They creep They destroy They wreak havoc Monster movies have been part of entertainment culture for over a century From the grainy images of the infamous blob spilling out into the streets to swallow its victims to the black-and-white footage of Godzilla stomping through the streets, there is something special about these iconic films

Nowadays, monster movies are not just campy B-movies to be watched on Saturday nights Modern monster movies draw you in as if they are really happening outside your window It is as if it is really happening outside the window They make you think that something must be lurking deep in the woods and in the dark shadows, and Netflix has a treasure trove of some of the best monster movies of our time

Godzilla is one of the most classic monsters portrayed on film and has been around since the first movie was released in 1954 Can you believe that “Godzilla Minus One” is the 37th film? The story takes place at the end of World War II and features Shikishima Koichi (Ryunosuke Kamiki), a kamikaze suicide pilot He escapes an air raid and takes his plane to Odo Island for repairs The base is attacked by a huge monster Shikishima returns home, tormented by the guilt of being the sole survivor, and joins forces with the veterans to defeat Godzilla before it destroys the others

This latest contribution to the Godzilla film canon won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, among many other awards There is reason to believe that the film's effects are superb

Watch on Netflix

If you like Scandinavian folk tales, “Trolls” is for you Set in Dovre, Norway, the film follows the familiar mold of a monster awakening because humans have encroached on its territory Nora (Ine Marie Willman) grew up hearing stories about trolls Years later, as a scientist, she investigates the deaths of drilling crews in the Norwegian mountains She begins to suspect that her childhood stories are true and joins with her scientist friends to investigate and stop the creature before any more deaths occur

It's a campy film, but the visuals of the giant troll are worth seeing At its heart, this is a true monster movie, so go in with that in mind and you'll enjoy it

Watch on Netflix

Sharks are not technically monsters, but they certainly can be, depending on the circumstances of the film In “Under Paris,” a triathlon world championship is being held on the Seine River Sofia Assaras (Bérénice Bejo), who has lost her husband in a shark attack and is grief-stricken, learns that there is a giant shark swimming in the river She teams up with police captain Adil (Nassim Rees) to try to prevent a bloodbath

Of course, as is usual with shark-themed monster movies, the viewer will enjoy watching the shark attacks Also, the film itself is a bit of a stretch to say that it knows anything about sharks or the Seine in particular But anyone who watches monster movies knows that you have to suspend your disbelief to enjoy this film anyway If you can do that, then you will be glad you took the time to see this film, because it is a real treat

Watch on Netflix

“Monster Run” is a Chinese film adapted from the book by A Lee Martinez Jie Mo (Jessie Lee) has no friends The problem is that she can see monsters, but no one else can Until one day she meets Meng (Sean Yue), a monster hunter, at the grocery store where she works Turns out, all the monsters she was seeing were not in her imagination

CGI is used sparingly, which is one of the major highlights of the film The monsters created for this film are incredibly good looking The acting is not top-notch and the script could use some work, but that does not detract from the enjoyment of the film Additionally, Kara Wai as the villainous Lotus is enjoyable enough

Watch on Netflix

Based on Adam Neville's book of the same name, “The Ritual” tells the story of four friends who trek through the forests of northern Sweden to mourn the death of a close friend However, things do not go quite as they seem on their hike Strange images and nightmares haunt them, and they soon find themselves lost Throughout most of the film, the monster is unseen, but its presence is always lurking close to the hikers

Director David Bruckner (“Night House”) uses how naturally isolated the forest is to add to the chilling quality of the film If you like monster movies with more creep factor than camping, this movie should be on your list

Watch on Netflix