The topic of "new monsters" is frequently raised in the horror-sphere. Writers and filmmakers say the culture needs them; fans clamor for them.
Of course, there really is no shortage of "new monsters." Even in the midst of pop culture's current extended love affair with vampires and zombies, there are plenty of new scaries around; it's just that, well ... most of them aren't very good. For every creation like Freddy Krueger or the vengeful babies of David Cronenberg's The Brood, there are dozens of failed experiments involving alien viruses or possessed laundry presses or gigantic crustaceans from the depths.
Which is to be expected; the mummies and the werewolves had hundreds of years to get it right. And we do need new monsters, because the culture changes — new things scare us in reality, and we need new, relevant and resonant fictions to terrify us, and make the real-life fears seem more manageable. When somebody gets a new monster right, it's truly shocking and exciting to discover.
So, writers and filmmaker, keep looking for those new monsters. As a tribute, here are five of my favorites. (CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD.)
