The 20 best movies about cryptids

Released in 2001, the French film Brotherhood of the Wolf focuses on the infamous Beast of Gévaudan, a supposed wolf that terrorized France in the 18th century. It might not always be the most narratively coherent film — and it certainly goes out of its way to mix several genres — but it’s entertaining and, at times, even chilling. The creature itself is a remarkably frightening monstrosity, though there is far more to it (and to its slaughter of French villagers) than at first meets the eye. Part-period film, part-martial arts extravaganza, and part-horror, Brotherhood of the Wolf is pure pulp and worth a watch.

Stephen King is, of course, one of the most important voices in horror fiction, and his works have been adapted numerous times to the screen. The 2019 adaptation of Pet Sematary is one of the more genuinely frightening and troubling of these since it is this being that haunts the titular location and gives it its sinister power. Like the best King adaptations, this version of the story doesn’t shy away from the dark human tragedy at the heart of the story, and this is what makes the fate of its unfortunate characters all the more wrenching and difficult to watch.

Throughout his career, Werner Herzog has established himself as one of the most authoritative and thought-provoking voices working in documentary film, but this doesn’t mean that he’s not willing and able to poke fun at himself. In Incident at Loch Ness, he plays a version of himself who is in a bit of a competition with another documentary filmmaker, and both characters, as well as the film itself, constantly ask the viewer to interrogate just what they think they know about what they are watching. It’s a delightfully clever film that deconstructs the idea of the cryptid and the hold that it has over the collective human imagination.

The found-footage film has become one of the most ubiquitous sub-genres of horror, and Skinwalker Ranch fits right into this particular mold. The plot revolves, predictably, around the disappearance of a rancher’s son and the team sent to explore what happened, but of course, things get very frightening very quickly. The skinwalker might not have as much name recognition as some cryptids, such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, but it still makes for a compelling and chilling addition. And, while this film doesn’t necessarily rewrite the rules of the found footage film, there are still quite a few chills in store for the viewer.

The Mothman is one of the most famous cryptids to have emerged from West Virginia, particularly the small town of Point Pleasant on the Ohio River. The creature, a flying being with glowing eyes, was first spotted in the 1960s, and its appearance was said to presage the collapse of the Silver Bridge. The Mothman Prophecies  dramatizes these events, and the film stars no less an actor than Richard Gere. While the screenplay is sometimes perplexing, the film is still notable for drawing attention to one of America’s most menacing cryptids, and it is guaranteed to send a shiver up the spine of even the most skeptical viewer.

It’s only recently that mermaids have come to be seen as cryptids, but there’s no question that these half-human/half-fish beings have exerted a remarkable draw on the human imagination. In the chilling horror film Cold Skin, they are given a horror gloss as two men on a remote Atlantic island find themselves confronted with sinister creatures from the sea. It’s one of those horror films that succeeds in being frightening but also thought-provoking, particularly since one of the creatures isn’t as murderous as the others. It dares to ask the question: who really is the monster?

Even though cryptids are often a source of fear and angst — hence their appearance in many horror movies — in recent decades, there has been a shift into seeing them as sources of fun, humor, and even family. Smallfoot  shows what happens when humans and Yetis finally meet face-to-face. It’s a sweet and fun film with a talented voice cast that includes the likes of Channing Tatum, Zendaya, and Danny DeVito. Moreover, it’s one of those animated films that actually contains a touching message about the power of making connections across differences — no matter how difficult. 

Scooby-Doo is, of course, one of the most enduringly popular characters to have emerged from Hanna-Barbera. He experienced a particular surge in popularity in the 2000s, in which the lovable canine and his mystery-solving companions appeared in a number of direct-to-DVD films, including Scooby-Doo! And the Loch Ness Monster. As one might guess, the plot revolves around the title beast, Scooby, and the rest of the Mystery Inc. gang trying to get to the bottom of a number of appearances by Scotland’s famous lake monster. This film has all of the light-hearted fun that one expects from the Scooby franchise, and it also includes a remarkably talented voice cast that includes Frank Welker, Grey DeLisle, Mindy Cohn, and Casey Kasem. 

The films produced by DreamWorks always have a sort of whimsical magic about them, and this is definitely true of Abominable, which focuses on the extraordinary friendship that develops between a girl and a Yeti. The film has a great deal in common with How to Train Your Dragon, the studio’s very successful franchise, but it’s also enchanting enough to stand on its own. It’s one of those animated films that doesn’t try to be groundbreaking or change the rules but instead encourages the viewer just to cherish its sweet story and the beauty that only animation can convey.

Even though the Jersey Devil hasn’t enjoyed quite the on-screen presence of some other cryptids, it has appeared in notable films, including The Last Broadcast. Though the creature doesn’t appear in the film, it serves as something of a malign influence in the background, with much of the story focused on a series of murders and the documentarian trying to reconstruct what happened. It makes remarkably sophisticated and effective use of the found-footage method, keeping the viewer on their toes as to the nature of the killings and who perpetrated them. It’s the type of film that raises more questions than answers, and therein lies much of the pleasure.

It’s hard to pin down Sasquatch Sunset to any particular genre, but it would be safe to say that it’s unlike almost any other film released in 2024. As its title implies, it focuses on a family of Bigfoot in their native habitat of Northern California. It ultimately becomes a rather strange mix of documentary and absurdist fantasy film, but despite (or perhaps because of) this, it has its own unique charm. The performances from the likes of Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough give these simian characters their personalities, and, if nothing else, the film is a timely reminder of the importance of treasuring nature.

Bigfoot has long exerted a powerful hold on the American imagination, so it makes sense that this bipedal, ape-like cryptid would make a number of appearances in the movies. Perhaps most notably, a Sasquatch named Harry captured the hearts of movie audiences of the 1980s when he appeared in Harry and the Hendersons,  in which a human family essentially adopts the creature. It has all of the charms that one has come to expect of a certain kind of family film from the decade, and, as a bonus, it also features some fun performances by the likes of John Lithgow.

Not every low-budget quasi-documentary can manage to capture some real thrills, but The Legend of Boggy Creek more than succeeds in this regard. Released in 1972, the film purports to document the existence of the Fouke Monster of Arkansas. The film’s rough edges — from the staged interviews to the re-enactments — give its horror aspects their unsettling power. The viewer comes to feel as if they are really watching an account of the creature, and The Legend of Boggy Creek skillfully taps into those parts of the human brain that remain fascinated with (and terrified by) those aspects of the natural world that remain shrouded in the fog of the unknown.

Few horror comedies have pulled off the balancing act accomplished by Tremors,  which focuses on the residents of a small southwestern town who find themselves under assault by a cluster of carnivorous giant worms. The beings in question have more than a little in common with the cryptid known as the Mongolian death worm, and they can wreak a lot of havoc before they are ultimately defeated. The film is also notable for its surprisingly strong cast, including Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, and Reba McEntire. Both funny and, at times, genuinely scary, this is horror comedy at its best.

The Loch Ness Monster has excited the imaginations of generations of people, and it has come to be closely associated with the mystic spirit of the Scottish Highlands. The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep, released in 2007, tells the story of how the Loch Ness Monster came to be, focusing in particular on Angus MacMorrow, who discovers an egg that belongs to the creature known as the Water Horse. What follows is a fun and touching action-adventure film, with some magnificent special effects used to bring the Water Horse, named Crusoe, to vibrant life.

The figure of the wendigo has appeared in various Indigenous traditions and, of course, in Hollywood cinema. In 2021, it made a notable (and quite frightening) appearance in the horror film Antlers, in which it inhabits the bodies of several characters. Like all good horror, Antlers manages to blend emotional trauma and unsettling creature aesthetics, which gives the story a particular heft. Some might balk at the serious tone that permeates the story, but others might find that this gives it a particular resonance and relevance that is not always true in the horror genre.

Missing Link is another animated gem that shows that there’s another side to Bigfoot than the horror picture. In Missing Link, viewers are introduced to the Bigfoot Mr. Link, who joins a pair of British explorers and goes to the Himalayas in search of his Yeti relations. It’s a cute and charming film, thanks in large part to its talented voice cast, which includes  Zach Galifianakis, Hugh Jackman, and Emma Thompson, and the stop-motion animation used to bring the characters to such memorable life. It might have bombed at the box office, but it’s still a delightful, feel-good cryptid film with some surprising emotional and philosophical depths. 

The film Willow Creek has several things to recommend to fans of cryptid movies, not the least of which is that it is directed by Bobcat Goldthwait. Though Goldthwait might be more famous for his comedy, he shows a deft touch with horror in this Bigfoot-centric film, with its story of a couple hoping to be able to replicate the famous Patterson–Gimlin film, one of the most notable of Bigfoot sightings. Things don’t go quite as planned, however, and the film ends on a remarkably bleak and chilling note. It may not break the mold of monster movies, but Willow Creek still makes for a chilling viewing experience. 

Even though Bigfoot is often found in horror films, the giant ape-like creature has found its way into other, less terrifying cinematic representations. Letters from the Big Man, for example, focuses on Lily Rabe’s Sarah Smith and her bond with the giant beast. The film doesn’t necessarily provide many concrete answers as to what Bigfoot is or what his feelings might be, but that’s ultimately beside the point. Letters from the Big Man is instead an exercise in contemplation and communing with nature. It’s a refreshing and surprisingly contemplative indication of just how much potential there is in the Bigfoot legend.

The US might tend to corner the market regarding cryptid films, but several other countries also have their legends, including Norway. The  2013 Norwegian film Gåten Ragnarok focuses on an archaeologist who unwittingly encounters the type of giant sea serpent so commonly seen in Viking culture. There are quite a few good scares in this film, and the creatures, while terrifying, have their motivations for acting as they do. Moreover, the film has an important message about leaving nature to itself rather than intruding where one doesn’t belong.