The well-worn horror and sci-fi trope of things that are entirely too big is intrinsically linked to the kaiju genre - a cinematic tradition born in Japan with Godzilla, where large creatures symbolically stand for greater fears. And while some movies that find their roots in kaiju cleverly address fears through metaphor, hitting home important truths about anxieties in the zeitgeist, other films have enlarged their subjects with more humorous results.
Hollywood films and B-movies have enlarged everything from ants to plants, while other deliberately comical films have enlarged stranger subjects - like a Japanese man in underpants - to comment specifically on kaiju. From the petrifying possibilities of large-scale leeches to massive musical plant life, whether they serve up horror or hilarity, these film creatures are kind of a big deal.
Giant Ants - 'Them!' (1954)
Massive ants have taken over the desert - they're multiplying at an alarming rate, destroying trailers and general stores. The ants themselves look frankly ridiculous, but a lecture by a leading myrmecologist hammers home the capabilities of ants, and the terrifying possibilities if they were big enough to take down a human.
Like many sci-fi films of the 1950s, much of the film is spent watching white men discussing the problem. To this end, Them! is slow-paced. But the idea that giant ants who reproduce faster than they can be destroyed, have an incredibly organized society, and can lift twenty times their own weight could take over the world is enough to give any viewer the shivers.
Troll - 'Troll' (2022)
Sleeping for years in a mountain, a troll is awoken by a drilling operation. Disturbed from its extended hibernation, the giant troll has woken up cranky. It's awakening proves the existence of the creature referred to in Norwegian folklore, proving its massive size and mighty capacity for vengeance.
The film ticks many important boxes - it passes the Bechdel test, and Sigrid and Nora are responsible for most plot-altering fixes. It touches on important themes of mistreating the earth, colonization, historical fabrication and political inaction, and ultimately shows nature fighting back in a big way. While it might not be expected that tanning beds would feature significantly in a film about a mythical beast, it also comes as a surprise that the audience empathize with the troll. Visually stunning and far from expected, Troll offers a complex and multi-faceted big creature that equally may elicit terror and tears.
'Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus' (2009)
Prehistoric giant creatures are thawed and awoken from their hibernation in a glacier, ready to rampage. Taking down planes, buildings, bridges, and causing a general fuss, Mega Shark the megalodon and Giant Octopus the giant octopus can only be destroyed if they battle it out against each other.
Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus gives a double-bill of giants, both fairly terrifying, yet the giant octopus wins in scary stakes for its intelligence. Championing brains over brawn, the octopus has eight methods of strangulation and is craftier in its attempts to destroy humankind.
Giant Leeches - 'Attack of the Giant Leeches' (1959)
Giant leeches have made their home in Florida, pulling humans into an underwater cave and feasting on their blood in a slow and painful fashion. Shot in eight days on a meager budget, the film doesn't have the means to terrify (especially given that the leeches look suspiciously like men wearing trash bags) yet the idea of the long process of being drained of blood in an inescapable cave is petrifying.
Playing into another trope of 1950s sci-fi giants, the only answer is dynamite. But was it enough? The answer, usually, is "no, more dynamite". This is certainly the case in Attack of the Giant Leeches, as the film concludes with the sound of the leeches, suggesting those suckers are still fighting fit.
Giant Cockroach - 'Men in Black' (1997)
A covert FBI outfit that hunts aliens must track down a life-form who is searching for a mysterious galaxy. Leaving destruction in its wake, the need to find and stop the alien intensifies - but it will be no mean feat to find him, as he's wearing human skin, and blending in all but for his bizarre behavior.
With the giant cockroach wearing Edgar, the comedy is built-in and gives the character a more hilarious than horrifying leaning. However, when the person suit is ditched and the cockroach beneath is revealed, nightmares may ensue. As far as giant things in film, it's not that giant. But as far as cockroaches go, it's simply too big. A warning to all katsaridaphobes, Men in Black will not be easily forgotten.
Nancy - 'Attack of the 50 Foot Woman' (1958)
Nancy Archer's unfaithful husband Harry is plotting to kill her, take her money, and leave her for his mistress. Indulging in a very public affair, Harry had Nancy committed to an asylum and, thanks to Harry, she has a reputation in town for being a "crazy alcoholic". So when Nancy is transformed into a fifty-foot monster by a space giant, she is understandably already ropable.
It's tough to discern whether Attack of the 50 Foot Woman is a misogynistic nightmare or a feminist masterpiece - on one hand, the idea that a woman would only be concerned with revenge on her tiny, awful husband is reductive. On the other hand, seeing a giantess getting hers, and the idea that whatever a woman is put through will come back to haunt the men who wronged her is powerful and pretty fabulous.
Adam - 'Honey, I Blew Up The Kid' (1992)
Toddlers are a handful at the best of times. But when the 'terrible twos' become terribly too big, the consequences are disastrous. Gradually growing to larger sizes from exposure to an enlargement ray combined with electrical waves, the big baby of Honey, I Blew Up The Kid wreaks havoc in Las Vegas.
The mess toddlers can make is surprising and catastrophic. On the giant scale of baby Adam, whole cities could be leveled at the hands of this terrorizing tot. The film plays for comedy, but there is definitely something terrifying about the incapacity to calm a colossal crying toddler who won't go down for his nap.
Vargas - 'Giant From the Unknown' (1958)
Giant From the Unknown is about a very large, evil Spanish conquistador named Vargas who was frozen inside a rock and freed by a bolt of lightening five hundred years later. Once free, he is still very large and very evil, and gets his jollies by terrorizing and killing the residents of a mountain village.
Vargas isn't a heavyweight compared to other film giants. He's just ancient, tall and imposing enough to be intimidating. The 'special' effects at the end of the film will give contemporary viewers more chortles than chills, and this film giant doesn't really stand up to the five-hundred-year hype.
Audrey II - 'Little Shop of Horrors' (1986)
A bizarre plant procured from a strange shop during an eclipse, Audrey II was purchased by Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors before he realized the plant's penchant for human blood and ability to grow to an oppressive size. The shop may be little, yet Audrey II is anything but.
Audrey II has an enormous appetite, a big personality, and an even bigger baritone. The freaky fauna sits much more firmly in the comedy camp - even though it's a killer, Audrey II also has some killer songs that perfectly combine belly laughs and bloodlust.
Masaru Daisatô - 'Big Man Japan' (2007)
Big Man Japan takes the kaiju genre and flips it on its humongous head. The off-beat mockumentary follows a man who has the ability to grow to an enormous size, battling the giant monsters who so frequently terrorize Japan. It's a lonely life and not without its problems, told with plenty of absurdity and amusement.
The film is a hilarious take on the kaiju tropes, and serves up a whole slew of giant monsters for Daisatô to battle - notably the Baby Monster, Leaping Monster and Male Stink Monster. A perfect watch for viewers in the mood for an extra large laugh.