37+ Horror Films Featuring Alligators and Crocodiles 

Even the most crystal clear lakes hide practically prehistoric creatures. Their sharp teeth form a terrifying smile. One that offers one final violent and bloody embrace. Creature features are a popular genre in horror cinema, leading to many films about killer creatures. Perhaps none are more frightening than alligators and crocodiles. Since their Jurassic look-alikes went extinct, they are the largest reptile on earth. 

Crocodiles and alligators have a few things in common. Most notably is their ability, maybe even their desire, to kill humans. Crocodiles have a much higher kill count, fatally attacking about 1,000 humans every year compared to the alligator’s humble 6. They also have differences. Crocodiles have long pointed snouts, while alligators are rounded. Alligators prefer fresh water, while crocodiles prefer salt water. In horror films, salt or fresh water doesn’t matter. The creatures on this list live in bloody water, and they want to pull everyone into it. 

Best Horror Films with Alligators and Crocodiles 

Eaten Alive (1976)

Judd owns a rundown hotel in the swamps of the southern United States, but he isn’t the best businessman. Judd has a difficult time attracting repeat customers, mostly because he has a bad habit of murdering his visitors and feeding them to his pet crocodile. The story of Judd and his reptilian friend is thought to be loosely based on the urban legends surrounding the real-life killer Joe Ball, the owner of a Texas saloon who was rumored to have fed his victims to alligators.

The Great Alligator (1979)

The Great Alligator is 1970s exploitation cinema at its cheesiest. A resort is built in a tropical paradise. Unfortunately, the careless proprietors are encroaching on native land and waters. So, when a crocodile begins killing people, the local tribes blame the people new to their land for angering their alligator god Kuma.

Alligator (1980)

For decades, urban legends suggested that alligators were living in the sewers of some of the world’s biggest cities. Alligator takes these stories even further. A young girl gets a tiny, baby alligator while on vacation in Florida. At home in Chicago, her father flushes the reptile down the toilet. Years later, the gator is all grown up. More than that, it is gigantic thanks to years of feeding on the carcasses of animals used in experiments with growth hormones. Now the streets of Chicago are its feeding grounds.

Killer Crocodile (1989)

The concern over the improper dumping of toxic waste is an ever-present concern. It can turn a tropical paradise into a place of death. This is what a group of environmentalists learn when they encounter not only polluted waters, but a humongous crocodile as well. The well-meaning interlopers are initially against killing the croc or further destroying its environment, but how long can they hold on to their ideals when faced with a nearly unstoppable man-eater?

Alligator II: The Mutation (1991)

More than a decade after the original Alligator, this sequel sticks close to the formula of its predecessor. Another alligator is enlarged by toxic waste, and it begins searching for bigger, more human-sized prey than it can find in the sewers. This time, a loner detective leads the charge against the hungry creature while fending off local bureaucracy and an unscrupulous businessman

Lake Placid (1999)

Black Lake, Maine is hiding something in its dark water. Something that will spill enough blood to make a black lake run red. A mangled body is discovered, sending scientists and sheriffs on a hunt for the predator behind the attacks. Judging by the teeth marks on the corpse, they are dealing with an ancient beast that is as big as it is hungry. This iconic film is the first in a series of six.

Blood Surf (2000)

The exhilaration of riding waves just isn’t enough for some people. For a group of thrill-seekers taking part in the filming of a documentary, the concept of “blood surfing” is most enticing. This extreme sport consists of chumming the water to attract hungry sharks before surfing. But sharks aren’t the most dangerous predators in these waters. The promise of food also attracts a gigantic saltwater crocodile that has just found its next few meals.

Crocodile (2000)

Never get between a mother and her offspring. That is the lesson learned by spring-breakers on a lake trip. After a night of partying, a nest is found which contains a number of unusually large eggs. Most are broken, but one intact egg is carelessly hidden away in the backpack of an unsuspecting young woman. Now the mother of the egg—a beastly crocodile that is the inspiration for a local urban legend—is on the hunt for her unborn baby. And she’ll kill everyone who gets in her way.

Crocodile II: Death Roll (2002)

The culprits of a bank robbery board an airplane bound for Mexico. A storm forces the pilot to consider turning around, but the criminals hijack the place and force it onward. Their actions result in a catastrophic crash, but the worst is yet to come. Landing in swampland, the surviving hijackers and their hostages are now pursued by a ravenous crocodile who doesn’t care if the human meat it consumes comes from criminals or law-abiding citizens. It just wants food.

Rogue (2007)

On assignment for a travel magazine, writer Pete Mckell boards a river cruise. The boat is packed with tourists eager to get an intimate glimpse at Australia’s wildlife. They get more than a glimpse. Something in the water hits their boat—something huge. Their boat capsizes, leaving them to swim through the river. Unfortunately, this river is home to an ancient giant. A 25-foot crocodile will welcome its new guest with open arms (and jaws).

Freshwater (2016)

The lake house is as beautiful as the lake itself. Yet, something vicious stalks these grounds. A giant alligator that will only become bigger if it gets to feast on its new prey: a group of friends vacationing in its territory. The water they are swimming in is decorated with floating limbs. They don’t notice until it’s too late. A local reptile expert teams up with the sheriff to find the culprit behind the dismemberments before the growing gator tears the lakeside town apart. 

The Pool (2018)

Day, a photographer, falls asleep on his floaty after a photo shoot. Beneath him, the 6-meter-deep swimming pool drains. By the time he awakens, it is too late to climb out. His girlfriend eventually falls into the pool, joining him in the inescapable pit. They starve and sweat for days, but things only get worse when a crocodile falls in too. The pool quickly becomes stained with their blood. This film is a death match between species that asks the ultimate question: who is most deadly? 

Crawl (2019)

During a category 5 hurricane, Haley checks in on her estranged father. Unfortunately, the house’s foundation is as shaky as Haley and her father’s relationship. The water that begins to fill their home isn’t the biggest problem. A pair of alligators silently prey on them, waiting for the perfect moment to feast on the fragile family. The daughter and father must work together to survive, or they will be eaten alive.

Black Water: Abyss (2020)

Two tourists go missing after falling into an unexplored cave system. Though the tourists aren’t discovered, a member of the search team decides it’s a good idea to take his friends into the caves for some fun exploration. As if the missing tourists weren’t enough of a warning sign, the spelunkers also ignore an incoming storm. The caves begin to flood once they’re inside, trapping them inside. They’ll also soon discover why the tourists’ bodies were never found when a crocodile begins its hunt.

The Flood (2023)

Bad weather causes a prison transit bus to stop at a local jailhouse for the night. As a hurricane builds, raging water breaks through walls and breaks down bars. Instead of the prisoners escaping, a more dangerous predator breaks in. Alligators swarm the jail. They have an appetite for prisoners and guards alike. 

Bad CGI Gator (2023)

Many movies utilize less-than-amazing CGI to bring monstrous alligators to some semblance of life. Bad CGI Alligator embraces the badness of its beast. A group of students on vacation throw their school laptops into a lake as a celebration of freedom. The lake’s resident alligator gets caught up in the electricity produced by the devices, and, somehow, a badly rendered gator is created. This gator can now float, walk on two legs, and even change in size with no sense of continuity or logic, which is bad news for the hapless students.

More Horror Films with Alligators and Crocodiles 

Further Reading

• Animal Horror Movies: The Best Creature Feature Films Ever Made
• Scary Shark Attack Movies
• Best Spider Horror Movies
• Best Bird Horror Movies
• Bigfoot Movies: Sasquatch in Cinema