Welcome back, ghouls and ghosts, to the third annual installment of SpookyJawn! It’s our horror takeover of MovieJawn, and this year we are wall to wall with monsters!

by Tori Potenza, Staff Writer

With so many otherworldly terrors out there, it can be easy to forget the ones down here on earth. And considering that only about 5% of the ocean has actually been explored and mapped by humans, the possibility of undiscovered aquatic terrors seems pretty high. Countless myths and folklore has been passed down in regards to all of the potential threats below the water. Krakens, mermaids, The Loch Ness Monster are just a few that have enchanted and terrified generations. Then there are some like the giant squid, that we realize are all too real. While humans have barely scraped the surface of what lies below, horror films have explored and pondered the potential threats that we may face out on the water. Some are as simple as a large shark stalking us while we swim at the beach, others might be primordial terrors, while others might not be too dissimilar from us. As you venture to explore the vast world of aquatic terrors, take this handy guide with you as a map so you do not venture into uncharted territory. 

Homo Aquaticus aka Aquatic Humanoids

As a 2017 article from The Independent delicately puts it, “humanity evolved from wriggling sea creatures with large mouths and no anus”. It has been commonly accepted by scientists that humans were aquatic creatures before they ventured onto land and that our earliest ancestors date back to roughly 540 million years ago. Much like Bigfoot is thought to be a long distance relative of humans that managed to continue on, films have explored some of the potential relatives we might still have swimming in the waters. So here are a few essentials that highlight some of these water breathing humanoids. 

Creature from the Black Lagoon (dir. Jack Arnold, 1954)

The creature is one of the most iconic aquatic humanoids around, and for good reason. This classic universal monster is an amphibious humanoid that is just trying to live a peaceful life in the water when he is interrupted by a group of scientists who, upon discovering him, hope to cage him and use him for science experiments and profit. Lucky the “Gill-man” is incredibly powerful and can cut down his enemies, so these silly air breathers are of little consequence. One of the most impressive aspects of the film is just how good the Gill-man looks. Milicent Patrick was a Disney animator and the artist behind his look, although she was not given proper credit until years later (you can refer to Mallory O'Meara’s book Lady from the Black Lagoon to learn more about her work). The creature–and entire film–still looks incredible and Gill-man, one of the most recognizable aquatic humanoids, being ripped off countless times. Given its themes of greed, evolution, and environmental pillaging it is shocking it has not gotten an official remake. But if you want more of the Gill-man there are two sequels you can check out. 

Leviathan (dir. George P. Cosmatos, 1989)

Leviathan manages to be a strange combination of The Thing and Alien. It does not hold up as well as either of those classics but it does make for some interesting practical effects and commentary. A group is sent down to supervise an undersea mining mission and discover a shipwrecked vessel. After recovering some of the materials from the wreck, and partaking in some recovered booze the crew starts dying and morphing into strange humanoid creatures. It has performances from genre favorites like Peter Weller and Ernie Hudson and is directed by George P. Cosmatos (Cobra, Tombstone) so if you are a fan of some lower grade horror and sci-fi this will scratch the itch. The practical effects and design of the creature are one of the more unique amongst the aquatic humanoid films as well. Plus it has themes around corporate greed, human experimentation, and environmental corruption which are common amongst this subgenre and this one does pretty well.  

The Lure (dir.  Agnieszka Smoczynska, 2015)

Sirens were a staple of Greek mythology that morphed somewhat into mermaids by the middle ages. But tales of these feminine fish/human hybrids can be found across cultures and continents; the havfrue in Sweden, Suvannamaccha in India, ningyo (Japan), and Mami water spirits in Africa are just a few of the cultures that share such tales. The folklore typically explored in horror is that of the mermaid/siren who are beautiful and mysterious creatures who lure men to their watery graves with their singing. This Polish woman-directed film takes on the siren myth and morphs it into a horror musical that is unique and stunning. Two siren sisters, Golden and Silver, come onto land and begin working with a band at a dance club as performers. The film follows the sisters and their trials and tribulations as they try to mix in with humans; navigating love, sex, and all that comes with it. It has incredible music, some decent gore, and two beautiful deadly sirens. While this is a unique horror film, it does a great job of highlighting mermaid/siren folklore. 

Other References:

Outside of mermaids, sirens, and the Gill-man there have not been that many unique aquatic humanoids. Perhaps the most unique outside of the creature in Leviathan is the creature from the indie film Sweetheart (2019). For more like the Gill-man refer to films like Humanoids from the Deep (1980) and Island of the Fishmen (1979) (also known as Screamers). For more mermaids and sirens refer to films like Night Tide (1961) , She Creature (2001), Blue My Mind (2017), and for one brief image of a merman see Cabin in the Woods (2011). For something extra gross see also Guinea Pig 5: Mermaid in a Manhole (1988). 

Nature Bites Back: Aquatic Neighbors Rise for Revenge

With the recent uprisings of whales and other sea creatures seemingly wreaking havoc on the rich, this may be an appropriate time to look at some of the history of sea creatures fighting back. Almost anything with fins, gills, or crustacean features has been front and center in some B-movie creature feature. Both salt and freshwater friends have gotten their big screen debut. And why not? With pollution, global warming, Seaworld, and the decay of a once beautiful and vibrant aquatic community, maybe it is time for nature to take some vengeance. This is a hefty category. A new documentary on Shudder, Sharksploitation (2023), looks into the history of sharks in horror, and while sharks are certainly one of the most popular animals in horror, they are not alone, and when you get into the territory of various mutations (3- Headed Shark Attack, and Sharktopus only scratch the surface), your watchlist will be overwhelming. With all that in mind, it is good to get a handle on some of the classics when entering this territory.

Jaws (dir. Steven Spielberg, 1975)

If you are going to start watching shark creature features, you have to start with the one that started the craze. Jaws is a movie that only gets better on rewatches and is a perfect 4th of July watch. A small beachside town sheriff faces off against a massive great white shark, what’s not to love. There are great kills, plenty of thrills, and one of the most effective jump scares out there. Even though Bruce the shark broke throughout the production, Bruce still gets plenty of chances to shine and terrify audiences out there. To the point where people even specifically go out to see this on the water! It holds up exceptionally well and is endlessly entertaining. Jaws really started not only the sharksploitation phenomena, but the aquatic creatures attack phenomena in general. With several sequels, and endless material to reference this true is the great white of creature features. It is so influential that the other two picks in this category are also from the 70s, which says a lot. 

Orca (dir. Michael Anderson, 1977)

While the shark gets most of the attention, if you’ve paid attention to recent news you will see that orcas are the ones leading the charge against the rich and greedy. This summer alone they have sunk upwards of three ships. But clearly some people besides Hermin Melville knew that whales were dangerous and powerful even though sharks get all the attention. While 90s kids grew up on Free Willy, in the 70s people were exposed to a different kind of killer whale with Orca. A ship captain who makes money from capturing sea creatures comes across an orca. He believes he catches and kills a male but is surprised (as is the audience) when it is revealed he has killed a pregnant female orca, which sets Daddy orca on a quest for vengeance. Considering the way poachers have ravaged animal communities, there is something very satisfying about watching a whale get vengeance on those that cause so much harm and destruction. Maybe some people should watch this before the take the yacht out for a spin where they were not invited. 

Piranha (dir. Joe Dante, 1978)

Piranha proves that small freshwater critters can also have their fun and take out some unwanted humans. This horror comedy from director Joe Dante has a much different tone than the others on this list but a swarm of man eating animals is pretty terrifying to think about, and while not as scary as a giant shark, these tiny nightmares have gotten to star in several horror movies. In this movie however the piranha are a mutated strain created in a lab as a potential weapon of war. So they are even more aggressive and terrifying than the ones already out there. Similar to Jaws, there is plenty of peril as these deadly fish go after children and families vacationing at resorts and camps. Greed, secret government projects, and polluted waters also appear as the villains in the backdrop. Piranha is a silly B-movie romp with appearances from Dick Miller, Barbara Steele, and other genre favorites and it begins to show how outrageous these creature features will eventually get. 

Other References: 

There are countless shark movies to watch but The Meg, Deep Blue Sea, and Sharknado (if the marriage of disaster films and creature features interests you). are some fun watches to continue your education. For other water based creature features check out films like Anaconda (snakes), Lake Placid (crocodiles), It Came from the Sea (giant squid), Crawl (alligators), Crabs! (crabs!)

Eldritch Terrors and Forgotten Gods of the Deep

We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. - A famous racist who wrote some good sci-fi

One of the other major realms of oceanic terrors comes in the form of giant godlike creatures. And as this famous racist points out in his story The Call of Cthulhu, if humans were not so curious maybe they would not stumble upon these great and terrifying creatures. Yet in the world of horror, these small silly mortals continue to explore and pillage and therefore open a Pandora’s box of Eldritch terrors. Yet maybe humans should learn that there is something much larger and terrifying out there potentially sharing a home with us that they have had for much longer, and maybe they shouldn’t do so much to awaken and piss off these forgotten aquatic gods. 

Godzilla (dir. Ishirō Honda, 1956)

If we are going to talk about gods and monsters we should probably discuss the most iconic combination of the two, Godzilla. This franchise has 30+ movies with countless creatures, but the original is still so important and powerful. It is also a perfect example of what happens when humans meddle and make a mess of our planet. Godzilla is an ancient creature who’s deep slumber was interrupted by the release of the hydrogen bomb. This film  remains a powerful and important analogy for nuclear warfare and the devastation it brought about in Japan and even in the end reminds us that humans create far more terrifying and destructive weapons than anything from nature. While the series varies in style, quality, and social messages many of them continue to delve into environmental issues. While Zilla can walk on land and destroy Tokyo as much as he wants, his home is often depicted as the ocean so he is a fitting aquatic terror to include on this list. And while his mythology is not always consistent, he is always revered as a powerful godlike creature. 

Dagon (dir. Stuart Gordon, 2001)

Perhaps the problem with indescribable cosmic terrors is that they are not always the easiest thing to adapt for the screen. How is one supposed to portray the indescribable? Well body horror comedy director Stuart Gordon certainly gives it a try in Dagon. In the film some friends on vacation get into some trouble and stumble upon a town full of aquatic humanoids, who are offspring of the terrifying god Dagon. While this is neither Gordon’s best film, nor the best horror film in general it is one of the few “elder gods” we get to see on screen and has many of the essential elements of Lovecraftian horror; cults, decrepit seaside towns, and tentacle creatures. And while it leans more heavily into cheap CGI Dagon is a great creepy creature. 

Underwater (dir. William Eubank, 2020)

This newer release is a fun sci-fi/horror film that shares some connective tissue with movies like Leviathan, but it differs with its impressive and terrifying massive creature. An underwater crew is stuck with no way of leaving their vessel and fights for survival while also fighting off a giant creature and its brood. Considering their precarious situation there are plenty of opportunities for good scares and for various bodily threats. You also get to watch a movie where a disgraced actor gets killed for your enjoyment. Underwater is a lot of fun and stands out as one of the few underwater films that works to create a unique and horrifying creature for its audience. With so many unimaginable terrors potentially below the water, we can only hope that we will get some more unique and effective eldritch terrors. 

Other References:
While this particular arena of aquatic terrors is severely lacking, there are still some other films you can check out. Of course there are a plethora of Godzilla films to choose from. Specific films like Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)  and Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966) do a good job of highlighting his godlike prowess and feature some other oceanic creatures (also refer to the Mothra Rule*). For other big monsters refer to films like The Host (2006) and Cloverfield (2008). 

So go forth and explore the uncharted territory of aquatic horror, if you dare. Exploring seems to get humans in trouble but hey, we seem to do it anyway. You can also use this handy Letterboxd List as a guide with additional recommendations and examples. Just remember to respect our benevolent sea gods and don’t do anything to piss off the orcas.

*The Mothra rule: the theory that if Mothra is one of the creatures featured in a Godzilla movie, it will be a good Godzilla movie.