10 Years Ago, 3 Great Monster Movies Came Out That Are Very Different From Each Other

Published Jun 13, 2026, 8:30 AM EDT

2016 was quite different from most years because the world actually saw the release of three intriguing monster movies with almost nothing in common. It's a great year to understand just how varied this subgenre can be, as all three films were well-received and feature different monsters with different goals and completely unique looks. In a lot of ways, 2016 should go down as one of the best years ever for the monster movie genre because of these projects.

Shin Godzilla is one of the most intriguing entries in the franchise of the most iconic movie monster of all time, Colossal is about as unique as it gets when it comes to the genre, and The Monster uses a small budget to craft a terrifying tale. Each experience is so different from the last, yet all are must-see films.

Shin Godzilla Is A Fanastic Monster Movie

We start by looking at Shin Godzilla, which has an interesting place in the history of Godzilla films. It was easy for American audiences to overlook because the English iterations of movies about the character had just gotten a fresh reboot a few years prior. Godzilla started the MonsterVerse, which has ultimately led to the recent Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire installment. Shin Godzilla doesn't connect to those, yet is instead the first installment in the franchise's Reiwa era.

The Reiwa era is Toho's answer to the American reboot from Legendary Pictures. The team behind it is dedicated, studying old Godzilla films to make sure whatever is released now won't damage the brand. Shin Godzilla proved that they knew what they were doing, crafting an intriguing story that sees various politicians deal with bureaucratic red tape as they attempt to deal with the sudden arrival of Godzilla. The movie received great reviews and is one of the best modern Godzilla projects.

One aspect of Shin Godzilla that worked was the design of the monster. This wasn't like other films where Godzilla shows up at full strength. Instead, he steadily evolves throughout the film, becoming more powerful and showing off new abilities as time goes on. That helps to make Shin Godzilla stand out from the pack and gives this version of the monster something unique. The film is now something of a hidden gem, though, especially since the success of Godzilla Minus One has made that the more popular modern Japanese Godzilla movie.

Colossal Is Unlike Any Other Kaiju Film

Similar to Shin Godzilla, Colossal is a kaiju movie, but that's the only thing the films share in common. In fact, you would have a hard time finding any movie that feels like Colossal. At first glance, you probably wouldn't even realize this was a kaiju film because it mostly focuses on three human characters. Those humans are played by Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, and Dan Stevens (who actually also stars in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire).

Hathaway plays Gloria, a woman who is struggling with her writing and alcoholism, while Sudeikis is a friend who owns a bar, and Stevens is her ex-boyfriend. One night, a giant monster attacks Seoul and it gets discovered that Gloria manifests the kaiju and controls it with her movements when she gets drunk. It's as wacky as it sounds, yet that's what makes Colossal the kind of movie you need to check out. There's simply nothing else out there that's like it.

We watch as Gloria deals with the fallout of the destruction she causes in Seoul, which lines up with her reliance on alcohol itself. Colossal sits at an impressive 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with praise going to the screenplay, Hathaway's performance, and the way the movie manages to defy any genre. You're not going to get the excitement and chaos of most kaiju films, yet Colossal is a great character study that's worth a watch.

The Monster Does A Lot With A Small Budget

Once again, The Monster is a different kind of creature feature. It's the only one of these three to not feature a giant kaiju, yet the titular monster might be scarier than the rest. The movie tells a small scale story, which is part of what makes it so terrifying. It centers on a troubled mother who brings her teenage daughter to her ex's house as it's his turn for custody. On the way, they hit an animal with their car, the mother is injured, and they're stranded on a dark, quiet road where an unknown creature terrorizes them.

Zoe Kazan does great work as Kathy, the unstable and abusive mother, while Ella Ballentine is also very good as the daughter, Lizzy. What makes this such an intriguing monster movie is that it's filmed on a budget of just $3 million. That's not enough to give us a ton of shots of a monster, so the film uses its budget wisely. The monster isn't seen very often or for too long, and that fear of the unknown makes every scene scarier.

It also means that the few times we actually see the monster mean a lot more. They become more memorable because it's not overdone. Critics appreciated these bits, helping The Monster earn an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It might not be able to live up to the likes of Shin Godzilla in terms of visuals or have the high concept of Colossal, yet it stands on its own as an intense thriller.

Together, these three films, which are all celebrating 10 years in 2026, are great for a weekend of monster movie greatness. You might not be able to find another year that can match 2016 in terms of varied and impressive monster films.

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  Shin Godzilla

  

  6/10

  Release Date July 29, 2016

  Runtime 120 minutes

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    Hiroki Hasegawa

    Rando Yaguchi : Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary

  • 

    Yutaka Takenouchi

    Hideki Akasaka : Special Advisor to the Prime Minister

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  Colossal

  Release Date April 6, 2017

  Runtime 109 minutes

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  The Monster

  Release Date November 11, 2016

  Runtime 91 minutes

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    Christine Ebadi

    Leslie Williams