So Much Potential!

Countless monsters have been featured in horror movies, but there are many iconic creatures that have been overlooked. They’ve sometimes appeared in obscure low budget fare but have rarely, if ever, been the subject of major genre features.

I’ve already written about nutcrackers. Here are five more underused horror movie monsters. I’ve offered some suggestions for how these creatures could be depicted in future horror films.

Dragons

Dragons are plentiful in fantasy movies and shows, but they’re surprisingly rare in horror. Are they so closely associated with fantasy that horror filmmakers are scared to use them? If so, that’s silly and unfortunate.

These dinosaur-like beasts have been used in stories for centuries. They are the subject of countless legends throughout the world. Dragons have culture-transcending appeal as archetypal symbols.

With giant wingspans and the ability to breath fire, dragons are among the most ferocious fictional beasts ever invented. Few creatures are more terrifying. How about a horror movie with a dragon that gets captured, escapes, and takes revenge?

The Goatman

The Goatman is an urban legend associated mainly with the U.S. state of Maryland. As chronicled in this article, Prince George’s County experienced a bizarre rash of alleged sightings in the 1970s. Yes, people claimed to have actually seen a goat man. It was even accused of killing local pets.

There was a Goatman movie, fittingly titled Goatman, in 2023. But it’s so obscure that I couldn’t find a major review of it anywhere. I’ll check it out if I get the chance.

According to the legend, the Goatman was an ordinary scientist who transformed into a crazed axe-wielding monster after a freak accident. He supposedly stalks isolated areas at night. A slasher movie where the Goatman hacks rowdy teenagers would practically write itself.

Mermaids

These seductive and enigmatic creatures are usually portrayed as benevolent in contemporary depictions, but they have plenty of villain potential. Some of the earliest mermaid legends depict them as harbingers of doom. A mermaid sighting meant that a shipwreck was imminent.

Even Ariel, the world’s most famous mermaid, could work in a horror adaption! In fact, a low budget Little Mermaid horror flick came out recently. The original story that inspired the Disney movie is in the public domain. It received little attention and according to this review, it’s abysmal. I’m tempted to check it out anyway, though!

A major Little Mermaid horror film, made by an experienced genre director, could be great entertainment. How about Sadie Sink from Stranger Things as Ariel?

Scarecrows

Objects that appear human are inherently creepy. Dolls and ventriloquist dummies have been in plenty of horror movies and shows, but depictions of scarecrows are rarer.

One shining exception is the criminally underrated Dark Night of the Scarecrow, a creepy 1981 TV movie about a scarecrow that’s possessed by the spirit of a man who was killed by a mob for a murder he didn’t commit.

The scarecrow takes revenge against the vigilantes, slaughtering them one by one. If you haven’t seen this movie, do yourself a favor and watch it. It’s currently available on Peacock. We need more scary scarecrow movies, especially ones as good as this.

Unicorns

There is an upcoming killer unicorn movie starring Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd. This will, to my knowledge, be the first major big budget horror film about a unicorn. Like mermaids, modern depictions of unicorns are usually cute and cuddly.

Ancient legends, however, paint a far different picture. They portray unicorns as wild and ferocious beasts with magic horns that could cure diseases. Only those who were exceptionally pure, for example virginal young women, could tame them.

Unicorns have become icons of the LGBT community. This is beyond my realm of expertise, but perhaps a queer horror filmmaker like Jane Schoenbrun would be interested in featuring unicorns in her films?

Cast Sadie Sink As Evil Ariel! Make it happen!

Thanks for reading!