Immortal horror monsters are a lot of fun to watch since for horror buffs they’re the OGs that drive the story and make it fun. But there are times when horror monsters become a little too contrived and aren’t given the type of respect they deserve by their creators or by those that have the privilege of directing the movies that feature them. Horror monsters are only as good as their stories, as a lot of them wouldn’t be that great without a story in which they can shine, since this is one of the reasons that fans pay any attention to such creations. Here are five reasons why immortal horror monsters are great, and five reasons why they’re ridiculous.
10. Great: They’ve earned their legendary status.
Most immortal monsters that keep coming back in one way or another have earned their place in cinematic legend since like it or not, they’ve gained the kind of popularity over the years and have proven that they can maintain their fanbase. Such characters that have gained this type of notoriety are Jason Voorhees, Dracula, and many others that are now considered to be classics.
9. Ridiculous: Their origin stories get retconned too often.
Unfortunately for many immortal movie legends their stories are taken and redone more often than not by those that have gained the permission to tell the story in their own voice. Some don’t mind as much since they cling to the legends that suit them. But others argue and complain over continuity issues, which movie is canon and generally create a great deal of controversy that wasn’t needed.
8. Great: They’re solid characters that are guaranteed to make money.
There have been plenty of movies out there that aren’t that great, but there’s still a chance of making money thanks to the presence of the characters that have been around for so long. Vampires, ghosts, and various other characters that have attained a type of immortality have been popular for decades.
7. Ridiculous: If they don’t adapt, they no longer serve a purpose.
One thing that needs to be accomplished is that these characters do need to adapt to the times in a way or be well-adapted to the period in which they’re found. If this isn’t done then they don’t fit and end up becoming awkward and not nearly as effective. When an immortal monster becomes more of a joke there’s still a chance of being useful, but only so long as they can adapt to their surroundings.
6. Great: Their kills become more inventive with time.
Some folks would no doubt want to argue about this since there are plenty of movies that do appear to show the opposite. But it’s easy enough to point out how filmmakers have worked their magic to make certain that while the kill counts fluctuate, the style of each killing either hearkens back to a classic moment or becomes something different and therefore innovative.
5. Ridiculous: The stories become stale and outdated.
Another aspect of immortal horror creatures is that they become victims of lazy writing after a while, at least sometimes. The story does have to change and evolve after a while or it’s going to stagnate and rely too much on the main character and not enough on the actual story that’s being told. This has happened more than once in a few horror franchises, but somehow they keep being pushed until nothing else can be done with them, at least for a while.
4. Great: They inspire fans from multiple generations
There’s no doubt of this since those that were born long after some of the immortal horror legends were created still find their way to the fanbase that has existed since long before their time. It takes a truly impressive character to last this long and attracts fans from multiple generations.
3. Ridiculous: Some need to be set aside as non-active legends.
There are a few immortal characters out there that haven’t done much over the years that could be called noteworthy. Either their stories have become overplayed or the writers have run out of ideas for how to use them. Setting a few of these individuals aside wouldn’t be an insult, it would be a chance to let their legends rest and possibly mature as new writers come in and try to find a way to keep them around.
2. Great: These characters help to inspire new legends.
The great part about legends that stick around is that they do end up inspiring other stories and legends that can eventually continue the horror genre and carry the torch when the time comes. It does appear that such a thing hasn’t happened yet, but one of these days it’s likely to.
1. Ridiculous: Their plot armor becomes a big problem.
Eventually, the reason why an immortal monster can’t be destroyed comes down to ‘just because’, which is a horrible reason to keep any character. When the plot armor is thick enough to disregard all reasonable doubt then it’s become an issue that needs to be addressed. An immortal character is only as good as the story they belong to.
