Monstrous births
by Mighty_Emperor | created - 20 Feb 2012 | updated - 16 Apr 2023 | PublicA sub-section of body horror movies, that deal with killer babies, freakish pregnancies and other birth-related strangeness. Films that put the 'terror' in 'teratology'.
Further reading: Womb Monsters slideshow and Scahill, Andrew (2010) "Deviled Eggs: Teratogenesis and the Gynecological Gothic in the Cinema of Monstrous Birth." in Bienstock Anolik, Ruth (ed.) Demons of the Body and Mind: Essays on Disability in Gothic Literature. McFarland. Pages 197-216. ISBN 978-0-7864-3322-3.
See also: Someone else has a list for evil kids, if you want to know what happens when these terrible tykes grow-up (hint: nothing good).
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1. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Approved | 137 min | Drama, Horror
A young couple trying for a baby moves into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, where they find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer
Votes: 235,040
2. It's Alive (1974)
PG | 91 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
The Davises are expecting a baby, which turns out to be a monster with a nasty habit of killing people whenever it is scared. And it is easily scared.
Director: Larry Cohen | Stars: John P. Ryan, Sharon Farrell, Andrew Duggan, Guy Stockwell
Votes: 8,975
3. Beyond the Door (1974)
R | 108 min | Horror
Juliet Mills plays a young pregnant woman in San Francisco who is going to have the devil's baby during her strange possession. Richard Johnson shows up to help her... but what does he really want?
Directors: Ovidio G. Assonitis, Roberto D'Ettorre Piazzoli | Stars: Juliet Mills, Richard Johnson, Gabriele Lavia, Nino Segurini
Votes: 2,719 | Gross: $0.08M
4. Sharon's Baby (1975)
R | 95 min | Horror
A woman gives birth to a baby, but this is no ordinary one. The child is seemingly possessed by the Devil.
Director: Peter Sasdy | Stars: Joan Collins, Eileen Atkins, Ralph Bates, Donald Pleasence
Votes: 1,428
5. Embryo (1976)
PG | 104 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A scientist (Rock Hudson) doing experiments on a human fetus discovers a method to accelerate the fetus into a mature adult in just a few days. All is not well though as the child begins to exhibit some horrific tendencies.
Director: Ralph Nelson | Stars: Rock Hudson, Barbara Carrera, Diane Ladd, Roddy McDowall
Votes: 1,723
6. Eraserhead (1977)
Not Rated | 89 min | Fantasy, Horror
Henry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Allen Joseph, Jeanne Bates
Votes: 127,408 | Gross: $7.00M
7. Demon Seed (1977)
Approved | 94 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A scientist creates Proteus--an organic super computer with artificial intelligence which becomes obsessed with human beings, and in particular the creator's wife.
Director: Donald Cammell | Stars: Julie Christie, Fritz Weaver, Gerrit Graham, Berry Kroeger
Votes: 10,001
8. The Manitou (1978)
PG | 104 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A psychic's girlfriend finds out that a lump on her back is a growing reincarnation of a 400-year-old demonic Native American spirit.
Director: William Girdler | Stars: Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens
Votes: 3,313
9. The Brood (1979)
R | 92 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A man tries to uncover an unconventional psychologist's therapy techniques on his institutionalized wife, amidst a series of brutal murders.
Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar, Art Hindle, Henry Beckman
Votes: 34,294
10. Alien (1979)
R | 117 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright
Votes: 949,996 | Gross: $78.90M
The scene with John Hurt scared (and inspired) a generation.
11. Humanoids from the Deep (1980)
R | 80 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
Humanoid sea creatures start killing a fishing town's residents, and raping their women. It's up to the townsfolk and a visiting biologist to fight back and fend them off.
Directors: Barbara Peeters, Jimmy T. Murakami | Stars: Doug McClure, Ann Turkel, Vic Morrow, Cindy Weintraub
Votes: 10,507
12. Inseminoid (1981)
R | 93 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A crew of interplanetary archaeologists is threatened when an alien creature impregnates one of their members, causing her to turn homicidal and murder them one by one.
Director: Norman J. Warren | Stars: Robin Clarke, Jennifer Ashley, Stephanie Beacham, Steven Grives
Votes: 4,310
This, according to Scahill, marks the end of the "cinema of monstrous birth," at least the most fertile period ripe for analysis - there are still plenty of post-1981 films in this are that manage to delight and appal.
13. Xtro (1982)
R | 84 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
An alien creature impregnates a woman who gives birth to a man who was abducted by aliens three years ago. The man reconnects with his wife and son for a sinister purpose.
Director: Harry Bromley Davenport | Stars: Philip Sayer, Bernice Stegers, Danny Brainin, Maryam d'Abo
Votes: 8,139
14. Devil Fetus (1983)
84 min | Horror
A woman becomes possessed and dies after a monster is released from an antique vase she had purchased. Twelve years later the monster is re-awakened. First he possesses the family's dog, before moving on to the woman's nephew.
Director: Hung-Chuen Lau | Stars: Eddie Chan, Yung-Chang Chin, Pak-Kwong Ho, Meng-Kuang Hsu
Votes: 440
aka Devil Fetus
15. The Fly (1986)
R | 96 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
A brilliant but eccentric scientist begins to transform into a giant man/fly hybrid after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong.
Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz, Joy Boushel
Votes: 201,809 | Gross: $40.46M
16. Bad Taste (1987)
Not Rated | 91 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
The population of a small town disappears and is replaced by aliens that chase human flesh for their intergalactic fast-food chain.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Terry Potter, Pete O'Herne, Craig Smith, Mike Minett
Votes: 49,112
Oh Peter Jackson, how we miss the ends of your films which involve weird 'births.'
17. The Terror Within (1989)
R | 88 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
When chemical warfare leaves the world barren and filled with mutated monsters, a band of survivors in an underground complex battle one of the creatures that was able to break in.
Director: Thierry Notz | Stars: Andrew Stevens, Starr Andreeff, George Kennedy, Terri Treas
Votes: 2,257 | Gross: $0.86M
18. Baby Blood (1990)
R | 88 min | Horror
When a strange creature crawls into a woman's uterus she becomes a killer in order to feed the tiny terror growing within her.
Director: Alain Robak | Stars: Emmanuelle Escourrou, Christian Sinniger, Jean-François Gallotte, Roselyne Geslot
Votes: 2,324
19. The Unborn (1991)
R | 83 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
A couple struggling to conceive visit a miracle doctor as a last hope for having a child. The wife gets pregnant, but after the initial joy comes horror, as she slowly discovers the nightmarish truth behind the doctor's success.
Director: Rodman Flender | Stars: Brooke Adams, Jeff Hayenga, James Karen, K Callan
Votes: 1,609 | Gross: $1.16M
20. Basket Case 3 (1991)
R | 90 min | Comedy, Horror
Duane recovers from his delusional breakdown to find his freakish basket-bound brother Belial will soon become a father. But not everything is joyous as the once tight knit brothers no longer seem to trust each other.
Director: Frank Henenlotter | Stars: Kevin VanHentenryck, Annie Ross, Gil Roper, Dan Biggers
Votes: 4,144
aka Basket Case 3: The Progeny
21. Braindead (1992)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
A young man's mother is bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey. She gets sick and dies, at which time she comes back to life, killing and eating dogs, nurses, friends, and neighbors.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver, Elizabeth Moody, Ian Watkin
Votes: 103,258 | Gross: $0.24M
"Bad Taste" could have just been an accident but in the ending of this film the main protagonist is 'born' from his own mother, again. Analyse that.
22. The Johnsons (1992)
103 min | Horror
According to an ancient Indian tale a giant monster embryo residing in a crystal vase is predetermined to fertilize a blue-eyed woman. She will give birth to something evil to unleash ... See full summary »
Director: Rudolf van den Berg | Stars: Monique van de Ven, Esmée de la Bretonière, Kenneth Herdigein, Rik van Uffelen
Votes: 844
23. Revenge of Billy the Kid (1991)
87 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
The horny farmer McDonald has his wicked way with a goat. Life returns to normal for the family, until the goat gives birth! The mutant off spring, called Billy, is tormented by the ... See full summary »
Director: Jim Groom | Stars: Michael Balfour, Samantha Perkins, Jackie D. Broad, Bryan Heeley
Votes: 445
24. Warlock: The Armageddon (1993)
R | 98 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
An order of Druids train their children to battle an evil Warlock determined to unleash Satan upon the world by bringing a collection of five mystic rune stones together.
Director: Anthony Hickox | Stars: Julian Sands, Chris Young, Paula Marshall, Joanna Pacula
Votes: 6,854 | Gross: $3.90M
25. The Unborn II (1994)
R | 83 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A sinister fertility experiment has created a generation of twisted children. A relentless woman has made it her business to destroy these mutant babies before they destroy the world! One ... See full summary »
Director: Rick Jacobson | Stars: Michele Greene, Robin Curtis, Scott Valentine, Darryl Henriques
Votes: 458
26. Progeny (1998)
R | 98 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
An unsuspecting woman is impregnated by aliens who are experimenting on the human population.
Director: Brian Yuzna | Stars: Arnold Vosloo, Jillian McWhirter, Brad Dourif, Lindsay Crouse
Votes: 1,732
27. Species II (1998)
R | 93 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
An astronaut gets infected with alien DNA during the first mission on Mars and runs amok on earth. Preston and Laura team up with a peaceful, genetically re-engineered Sil to track the monster down.
Director: Peter Medak | Stars: Natasha Henstridge, Michael Madsen, Marg Helgenberger, Mykelti Williamson
Votes: 31,315 | Gross: $19.17M
28. The Demon's Baby (1998)
85 min | Horror, Romance
When an ancient treasure is violated by a military general, each of his concubines becomes pregnant with a demonic baby. A rogue priest and a chef must try and kill the demons before they can infest the entire world.
Director: Kant Leung | Stars: Emotion Cheung, Annie Wu, Elvis Tsui, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong
Votes: 191
aka The Demon's Baby
29. Gozu (2003)
R | 129 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
A yakuza enforcer is ordered to secretly drive his beloved colleague to be assassinated. But when the colleague unceremoniously disappears en route, the trip that follows is a twisted, surreal and horrifying experience.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Yûta Sone, Kimika Yoshino, Shohei Hino, Keiko Tomita
Votes: 12,730 | Gross: $0.05M
Although its presence here could count as a spoiler.
30. Inside (2007)
R | 82 min | Horror
Four months after the death of her husband, a woman on the brink of motherhood is tormented in her home by a strange woman who wants her unborn baby.
Directors: Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury | Stars: Alysson Paradis, Jean-Baptiste Tabourin, Claude Lulé, Dominique Frot
Votes: 44,680
31. It's Alive (2009)
R | 80 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A baby born to a human couple turns out to be a mutant monster with an appetite to kill when scared.
Director: Josef Rusnak | Stars: Bijou Phillips, James Murray, Raphaël Coleman, Owen Teale
Votes: 2,994
32. Grace (III) (2009)
R | 85 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
After losing her unborn child, Madeline Matheson insists on carrying the baby to term. Following the delivery, the child miraculously returns to life with an appetite for human blood. Madeline is faced with a mother's ultimate decision.
Director: Paul Solet | Stars: Jordan Ladd, Samantha Ferris, Gabrielle Rose, Stephen Park
Votes: 8,228 | Gross: $0.01M
33. Splice (2009)
R | 104 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
Genetic engineers Clive Nicoli and Elsa Kast hope to achieve fame by successfully splicing together the DNA of different animals to create new hybrid animals for medical use.
Director: Vincenzo Natali | Stars: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Chanéac, Brandon McGibbon
Votes: 101,759 | Gross: $17.00M
34. Zombie Babies (2011 Video)
Not Rated | 95 min | Comedy, Horror
When a group of expecting young couples head to Burt Fleming's mountaintop hotel for a weekend retreat (and discount abortions), they get more than they bargained for when the fetal undead come back for vengeance.
Director: Eamon Hardiman | Stars: Rob Cobb, Ford Austin, Tamara Chambers, Missy Dawn
Votes: 185
35. Bad Biology (2008)
Not Rated | 84 min | Comedy, Horror
Driven by biological excess, a man and a woman search for sexual fulfillment, unaware of each other's existence. Unfortunately, they eventually meet, and the bonding of these two very unusual human beings ends in a god awful love story.
Director: Frank Henenlotter | Stars: Charlee Danielson, Anthony Sneed, Mark Wilson, John A. Thorburn
Votes: 4,570
36. Won Ton Baby! (2009)
97 min | Comedy, Horror
Former brothel owner struggles to protect her family from a parasitic twin.
Director: James Morgart | Stars: Debbie Rochon, Lou Martini Jr., Suzi Lorraine, Justin Derry
Votes: 80
37. Humanoids from the Deep (1996 TV Movie)
R | 86 min | Action, Drama, Horror
While a town is in a state of alert, the monster of the sea keeps mutating the townspeople at an alarming rate. A researcher finds a genetic disorder that has been caused by a chemical that... See full summary »
Director: Jeff Yonis | Stars: Emma Samms, Robert Carradine, Justin Walker, Mark Rolston
Votes: 861
38. Hell Baby (2013)
R | 98 min | Comedy, Horror
An expectant couple who moves into the most haunted house in New Orleans call upon the services of the Vatican's elite exorcism team to save them from a demonic baby.
Directors: Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon | Stars: Rob Corddry, Leslie Bibb, Alex Berg, Keegan-Michael Key
Votes: 10,103 | Gross: $0.00M
39. Decoys 2: Alien Seduction (2007 Video)
R | 94 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Sam, a college student in a small Northwestern town, reluctantly joins his roommates in a contest to see who can hook up with the most gorgeous co-eds by the end of the semester. But when men slowly start disappearing around town, he and his friends learn that when it comes to beautiful women, it's what's inside that really matters.
Director: Jeffery Scott Lando | Stars: Corey Sevier, Tyler Johnston, Kailin See, Kim Poirier
Votes: 2,577
40. The Unnamable (1988)
R | 87 min | Horror
College students check out a haunted house where in the 1800's an ugly monster called "the Unnamable" was trapped in a vault.
Director: Jean-Paul Ouellette | Stars: Charles Klausmeyer, Mark Kinsey Stephenson, Alexandra Durrell, Laura Albert
Votes: 3,167
41. Bad Milo (2013)
R | 85 min | Comedy, Horror
A man learns that his unusual stomach pains are being caused by a demon living in his intestines.
Director: Jacob Vaughan | Stars: Ken Marino, Gillian Jacobs, Patrick Warburton, Mary Kay Place
Votes: 7,972 | Gross: $0.02M
42. Zombeak (2006 Video)
72 min | Comedy, Horror
On the darkest night of the year, when Satan is allowed free reign to walk the earth, a motley crew of Satanists kidnap a sharp tongued southern waitress to be a given up as the Dark One's ... See full summary »
Director: Sam Drog | Stars: Illya Allman, Barry Bishop, Sarah Frances Conkle, Stephanie Conkle
Votes: 139
43. Rise of the Zombies (2012 TV Movie)
TV-14 | 89 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
When zombies overrun San Francisco, a desperate group survives by locking themselves inside Alcatraz Prison. When the undead breach the island, our heroes are forced to return to the mainland overrun with the undead.
Director: Nick Lyon | Stars: Mariel Hemingway, Ethan Suplee, LeVar Burton, Danny Trejo
Votes: 3,347
44. Amphibious Creature of the Deep (2010)
R | 86 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Marine biologist Skylar Shane hires an expat charter boat captain, Jack Bowman, to help her find prehistoric life form samples in the north Sumatran Sea. During the expedition, they run ... See full summary »
Director: Brian Yuzna | Stars: Verdi Solaiman, Mohammad Aditya, Steven Baray, Dorman Borisman
Votes: 1,182
45. Antibirth (2016)
Not Rated | 94 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
In a desolate community full of drug-addled Marines and rumors of kidnapping, a wild-eyed stoner named Lou wakes up after a wild night of partying with symptoms of a strange illness and ... See full summary »
Director: Danny Perez | Stars: Natasha Lyonne, Chloë Sevigny, Meg Tilly, Mark Webber
Votes: 3,610
46. Cradle of Fear (2001 Video)
Unrated | 120 min | Horror
A gruesome homage to the cult Amicus anthology Asylum, Cradle of Fear unfolds four screamplays all linked by the unspeakable need of an incarcerated child killer to wreak vengeance on those... See full summary »
Director: Alex Chandon | Stars: Dani Filth, Emily Booth, Stuart Laing, Edmund Dehn
Votes: 3,751
47. The Void (I) (2016)
Not Rated | 90 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Shortly after delivering a patient to an understaffed hospital, a police officer experiences strange and violent occurrences seemingly linked to a group of mysterious hooded figures.
Directors: Jeremy Gillespie, Steven Kostanski | Stars: Aaron Poole, Kenneth Welsh, Ellen Wong, Kathleen Munroe
Votes: 41,632 | Gross: $0.15M
48. Bride of Chucky (1998)
R | 89 min | Comedy, Horror, Thriller
Chucky, the doll possessed by a serial killer, discovers the perfect mate to kill and revive into the body of another doll.
Director: Ronny Yu | Stars: Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif, Katherine Heigl, Nick Stabile
Votes: 64,225 | Gross: $32.40M
49. Cherry Tree (2015)
Not Rated | 85 min | Horror, Mystery
A 15-year-old makes a pact with a witches’ coven to save her father’s life.
Director: David Keating | Stars: Anna Walton, Naomi Battrick, Sam Hazeldine, Elva Trill
Votes: 1,130
50. Devil's Due (2014)
R | 89 min | Horror, Mystery
After a mysterious, lost night on their honeymoon, a newlywed couple finds themselves dealing with an earlier-than-planned pregnancy.
Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett | Stars: Allison Miller, Zach Gilford, Sam Anderson, Roger Payano
Votes: 17,799 | Gross: $15.82M
51. Snatchers (2019)
R | 96 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
After status-obsessed teen Sara has sex for the first time, she wakes up the next day nine months pregnant-with an alien.
Directors: Stephen Cedars, Benji Kleiman | Stars: Mary Nepi, Gabrielle Elyse, J.J. Nolan, Austin Fryberger
Votes: 3,477
52.
Raised by Wolves (2020–2022)
Episode:
The Beginning
(2020)
TV-MA | 51 min | Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Paul displays troubling behavior that leads to a revelation; Sue confides in Mother, while Father battles human-like emotions; as Campion questions his place in his new family, Mother and Father uncover a secret about the native creatures.
Director: Luke Scott | Stars: Amanda Collin, Abubakar Salim, Winta McGrath, Niamh Algar
Votes: 4,494
53. Holidays (2016)
Not Rated | 105 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
'Holidays' is an anthology feature film that puts a uniquely dark and original spin on some of the most iconic and beloved holidays of all time by challenging our folklore, traditions and assumptions.
Directors: Anthony Scott Burns, Kevin Kölsch, Nicholas McCarthy, Adam Egypt Mortimer, Gary Shore, Kevin Smith, Sarah Adina Smith, Scott Stewart, Dennis Widmyer | Stars: Madeleine Coghlan, Savannah Kennick, Rick Peters, Kate Rachesky
Votes: 11,879
54. The Mortuary Collection (2019)
Not Rated | 108 min | Fantasy, Horror
An eccentric mortician recounts several macabre and phantasmagorical tales that he's encountered in his distinguished career.
Director: Ryan Spindell | Stars: Tristan Byon, Eden Campbell, Hannah R. Loyd, Clancy Brown
Votes: 14,563
55. Huesera: The Bone Woman (2022)
97 min | Drama, Horror
Valeria has long dreamed about becoming a mother. After learning that she's pregnant, she expects to feel happy, yet something's off.
Director: Michelle Garza Cervera | Stars: Natalia Solián, Alfonso Dosal, Mayra Batalla, Mercedes Hernández
Votes: 5,688
56. The Baby (2022)
TV-MA | 226 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
38-year-old Natasha is furious that her closest friends are all having babies. When she suddenly finds herself with a baby of her own, her life dramatically implodes and twists itself into a bizarre horror show.
Stars: Albie Hills, Arthur Hills, Michelle de Swarte, Amira Ghazalla
Votes: 3,722
57. Cyclops (1987)
52 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A bizarre medical exam of a nude woman by several doctors and scientists reveal that their latest subject has committed suicide before giving birth to one of the mutant creatures they had ... See full summary »
Director: Jôji Iida | Stars: Kai Atô, Mayumi Hasegawa, Yoshimasa Kondô, Kazuhiro Sano
Votes: 203
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