Fans of monster movies have a lot to enjoy with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire thanks to its massive collection of giant monsters, known as Titans in the MonsterVerse franchise. With the return of Godzilla and King Kong, as well as newly introduced characters like Skar King and the young Suko, the new film puts the monsters front and center. The movie’s stars even jokingly acknowledge that they’re just supporting characters to the monsters, with Rebecca Hall telling AP, “They are the stars of the movie, we’re just the scale.” Her costar, Dan Stevens, added, “We’re just the sideshow.”
If you loved watching Godzilla x Kong, here are three other movies you’ll love as well. Whether it’s more giant monster madness or more battles between iconic cinematic characters, these three movies are perfect for fans of the latest MonsterVerse hit.
Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
If you love the all-out warfare happening in Godzilla x Kong, you’ll love Freddy vs. Jason. The movie pits two other titans against each other, but this time, it’s two icons of the horror genre, Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees. The 2003 film was the first time in horror history that two famous slasher villains could duke it out, and to date, it remains the only major film to do so.
Freddy vs. Jason is undeniably fun, and you can’t help but root for both villains. Somehow, despite being mass murderers, they become the movie’s unexpected protagonists, similar to how Godzilla and Kong have evolved throughout their franchise to become heroes. Granted, neither Freddy nor Jason is interested in protecting the world or anyone; instead, they’re both ruthless and out to rack up the most kills possible. But with Freddy’s gruesome charisma and Jason’s towering presence, you can’t help but be on their side.
Freddy vs. Jason can be rented or purchased at digital vendors like Amazon Prime Video.
Pacific Rim (2013)
Let’s be honest: Most people don’t go to a Godzilla movie to watch complicated human drama or intelligent dialogue; they go to watch giant monsters have epic, towering battles. If you loved the monsters of Godzilla x Kong, you absolutely need to watch Pacific Rim. In fact, director Guillermo del Toro even said in a 2013 interview with Den of Geek that the film was inspired by the “tradition of the kaiju eiga,” the old-school Japanese monster movies like Godzilla.
In Pacific Rim, humanity fights back against a giant monster invasion by building colossal mechanical monsters of their own, known as Jaegers. Each Jaeger requires two human pilots, and together, the duo protects humanity, even earning a bit of celebrity status along the way. The movie performed well in the U.S., but Pacific Rim became a much bigger hit overseas, eventually grossing over $411 million at the box office. It’s also become a bit of a cult classic and has gained a much better reception in recent years now that fans of the MonsterVerse are rediscovering it.
Pacific Rim is streaming on Netflix.
Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Another great crossover film that pits two icons against each other is Alien vs. Predator. While the monsters aren’t giant-sized like they are in Godzilla x Kong, both Alien and Predator pack enough power to create a supercharged fight. Even cooler, it all takes place in an ancient temple buried beneath the ice on a remote island near Antarctica.
In the movie, a group of humans find themselves trapped in the temple, which is actually a proving ground for young predators who must defeat a colony of xenomorphs to show their worth as warriors. But the unexpected introduction of humans into the equations changes everything and gives the xenomorphs an unexpected edge (and more bodies to harvest).
If you love monster or alien movies (especially the Predator and Alien franchises), AVP is a fun movie that you’ll enjoy. The film isn’t as good as either franchise’s original movies, but it’s still a wild romp that’s both wacky and fun. Don’t watch AVP expecting hard-hitting cinema, watch it for the outlandish deathmatch between two sci-fi icons.
Alien vs. Predator is streaming on Hulu.
