6 Best Giant Insect and Atomic Monster Movies

By Vlad Zakh · April 19, 2026

The atomic age gave us a wave of B-movies where nuclear tests unleashed oversized monsters. The Fly has a scientist’s teleportation experiment merging his molecules with an insect, The Deadly Mantis has a gigantic praying mantis rampaging across North America, and Them! and Tarantula supersize their creatures too. Attack of the 50 Foot Woman and The Amazing Colossal Man give you the human-sized version of the same panic.

The Fly (1958)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A scientist's teleportation experiment goes horribly wrong when his molecules merge with a common housefly.

Directed by Kurt Neumann · 1h 34m

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)

TMDB ★ 4.6

A wealthy woman touched by an alien encounter grows to enormous size and goes after her unfaithful husband.

Directed by Nathan Juran · 1h 06m

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Amazing Colossal Man (1957)

TMDB ★ 4.7

A soldier caught in a plutonium bomb blast starts growing to terrifying, uncontrollable size.

Directed by Bert I. Gordon · 1h 20m

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Deadly Mantis (1957)

TMDB ★ 5.2

A gigantic praying mantis freed from Arctic ice rampages across North America.

Directed by Nathan Juran · 1h 19m

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Tarantula (1955)

TMDB ★ 6.4

An experimental growth serum turns an ordinary spider into a giant that terrorises the desert.

Directed by Jack Arnold · 1h 20m

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Them! (1954)

TMDB ★ 7.2

Giant mutated ants created by nuclear testing threaten to overrun the American Southwest.

Directed by Gordon Douglas · 1h 34m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: TCM, IndieFlix, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Giant Insect and Atomic Monster Movies

The Fly (1958)

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)

The Amazing Colossal Man (1957)

The Deadly Mantis (1957)

Tarantula (1955)

Them! (1954)

You might also like

6 Best Mad Scientist Laboratory Movies

7 Best Vincent Price Movies

6 Best James Whitmore Movies

6 Best Onslow Stevens Movies

6 Best Music Box Movies

6 Best Salem Witch Trials Movies