Spiders are the perfect subjects for horror movies. They look creepy, move quickly, hide in tiny spaces, build sticky webs, and have far too many legs for comfort. And this is all before Hollywood gets its hands on them. Filmmakers have been taking advantage of widespread arachnophobia for decades, turning an everyday fear into terror. These movies range from realistic thrillers to ridiculous giant-spider creature features, but each and every one of them depicts spiders in all their creepy-crawly glory.
1. Tarantula (1955)
Tarantula is one of the classic giant-creature movies of the 1950s. A scientist experimenting with a new growth formula accidentally causes a tarantula to grow at a super-fast rate. The spider escapes from the scientist’s control and begins going after farm animals and eventually humans. Before long, it is downright massive, large enough to step over buildings and elude any attempts to kill it. The effects are obviously dated, but the sight of a massive tarantula crawling across the town is still chill-inducing.
2. Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)
William Shatner plays a veterinarian investigating a host of mysterious livestock deaths in rural Arizona. He eventually figures out that large numbers of normally harmless spiders have been teaming up and working together to attack larger animals. Before Shatner’s character can stop them, the spiders invade the neighboring town. Shots show them crawling through windows, covering buildings, and trapping residents inside. What makes Kingdom of the Spiders extremely unsettling is the filmmakers’ use of real tarantulas. Instead of telling a story about one gigantic, fake-looking spider, it is a story of real-life spiders who have managed to join forces against humanity. Watching hundreds of actual spiders crawl over actors gives the movie a spine-tingling realism that special effects just can’t top.
3. Arachnophobia (1990)
Arachnophobia turned household spiders into nightmare material. A deadly South American spider is accidentally brought to a small California town. Unbeknownst to anyone, it breeds with a local species, creating a new generation of highly venomous spiders. This leads to a massive infestation; they appear in showers, shoes, lampshades, and just about every other place people would prefer to remain spider-free. Jeff Daniels plays a doctor with a severe phobia of spiders. He has to face his fear to protect his friends and family. The movie throws plenty of comedy into the mix, but many of its spider scenes are still cringe-worthy.
4. Eight Legged Freaks (2002)
In this silly film starring David Arquette, toxic waste causes a collection of spiders to grow humongous. The creatures dominate a small Arizona town, with different species using their natural hunting abilities against the locals. Jumping spiders leap huge distances, trapdoor spiders burst out of nowhere to drag victims underground, and tarantulas run people down in the streets. The movie deliberately leans into the ridiculous premise and doesn’t take itself seriously at all. It’s a love letter to giant-spider B-movies of the 1950s.
5. Ice Spiders (2007)
A secret government experiment involves genetically engineered spiders. Predictably, they escape from the laboratory, which happens to be right next to a ski resort. These spiders have been created to be enormous, incredibly fast, and aggressive. They are essentially designed to hunt humans. A group of skiers and resort employees fight for their lives as the creatures spread through the snowy mountains. The low-budget effects are silly, but part of the fun, as the filmmakers seem to be in on the joke. Giant spiders attacking people at a ski lodge is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds.
6. Big Ass Spider! (2013)
The title tells you exactly what kind of movie this is. A spider created during a military experiment escapes confinement and starts to develop at an extraordinary rate. It doesn’t take long for it to be large enough to climb skyscrapers and completely take over Los Angeles. Who better to play the unlikely hero than a pest exterminator? Alex uses his extermination experience to help save the city. As the goofy, on-the-nose name suggests, Big Ass Spider! intentionally leans into comedy. It is way more interested in having fun with the concept than actually scaring viewers.
7. Sting (2024)
Sting places the spider movie format into a smaller and more claustrophobic setting. A young girl finds a strange spider and keeps it as a pet, naming it Sting. Unfortunately, Sting grows unnaturally fast and has an appetite for human flesh. For obvious reasons, this becomes a problem for everyone in the apartment. The building and its inhabitants become its hunting ground. The confined setting and trapped residents make the movie effective because there are only so many places to hide.
8. Infested (2023)
The French horror movie Infested takes a much more gruesome approach to the spider-invasion premise. An exotic animal collector brings home a venomous spider, but it quickly escapes inside his apartment complex. It doesn’t just grow at an astonishing rate; it also reproduces rapidly. Residents are confined to the building as increasingly large and aggressive spiders crawl through the halls and rooms. The apartment’s dark corridors and cramped spaces are covered in webs. For audience members with arachnophobia, Infested may be one of the hardest movies on this list to get through.