King Kong is the monster who just won't die. After first appearing on the big screen in 1933, the giant ape never seems to go away for long, always rearing his giant head again in reboots in the 1960s, the 1970s, and the 2000s. Now, Kong is back again with a new version in Kong: Skull Island. He's the most realistic-looking, and probably the biggest Kong yet, and he's joined in the film by a plethora of other monsters. But how scary is Kong: Skull Island?
The movie isn't a horror film, so you're not likely to sleep with the lights on after watching it. It is very much an old school action/adventure movie in the vein of Indiana Jones, while also qualifying as a monster movie. And while the film will definitely have some thrills and chills along the way, they're going to be in the form of fun jump scares. In other words, while Kong: Skull Island may be a little scary at times due to its atmosphere and giant rampaging monsters, it's not the type of scary that's going to stick with you and haunt your dreams. But before you dismiss the movie's fright potential entirely because you are so familiar with King Kong already, the film does have another type of monster you should know about that looks pretty frightening.
In the movie, a 1971 expedition journeys to the mysterious Skull Island in the South Pacific. It's there were they meet Kong, of course, but the island is also hiding a number of other fantastic beasts. Basically everything on the island is huge, from giant wildebeests to monstrous spiders, but without a doubt, the scariest monsters are the Skull Crawlers. These are the main antagonists of the film for both the humans and Kong himself, and they are pretty much pure nightmare fuel.
Basically everything about these giant, two-legged reptilian creatures is scary. The way they move, somewhere between a snake and a lizard, is unnerving. Part of their skull is exposed, giving them an undead appearance. They have rows of giant sharp teeth and like killing things, and they live in tunnels underground, so you never know when one will strike. In the film, they have wiped out all of Kong's race save for Kong himself, which means they are certainly a formidable foe.
So even though Kong: Skull Island isn't your traditional scary movie, it's still plenty thrilling, and should definitely get your heart racing in the theater.
