There are plenty of crocodile and alligator movies populating the creature-feature horror subgenre, and the very best show why the gigantic reptiles are so terrifying. Due to the popularity of movies like Jaws and The Shallows, many moviegoers consider sharks the most terrifying creature in the water. However, the truth is that the chances of being attacked by a shark are quite slim. However, 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.
While alligator and crocodile movies aren’t as culturally prominent as those featuring sharks, there are still plenty of them that are more than worth watching — whether viewers are seeking genuine scares or a camp and cheesy horror comedy. While the niche subgenre has plenty of duds, there are many hidden gems that feature alligators or crocodiles as the key source of peril, such as 1999’s Lake Placid, or 2019’s Crawl. Crocodiles and alligators are responsible for dozens of deaths around the globe each year, so it’s no surprise that — when done right — they make for truly terrifying horror movie monsters.
It’s rare to have a city setting with alligator or crocodile films. Alligator focuses on the famous myth of alligators living in the sewers of modern cities, specifically Chicago in this instance. The scenes featuring humans range from mediocre to decent at best, but where Alligator excels is 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 and some of the effects are commendable for the time period.
While Alligator isn’t really considered a classic when it comes creature features, or even alligator or crocodile movies, it has its fair share of entertaining moments. Considering how niche the subgenre of a subgenre is, it’s definitely not a title to be overlooked for viewers who enjoy seeing the gargantuan reptiles chomp on unsuspecting victims. The movie even spawned a sequel in 1991 — Alligator II: The Mutation — and had a tie-in tabletop boardgame too.
The sequel to the 2000 film Crocodile showcases a lot more care and effort in its filmmaking than its predecessor did. Rather than aiming for a typical slasher format but with a crocodile, Crocodile 2: Death Swamp has more ambition. It focuses on a group of bank robbers who hijack a plane to flee the village of Santo Cristo, close to the city of Acapulco in Mexico.
After the plane crashes, the four criminals find themselves face-to-face with an enraged 30ft crocodile that’s seeking revenge for the death of its spawn, who the survivors killed shortly after their unplanned landing in the swamp. Crocodile 2: Death Swamp offers more atmosphere and a darker tone compared to the original Crocodile movie, and takes itself more seriously as a horror film. While it can be over the top, especially with its kills, Death Swamp offers a more genuine horror experience rather than a so-bad-it’s-good type of movie.
From Tobe Hooper, who made the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre as well as the first Crocodile movie, comes a very different take on crocodile films. 1976’s 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 (Neville Brand) is highly memorable. The movie was widely disregarded and misunderstood upon its release, though even at the time some critics recognized the ambition shown by Tobe Hooper when mixing up the creature feature and slasher genres.
Based on the video game series of the same name and featuring Dwayne Johnson facing off against three different monsters: a giant ape, a giant wolf, and a giant crocodile, Rampage is pure popcorn fun. The three monsters all wreak some fun havoc and Johnson is a likable lead as always. The crocodile threat doesn’t have a lot of screen time, but her presence is built up throughout.
The crocodile, named Lizzie, is quite a spectacle to see and a formidable foe. For those that want to just turn off their brain for some Kaiju-like action in a crocodile movie, this is a good choice. Rampage received middling reviews upon its release, with some critics perhaps expecting more given the nostalgic popularity of the video game series it’s based on. However, as far as crocodile and alligator movies go, it’s certainly unique, and without a doubt has the biggest budget in the subgenre.
A crocodile that’s stalking and killing humans in Australia creates a giant monster hunt in 1987’s Dark Age, directed by Arch Nicholson. The concept makes Dark Age sound like one of the many knockoff movies of Jaws but with a crocodile. In reality, 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 in Dark Age has spiritual connections with the local Indigenous people. The main hero must find a way to stop the crocodile, and 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 elevated by some stellar performances in this cult gem from the late 1980s.
Loosely based on a true story, 2007’s Black Water follows 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. This makes it one of the tensest crocodile/alligator movies out there, and it has echoes of some shark movies like The Shallows and Open Water (which was also based on a true story).
Most of the Black Water is just three people stuck in a tree, trying to figure out a way to escape the swamp. The body count is small, but each kill is treated carefully and with the right amount of tension and horror. The central cast of Maeve Dermody as Lee, Diana Glenn as Grace, and Ben Oxenbould as Jim are what truly sell the movie, making it an incredibly nailbiting watch.
In the late 2000s, there was a huge spike in crocodile movies. Rogue is one project produced in that boom and features a more straightforward story than most crocodile films. 2007’s Rogue, written and directed by Wolf Creek creator Greg McLean, is about a group 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 performances and really impressive practical effects by ADI Studios.
It’s a perfect example of the success that comes when a movie is simple but effective. One element that makes Rogue stand out among other alligator and crocodile movies is the cunning shown by the saltwater crocodile stalking the cast. It manages to outsmart them on multiple occasions, such as when it waits for them to attempt to distract it with bait, which it plays along with only to quickly reveal that it understood the plan and simply faked interest in the meat to ensure the characters let their guard down.
It’s rare that a straight-to-video movie gets a sequel that is even close to being good. In this case, Andrew Traucki’s 2020 crocodile movie Black Water: Abyss is a sequel that’s not only good but far superior to the original. Taking inspiration from The Descent, Black Water: Abyss features two couples and their friend exploring an uncharted cave in Australia. Unsurprisingly enough, it doesn’t go well as they end up in the territory of a crocodile
The five main characters are all well-acted and given believable personalities rather than being bland stereotypes. The characters are also relatively intelligent for a horror movie, so they’re not constantly making decisions that infuriate the audience. On top of that, the mix of claustrophobic horror, killer animal, and thalassophobia are blended perfectly with the more realistic peril of the characters’ situation.
Featuring a great cast including Dominic Purcell and Orlando Jones, the 2007 crocodile movie Primeval is about a massive crocodile named Gustave who’s causing problems for locals in Burundi so American journalists have to capture and film the beast while also dealing with a Burundian warlord. The crocodile itself is a brutal force of nature that provides plenty of scares through impressive visual effects.
Orlando Jones is in one of his more serious roles in the movie, but he still provides genuine laughs at just the right points, so it never comes off as forced. What makes Primeval particularly interesting among crocodile movies is that, despite the almost unbelievable size of the killer croc, Gustave is real. The real Gustave from Primeval exists and is believed to have killed as many as 300 people in an around Lake Tanganyika in Burundi.