As trends in film come and go, all genres and sub-genres go through ebbs and flows. Trends within the horror genre especially go through ebbs and flows, and that results in some sub-genres becoming a thing of a past. Right now is an era of horror where things seem to be very serious and political, which means less serious subgenres are being left behind.
One genre that was all the rage from the 1970s to the early 2000s was the creature feature. These films put the characters in a horrifying situation that revolves around a deadly monster or animal as the primary danger. Some of these movies like Jaws, Tremors, and Snakes on a Plane have become classics to horror fans and movie lovers as a whole. However, in the 2010's the creature feature genre was lacking. This is such a shame, and it's time for a creature feature resurgence.
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It's not that there have been absolutely no creature features in the last few years. The MonsterVerse is of course thriving. Jurassic World made waves. Films like 47 Meters Down and The Meg of course had a presence as well. However, it just seems that over the course of the last ten years or so creature features have been moved from a high brow tier to a low brow tier. They don't have the same box office punch, and as a whole, they don't get great critical acclaim either.
The lack of creature features geared towards a more horror audience in the last while is probably due to a combination of things. Part of the reason would likely be that it's just not all that cohesive with what today's horror trends are. Today's big horror movies are often quite subtle and more about messaging than "in your face" scares. A typical big creature feature doesn't quite gel with that, though it is certainly possible.
At this point, a creature feature that is more geared towards a horror audience and not an action crowd would be seen as quite different. Something like Jaws or Alien, which is very scary but still focuses very hard on an unknown creature or monster, is something that's missing from horror right now. That combined with where technology is currently, in terms of both practical effects and CGI, means that now is the perfect time to start bringing those kinds of films back into the mainstream.
Creature features are known for being a good bit of fun, and that's something the horror genre is currently missing. Recent horror films are just so serious and often political, and while that's important and timely it certainly isn't fun. A big creature feature with a good amount of gore and some intense kills could bring some fear and fun into the game. It could even have some sort of social or political message and still be a fun watch, but not everything must despite the current trends.
Today's technology is at a place with both practical effects and CGI, where talented people can make something absolutely amazing. A great film with a really well-made monster, wouldn't have to fit in with the current very serious horror trends. The monster could be the star. Looking at reviews of films like Godzilla vs. Kong, which received mixed reviews as an actual film but praise for how the monster looks is something that should be noted. Imagine an amazing horror film that was scary and had a good amount of kills and gore, combined with the technical achievements of the monsters in the MonsterVerse. It would be such an achievement, and it's almost weird this hasn't been attempted yet.
There have been a few pseudo-creature features in the last few years, like A Quiet Place and Underwater which are both centered around monsters as the villain. However, these films don't showcase as much of the monsters as they do the setting and atmosphere. It's a different take on the genre and fits much more with current trends. However, modern technology is just begging for films that can really showcase an amazing monster. There much be a way to show off a scary monster more, and also fit in with current horror trends enough to be successful.
It's natural for all genres to go through trends, for things to be popular at one time and not another. However, it's kind of sad when something goes out of fashion in a time when it could be most utilized and most well done. The classic creature features will always remain staples of their genres and cinema as a whole, and there must be some reason that newer ones haven't taken off the same way. But now would just be the perfect time for someone to be a little creative and a little ambitious, as the opportunity is there to not only make a single amazing film or franchise but bring back a subgenre that is suffering and deserves to be in the spotlight.
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