1. The Alien (ALIEN, 1979) dir Ridley ScottRidley Scott's seminal sci-fi horror has been diluted by its awful third sequel and unnecessary grudge match with the Predator, but it's still a frightening monster. Alien remains the benchmark for H.R Geiger's design, a towering menace with a disgusting life-cycle (egg, "facehugger", "chestburster"...) and acid for blood. The absence of eyes and uncertainty over its appearance terrified audiences lucky to have witnessed it before cash-in media eroded its mystique.
2. Regan (THE EXORCIST, 1973) dir William FriedkinIt's not so much Regan, but the demonic entity that possesses her to screech obscenities, projectile vomit, head-spin and masturbate with a crucifix. The horror in The Exorcist comes from the unsightly degradation of an innocent child, through supernatural means beyond belief. Its power to unsettle atheists speaks to a deep-seated insecurity with our world view, and to the possibility of pure evil in the universe...
3. The Thing (THE THING, 1981) dir John CarpenterA remake of the 1951 original, this extra-terrestrial is a shape-shifter that infiltrates a remote arctic base. Its motives remain unknown and, despite obviously being intelligent enough to pilot a spacecraft, no effort is made to communicate. The scares in Carpenter's remake come from the startling FX and overpowering sense of paranoid claustrophobia. The Thing could be either one of us, and it'll do anything to survive...
4. Freddy Krueger (A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, 1984) dir Wes CravenHis ability to scare has been reduced by tired sequels that restyled him as a gagster, so it's easy to forget just how frightening Freddy was back in the 80s. Wes Craven's premise of a child-killer, murdered by parent vigilantes, who returns from the dead to slaughter their children via dreams, is juicy and original stuff. Krueger himself is an iconic figure (striped jumper, fedora hat, knife-glove), but it's the inescapable threat of capture that unsettles people. How long can you run, before Kruger comes to get you in the one place you can't escape from... sleep.
5. Hannibal Lecter (THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, 1991) dir Jonathan DemmeHuman villains always get under your skin. Literally, in Dr Lecter's case. The law of diminishing returns was proven by sequels and prequels to Demme's classic 1991 thriller, but Lecter still has a hold over audiences. Anthony Hopkins' portrayal is measured, ice cold, beguiling, sinister and sexy all at the same time. There's a chill in the air whenever he's onscreen and his eventual escape is breathlessly exciting to behold. There has never been a more debonair and cerebral villain, certainly not since the days of Dracula.
6. Leatherface (THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, 1974) dir Tobe HooperThis is another psycho man-child, this time with a desire to dismember people with by chain saw and use their limbs as furniture. Inspired by real life crackpot Ed Gein (which only adds to its shocking nature), this film is a classic of the genre. There's little blood and gore, but whenever Leatherface appears he's the epitome of the boogieman; a lumbering giant with no redeeming qualities, who will track you down and thrust you onto a meat hook. If you're lucky.
7. The Shark (JAWS, 1975) dir Steven SpielbergSpielberg's shark is legendary, an animal that's scary because everyone can identify with its danger. Unlike many of the other monsters on this list -- sharks exist. They may not be as determined and bloodthirsty as the one in Jaws, but anyone swimming in the ocean can't escape John Williams' "duhh-dum, duhh-dum..." theme. It's a simple calculation: water is scary, humans are vulnerable in water, and sharks are top of the marine food chain. You do the maths. See you on the beach.
8. Damien Thorn (THE OMEN, 1976) dir Richard DonnerPeople don't come more evil than the Anti-Christ. The success of Richard Donner's film is its notion that Christian prophecy is undeniably true, and that the Book Of Revelations predicts the birth of Satan's Child. But it's child actor Harvey Stephens, as satanic sprog Damien, who really holds sway. His is a haunting and chilling performance, played quietly and with an otherworldly detachment.
9. Predator (PREDATOR, 1987) dir John McTiernanEven during filming, they didn't have a monster. The star of the show was Arnold Schwarzenegger, so how could you top him? Well, with creature designer Stan Winston and the sketches of James Cameron, that's how! The Predator has since become another iconic figure, who has maintained his notoriety thanks to only one sequel and a crossover with the Alien franchise. Predator is frightening because he knocks us off the top of the food chain. We're not the hunters, we're the hunted.
10. Jason Vorhees (FRIDAY 13th PART II, 1981) dir Steve MinerYes, Part 2, because Jason doesn't actually make his entrance until Friday's sequel. In many ways he's just a variation on Michael Myers from Halloween, but he's arguably scarier because he's more focused and bloodthirsty. He shares the same stalk n' slash mentality of countless other serial-killers, sure, but he's bizarrely omnipotent. Others may come back from the dead for sequels, but with Jason... you just know he's never really gone.
11. Michael Myers (HALLOWEEN, 1978) dir John CarpenterThis is the slasher film responsible for the wave of imitators throughout the 80s. Michael Myers is a psycho who committed murder aged 10 and was shipped off to a psychiatric hospital, only to escape years later on Halloween and begin stalking the babysitters of his old neighbourhood. It's lean, mean, scary and responsible for countess clichés. Watching Halloween 10 years later is a reminder of how sinister and creepy human villains can be.
12. Werewolf (AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, 1981) dir John LandisThe wolf doesn't make its entrance until late on, but what an entrance! John Landis' film is a defining horror-comedy with a startling transformation scene. In it, mild-mannered David suffers painfully realistic bone manipulations, turning him from a mild-mannered Yank to slavering werewolf. Once transformed under bright indoor lighting, the creature itself is rarely seen and kept in the shadows, making it even more frightening. Thanks to FX guru Rob Bottin, it remains the most realistic and vicious werewolf in cinema.
13. Kong (KING KONG, 1933) dirs Merian C. Cooper & Ernest B. SchoedsackIn many ways a precursor to Godzilla, Kong marks man's fear of nature instead of science. The high-adventure of King Kong, together with the implausibility of Kong himself, doesn't undermine the sheer brilliance of the monster. He may be just a giant gorilla, but it's that near-human quality that ensures Kong has us in his grasp emotionally, and not just Fay Wray physically. The 2005 remake by Peter Jackson successfully retains the character's strengths, whilst showing off the startling leaps in FX to create him... but there's something even more nightmarish about the black-and-white film stock of the 1933 original...
14. Gojira/Godzilla (GOJIRA, 1954) dir Ishiro HondaGodzilla is the most famous of Japan's "man in suit" monster films, a sub-genre the Japanese are famous for. Godzilla is the country's fear of nuclear attack given a face. In the original, the giant lizard is a force of nature as it attacks Tokyo, and while the countless sequels and cartoons made 'Zilla a hero for kids, the original is where the character's true colours can be found. Oh, and forget the crappy US version.
15. The T-800 (THE TERMINATOR, 1984) dir James CameronDirector James Cameron created The Terminator based on a nightmare he had, making it the most lucrative night's sleep in history. The T-800 is a hulking cyborg from the near-future, sent back in time to kill the mother of the unborn human resistance leader. Arnold Schwarzenegger gained worldwide fame as the emotionless, near-mute killing machine, a terrifying creation for one simple reason: determination. To paraphrase the film, "... it can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever..."
16. The T-1000 (TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY, 1991) dir James CameronAfter creating one of cinemas most famous villains five years earlier (see above), it's incredible to find that James Cameron created another so soon. The T-1000, played to icy perfection by Robert Patrick, is a sleeker, deadlier, more efficient and advanced Terminator, again sent back in time to kill John Connor. Cleverly, the T-1000 retains all of the nightmarish quality of Schwarzenegger's T-800 –- the deadliness, the unreasoning single-mindedness -- but is more sadistic and intelligent.
17. Count Dracula (DRACULA, 1931) dir Tod BrowningThe Count is an iconic supernatural nemesis who has been making his mark on film since 1931's classic. Dracula is a figurehead for all vampires since. While many of his traits are now almost a parody (fangs, tuxedo, coffin, garlic, mirror) he's constantly being reinvented to scare contemporary audiences, as in Francis Ford Coppolla's 1992 adaptation, which combined Dracula with author Bram Stoker's Romanian inspiration Vlad The Impaler.
18. Tyrannosaurus Rex (JURASSIC PARK, 1993) dir Steven SpielbergSpielberg specializes in monsters with a basis in reality (see later) and the T-Rex is certainly of that ilk. The power of the T-Rex is its plausibility through the amazing CGI of Jurassic Park and the fact the beast really did roam the planet as the world's greatest carnivore. Rex may have suffered a prehistoric bitch-slap in Jurassic Park III, but I demand a rematch.
19. The Monster (FRANKENSTEIN, 1931) dir James WhaleThis is a sympathetic creation that inspired The Fly, coming from the mind of author Mary Shelley. The story is well-known, with Professor Frankenstein trying to cheat death by resurrecting a being created from various body-parts.... resulting in his Monster. Boris Karlov will always be synonymous with this role, giving the Monster his iconic glare, neck-bolts, stitched face and bowl haircut. He's an unnerving creation who commits terrible acts, but always with a hint of sorrow...
20. Brundlefly (THE FLY, 1986) dir David CronenbergThe crazy mind of Cronenberg was the ideal place to remake The Fly (1958), with the director turning it into a more visceral and emotional experience. Jeff Goldblum is the crazy scientist who accidentally combines his D.N.A with that of a fly during a teleportation experiment. The 80s update is most memorable for its fantastic make-up, as Seth Brundle slowly decays and his humanity is stripped away.
