Top 10 Movies About Spiders That You Need Watching Update 04/2024

Movies About Spiders

What are you looking for in a terrifying movie? We’ve compiled a list of the 10 most terrifying horror flicks with spiders and insects.

There are many creepy insects in the insect world and when they appear in Hollywood films, the effects are generally rather amusing.” Spiders and other creepy crawlies have always played a major role in frightening moviegoers, particularly those with a fear of bugs.

Look no farther than this list of scream-inducing horror films. So, without further ado, here is a list of ten horror films that made great use of arachnids and bug species. This list of ten films has lasted the test of time and continues to terrify moviegoers today. When watching any of these films, keep a can of Raid handy.

10. Arachnophobia (1990)

Arachnophobia (1990)

Arachnophobes all over the world were horrified and disgusted when Amblin Entertainment released this highly frightening comedy/horror film in 1990. A deadly Venezuelan tarantula breeds with a local house spider in a small California hamlet, giving rise to a super-deadly strain of progeny.

As the spiders spread throughout the surrounding area, they begin to wreak havoc on the residents of the town. It’s up to an arachnophobic doctor, a smart scientist, and an overzealous pest control person to save the day when the next batch of spiders migrates further and further from the initial hotspot.

9. The Fly (1986)

For those who enjoy classic horror films, the original 1958 version is a must-see. However, if you’re not afraid of being scared, the 1986 remake is much better. Seth Brundle, played by Jeff Goldblum, is a bright scientist whose DNA is unwittingly contaminated by a common housefly.

He starts losing various body parts in a variety of bizarre ways as his fly DNA takes control. As his body undergoes transformation, the fly begins to take over, and the result is nothing short of terrible. An all-time favorite that never goes out of style.

8. Them! (1954)

Them! (1954)

Them! is harmless and humorous by today’s standards, yet to moviegoers in 1954, it was horrifying.

Films like Godzilla from the 1950s relied on the fear of atomic testing and created enormous nuclear-testing monsters to terrify audiences.

As far as effective scares go, this film is light years ahead of its time. It features glimpses of terrified youngsters as well as gory death sequences and claustrophobic, dark settings that help create a frightful ambiance. It’s a shame that this type of film has fallen out of favor over the years.

7. Tarantula (1955)

Imagining a 100-foot-tall tarantula stalking your neighborhood is unnerving to say the least. However, Tarantula, a horror film about an ordinary insect that grows enormously in size after being exposed to radioactive substances in the 1950s, did well in the decade.

Superimposed footage on top of video is cleverly used to give the image of a massive tarantula, and the spider’s mostly silhouetted body helps sell the ominous horrors in the film. In other words, it has all the makings of a fun and spooky 1950s horror picture that the whole family can enjoy together.

6. Frogs (1972)

Frogs (1972)

Critics didn’t like George McCowan’s Frogs horror film from 1972, but it is one of the scariest bug-based horror flicks ever made. It’s about a cameraman who finds himself on an island owned by the Crockett family, whose father has been using pesticide to annihilate the island’s species.

Humans begin to be slaughtered by an army of frogs as the island’s creatures begin to revolt. A wide variety of creatures, from leech and rattlesnake to tarantulas and leeches, attack the fleeing humans.

5. Mimic (1997)

Mimic reworked an intriguing, if well-worn, premise in order to make it unique. As Dr. Susan Tyler, Mira Sorvino played Dr. Tyler, an entomologist who created a hybrid bug to combat the spread of a lethal breed of cockroaches. Her creation has progressed to the point that it can imitate humans, and she learns this after many years.

The idea of giant mutant insects following people via dimly lit hallways and tunnels would be unsettling to the majority of viewers. To this day, Mimic continues to terrify audiences.

4. Eight Legged Freaks (2002)

Eight Legged Freaks (2002)

Arquette’s comedy horror film Arachnophobia aimed to scale up the high-energy laughter and horrors of its predecessor. After being exposed to harmful elements, a group of spiders in this film grows to enormous proportions. A number of spider species are featured in the video, each with a particular assault method.

Whether you’re arachnophobic or not, there’s a lot to like and dislike about this film for arachnophobes. Light-hearted humor and genuine terror are expertly intertwined in this highly entertaining film.

3. The Deadly Mantis (1957)

The Deadly Mantis was a 1950s monster film that deviated from the nuclear war premise. When an enormous mantis emerges from the polar ice caps, it intends to unleash havoc on Washington, D.C.

As a sci-fi horror picture, it takes one of nature’s most fascinating creatures and turns it into a monster that stalks screaming women through windows and shrugs off the military in order to give viewers a good time on a Saturday afternoon.

2. The Swarm (1978)

The Swarm (1978)

Killer bees have never been known to inflict a biblical-scale calamity. This subject was raised in the Michael Caine-starrer The Swarm, an action-horror film about an invasion of bees that have made man their ultimate aim.

Whether it’s a train derailing or cities turning into kill zones for everyone, the bees are wreaking havoc on a never-before-seen scale. A little disturbing in an age of fear mongering about the invasion of the United States by Africanized honey bees.

1. Phase IV (1974)

This is a long cry from the typical creepy crawling bug vs. human horror flick. There’s no doubt about it: this picture is filled to the brim with retro-inspired 1970s visuals, yet the subject is extremely intriguing.

In this film, a hive of super-intelligent ants begins to strike against humanity, forcing them to choose whether or not to speak with or exterminate their insect adversaries. There are few films that come close to this one in terms of its eerie finish.