The difference between a monster and a wild animal is just a matter of perspective. Polar bears may seem cute and cuddly when seen from a distance, but you’d be screaming your lungs out if you were ever close enough to notice the dried specks of blood on their snow-white fur. Fortunately, even the deadliest predators tend to avoid human beings when given the chance, which is why genre films sometimes pair animals with equally predatory humans in order to make them seem even more dangerous.
Case in point: Sean Byrne’s latest thriller Dangerous Animals, which hits theaters this Friday, follows a surfer as she attempts to flee from a deranged man hell-bent on feeding her to his pet sharks. So, in anticipatipn, we’ve decided to come up with a list highlighting six homicidal pets in horror movies! After all, no machete can compete with a weapon that has a mind (and teeth) of its own.
As usual, don’t forget to comment below with your own favorite killer pets if you think we missed a particularly memorable one.
With that out of the way, onto the list!
6. Rabid Cujo – Cujo (1983)
The only entry on this list where the killer animal in question isn’t paired up with an equally deranged owner, Cujo remains the gold standard when it comes to telling stories about beloved pets gone rogue. And while this Stephen King adaptation has a lot going for it due to its claustrophobic setting and an incredible performance by Dee Wallace, it’s the impeccable rabid dog effects that make it such a memorable creature feature.
In fact, when it was recently announced that Netflix is working on a remake, the most vocal reactions came from fans who were afraid that the streaming giant might choose to make Cujo into a CGI abomination – an idea that sounds like a step backwards when you consider how many people grew up thinking that the dog in the film was 100% real (myself included). Of course, this killer canine is a little less scary when you check out the behind-the-scenes photos of stunt man Gary Morgan goofing off in his Saint Bernard costume.
5. The Trogs – The Pit (1981)
Also known as Teddy in some territories, this criminally underseen thriller follows a troubled young boy and his talking teddy bear as they care for a group of monsters that they find trapped in a literal pit out in the middle of the woods. Of course, things take a turn for the worse when the teddy bear suggests that they should start feeding bullies to the hungry “Trogs” instead of wasting money on meat, with this Canadian production ultimately blending coming-of-age stories, monster movies and revenge thrillers into a single memorable experience.
The Pit is a deeply strange and often uneven experience, but Lew Lehman’s bizarre creature-feature is so wildly creative that I’d recommend it to any fan of weird cinema containing a healthy dose of pitch-black humor.
4. Attack Dogs – The Collector (2009) / The Collection (2012)
Marcus Dunstan’s The Collector is one of my all-time favorite slashers, with the titular villain standing out amongst his homicidal peers by acting more like an intelligent mastermind than a slow-witted brute. In fact, The Collector even makes use of animal companions whenever he needs an edge against his prey, as both the first film and its sequel show that he has trained attack dogs ready to serve as murderous backup at any given moment.
Of course, a madman with a penchant for collecting living specimens is bound to have even more trained animals up his sleeves, and with Dunstan’s long-awaited sequel still in development after a complicated series of behind-the-scenes hurdles, we may one day see the rest of the killer’s twisted pets.
3. Audrey II – Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
A lot of plant owners are willing to give up their own blood, sweat and tears in order to keep their green children content, but it’s not often that a specimen takes this idea literally. And if we’re talking about homicidal pets, there’s no way we could ignore Frank Oz’s big-screen adaptation of the Little Shop of Horrors musical. Boasting some of the catchiest tunes to ever grace cinema screens, as well as unforgettable performances by titans like Steve Martin and Rick Moranis, this cult classic is the only movie on this list where the killer pet can also sing!
Of course, Oz’s knack for special effects wizardry is the real star of the show here, with the film featuring some of the most impressive cinematic puppetry of all time through Audrey II. And here’s a fun fact: the life-sized Audrey puppet was so heavy that Rick Moranis often had to act out his scenes in slow motion in order to match the puppet’s movement, with the filmmakers later accelerating the footage in order to make it seem real.
2. The Alligator – Eaten Alive (1976)
Telling the story of a deranged hotel owner who feeds unwanted guests to a Nile Crocodile that inhabits the nearby swamp, Eaten Alive is one of Tobe Hooper’s most underrated movies. This unconventional slasher also boasts one of the most memorable taglines on this list, with the colorful poster exclaiming “Meet the maniac and his friend” as it shows off a gorgeous illustration of our main antagonists chasing down victims in the bayou.
Strangely enough, this over-the-top film happens to be based on a (somewhat) real story, with the character of Judd being inspired by Joe Ball – a suspected serial killer from the 1930s who supposedly disposed of his victims’ bodies by turning them into alligator chow.
1. The Rats – Willard (1971)
Despite their exaggerated reputation as disease-ridden vermin, rats actually make for really good pets. Of course, no real-world rat can compete with the homicidal charms of Ben and his fellow rodents in Daniel Mann’s 1971 cult classic, Willard. Telling the story of a social outcast who befriends a group of rats and later commands them to take revenge on his enemies, this memorable thriller also features a career-best performance by a young Bruce Davison.
The only real problem here is the fact that these fuzzy little killers are brought to life by real rats, with their murderous antics often being so cute that you may very well feel compelled to adopt a pint-sized monster of your own. And if you’re a fan of this one, don’t forget to check out the 1972 sequel Ben, as well as the underrated remake starring Crispin Glover!
Dangerous Animals swims into theaters this Friday. Get tickets now!
