The Top 10 Best Killer Plant Movies
4. The Girl with All the Gifts
Despite starting off like a zombie movie, The Girl with All the Gifts most definitely belongs on this list of killer plant movies. The film takes place in England, where a parasitic fungus is transmitted through bodily fluids. Once it enters a host, it starts to take over causing them to seek out the uninfected and viciously attack them. Hoping to find a cure, a group of scientists has holed up in a military base with a number of infected children hoping to find a cure. The question is whether the price of the cure is worth it. Believe it or not, there actually is a fungus that takes over the minds of ants and controls them, but humans don’t have to worry about it… For now. Still, the fungus at the center of this film is pretty scary given how easily it seemed to wipe out humanity.
3. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Despite how some people might feel, remakes aren’t always bad. Take Little Shop of Horrors for example. The original was hot trash, but the remake has earned a respectable spot on this list of killer plant movies. Rick Moranis stars as bumbling amateur botanist Seymour, who discovers a mysterious plant one night and decides to put his green thumb to use. Well, his green thumb is going to need plenty of pricks in order to feed this wicked weed. See, Seymour’s plant is of the flesh-eating variety, and it’s got a growing boy’s appetite. Unwilling to give up the fame and admiration the plant has earned him, he becomes a reluctant accomplice and brings the plant more and more meat to help it grow. That turns out to be bad for Seymour, but great for this list!
2. Splinter
A few years ago, I discovered the indie horror film Splinter, and since then I’ve watched it a dozen times and have forced nearly all my friends to sit through it. Despite being a relatively small film, it manages to do everything perfectly when it comes to the terrifying fungus at the center of it. All it takes is a little prick and the fungus starts to spread within the victim. Within a few hours, it starts to take control of motor functions and begins to transform the host in order to spread faster. Once infected, there’s no stopping the fungus, and it clearly has little regard for the body it’s in as it causes massive damage in order to seek out more victims. Smart and scary, Splinter is definitely one of my favorite killer plant movies of all time. If you haven’t seen it, I definitely suggest you check it out!
1. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
In Hollywood, very few beings from beyond the stars come in peace. Perhaps one of the greatest examples of this is Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Mysterious space spores manage to make their way to planet Earth, and once they have a chance to sprout, it’s curtains for the human race. Slowly, the pods start to replace humans with clones that are part of the intergalactic plant’s hive mind. These pod people begin working together to capture the remaining humans while staying hidden from anyone who might suspect something is wrong. Soon, humans are an endangered species on the planet, but they’re not willing to give up without a fight. Still, the fight looks a little one-sided with all the plant people. Just remember how handy your lawn guy might be in a situation like this.
Honorable Mention: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!
How could I not include a movie about actual killer tomatoes on this list? I mean, the title is pretty much everything you look for when pulling together a list of killer plant movies. Alas, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes was never meant to be taken seriously and is a pretty campy low-budget flick. Still, it meets all the requirements to be on this list, which is why I’m giving it a shoutout.
Dishonorable Mention: The Happening
When it comes to horror movies there are two types. The first makes you afraid of the content. The second, well, those are the kinds of films they show to prisoners of war to make them talk. While M. Night Shyamalan had a slew of bad movies under his belt before he turned things around, The Happening is arguably his low point as a director, earning it a seriously dishonorable mention.
There you have it. They said it could never be done, but I pulled together a list of the greatest killer plant movies of all time. Of course, if I missed any great ones, I’d love for you to let me know in the comments below. As always, I’ll update this list as new and improved killer plant movies hit theaters. So, be sure to check back from time to time in order to see how these rankings might change.