over thirty years later. From writer/director Greg McLean (Wolf Creek), Rogue follows an American journalist, Pete (Michael Vartan) on assignment to the Australian outback. A tired and somewhat pessimistic travel writer, Pete is looking for something to write about, but when he joins a river cruise guided by Kate (Radha Mitchell), he gets much more than he bargained for. The holiday turns deadly when a man-eating crocodile enters the scene.
Combining the psychological fear of isolation with the palpable fear of a gruesome death, Rogue is an incredibly fun ride with a lot of the same suspense as Jaws. The most terrifying moments are not when the crocodile attacks, but when you’re not certain where in the murky waters he’s lurking. (See a full review of Rogue here).
Other killer animal movies you may want to check out include James Cameron’s Piranha (1978) and Piranha 2 (1981), though truth be told, the new 2010 remake from director Alexandre Aja is a lot more action-packed and attention-grabbing.
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Andrea Beca - Andrea has a BA (distinction) in English and Creative Writing from the University of Alberta, and an MLitt (distinction) in Dramaturgy and ...
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