The world of animal attack movies offers a thrilling blend of raw primal fear and cinematic spectacle, as filmmakers pit unsuspecting humans against the terrifying power of nature’s fiercest creatures. While some films revel in B-movie camp and over-the-top action, others delve into more nuanced explorations of survival, revenge, and the fragile relationship between humanity and the animal kingdom. From the iconic Jaws that launched a genre to the chilling The Grey, these films showcase the enduring fascination with the untamed and the potent fear of the unknown, inviting audiences to confront their deepest anxieties in the face of nature’s untamed fury. In this article, we’ll dive into a captivating selection of animal attack movies, examining their diverse approaches to the genre and exploring the powerful impact these films have on audiences.
A Brutal Beast: The Revenant
Charting a tale about survival and revenge in the American wilderness of the early 1800s, The Revenant is easily Alejandro González Iñárritu’s most breathtaking film, flush with expansive nature shots that slowly creep in, that one might mistake it for a documentary at times. In it, you follow a legendary frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo Di Caprio), who on an expedition into the snow-capped forests, falls victim to a bear mauling, with the beast rigorously thrashing him around – biting him whenever he stops moving and heavily breathing and grunting in and around his face. It’s a sense of fear heightened by a lack of music, with both man and beast taking a few seconds of break to compose themselves, as the audience prepares themselves for what’s about to happen next.
It’s hand down the best animal attack you’ll ever see on film, all of which was captured in a continuous long take that took advantage of low lighting to make the best use of the CGI bear’s imposing shadow and create the fear of imminent death. Director Iñárritu watched over ‘100 different bear attacks‘ as research, to best represent its movements and patterns, where it would briefly walk away to check on its cubs before slamming its weight down on Hugh again. Thankfully, he survives, albeit with deep wounds that render him unable to move and a case of severe fever creeping in. Left for dead by his comrades, he goes in and out of consciousness, often witnessing dreamlike sequences about his wife that motivate him to pull himself out of his grave and head on a path of revenge across a cinematic landscape.
The Revenant is up for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. You can also buy or rent it on Google Play Movies, YouTube Movies, and Apple TV.
A Monster From Our Mistakes: The Host
If you’ve come across the ancient yet infamous clip of Quentin Tarantino listing his 20 favourite movies, you might have already heard about Bong Joon-ho’s ‘wonderful’ creature feature, The Host. Sure, it doesn’t exactly fit into the category of animals, but it’s a darkly comedic take on a tired genre that relies heavily on realistic, humane aspects of our society. A horrifying slug-like creature with tiny limbs and a slimy tail, formed by the vast amount of pollution in the local river, emerges within the first 20 minutes, kidnapping clumsy vendor Park Gang-du’s (Song Kang-ho) youngest daughter. Just in that timespan, The Host has divided itself into two genres – one about killing the monster that’s terrorising citizens, while seamlessly tying into an abduction thriller where a desperate family wants their child back.
Bong, who’s known for inserting dialogue about social themes in his films, uses the titular Host as a metaphor for pollution and how it will eventually come back to bite humans. This is best represented in the scene where Park’s family is quarantined by the American military for close contact with the monster, preventing them from searching for their daughter. For a 2006 movie, the CGI is serviceable, making good use of dark tunnels to hide some of its flaws, though it still looks scary enough – at times, desperate. The film also stars Park Hae-il (Decision to Leave)
