Monster movies are often beastly bloodbaths built to scare and entertain their viewers, but not all creatures are alike on the outside, or in this list’s case, the inside. There have been many movies that paint humanity as a more destructive force than monsters.
Movies like King Kong and many other classic kaiju movies carry the message that humans bring destruction on themselves with their selfish or evil acts. Some monsters never even reach a destructive point and go against the expectations that come with their appearances right from the get-go. These 10 movies feature monsters that prove over and over that they can be nice, despite being fictional creatures that who look like they were designed to terrify.
Gremlins
This is the first of multiple entries that proves their monsters’ innocence by pitting them against more sinister creatures. The Gremlins films are about a rambunctious group of murderous little monsters, but Gizmo is the one in the batch that breaks the mold.
Gizmo is a sweet little monster that wants nothing more than to be friends and stay dry. He stays on the good side even when he could easily join the army of monstrous gremlins. In the sequel, he even takes the fight to them when he feels like things have gone too far. This is what a kind monster looks like.
Nightbreed
Clive Barker’s cult film follows a man framed for murder as he finds himself enthralled by a strange cabal of monsters that live in a cemetery out of sight of humanity. The film initially displays the group as a terrifying unit of creatures that should be avoided at all costs, but as the film unfolds, the community is revealed to be much less sinister than initially thought. The lines of morality are heavily blurred, and the movie paints many of its human characters as the real monsters, making the titular group the clear protagonists.
Hellboy
The plot of the famous comic series turned film franchise is centered completely around the idea of a demon summoned for evil deciding to do good instead. The titular demonic creature uses his powers and a particularly large handgun to hunt other monsters that aren’t quite as keen on the human race.
Hellboy might be snarky, crass, and violent, but his heart is in the right place, and when you’re a literal hellspawn bred for mass destruction, that means a lot. He is part of an eccentric team comprised of other supernatural members, and together they prove that looks don’t mean a thing when it comes to being heroic.
The Toxic Avenger
Cult powerhouse Troma Entertainment’s ultra-violent superhero movie is one of the ’80s’ most definitive cult classics. The story follows a geeky janitor who, after falling into toxic waste, turns into a superpowered mutant with a focus on crushing bad guys. He may mutilate his enemies beyond belief, but they are all shown to be morally terrible characters, making it okay. Well, making it a little better at least.
The town of Tromaville is scared of its new protector at first but after a few instances of Toxie doing good, they quickly come around to supporting him. The whole town even sports “I Love The Monster Hero,” t-shirts in the last act of the film, showing how popular a kind monster can be.
Monster Squad
There have been many iterations of the Universal Monsters acting with kindness, or being straight-up heroes, but this one has that heartfelt tone that many of these films carry. In the movie, a group of teens has to defend their town from the likes of Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolfman, the Mummy and an aquatic creature that looks like he came from a dark-colored lagoon.
Partway through the film, Frankenstein is sent to kill the teens, but upon meeting a friendly little girl, he ends up having a good time instead. He befriends the squad of would-be monster hunters and even helps them stop Dracula later on, proving that all it took for this monster to be nice was someone else to show him some kindness.
Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf isn’t scared to ask questions like “what if being a werewolf was normal and there were no notable downsides?” In the movie, Michael J. Fox becomes a werewolf simply by reaching puberty. He’s part of a werewolf family. After that, he uses his powers to have fun all over town and win basketball games.
There are few indications in Teen Wolf that the wolfboy is dangerous to anyone around him, or that being a werewolf will make his life miserable. The whole thing is an optimistic take on being cursed with hair, claws, and fangs. The movie’s demeanor towards an iconic monster from films goes out of its way to break the stereotypes that surround how monsters are supposed to act.
The Shape Of Water
The perfect example of that classic trope where humans are revealed to be far more monstrous than the creatures they fear. The 2017 Best Picture Oscar winner follows a deaf woman who finds an intimate connection with a sea-creature being held captive by the government.
The creature is mistreated throughout the film, and while it is capable of great violence, when shown compassion it only returns it. It shows only love and kindness to the woman and others that attempt to help it find its way back to the water.
Little Monsters (1989)
Fred Savage and Howie Mandel lead this wild kids movie from the late ’80s. When a young boy comes face to face with the monster under his bed, the two become fast friends. The monster takes the boy on an adventure through the netherworld, where they encounter other monsters and terrorize other children.
There’s a full segment of the film devoted to realizing you shouldn’t have fun at the expense of others, but the whole movie starts with a wild premise. Even the monster under your bed can be a rad buddy if you give it a chance.
Where The Wild Things Are
Spike Jonze’s adaptation of the classic children’s book is a surreal exploration of childlike wonder. In the film, a young boy ends up in a land of monsters and has to navigate his way among them. The group has fun but also has vulnerable moments that push the boy, and the viewer, to be empathetic. The movie eventually reaches a somber peak, but the memory of the beasts is a positive one of love and friendship.
Monsters Inc.
The ultimate movie about kindness and being willing to change has “monster” right in the name. In Monsters Inc. the personal lives of boogeymen and beasts are shown to be chaotic and full of sweet-hearted characters who only look monstrous on the outside.
The two focal monsters go out of their way to help a little girl that gets lost in their world full of creatures, and in doing so, they make the choice to be nice even when it isn’t the easier one. Using monsters to tell this particular story was an ingenious way to convey the age-old theme of not judging a book by its cover.
