Top 20 Scariest CGI Effects In Movies

“Trollhunter” (2010)
In this Norwegian dark fantasy film, a group of university students set out to make a documentary about bear poaching, but end up coming back with footage of a very different beast. For a lesser known film that had a much lower special effects budget than most hollywood films, “Trollhunter” has surprisingly lifelike CGI. Shown through the found footage style, the images of giant trolls stomping through the forest and towering above our protagonists are so convincing, it almost doesn’t even look like CGI. That being said, some of the close up images of the normal sized trolls take on almost a ‘Muppets’ style appearance, but the giant ones provide enough of a scare to keep you on your toes.

“A Quiet Place” (2018)
Horror movie directors have to get creative nowadays when conjuring up their primary antagonists, and John Krasinski certainly did that with the creatures in “A Quiet Place”. Also known as “The Listeners”, these blind extraterrestrial beasts who rely entirely on echolocation are extremely grotesque and intimidating. The gorilla-like stature and wiry arms of the creature combined with their shape-shifting head and hypersensitive hearing provide an otherworldly threat to the Abbott family, and one that can be slightly confusing to look at, making it all the more intriguing. The close up images of their supersonic ears were particularly effective examples of CGI, leaving you both terrified, grossed out and simultaneously fascinated.

“The Grudge” (2004)
While some things are better left to the imagination, this horror remake skipped that memo and went straight for the jawline. Following in the footsteps of its Japanese predecessor, “The Grudge” revolves around a supernatural curse that latches on and never lets go. In one standout moment, Ted Raimi’s character Alex sees a mysterious woman creeping through the darkness. After following her down a stairway, he comes to regret his decision as the figure is revealed to have her jaw completely cut away. While the image is brief, the CGI is all-too convincing. That bloody, dangling tongue is enough to make anyone decide to skip lunch.

“Slither” (2006)
These creepy crawlies gave us the heebie-jeebies, but we couldn’t look away. When “Slither’s” extraterrestrial parasites crash land in South Carolina, the results are . . . extremely disgusting. The transformation of Grant into a tentacled monster is awful enough, but what really gets under the skin are the squirming larvae - wriggling through windows and doors and into their victims’ mouths. Swallow them, and you join the hive. James Gunn’s directorial debut might have bombed at the box office, but it was a hit with critics and audiences - bringing the scares with these creepy CGI slugs.

“Overlord” (2018)
Keeping with the theme of gruesome facial wounds, World War ll horror bloodbath “Overlord” just couldn’t resist introducing their own. When American troops discover a secret Nazi experiment, the outnumbered squad must do battle against superhuman forces. During an intense shootout with the film’s antagonist Wafner, the German commander’s face is hit by gunfire, resulting in more than a flesh wound. Shockingly detailed and downright bloody, the effects created for Wafner’s mangled mug are so accurate, one could almost mistake them for prosthetics. All in a day’s work for Industrial Light & Magic.

“The Mummy” (1999)
When exploring ancient Egypt, make sure you don’t awaken any dead things. During development of this 1999 remake, filmmakers set out to give the titular monster a brand new look. What audiences received sent chills down their spine. Beginning as a bug-infested, decomposed corpse, Imhotep slowly regenerates to human form after sucking the life out of each of his victims. Basing their work on anatomy books, the filmmakers nailed every repulsive stage of the mummy’s regeneration. So much so that we’re left questioning how this film received a PG-13 rating.

“Annihilation” (2018)
Try not to think about this one next time you go camping. In “Annihilation”, an expedition of scientists explore “The Shimmer”, a mysterious realm where DNA is “refracted” into new forms. In this gruesome scene, our characters are attacked by a mutated bear that screams with the voice of its last victim. From the effects team that brought us “Ex-Machina”, the unusual look of the predator has made this a standout among this sci-fi horror’s many unnerving scenes. The bear’s slow approach and heavy breathing already build tension, but its blood-curdling shrieks make this moment simply “grizzly”.

“Blade 2” (2002)
Director Guillermo del Toro is no stranger to dazzling visuals, and his follow-up to “Blade” is no exception. In “Blade II”, our eponymous hero fights “the Reapers”, a race of vampires looking to supplant normal vampires and wipe our humans. In a scene displaying their graphic feeding process, a reaper’s mouth gapes wide open, displaying long, sharp fangs on both sides. After paralyzing it’s victims with a single bite, the reaper extracts blood with its slithering tongue, turning its unfortunate victims into reapers themselves. While this miserable fate would leave anyone panic-stricken, the creative detail given to these creatures deserves an applause break. Bon appetit.

“It” (2017)
Popping out of a projector . . . contorting from a fridge . . . and biting a child’s arm off; this clown’s not available for parties. When the teens of Derry are terrorized by the murderous Pennywise, he confronts them in all different shapes and sizes. Whether it’s dragging them down to the sewer, or simply playing mind games, each encounter grows increasingly more traumatic. Straight from the twisted brain of director Andy Muschietti, the visuals given to Pennywise’s many forms add to an already nerve-racking atmosphere. Clowns are terrifying enough, but one with demonic powers keeps us constantly fearing for our young characters. That, as well as scaring us stupid.

“Mama” (2013)
If there’s one thing for sure, it’s that children and ghosts are not a heavenly mix. Andy Muschietti’s chilling debut follows two orphaned sisters as they’re stalked by a demonic presence known as “Mama”. In a nail-biting tracking shot that seems to last a lifetime, the girls venture downstairs and find themselves face-to-face with the ghastly entity. In the blink of an eye, ‘Mama’ lunges towards them. The ghastly figure is brought to life through a mixture of CGI and the motion-capture performance of Javier Botet. The thought of any child in danger is unbearable, but the sheer terror the girls face is only made worse by their initial fascination with the shadowy figure.

“Mirrors” (2008)
This scene takes the word “bloodbath” to a whole new level. 2008’s “Mirrors” seemed like your generic supernatural flick. A family haunted by a sinister force… We get it. But a woman randomly tearing her jaw apart is something disturbingly . . . fresh? As the character Angie relaxes in the tub, she’s unaware that her reflection still lingers in the mirror. Things erupt into pure chaos as the reflection proceeds to rip its jaw clean open, with the real life Angie’s jaw following suit. While the CGI isn’t the most convincing we’ve seen, the juxtaposition of a quiet, mellow atmosphere mixed with this gory payoff is enough to make anyone nauseous. On second thought, we’ll opt for a shower…

“King Kong” (2005)
Human-sized crickets, sharp-toothed slugs, giant spiders… Pest control need not apply. Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake cemented his effects team’s place as CGI wizards. With that said, the movie’s most hair-raising visuals don’t involve its titular ape. When several characters wake up in a mysterious pit, enormous insects emerge from the crevices. Despite fighting back, they’re eventually overwhelmed, with a few of them becoming bug breakfast. The scene is an unsettling break from an otherwise beautiful spectacle. Shocking, gross and utterly disturbing, the bugs are truly what nightmares are made of.

"The Cabin in the Woods" (2012)
Evil little children always send a chill up the spine. Perhaps it’s the whole “perversion of innocence” thing. As the survivors proceed into an elevator, they're treated to the sight of hundreds of haunting monsters, but this one stood out from the rest. After dealing with killers and a even a ghost, they happen upon a little ballerina in an elevator across from them. As she turns around however, it's shown that she has rows of teeth instead of a face. The shocking reveal mixed with the absolutely twisted look of the creature made for one of the most memorable monsters in the whole film. And in this movie… that’s saying a lot!

"The Mist" (2007)
Bugs will probably scare humanity until the end of time - let’s just hope that oversized extra dimensional ones aren’t what bring it about. While so much of the initial fear in this Stephen King horror comes from the potential for accidents, earthquakes and other such worldly concerns, the people waiting out the storm soon encounter forces far more disturbing. Between the giant mantis-like creatures, killer flies and those terrifying tentacles reaching through the mist, it’s a veritable CGI buffet of nightmares come to life. The off-putting and incomprehensible features that make up these monsters are truly grotesque. Add to that the size of these creatures, and you’ve got terror worthy of Lovecraft himself.

"Dreamcatcher" (2003)
A creature becomes all the more horrific when you find out you've only seen one of its forms. In this bizarre alien tale, adapted from the work of Stephen King, our heroes first encounter a slimy oversized parasite. With its huge fangs, this nightmare slug is already plenty freaky, but it’s nothing compared to Mr. Gray himself. A tall humanoid alien, Mr. Gray is seriously imposing, but it’s his party trick that really terrifies. When he later exits the body he’s possessed, we’re presented with another form - a giant saw-toothed beast with a razor sharp tail. Forget a dreamcatcher; after meeting Mr. Gray, you’ll never be able to fall asleep again!

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004)
The name really says it all when it comes to these ghastly creatures. Floating around like the foreboding embodiments of death, these wraiths feel like hell on earth. Guarding Azkaban Prison, they feed upon happiness, making time in the wizarding prison an even worse fate than one can imagine. Devouring human souls, these large ghouls are just as scary to think about as they are to see face to face, as they chill the air and warp the world around them. Given their seemingly endless numbers and with no way to destroy them, the only thing scarier than a dementor, is a Dementor working with Voldemort.

"Drag Me to Hell" (2009)
In this macabre tale of magic and demons, our protagonist, Christine, is cursed when she denies a gypsy an extension on her loan. Though hell is well-trod ground conceptually, the firsthand look at the underworld provided in this film will leave you hiding behind a blanket. At the beginning, we get our terrifying first look, and it’s enough to make anyone want to turn over a new leaf. Here we follow a couple seeking help for their cursed son, but it’s too late. The floor breaks and a burning nether realm opens below him as hands drag him screaming into its fiery depths.

"Signs" (2002)
There’s nothing quite like seeing the confirmation of your fears in the flesh. So much of this alien horror film plays on people's paranoia, that when the big reveal comes and the aliens are seen, it’s downright terrifying. A rural family is terrorized in their own home when they start seeing crop-circles in their cornfield, among other odd and unsettling occurrences. When it finally gets its moment in the spotlight, the giant extra-terrestrial proves to be both fast and strong, and is made all the more intimidating by its piercing eyes. It’s the sort of alien that’ll make you thank your lucky stars that what you’re witnessing is a work of fiction.

"Starship Troopers" (1997)
Scares, like strength, are best in numbers. The expansive bug race that terrorizes colonies and military forces in this sci-fi satire comes in so many shapes and sizes, it's hard to say which one we’d choose to face if we had to. From the massively jawed and clawed warrior bugs that can rip people in half, to the swarms of equally dangerous flying bugs, there isn’t a welcoming creature among them. Alongside explosive bugs and building-sized tankers that spit acid and artillery, each subspecies is terrifying in its own way. Even the slow brain bug is a shocking sight to behold.

"Cloverfield" (2008)
Never seeing the full scope of a monster makes it somehow even more terrifying. Given that we only catch the most sparing of looks at this massive beast at any given moment, it lands in that perfect middle ground to inspire the viewers' minds to fill in the blanks with even more ungodly terror. Mixing amphibian stretches of skin among other features, along with jagged arms and beady eyes, the parts we do see of this colossal titan are grisly. With its massive jaw and equally vicious babies, this monster proved itself as scary on-screen as it was off.