Canadian talent like David Cronenberg have demonstrated just how good Canadian creature features can be. Here are 10 great monster movies from Canada.
While Canadian cinema is sometimes difficult to discern from productions from the USA, many cinephiles are able to point to the nuances that highlight the differences between the two. Canada has produced some of its own horror icons, with such huge names as David Cronenberg and Bob Clark, the latter credited in making the first slasher film with Black Christmas.
RELATED: 10 Psychedelic Horror Films to Check Out
As a result, Canada has a rich history in the horror genre, perhaps backed by the long winters gearing creators to be inspired by the sense of isolation that can come with extreme temperatures. Out of the cold corners of the country, it can be said that one subgenrein which Canadian horror thrives is in creature features. Zombies, werewolves, and aliens (to name just a few) have all been the subject of some truly horrific experiences from The Great White North.
A disgraced radio host finds himself working in a small Ontario town, reporting on the mundane day to day events in the area. However, when an outbreak of zombies overruns the town, the entire event is explored through his words, broadcast out to the world.
A unique take on the zombie genre, Pontypooluses language as the source of spreading a zombie plague. Consequently, the descriptions of radio personality Grant Mazzy paints a horrific picture of chaos spilling into the small town. Eventually, the townsfolk getinto the small radio station, giving the film a more traditional take on horror to perfectly balance out the early abstract approach.
After delivering a wounded man to a hospital on the verge of closing, a police officer ends up facing otherworldly horror, as a cult surrounds the building and monsters begin to appear in the walls.
Pulling influences from the likes of Lovecraft and 70's Italian horror cinema, specifically the work of Lucio Fulci, TheVoidtakesboth the abstract approach and the penchant for violence from its inspirations. While the monster designs really shine near the end of the production, the practical effects on showthroughout make for a nostalgic experience of 70s and 80s horror.
Two sisters bond in the fact that they have become outcasts in their town while attempting to navigate their teenage years. However, when one is bitten by a werewolf and starts to transform, both physically and mentally, the relationship becomes deadly.
RELATED: 5 Best Movie Werewolves (& 5 Worst)
The dark coming of age film, Ginger Snaps,from Director John Fawcett, made a bit of a splash upon its release, enough to make it a cult classic still adored, decades later. This can largely be attributed to the strong drama backing the horror elements, offering a competent exploration of two sisters undergoing different changes during their formative years.
Three friends get together to drink beers and eat peanut butter and jam sandwiches at a cabin or small home. However, there fun and games are halted by the appearance of the 'things' - bug-like monsters who feed off the blood of their prey.
While films like The Room and Birdemic seem to be constant contenders for the best 'so bad it's good' movie, this Canadian film from the late 80s is the true unheralded champion among many cinephiles. Many feel thatThingsisa poorly shot, written and directed film that is almost impossible to follow, narrative-wise. Consequently, it is usually far from what anyone would call a 'great film,' but for the right crowd, itis one of the best cinematic experiences to come out of Canada.
Working on technology which would allow people to teleport from one location to another, an eccentric scientist starts to undergo some horrific changes, after he learns his test run ended up splicing his genes with that of a fly.
There are few who would question the influence of David Cronenberg on horror cinema, which makes him an object of pride for Canadian fans of the macabre. His work on the adaptation of The Fly, starring Jeff Goldblum, acts as one of the most recognizable and revered films in the director's filmography. Mixing elements of body horror and sci-fi, the film disturbingly relates one man's transformation into a monster and his mental breakdown in realizing his impending doom.
After falling at the hands of Draculon and his army of monsters, a solider finds himself resurrected years later as the warrior known as Manborg. Now in a future entirely dominated by the monstrous hoards, Manborg and a team of outlaws fight to bring down the oppressive regime.
RELATED: 10 Best Sci-Fi Comedy Movies of the Last Decade, Ranked According to IMDB Rating
Made on a shoestring budget and shot in a garage, Manborgshows a great degree of ingenuity to create an entire sci-fi world on the cheap utilizing a mix of special and practical effects, including claymation. In tune with the low budget aesthetic, the production takes a comedic approach, managing to create a lot of memorable dialogue and characters in the process. Overall, Manborg is a riotous time from one of Canada's best-kept secrets in the production company, Astron-6.
After discovering a pit in the woods inhabited by bloodthirsty creatures, a strange boy begins to feed the townsfolk to the monsters. However, with the acts seemingly driven under the guidance of his stuffed animal, the true nature of the creatures becomes uncertain within the boy's delusions.
While the true nature of the monsters remains inconspicuous, the creatures found in The Pitoffer up both scares and humor, as they are fed a wide array of both confused and deserved victims. Consequently, the production can veer into an unintentional dark comedy, but still retains a creepy atmosphere and solid monster design.
Genetic engineers manage to create a new creature, an amalgamation of many different beings to use in medical research. However, they become attached to their project that displays human characteristics, while fearing its ability to lash out when confronted.
RELATED: Sputnik & 9 Thrilling Non-English Sci-Fi Films To Watch
A sci-fi horror piece, carrying a strong social message about how humans can contort and exploit nature for our own gains, Spliceis one of the most unique horror films to come out of Canada. Backed by unsettling creature design that is both sexualized and abhorred by its creators, the film is a dark trip through the worst sentiments of humanity.
A series of bizarre crimes targeting women pushes a small-town doctor to investigate. Making matters more complex, a young man is taking the blame for the crimes, as his dreams and carnal desires seem to be carried out by the creature terrorizing the small town.
A slasher flick with supernatural overtones, The Incubusis equal parts uncomfortable and rough execution. However, the B-Grade Canadian horror flick works well with its limitations to create a confident horror/mystery thatpresents a more traditional narrative imbued with the brutality that came out of 80s horror cinema.
After his daughter is returned to him with odd marks all over her body, a father comes to challenge the experimental techniques used by his wife's therapist. The issue becomes more complicated when monsters barring a resemblance to his daughter start murdering members of his family and others.
While The Fly is probably the best-known film from David Cronenberg, The Broodfeels like the film most steeped in Canadiana, even with the memorable performance from British actor Oliver Reed. Taking place in the winter, the horror sequences are perfectly framed in the cold backdrop, which allows the creatures to hide in snowsuits. Additionally, the reveal of the source of the childlikemonsters is a disturbing sequence, among the best the director has crafted.
NEXT: 10 Best Slashers Not From North America
Next 10 Of The Best Serial Killer Movies From The 1990s, Ranked By IMDb
View original post here:
It Came From The North: 10 Great Monster Movies From Canada - Screen Rant
- 'Immaculate' ending explained: Was the baby a demon? - Business Insider - April 2nd, 2024
- 10 Horror Movies That Would Have Ended Earlier If Their Heroes Were Smarter - CBR - Comic Book Resources - April 2nd, 2024
- Terrifier 3 director reveals they filmed 'most insanely horrific scenes' that nearly made lead actor vomit on set - UNILAD - April 2nd, 2024
- The Latest Stephen King Horror Movie Has A Killer Cast And Director - SlashFilm - April 2nd, 2024
- THE FIRST OMEN 2024: Release Date, Cast, Plot, And Everything You Need to Know - FANGORIA - April 2nd, 2024
- Sting Review | Excellent Creature Feature with an Emotional Backdrop - MovieWeb - April 2nd, 2024
- IMMACULATE Interview with Director Michael Mohan, Discussing the Making of the Film, Reactions to the Ending, and ... - Daily Dead - April 2nd, 2024
- Mood 'Windigo' - Book and Film Globe - April 2nd, 2024
- A 2016 Thriller Is The Top Movie On Netflix Right Now - HuffPost - April 2nd, 2024
- 10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching Beetlejuice, 36 Years Later - Screen Rant - April 2nd, 2024
- All the Horror Movies We Can't Wait To See in 2024 - The Mary Sue - April 2nd, 2024
- A Buzzy Korean Horror Movie Is Sneakily One Of The Biggest Box Office Hits Of 2024 - SlashFilm - April 2nd, 2024
- Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3 horror movie confirmed, after second film debuted to a surprise perfect Rotten ... - Gamesradar - April 2nd, 2024
- Fear Street 4 Is Reviving An Old Horror Trend That Was Perfected 48 Years Ago - Screen Rant - April 2nd, 2024
- Lisa Frankenstein Hides The Fact That It Cast The Real Star Of 2023's Viral $181 Million Horror Movie - Screen Rant - April 2nd, 2024
- Finally, Someone Confirms That A Sequel To HELLRAISER Is In The Works - FANGORIA - April 2nd, 2024
- We're definitely hard at work on: Hellraiser Sequel Promises to Be Even More Terrifying as Producer Vows to Take ... - FandomWire - April 2nd, 2024
- Future Chucky Movie Will Connect To The Series, Says Don Mancini - Screen Rant - April 2nd, 2024
- After Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2, Freddy and Jason Need to Cameo in the Poohniverse - MovieWeb - April 2nd, 2024
- Chucky Creator Reveals He is Working on a New Child's Play Movie: 'Whatever Keeps Me Working' - MovieWeb - April 2nd, 2024
- AI In Late Night With The Devil Sparks Controversy - Forbes - March 24th, 2024
- A horror movie based on a Stephen King novel with a disappointing Rotten Tomatoes score is climbing Netflix's top 10 - Gamesradar - March 24th, 2024
- This is why we're so obsessed with nuns in horror movies - according to the official source, a nun - Gamesradar - March 24th, 2024
- Stephen King reveals the one horror movie he couldn't sit through as he was too scared - UNILAD - March 24th, 2024
- Late Night With the Devil directors address the use of AI art in the film - JoBlo.com - March 24th, 2024
- David Dastmalchian on Late Night with the Devil, The Life of Chuck and Good Fiend Films - Kansas City Pitch - March 24th, 2024
- Welcome to the Poohniverse: Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey Team to Unite Pooh, Bambi, Tinkerbell and More in Low-Budget Horror Crossover (EXCLUSIVE)... - March 24th, 2024
- Late Night with the Devil is the best horror movie of the year so far - Yahoo Movies Canada - March 24th, 2024
- Sydney Sweeney 'wanted to be drenched in blood' in 'Immaculate' - Entertainment Weekly News - March 24th, 2024
- Film of the Week: 'Stopmotion' - The best horror film of 2024 so far - Euronews - March 24th, 2024
- How to Watch Immaculate: Is the Sydney Sweeney Movie Streaming? - TheWrap - March 24th, 2024
- THE FIRST OMEN: A Battle With The Devil And An NC-17 Rating FANGORIA - FANGORIA - March 24th, 2024
- Elevated Horror: The New Wave of Artful Scares Taking Over Hollywood - LRM Online - March 24th, 2024
- Late Night With the Devil Plot Explained: The True Meaning of the Movie - The Direct - March 24th, 2024
- David Chase is directing his first film in 12 years. Its a horror movie. - NJ.com - March 24th, 2024
- Us Was The Box Office Hit That Gave Jordan Peele True Power In Hollywood - SlashFilm - March 24th, 2024
- Cast of 'Gremlins': Catch Up With the Stars of the '80s Hit - First For Women - March 24th, 2024
- 'Immaculate' Review: Sydney Sweeney Is Wide-Eyed but Sly - The New York Times - March 24th, 2024
- Sydney Sweeney explains that bloody 'Immaculate' ending - Entertainment Weekly News - March 24th, 2024
- When Will Sydney Sweeney's Horror Film, 'Immaculate,' Be Available to Stream? - AOL - March 24th, 2024
- Blumhouse to Return Insidious and Other Titles to Theaters for Halfway to Halloween Fest - Hollywood Reporter - March 16th, 2024
- Every Movie In The Wrong Turn Franchise Ranked - SlashFilm - March 16th, 2024
- Blumhouse Celebrating 'Halfway to Halloween' With Five Horror Movies Returning to 100 AMC Movie Theaters - Bloody Disgusting - March 16th, 2024
- DeWanda Wise Sings Creepy Theme Of New Horror Film: 'Imaginary' - The Root - March 16th, 2024
- Hostel: Part II (2007) WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? - JoBlo.com - March 16th, 2024
- New LEPRECHAUN Movie Will Be Funny, Scary And Full Of Practical Effects - FANGORIA - March 16th, 2024
- Blumhouse Celebrating Halfway to Halloween With Five Horror Movies Returning to 100 AMC Movie Theaters - IMDb - March 16th, 2024
- The Horror Nail-Biter On Max With A Controversial Ending - Giant Freakin Robot - March 16th, 2024
- "Says the person who was in Madame Web": Sydney Sweeney is Getting Skewered for Saying Modern Horror Movies ... - FandomWire - March 16th, 2024
- First trailer for horror movie reboot The Crow features an unrecognizable Bill Skarsgrd on a bloody mission of revenge - Gamesradar - March 16th, 2024
- You'll Never Find Me Is Unforgettable Horror, See The Terror In Action - Giant Freakin Robot - March 16th, 2024
- The First Omen star has seen all of your internet theories about the horror movie prequel and, well, they're all wrong - Gamesradar - March 16th, 2024
- Sltface take on horror movies with their new single, 'Final Grl' - Dork Magazine - March 16th, 2024
- From 'Five Nights at Freddy's' to 'Imaginary': Why Blumhouse loves PG-13 horror - theday.com - March 16th, 2024
- The First Omen's Big Death Reveal Really Doesn't Bode Well For The Prequel - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- 20 Scariest Horror Movies to Come Out in the Last 5 Years - MovieWeb - March 16th, 2024
- 'The Animal Kingdom' Exclusive Clip Previews the Gnarly Body Horror of Magnet's New Movie - Bloody Disgusting - March 16th, 2024
- 'Oddity' Review: This Supernatural Horror Film Will Tear You To Pieces | SXSW 2024 - Collider - March 16th, 2024
- "Marketing is failing this movie tremendously": David Dastmalchian's Late Night With the Devil Dubbed as One of the ... - FandomWire - March 16th, 2024
- STOPMOTION is a handcrafted tale of beauty and horror - Moviejawn - March 16th, 2024
- Horror Lovers Will Love this Dining Spot in Texas - klaq.com - March 8th, 2024
- Is Late Night With The Devil Based On A True Story? - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- Kooky King: 6 of the Weirdest Stephen King Film Adaptations - Nightmare on Film Street - March 8th, 2024
- The Unknown, the Viral Willy Wonka Experience Villain, Is Already Getting Their Own Horror Movie - IGN - March 8th, 2024
- 13 Original Horror Movies We Can't Wait to See in 2024 - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- From 'Imaginary' to 'Five Nights at Freddy's.' Why Blumhouse loves PG-13 horror - Los Angeles Times - March 8th, 2024
- Imaginary Movie Review: M3gan Meets The Boogeyman - Mama's Geeky - March 8th, 2024
- Christopher Nolan Originally Conceived Inception As A Horror Movie - SlashFilm - March 8th, 2024
- 'Whalefall' Movie in the Works From 'No One Will Save You' Director Brian Duffield - The Mary Sue - March 8th, 2024
- Horror Movie Based On THE UNKNOWN From Glasgow's WILLY WONKA Experience In The Works Horror Movie ... - CBM (Comic Book Movie) - March 8th, 2024
- Horrifying 'Late Night With The Devil' Trailer Released - Outkick - March 8th, 2024
- Imaginary review: M3GAN, take the wheel - Dexerto - March 8th, 2024
- The Unknown: Horror Movie Based on Unofficial Willy Wonka Experience Is in the Works - ComingSoon.net - March 8th, 2024
- Imaginary Film Review: Light on Frights - Loud And Clear Reviews - March 8th, 2024
- Dead Mail Directors on Their '80s Horror Influences - MovieWeb - March 8th, 2024
- HORROR BEAT: Blumhouse offers a non-update on the future of THE EXORCIST - Comics Beat - March 8th, 2024
- And the Oscar for best picture doesn't go to ... horror! - NPR - March 8th, 2024
- Shaitaan OTT Release: When And Where To Watch R Madhavan And Ajay Devgn Starrer Horror Thriller Film - Indiatimes.com - March 8th, 2024
- The 'Wonka Experience' Is Being Turned Into A Horror Movie - UPROXX - March 8th, 2024
- 8 new horror movies on Netflix, Max, Shudder and more in March 2024 - TechRadar - March 8th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero