There’s a compulsion within the film industry to tell increasingly grander stories. The old adage that “bigger is better” certainly applies to monster movies. There is no shortage of memorable movie monsters that have graced cinema screens, but Godzilla has dominated the kaiju genre for more than half a century.

RELATED: 10 Ways Godzilla Has Changed Since 1954

There are dozens of sequels, spin-offs, and extensions to the Godzilla franchise. Godzilla may be the King of the monsters, but there are some exceptional giant monster movies that have come out in its wake that might be even better and have more to say.

10 The Host Turns A Horrifying Cautionary Tale Into An Arthouse Monster Movie

Movies The Host Kaiju Attack Bong Joon-Ho

Bong Joon-ho is one of South Korea's greatest filmmakers. He's finally receiving international recognition after his most recent psychological drama, Parasite. All of Joon-ho's movies are delicately-layered character studies. 2006's The Host operates as South Korea's version of the Godzilla parable.

The deadly creature that's born in The Host is the result of chemical pollution and American interference. This immediately brings Godzilla's commentary on nuclear warfare and radiation to mind. Haunting imagery and a scathing conclusion make The Host a must-watch monster masterpiece.

9 Cloverfield Gives Kaiju Movies The Found Footage Treatment

The Cloverfield Paradox

The intent behind Cloverfield was to create a wholly original movie monster, as opposed to another adaptation of Godzilla and other international kaiju content. Cloverfield brilliantly combines the widespread destruction of the monster movie with the raw, intimate nature of a found footage horror film.

The result is a monster movie that’s unlike anything that’s ever come before it. The connected Cloverfield universe is currently spinning its wheel. There’s still a demand for more content from this extremely atypical sci-fi franchise. Perhaps the next entry in the series will return to its classic kaiju roots.

8 Colossal Uses Monsters To Tell A Gutting Story Of Addiction And Dependency

Kaiju Colossal Monster News Broadcast

Many audiences are drawn to kaiju movies because they deliver huge displays of destruction. The very best of these endeavors have something deeper to say after the devastation. Colossal is a raw, emotional movie which stars Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis as toxic individuals. The pair manage to unconsciously manifest kaiju monsters as an extension of their addictions.

RELATED: 10 Kaiju Movies To Watch Before Godzilla Vs. Kong

The monster designs are creative and there's no shortage of chaos. Colossal's secret weapon is the intimate questions that it attempts to answer regarding its pained, human protagonists. It's proof that monster movies can be deep and emotional.

7 Kong: Skull Island Gets Lost In A World That Feels Removed From Time

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When it was first released, Kong: Skull Island was critically appreciated, but it was still largely viewed as just one of the many pieces to the growing "Monsterverse." Subsequent King Kong movies have come to pass, but the isolated nature of Kong: Skull Island is one of its greatest strengths.

An all-star cast (Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston, and Samuel L. Jackson) headline the sprawling action-adventure epic. Jordan Vogt-Roberts applies a love for giant monster movies, and an appreciation for anime's mecha genre, which results in some inspired setpieces and cinematography.

6 Monster Hunter Lets Milla Jovovich Loose On Hordes Of Wild Kaiju

Movies Monster Hunter Movie Bones

Paul W.S. Anderson is responsible for one of the biggest video game adaptations of all time with his long-running Resident Evil film series. Anderson and Milla Jovovich return for another video-game epic with the Monster Hunter feature film. Monster Hunter's release fell flat in North America, but the colossal reputation of the video games in Japan helped bring in a passionate audience.

Monster Hunter takes the Resident Evil approach, never pretending to be high art. Monster Hunter is a fun movie where grizzled soldiers take on huge monsters with gigantic weapons.

5 Q: The Winged Serpent Unleashes A Stop-Motion Menace On New York City

Kaiju Q The Winged Serpent Flying

Larry Cohen is one of the biggest names responsible for low-budget B-movies during the 1980s. A lot of these pictures are acquired tastes, but they're still important pieces of film. They inspired others and opened the doors for more ambitious pictures. Q: The Winged Serpent is one of Cohen's best cinematic efforts and his low-fi charm to the monster genre is endlessly endearing.

The stop-motion approach to The Winged Serpent's titular creature leaves plenty to be desired, but it still succeeds with this illusion. The Winged Serpent's focus on an ancient Aztec monster is also a unique angle that hasn't been overdone, even years later.

4 Jurassic Park Brings Dinosaurs To Life And Makes The Impossible Real

Movies The first confrontation with the T-Rex in Jurassic Park

Steven Spielberg’s revolutionary Jurassic Park, based on the novel by Michael Crichton, might not traditionally be viewed in the same category as Godzilla. However, there's plenty of common ground between the two. Spielberg’s Jurassic Park has become a permanent part of pop cultureDecades later, there are still new developments happening in the franchise.

RELATED: 10 Best Godzilla Films, Ranked

The scope and awe of these deadly creatures is never more palpable than in the first Jurassic Park. Godzilla may be bigger than a Tyrannosaurus Rex, but a pack of disgruntled dinosaurs might be able to make swift work of the beast.

3 Love & Peace Combines Kaiju Chaos With A Tender Love Story

Movies Love And Peace Sion Sono Pikadon Santa

Sion Sono is one of the most fearless and experimental Japanese filmmakers. He’s a director who often engages in deeply disturbing and violent meditations on humanity. This makes his colorful and optimistic Love & Peace come as such a surprise.

Love & Peace begins as a grounded examination of a shy office worker’s humble life, who suddenly makes a lifelong friend with a tiny turtle, Pikadon. Magical circumstances turn Pikadon into a massive kaiju creature who devastates Japan. All the while, Pikadon's owner comes to terms with his recent fame as a rock star and his budding love interest.

2 The 1988 Version Of The Blob Is More Frightening Than Any Giant Lizard Attack

Movies The Blob Absorbing

Chuck Russell's The Blob from 1988 follows the 1950s original. The Blob is a strong example of how remakes can improve upon their predecessors when enough advancements have been made in technology. Both films explore the destructive rampage of an extraterrestrial gelatinous threat.

The '80s version is genuinely terrifying with how this unstoppable mass consumes its prey. The Blob features a danger that stays closer to the ground. The chaos that it causes is easily on par with Godzilla and other mighty kaiju.

1 Pacific Rim Is An Energetic Ode To Giant Monster And Robot Cinema

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Guillermo del Toro has become an inspirational genre director. He is able to transform niche ideas into mainstream blockbusters. Del Toro has always had an affinity for the kaiju and mecha genres, which he crafts a passionate love letter towards with his heightened action film, Pacific Rim.

Pacific Rim remixes a lot of familiar ideas to create a smart and entertaining sci-fi spectacle that pits giant robots against unbelievable monsters. The Pacific Rim universe has been expanded upon in its sequel film and corresponding anime series. Del Toro’s Pacific Rim contains many of the franchise’s strongest moments.

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