When the ground starts moving and that high-pitched chittering fills the air, you know you’re in for a specific kind of nightmare. At Paranormal POV, we usually dig into the spectral and the unexplained, but sometimes the most terrifying “monsters” are the ones right beneath our feet—just waiting for a little radiation or a chemical spill to turn them into apex predators.

---

1. Them! (1954)

The gold standard of “big bug” cinema. Born from atomic testing in the New Mexico desert, these giant radiated ants aren’t just mindless monsters; they are strategic invaders. The scene with the little girl wandering the desert in a catatonic trance, only to scream “THEM!” when she smells formic acid, remains one of the most chilling moments in sci-fi history.

2. Phase IV (1974)

Directed by the legendary graphic designer Saul Bass, this isn’t your average creature feature. It’s a surreal, psychedelic thriller about a desert colony of ants that suddenly develops a collective intelligence. They begin to build strange geometric towers and wage psychological warfare against a team of scientists. It’s haunting, beautiful, and deeply unsettling.

3. Empire of the Ants (1977)

If you want 70s camp at its peak, look no further than this Bert I. Gordon classic. Joan Collins stars as a crooked real estate developer who leads a group of potential buyers into the Florida Everglades, only to find that toxic waste has turned the local ants into human-sized slashers. It’s “nature strikes back” with a side of extra cheese.

4. It Happened at Lakewood Manor (1977)

Also known simply as Ants!, this made-for-TV movie trapped a star-studded cast (including Suzanne Somers and Brian Dennehy) in a posh resort being overtaken by a swarm of highly aggressive, toxic ants. Unlike the giant monsters of the 50s, these are normal-sized ants, proving that it’s the sheer volume of the swarm that’s truly terrifying.

5. The Naked Jungle (1954)

While it leans more toward “adventure thriller,” the final act is pure horror. Charlton Heston plays a plantation owner in the Amazon facing a “Marabunta”—a massive, miles-wide wave of army ants that devours everything in its path. The practical effects of the swarm blankets are still effective enough to make your skin crawl.

6. Legion of Fire: Killer Ants! (1998)

A late-90s TV gem (sometimes titled Marabunta) that asks: “What if South American fire ants invaded a small town in Alaska?” It’s a classic B-movie setup where a specialized entomologist has to convince the skeptical locals that the ground is literally about to eat them.

7. Glass Trap (2005)

This is a claustrophobic “eco-thriller” set inside a high-rise office building. When a shipment of exotic plants brings along a colony of prehistoric, man-eating ants, the workers are trapped on the top floors. It’s essentially Die Hard, but instead of terrorists, John McClane would be fighting thousands of tiny, biting mandibles.

8. Dead Ant (2017)

A heavy metal band on their way to a “no-name” festival in the desert makes the mistake of disrespecting nature. The result? They are hunted by giant ants that look like they stepped off a 1980s album cover. It’s a horror-comedy that embraces the ridiculousness of the genre while delivering some fun kills.

9. The Hive (2008)

Part of the Maneater film series, this one follows a team of specialists sent to an island to deal with a swarm of ants that is displaying “unusual” behavior. It turns out the ants are part of a hive mind that might be alien in origin. It’s fast-paced, gory, and perfect for a late-night binge.

10. It Came from the Desert (2017)

Inspired by the classic 1980s video game of the same name, this film is a pure love letter to the giant ant movies of the 50s. It features motorbikes, keg parties, and massive CG ants attacking a group of teenagers in the desert. It’s self-aware, high-energy, and a great modern entry into the “Ant-pocalypse” subgenre.

---