Humanity has been sharing stories about horrific monsters since time immemorial, and some of these tales have become so ingrained in culture that they end up outlasting the societies that created them. That’s why we still see movies based on mythic figures like Hercules and the Minotaur over two thousand years after the end of the Hellenistic period.
And with even Christopher Nolan borrowing from Greek Mythology in his upcoming Odyssey adaptation, we’ve decided to compile a list celebrating six of the scariest depictions of ancient Greek monsters in film. After all, an epic quest is only as thrilling as the strange beasts that our heroes encounter along the way.
In an effort to keep things varied, we’ll only be including one entry per monster. That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own mythic favorites if you think we missed a particularly spooky example.
With that out of the way, onto the list…
6. The Minotaur – Immortals (2011)
This 300-inspired reimagining of the ancient Greek pantheon is now mostly remembered as Henry Cavill’s first leading role in a big-budget action flick, but this stylized flop actually features a handful of interesting ideas hidden among baffling storytelling choices and excessive use of CGI.
Personally, my favorite element of the film has to do with its reinvention of the Minotaur as a cenobite-like human trapped inside a metallic bull-helmet. “The Beast” may not be a very lore-accurate take on the iconic monster, but I’m fascinated by the idea of the Minotaur being more of an unstoppable Slasher villain than an unholy union of man and animal.
And if you’re interested in more inaccurate-yet-entertaining takes on the Minotaur, I’d also recommend checking out 2006’s surprisingly entertaining Sci-Fi original starring Tom Hardy!
5. The Lamia – Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Sam Raimi’s PG-13 riff on his own Evil Dead movies may be more commonly associated with Romani mythology due to the nature of the curse which dooms Christine to hell after refusing to help a struggling old lady, but the fact is that the demonic Lamia is much older than the film would have you believe.
Traditionally portrayed as a demonic snake lady who takes advantage of lustful young men and steals away children, the original Lamia is quite a different beast than the Baphomet-inspired monster we see in Drag Me to Hell, though the film still refers to the entity as a “she,” implying that there’s a connection with her namesake.
4. The Faun – Pan’s Labyrinth (2007)
The mysterious Satyr that leads young Ofelia on her journey into the underworld may not be the scariest part of Guillermo del Toro’s dark fantasy opus, but it’s still one of the freakiest depictions of the Great God Pan that we’ve ever seen on the big screen – especially if you buy into the theory that he’s secretly the Pale Man in disguise.
Brought to life by a combination of impeccable makeup effects and state-of-the-art puppetry (not to mention one of two incredible performances by the inimitable Doug Jones in the same movie), Del Toro’s take on the Satyr is decidedly more demonic than its family-friendly peers like Mr. Tumnus.
3. The Stygian Witches – Clash of the Titans (2010)
Traditionally known as the Graeae, these blind sisters were collectively known as the goddesses of old age. However, when it came time to have the witches guide Perseus towards Medusa in 2010’s Clash of the Titans remake, director Louis Leterrier (who had previously worked on Unleashed) decided that it would be much more interesting to depict the aging hags as undead monsters rather than grey-haired old ladies.
Brought to life by stunning practical effects, the film’s sisters look more like hellish mutations rather than traditional witches, with the three of them sharing a single misshapen eye as they lurk about a fetid swamp. And here’s a fun fact: the trio is actually related to Medusa in mythology, which explains why they’d be so hesitant to share their information with Sam Worthington’s Perseus in the film!
2. Cerberus – Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
The undead dogs that comprise Project Cerberus have been a pillar of the Resident Evil franchise since the very first game, but their Ancient-Greek-derived name was originally only meant to reference their honorary position as the guardians of Umbrella’s “underworld” rather than any physical resemblance to their namesake. It was only in 2010’s Resident Evil: Afterlife that these packs of infected Dobermans would incorporate some mythological flair with some additional mutations.
Inspired by the Adjule of Resident Evil 5, Afterlife’s new breed of Cerberus can split its head straight down the middle, revealing independent sets of jaws on both sides as well as a smaller, more bulbous maw in the center – meaning that they technically have three independent heads just like Hades’ beloved pet!
1. Medusa – Clash of the Titans (1981)
Often cited as the crowning achievement of Ray Harryhausen’s long and celebrated career as a master of monstrous special effects, the stop-motion-powered Medusa of the original Clash of the Titans was a recurring source of nightmares for many young cinephiles throughout the 80s. Not bad for a 14-inch-tall puppet made of latex!
Sure, the iconic Gorgon might not seem like nightmare fuel when judged by modern standards (especially now that stop-motion is more associated with family friendly animation rather than special effects), but her fluid movements combined with a genuinely menacing design mean that this is still the definitive depiction of the Medusa nearly half a century later.
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