This is an alphabeticallist of films featuringgiant monsters, including thekaiju subgenre.

One of the first films involving giant monsters was the 1933 classicKing Kong, as developments in cinema and animation enabled the creation of realistic giant creatures. The film influenced many giant-monster films in its wake, including many produced in Japan. Two of the earliest of these wereThe Great Buddha Arrival from 1934 and 1938'sThe King Kong That Appeared in Edo, both of which are now presumed to belost films.^[1] The visual effects inKing Kong, created byWillis O'Brien, inspired future monster film effects artists such asRay Harryhausen andDennis Muren.^[2] Early giant-monster films often had themes of adventure and exploration of unknown regions, and incorporated fights with giant monsters as a climactic element.

The development of atomic weaponry in the 1940s gave rise to its involvement in popular themes. The 1953 American filmThe Beast from 20,000 Fathoms featured a giant dinosaur that awakens due to nuclear tests in the Arctic.^[3]: 42 The 1954 filmThem! involved giant irradiated ants. Later in 1954, the Japanese filmGodzilla was released, followed byRodan in 1956. This was at a time when giant creatures created by nuclear radiation became popular. Japan continued with a giant moth inMothra, a turtle inGamera, and many more that followed. Other countries have their own giant monster movies such as theUnited Kingdom andDenmark withGorgo andReptilicus, both released in 1961.

Films featuring Godzilla and Gamera were made into the 1970s, and aKing Kong remake was released in 1976. Awareness of toxic waste and the growth of the environmental movement in the 1970s inspired the release of various horror films, and the giant monster subgenre saw the release of 1971'sGodzilla vs. Hedorah, in which the themes of pollution and environmentalism were incorporated into the series.^[4] Following a second series of films in the 1980s and 1990s,Godzilla received a1998 remake byTriStar Pictures, whileKing Kong received a2005 remake byUniversal Pictures. 2008 saw the release of the successfulCloverfield, which some critics have claimed took inspiration from theSeptember 11 attacks.^[5][6][7]Pacific Rim, a film featuring giantmecha battling withkaiju, was released in 2013, and the following yearLegendary reinterpretedGodzilla for a new generation of audiences in the series' 30th film. The first Japanese film in theGodzilla series after a ten year long hiatus,Shin Godzilla, premiered in Japan in July 2016.^[8][9] A reboot ofKing Kong known asKong: Skull Island was released in March 2017.^[10] Two otherGodzilla films were released subsequently, withGodzilla: King of the Monsters releasing in 2019 andGodzilla vs. Kong releasing in 2021.Toho’s latestGodzilla film,Godzilla Minus One, premiered in Japan in 2023. Legendary would releaseGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire in 2024, and is currently producingGodzilla x Kong: Supernova.

• List of films featuring dinosaurs
• List of monster movies
• List of dragons in film and television