10. The Mist (2007)
Is anyone surprised to see a Stephen King adaptation on this list? It’d be weird if hedidn’tmake an appearance, what withThe Mistso packed full of frightening creatures.
When a thick, dense fog begins to descend on a small town in Maine, most of the townspeople don’t think much of it and continue on with their lives. For David Drayton, that means shopping at the market.
But for many of those same townspeople, this will be the last day of errands they ever have—because the mysterious fog brings all kinds of apocalyptic nightmares with it.
The Mistis a solid monster horror, with plenty of creepy and malicious insects to make you groan in both terror and disgust.
Related:The Best Movies About Giants, Titans, and Colossal Beasts
9. The Ant Bully (2006)
After a young boy named Lucas destroys an ant colony with a magnifying glass, the magical ant sorcerer that dwells within the colony shrinks him down to their size.
Trapped in this strange new world, Lucas must adapt to his new environment and learn a few things before he can grow back up and return to his life pre-shrink.
Featuring a brilliant voice acting cast in Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Paul Giamatti, and Nicolas Cage,The Ant Bullyis a lesser-known film that’s certainly silly but surprisingly entertaining.
8. Mimic (1997)
Directed by Guillermo del Toro,Mimicwas a kind of calling card for the visionary horror director, who up until this point had only directedCronosand two short films (GeometriaandDoña Lupe).
The plot ofMimicfollows a cockroach crisis that’s overtaking New York City. They aren’t just gross—they’re spreading a deadly disease that’s claiming the lives of many children.
Dr. Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) comes up with a solution, but her attempt to quell the epidemic might end up creating more problems than before, despite her best intentions…
Related:The Best Horror Movie Directors of All Time, Ranked
7. Bee Movie (2007)
As we’ll see throughout the course of this list, it appears that movies about bugs that are made for kids can’t seem to help but comment on the socio-economic structure of society. Odd…
AndBee Movieis one such movie.
The plot follows Barry B. Benson, an average bee who wants to escape the rat race and live with the humans. He actually does it, too, but they end up stealing and selling his precious honey.
Once he realizes that man’s greed isn’t just a slight against him but a damaging force that threatens the entire planet, he decides to pursue a lawsuit—against the human race.
You’ve probably seenBee Movietreated like a meme on the internet, but it’s surprisingly funny and insightful, complete with Jerry Seinfeld offering his iconic vocals to the main character.
6. Them! (1954)
Them!is best remembered as one of the first 1950s nuclear monster movies where normal animals grow huge. In fact,Them!was the film that started the whole “big bug” film trend.
After a colony of giant ants is discovered in the desert—not just giant, but angry and irradiated—the United States military fears that these mutant insects could be a threat to humankind.
And sure enough, when two of their queens end up spreading their larvae across New Mexico, all hell breaks loose.
Them!is a must-watch classic film for anyone who’s a fan of sci-fi cinema, but especially for those who enjoy films from the Golden Age of Hollywood. It’s fun, iconic, and still relevant.
Related:The Best Sci-Fi Movie Scenes of All Time, Ranked
5. A Bug’s Life (1998)
Released the same year as DreamWorks’Antz, Pixar’sA Bug’s Lifemay not have been quite as good, but it was still compelling.
Drawing large inspiration from Akira Kurosawa’sSeven Samurai(1954), the story tracks one inventor ant named Flik who’s constantly inventing giant messes that his colony must deal with.
In wanting to rectify one very costly mistake of his, he resolves to find a band of warriors who will protect his ant colony from a bullying plague of grasshoppers.
Offering a similar flavor of social commentary on capitalism and class structure as its rival projectAntz, bug movie aficionados were treated well in 1998 with this twin release.
4. Naked Lunch (1991)
David Cronenberg might have a fascination with bugs, given thatNaked Lunchisn’t his only contribution to this list.
InNaked Lunch, Cronenberg managed to make one of his most surreal, most bizarre movies ever. In its massively off-beat plot, we follow William Lee, a professional exterminator.
However, a life in pest control doesn’t come without issues. Indeed, the allure of using insecticide as a recreational drug begins to create problems in both William’s personal and professional lives.
If you know anything about David Cronenberg and his directorial style, then I’m sure you can guess that he takes this movie about insects into some pretty strange places…
Related:Famous Movie Directors and Their Cinematic Styles, Explained
3. Antz (1998)
WithAntz, first-time directors Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson gave us an existentialist movie about an ant suffering from ennui, presented as a children’s movie but deep enough for adults.
The plot ofAntzcenters on Z, an ant who feels small and insignificant. He eventually has this feeling confirmed by his therapist, who assures him that he is, in fact, very insignificant.
Thus begins a film that analyzes human society through the lens of an ant society.Antzis clever, funny, and offers intriguing thoughts on the structures and motivations that dominate our civilization.
The film works on multiple levels, even if children in the audience don’t necessarily pick up on everything.
2. Arachnophobia (1990)
Anyone who hates bugs, insects, spiders, creepy-crawlies, or pretty much anything with more than four legs should steer clear ofArachnophobia.
As you might be able to glean from the title alone,Arachnophobiais one of the most spine-tingling films ever made.
Arachnophobiacenters on a family that moves into a new house out in the countryside, where they hope to start a new life.
Meanwhile, a highly venomous spider escapes containment at a nearby research facility and begins hatching eggs all over the place.
Soon, the family finds themselves absolutely inundated by arachnids. Will they make it through the night?
Successfully blending horror and comedy,Arachnophobiaprovides the perfect balance of jump scares and laughs, and we remember it as one of the greatest horror movies from the 90s.
Related:The Best Horror Movies of the 1990s, Ranked
1. The Fly (1986)
So much can be said about David Cronenberg’sThe Fly, which could top all kinds of lists: best body horror, best sci-fi tragedy, best remake, best special effects.
To say it was very influential would be an understatement, and that’s why it tops this list—it’s absolutely among the greatest movies about bugs, insects, and spiders ever made.
The Flyfollows a scientist who attempts to revolutionize space-time by inventing a teleportation machine. Upon completion, he eagerly conducts a test run without taking proper precautions.
But when a tiny fly manages to get into the pod right when he gives it a whirl, things go wrong in the worst way possible.
What comes next is a sci-fi horror film you won’t ever forget.
While it’s definitely in tight competition withArachnophobia, we thinkThe Flyis more important as a film for how it pioneered and shaped an entire subgenre of gross, nauseating horror.
Related:The Best Body Horror Movies, Ranked
