Due to the popularity of movies like Jaws and The Shallows, sharks are now the scariest creatures in the water. However, the truth is that the chances of being attacked by a shark are quite slim. A crocodile or an alligator on the other hand — that's another story.
Crocodiles and alligators are much more aggressive with a higher chance of attack. And much like with sharks, Hollywood has attempted to terrify audiences using these cold-blooded reptiles. Sadly, it results in a plethora of fodder for the SyFy channel but for every few duds, there is a surprisingly good gem despite poor ratings from the likes of IMDb.
Updated on June 25th, 2021 by Melody MacReady: When it comes to movies about killer crocodiles and alligators, there are not many that manage to stand out. Most are laughably terrible films by Asylum or SyFy channel originals that either rip off Jaws or have some giant monster crocodile fighting another monster; this ends up resulting in a low-budget film that clearly cannot handle such an ambitious concept. For example, there is a crossover of the Lake Placid and Anaconda franchises, resulting in a messy monster film. However, every now and then, a solid gem slips through the cracks to showcase how well this concept can be used.
12 Crocodile (2000)
● Available on Tubi, Vudu, Crackle, and Prime Video
This one more fits more into the SyFy channel fodder category. The acting is wooden, the characters are obnoxious, and the CGI is atrocious. It's also the typical monster/slasher movie about a bunch of not-so-bright college students getting picked off one by one.
However, when Crocodile does use a practical animatronic crocodile, it actually doesn't look that bad and some of the kills are decent. Crocodile is an example of a popcorn B-movie that is bad but it is at least so bad that it is entertaining. Crocodile is currently streaming for free on Tubi, Crackle, Amazon Prime, and Vudu.
11 Alligator (1980)
It's rare to have a city setting with one of these films. Alligator focuses on the famous myth of alligators living in the sewers of a contemporary town. Now the scenes featuring humans investigating strange murders range from mediocre to decent at best.
Where Alligator excels is actually with the titular villain. Whenever the alligator is stalking humans in either the sewer segments or in the city, it can be tense and a lot of fun. Even in 1980, the effects of the alligator are not that bad. It's certainly no classic but had its fair share of moments. Unfortunately, streaming services do not carry the film currently.
10 Crocodile 2: Death Swamp (2002)
● Available on Vudu, Crackle, Prime Video, Tubi, and Fubo TV
The sequel to Crocodile does showcase more care and effort than its predecessor. Rather than aiming for a typical slasher but with a crocodile, Crocodile 2: Death Swamp has more ambition. It focuses on a group of plane crash survivors stuck in a massive swamp with, obviously, a killer croc.
Death Swamp offers more atmosphere, a darker tone, and takes itself more seriously as a horror film. While it can be over the top, especially with the kills, Death Swamp offers a more genuine horror experience rather than a so-bad-it's-good type of movie. It can be viewed for free on Tubi, Crackle, Amazon Prime, and Vudu.
9 Eaten Alive (1976)
● Available on Vudu
From Tobe Hooper, who made the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre as well as the first Crocodile, comes a very different take on crocodile movies. Eaten Alive is less of a killer animal movie and more of a slasher. It focuses on a deranged hotel owner who gets a taste for killing and disposes of the bodies by feeding them to a local crocodile.
The more people that come to his hotel, the more he views them as food for his pet. Mixing the two subgenres of horror together makes for a neat concept; on top of that, the villain Judd is performed well and practically carries the movie. If intrigued, Eaten Alive is available for free on Vudu and for rent on Amazon Prime.
8 Rampage (2018)
● Available on HBO Max
Technically this one is cheating since it features three different monsters: a giant ape, a giant wolf, and a giant crocodile. Based on the video game series, Rampage is not some Oscar-worthy epic but it is pure popcorn fun. The three monsters all wreak some fun havoc and as a bonus, Dwayne Johnson is a likable lead as always.
The crocodile threat doesn't have a lot of screentime but her presence is built up throughout. The crocodile, named Lizzie, is quite a spectacle to see and is quite the villain. For those that want to just turn off their brain for some Kaiju action, it is available with an HBO Max subscription and can be rented on most streaming services.
7 Dark Age (1987)
● Available on
A crocodile stalking and killing humans in Australia and creates a giant monster hunt. The concept makes Dark Age sound like one of the many knock off movies of Jaws but with a crocodile. Actually, Dark Age is a strange yet refreshing take on the concept where the crocodile is simply an animal. It's the humans who are the main villains.
The crocodile has spiritual connections with the Indigenous people; so the main hero must find a way to stop the crocodile, the human hunters, and keep peace with the locals. So, with the hero stuck between a rock and a hard place, it makes for a lot of tension between humans and the croc alike. All of which is elevates by some stellar performances.
6 Black Water (2007)
● Available on Pluto TV and Tubi
Loosely based on a true story, Black Water features three people stuck in a massive Australian swamp that belongs to a crocodile. Instead of a classic human versus killer animal movie, Black Water is more of an isolation thriller.
Most of the Black Water is just three people stuck in a tree and trying to escape the swamp. The body count is small but each kill is treated carefully and with the right amount of tension and horror. Tubi and PlutoTV both currently feature Black Water to stream for free.
5 Rogue (2007)
● Available for purchase on Google Play
In the late 2000s, there was a huge spike in crocodile movies; Rogue is one of them and features a more straightforward story. It's about a bunch of tourists in Australia who are stranded in the wilderness and stalked by a crocodile.
Though not complex, Rogue manages to deliver a fun thriller with some dedicated actors and really impressive practical effects by ADI Studios. With a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Rogue is a perfect example of simple but effective. Rogue is only available for purchase on YouTube and Google Play.
4 Black Water: Abyss (2020)
● Available on Fubo TV and Crackle
It's rare that a straight-to-video movie gets a sequel that is even close to being good. In this case, Black Water: Abyss is a sequel that's not only good but it is far superior. Taking inspiration from The Descent, Black Water: Abyss features two couples and their friend exploring an uncharted cave in Australia. To nobody's surprise, it doesn't go well as they end up in the territory of a crocodile.
The five characters are all well-acted with actual personalities rather than bland archetypes. The characters are also somewhat intelligent and are not constantly making decisions to infuriate the audience. On top of that, the mix of claustrophobic horror, killer animal, and thalassophobia are blended perfectly with a more realistic peril of the characters' situation. It is available to rent on most streaming platforms but can be viewed for free on Crackle.
3 Primeval (2007)
● Available for purchase on Prime Video
Featuring a great cast including Dominic Purcell and Orlando Jones, Primeval is about a massive crocodile named Gustave causing problems for locals in Burundi. American journalists have to capture and film the beast while also dealing with a Burundian warlord.
The crocodile Gustave is a brutal force of nature that provides the scares through impressive visual effects. Throughout, there is also Orlando Jones in one of his more serious roles but he still provides laughs at just the right points that it never comes off as forced. Primeval is currently only available for rent on most services: these include YouTube, Google Play, Amazon Prime, and Vudu.
2 Lake Placid (1999)
● Available on Starz
From the point of view shots, the local police sheriff as a lead character, and the eccentric rich brought in to hunt an aquatic monster: Lake Placid is very much inspired by Jaws. However, Lake Placid never feels like a total clone and manages to puts its own spin on the formula to make it a really fun horror/comedy.
Two things make Lake Placid a cult gem: the amazing practical and CGI effects by Stan Winston's people and the actors who play their characters perfectly. The comedy is not distracting from the horror; there is plenty of chills to be had with the crocodile villain. For years it was the definitive crocodile movie that cannot be marred by the mediocre quality of multiple straight-to-cable sequels. It can be viewed on different services via a Starz subscription and is available for rent on Amazon, YouTube, Google Play, and Apple TV.
1 Crawl (2019)
● Available on Hulu and Paramount+
Twenty years after Lake Placid, Alexander Aja brought the definitive crocodilian movie. During a hurricane, a woman and her father are trapped in their house, infested with alligators. Like other aforementioned movies, Crawl is a mix of subgenres: this one throwing in natural disaster movie into the mix.
The best thing about Crawl is that it never stops. From the moment the characters are thrust into the situation, it is another threat after the other. Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper also lead the film on their own perfectly, providing good performances for well-written characters. On top of it all, Crawl takes full advantage of its R-rating with some gnarly carnage candy. Crawl can be viewed on Hulu and Paramount+ subscriptions and is available for rent on most platforms.
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