Horror movies have cemented themselves as a go to genre in film. While the genre has evolved greatly over the past few decades, it’s always been a genre to turn to when someone wants to be creeped out. The nice thing about horror movies however, is that you can always think to yourself “it’s just a movie”.

However, some things much creepier than things seen in modern horror movies, aren’t just props, but are actual living breathing creatures. These creatures would make a great home in the next big Guillermo del Toro film. Many of these creatures have strange features that resemble that of the best horror makeup artists in Hollywood right now.

Many things on this list aren’t even strange looking creatures, but human beings who have done unspeakable things. Some of these people have even inspired some of the most popular Hollywood horror movies to date. Whether it be a disturbing creature that nobody wants to run into, or the legacy of a serial killer, these things should be on the big screen. If not to get a few scares, to make people aware that they actually exist in the world.

15. Zombie Ants

While the thought of a zombie apocalypse, seems more and more likely as Hollywood beats the genre to death, many don’t know that a type of zombie like creature already exists. In fact a popular video game, took inspiration from this type of zombie-fixation The Last of Us. So if you’ve played or heard the premise of that game, you’ll be familiar with this type of infection.

While it’s very unlikely that this fungus infection that mostly infects ants, will ever be able to overtake humans is unlikely, it’s still creepy to think about. A type of fungus infection known as Ophiocordyceps unilateral, overtakes the ants brain, and the fungus takes over the ant’s body as the new host. Sounds like a bad Hollywood B movie right? Well it’s not so foreign as this infection actually exists…

14. Japan’s Twisted Suicide Forest

Japan is known for many strange things, and possibly one of the creepiest places on Earth. A forest known as the Aokigahara forest, is located in Japan, and has a nickname of the suicide forest. It gained that nick name through the many people who have gone there to end their lives. It’s become so bad that search teams have been setup to recover the bodies of those who use the forest, for it’s intended purpose.

Many urban explorers have also visited the forest, and the second they step in they can feel the eery nature of the forest. Many people have come across people’s things, like shoes, notes, and clothing. If that weren’t eery enough, it’s said that if you go to the forest at night, you can hear the screams of the people who’ve committed suicide there. Explores also claim to have seen full body apparitions wandering the woods for eternity.

13. The Desolate Town That Inspired the Silent Hill Series

Centralia Pennsylvania is one of the creepiest places on Earth, and was one of the main inspirations for a popular horror game series known as Silent Hill. The village used to be a mining village, that was built in 1856. The problems that would soon leave the village abandoned, was when the town council began to vote to clean out one of the mines. The mine was constructed as a dumping ground, and the council thought it best to just burn all of the garbage.

The fires got out of control, and began to emit thick smoke from the mine, soon to spread the fires above ground. The residents realized there was no stopping the inevitable dangers, so they quickly evacuated, and never came back. It’s said that people exploring the now abandoned town say they can still see smoke blowing from the underground mine.

12. The Hidden Staircase to Hell

Two friends were sharing a house, when one day one of them made a disturbing discovery. After play fighting one of the two pushed the other into a bookshelf, which they opened up to a mystery staircase. The staircase led down into a small crawlspace, and when they climbed through they made a creepy discovery. Someone was living down there.

They found their left over Halloween candy, which was taken, and soon realized they should leave the area, and contact authorities. When the police arrived they found even more things stashed away including; a random key, and a couple of disturbing dolls. The police said to report anything else they found, and to be on the lookout for the perpetrator. There haven’t been any more updates since the original post…

11. The Ghost Ship with Mutant Rats

Supposedly there’s an abandoned ship floating somewhere in the Atlantic ocean that is slowly making it’s way towards Scotland’s shores. The ship is said to be an old Soviet war ship, and it’s said to be holding a few dozen mutant rats, that have adapted to being alone on the ship for decades. Even creepier the rats haven’t had anything to eat except for the other rats aboard the ship. This means they’re cannibal rats…

The ship was going to be repossessed by a new owner who lived in Canada, but after cutting the funding for it, they decided to cut the ship loose, and leave it for someone else to deal with. Looks like that someone else will be someone in Scotland. Hopefully they take the proper precautions when exploring the ship, and someone should probably inform them of the rat issue aboard.

10. Almost All of the Ocean

Apart from dolphins, and a few cute fish, the ocean is full of terrifying creatures. If it’s not obvious based on the extensive research done on these creatures, it’s worth noting that over ninety percent of the ocean is still undiscovered. This means there are hundreds, if not thousands of species undiscovered living below the surface as we speak.

Seeing as we already know what certain fish look like, that live in the deepest parts of the ocean, there’s no telling what kind of even more terrifying creatures swim around unnoticed. Species that live in the depths of the ocean see little to no sunlight, so they evolve to adapt to these conditions, making them unworldly looking, and terrifying to look at. Take the angler fish for example, it’s small in stature, but features disturbing features such as it’s razor sharp teeth, and it’s strange luminescent light sticking out of it’s head.

9. The Huge Meteor that Could Destroy Earth in a Couple Years

Small meteors hit Earth constantly, and go unheard. However, a large meteor in 2013 hit Russia, and reminded everyone that our demise could end with a large rock being thrown at Earth’s surface. Scientists since then have already began recording a larger meteor that could strike Earth in the near future. A meteor known as Apophis is floating out in space right now as we speak, and it’s huge.

If this doesn’t sound like a Final Destination movie to you yet, just wait. The meteor is said to be in Earth’s trajectory, and it’s said that if it hits it can cause large amounts of damage, so much that it could send us into an apocalypse. The meter is over 1,000 feet in diameter, and it’s said to cross Earth’s path somewhere in 2036.

8. The Legend of a Twisted Mind: HH Holmes

HH Holmes is a notorious serial killer, and he dates back to be said to be the first American serial killer in the records. Holmes was a successful man, so successful he decided to open up his own hotel in 1890, and it was home to his twisted murders. Think of it as his own murder house. It’s said that during construction, every week he’d hire, and fire workers so nobody but him knew the layout of the hotel.

He installed trap rooms, and different murdering mechanisms. None of the rooms were the same. He even had a basement where he’d take the bodies, some of which were still alive, and he’d finish the job. It’s something you could see in a Saw movie. It’s said that Holmes killed up to 200 people in his murder hotel, before he was caught. When he was convicted he admitted to killing 27 of the 200 people.

7. Inside the Disturbed Mind of Armin Meines

Armin Meines is said to be a real life equivalent of Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs. Sometime in the early 2000’s Armin posted to a forum explaining how he was looking for an adult male between the ages of 18 to 40 who wanted to be consumed. It’s worth noting that he used the wording “being slaughtered then consumed”, so he had the intentions of killing his volunteers.

Many people responded to the post, but soon backed out. However, morbidly enough one man actually saw it through. A man known as Bernd Jürgen Armando Brandes. He was an engineer, and was tired of life, so he decided he wanted to go out as… food? Bernd began by having a part of him cut off, in which both men consumed. Soon after Armin brutally murdered Armin, and consumed him for almost a year after. The whole incident was recorded on video, and helped convict Armin soon after being arrested.

6. The Terrifying Lamprey Eel

Lamprey eels are the things of nightmares, but not might appear to be upon first glance. Their shaped like a typical eel, which is creepy in it’s own right, to some. However, when you reach it’s mouth, that’s when the real nightmares begin. It’s face ends in a flat surface, with an alien like mouth at the end. It’s mouth is filled with a couple dozen razor sharp teeth.

Scientists argue that this mouth of the lamprey eels, doesn’t exactly work as a mouth, but more of a suction device. The lamprey eel can latch onto it’s prey, and suck the nutrients from it. The razor sharp teeth help keep the eel latched, as it’s prey struggles to get free. Not to fear though, because lamprey eels rarely harm humans, and they rarely harm anything for that matter. In fact the word Lamprey comes from the Latin word meaning “stone sucker”.

5. Gigantic Monster Coconut Crab

Coconut crabs are a type of hermit crab that suffers from gigantism, a common disease seen in ocean creatures, that help them adapt to different climates. The coconut crab is large in size, often reaching up to three feet in size, and up to nine pounds in weight. They’re most commonly found in Indonesia, and often are found attacking prey much larger than them.

A viral video that was spread across the internet allowed the crab to gain it’s popularity in the nightmare fuel part of the internet. A coconut crab is seen grabbing a seagull, and snaps it’s neck with it’s giant claw. The crab slowly waits for the bird that is almost twice it’s size to stop breathing, before tearing into it. Ever since then people have been on the lookout for these crabs, and many have developed an irrational fear of them.

4. Monkey Bat Hybrid

This mad scientist looking animal is actually a species of lemur, and can be found in Madagascar. It’s hairless body, and big bulging eyes make it something to look out for at night. The Aye-Aye is the world’s largest nocturnal primate, making it’s rounds mostly at night. The species mostly live near trees, as they’re the main way they get food, in a foraging method known as percussive foraging.

This means the creature will tap on the sides of trees to gauge if there is any food inside, like small bugs or other grubs. It will then naw tiny holes into the tree, where it then proceeds to stick it’s bony like fingers into the holes, to pry out the food. If that description wasn’t enough to make you squirm, what will?

3. The Cursed Doll Island

The cursed doll island saw it’s origins when a man found the body of a small girl washed up on it’s shore. The girl had a doll with her, and the man out of respect for the passing of the girl hung the doll on a tree. Every year after, on the girls death date, he’d hang another doll in her honor. Now the island is home to hundreds of dolls, all of which are hanging on trees, some of which are decades old.

Many people travel to the island to see it for themselves. Many report seeing the dolls move on their own, and there have been many recordings of the dolls blinking, and some even giggling. If you have a fear of dolls, this is one to skip out on. Even if you don’t have a fear of dolls, visiting this island will undoubtedly give you a new fear in life.

2. Hurt Over a Game of Chess

It’s no surprise that cannibalism is a real thing, but it may be surprising to some of how often it occurs. More so, many don’t know the story of the man who was killed, and eaten after winning a game of chess. Talk about a sore loser… A man named Saverio Bellante was in a year long chess match with his landlord. First of all how do you have a year long game of chess, we could understand Monopoly, but chess…?

Police were alerted, and when they showed up they claim to have seen the landlord’s chest opened up, and one of his lungs were missing. When Bellante was convicted he admitted to his crimes, and even went on to say he had plans of eating his landlord’s heart, but didn’t have time before the police arrived.

1. The Filthiest Man Alive

A man named Amou Haji is an 80 year old man who hasn’t bathed himself in sixty years. The man’s skin is coated in dirt, grime, and many other unspeakable things. His hair is beyond matted, and he’s barely recognizable. It’s not enough that he hasn’t bathed in six decades, but he also smokes animal feces out of his pipe, making him also have the worst breath of any living human being.

He’s isolated himself, for everyone else’s sake, and lives alone in a shack located several miles from a small town. The man is a living urban legend, one that you read on a creepy forum on the internet. He’d be home in a Netflix documentary, and could even fit in a fictional horror movie, as the main antagonist. He has no reason for not bathing himself, other than he doesn’t want to…