I guess the modified sharkos in DBS could be called “creatures”. I also attached a pic of two my favorite characters from the movie.
Creature features I’ve seen (which I remember):
Almost everything on this list: https://the-line-up.com/best-creature-feature-films
And almost all of this list: https://m.imdb.com/list/ls560720658/
Cloverfield, Eight Legged Freaks, Spring (2014), a Korean one I am forgetting but has a monster based twist in it.
I wanna watch the movies in this list, have seen Host: https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/colossal-essential-korean-giant-monster-movies-9235430
If you disagree with some of these movies as creature features, feel free to say so. For example, I don’t like the inclusion of alien type movies on this list. I think sentient, extraterrestrial beings (even if hostile towards humans) aren’t “creatures” per se.
For me, DBS stands the test of time because of the writing. Like, this is a shark movie, a genre that apart from a couple of hits is full of the schlockiest B-Movies you've ever seen. But DBS is very aware of the tropes and uses them to subvert your expectations.
Chef alludes to the fact that black guys don't live through horror movies several times. Then he lives through the horror movie because he's like the most precious, down-to-earth character in the show.
The lead scientist is sort of set up to be the final girl, but she also fails the morality test several times, so by the rules of horror movies she's got to go.
There's also this undercurrent through the movie that bosses make things worse for the people who work for them. Chef has literally nothing to do with the production of super sharks, but they still eat his bird and maul him anyway. Yet despite all that, the people who make it through the crisis and do their best to help each other are the blue collar guys with the sketchy past doing their best to make their way in the world.
Also, the biggest star in the show gets suddenly eaten by sharks at a time when you both most and least expect it. It's brilliant.
All well said! It’s not a particularly thoughtfully made creature feature like The Thing or Cloverfield or The Descent or Ginger Snaps, but like you said there’s lots to appreciate about it.
I also like the idea of underwater labs, it was super interesting to me when I first saw it as a kid, I remember that 😁
I remember reading that she was originally supposed to survive, but test audiences hated her character so much that they switched the survivor role around at the last minute.