10 movies about cryptids

By Joan Seth

Our fascination with monster movies never end. From the early cheesy giant monster flicks, to the Hammer Productions Monster films and to the recent B monster movie collaborations, I have picked out 10 movies which depict legendary cryptids.

1. Surviving Evil (2009) - Aswang

In this movie, a group of film makers arrive at a Philippine island to document survival techniques, but they end up fighting to survive when they are attacked by Aswangs, shape shifting creatures with thirst for blood.

Traditionally, Aswangs are depicted as vampire-like creatures, who can shapeshift, fly and suck blood. In Surviving Evil, they are more like wild humans, who have adapted to living in the jungle.


Picture is (C) copyright to Kaleidoscope Zing Entertainment




2. Bigfoot (1970) - Bigfoot

This is a low budget film involving people captured by Bigfoot in the Northwestern United States. In the end, a old mountain man and a biker work together to free the captives. With substandard dialog, cheesy costumes and below average acting, the one redeeming feature of this flick - it was filmed on location in undisclosed mountain wilderness locations where the legendary creature Bigfoot was alleged to have been sighted.


Picture is (C) copyright to Ellman Film Enterprises

3. Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon (2008) - Yeti

This film centers around a group of people, after surviving a plane crash in the Himalayan wilderness, encounter a bloodthirsty Yeti. Fighting the Yeti to survive, they manage to kill the Yeti and escape.


Picture is (C) copyright to American World Pictures

4. The Water Horse (2007) - Loch Ness Monster

A fantasy tale about a young boy who discovers a egg and hatches it, only for it to grow into the legendary Loch Ness Monster. He and his friends befriend the creature and fight to keep it a secret, amidst the ongoing of World War II.

Interestingly, a plot point depicts 2 tourists taking a fake picture of the creature as they were unable to capture a image of the real creature. The photo became known as the world famous "Surgeon's Photograph".


Picture is (C) copyright to Columbia Pictures

5. The Mothman Prophecies (2002) - Mothman

A reporter who escapes from a car accident where his wife died, travels to a small town to investigate his late wife's sightings of a creature. In Point Pleasant, he discovers a phenomena prevalent throughtout the community - a creature known as the Mothman, whose appearances seem to foretell disastrous events.

This movie was based on a book, which was based on actual events that happened at Point Pleasant, Virginia, in the 1960s.


Picture is (C) copyright to Screen Gems

6. 13th Child (2002) - Jersey Devil

Legend has it, the 13th child born to Mrs Leeds of Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey in the 1800s was the Jersey Devil monster. In this movie, a supposedly supernatural killer is wrecking havoc in Pine Barrens. Can it be the work of the legendary monster?


Picture is (C) copyright to Unipix Entertainment

7. Anaconda (1997) - Giant Anaconda

Tales of giant serpents are common in many cultures and myths. In South America, the locals tell of a creature, the Giant Anaconda which can grow up to 30 - 50 feet long. Scientists disregard such descriptions as Anacondas usually grow up to 20 feet long.

It will not come as a surprise that this movie depicts a gigantic Anaconda hunting a group of explorers and in the end, common sense prevails and the reptile is killed and the humans live happily ever after.


Picture is (C) copyright to Columbia Pictures

8. Chupacabra Terror (2005) - Chupacabra

A mad scientist manages to track down and capture the elusive Chupacabra and smuggles it aboard a cruise ship. However, as expected, the creature escapes and starts killing people. US Navy Seals reach the cruise ship to contain the creature, but said mad scientist decides the life of the monster is more valuable than human life and decides to do anything it takes to save the monster.


Picture is (C) copyright to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

9. Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) - Beast of Gévaudan


The Beast of Gévaudan was a name given to a wolf-like creature that terrorized Gévaudan, France in the 1700s. The ferocious animal was described as a giant wolf and had managed to kill over 100 people. Explanations were given - that it was, well, a giant wolf, a werewolf or something else.

In the movie, the beast was said to have been created by a secret society.


Picture is (C) copyright to Universal Pictures

10. The Descent (2005) - Humanoid Predators

Tales of wild feral men are not new; they are common in myths throughout the world. Examples include Blemmyes (Roman), Basajaun (Basque), Yeren (Chinese) and Fear liath (British).


The Descent is about a group of female spelunkers, who go caving in a new unexplored cave system. Within the caves, they encounter a group of humanoid creatures, named "Crawlers". Later on, it was speculated that the Crawlers were descended from early humans who had adapted to living in the caves.


Picture is (C) copyright to COMPANY


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