Forget ‘Tiger King,’ Here are 6 Horror Movies Featuring Big Killer Cats

By RodneyHatfieldJr for Movies

I hate to admit it, but I watched the Tiger King Documentary. And because of it, some of my brain cells have died. I do not see why people like it, other than it gives a exaggerated view of the extreme end of the stereotypical white trash people. The only thing I could compare it to is  a vehicle accident. It is horrible, yet we all slow down to look.

OK I lied, not everything about it was bad, it did give me an idea. Horror movies that featured large cats. A very much feared and admired animal. Prowling around nature, calculating the element of surprise before pouncing on their prey and shredding them to pieces. Big cats are a force to be reckoned with. In movies, cats have been the source of human bloodshed since silent films. So lets check out some notable movies about Killer cats doing what they do best whether it’s on Savannah or in the streets.


Burning Bright 2010


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One of the most underrated horror films of the 2000s, Burning Bright is not only a suspenseful action thriller but a terrifying home invasion movie, the invader being a starving tiger. Burning Bright is a straight-forward cat-and-mouse game between feline and final girl.


Black Zoo 1963


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A madman is targeting those who’ve crossed him. And his preferred method of murder? Highly trained zoo animals. Obviously.

Just ignore the gorilla, this is a big cat list.


The Ghost and the Darkness 1996


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When this film came out people compared it to Jaws. But instead of a Great White shark, the apex killers were two Tsavo lions in Africa named  The Ghost and The Darkness. Two of the best horror names ever.
A thrilling adventure and a few truly terrifying moments. Best part, it is taken from actual events in Kenya when creating the Uganda Railway.  If you are looking for suspense, then this movie is for you. I don't understand why this is considered an adventure, yet Jaws is horror. They follow the same formula. Same suspense, and danger. The lions even have a higher kill count. I for one consider it horror, because if two lions are on the prowl, killing indiscriminately; that's horrifying. 


Maneater 2007


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I’m going with a made-for-TV movie. An escaped tiger terrorizing a small rural community along the Appalachian Trail.
This is classic high suspense tale because the lack of mature material since it is on TV.  I admit it is not high art, with a few stereotypes and less than smart characters, but it does deliver on the edge of your seat scenes. So it gets an add. 


Prey  2007


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A family on an African safari gets more than they bargained for when they accidentally get stranded within a big cat infested game reserve and are stalked by hungry lions. Another good film that is based on a true story.
This is some of the most beautiful scenery in a horror film. Yet we see that under that beauty is danger. So remember kids, when going on safari; always tell someone where you are going, and bring a working radio with extra batteries. Or better yet, watch a documentary on TV.


Day of the Animals 1977


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Yes I know it is a nature turned movie. But we have mountain lions. So it is technically a big cat movie. Anyway, thanks to Jaws, cinema in the 70s was filled with a pissed off mother nature. A group of hikers set off to scale a trail through the California wooded mountainside. The group soon encounters an assortment of rogue wild animals who pick them off one by one.
This movie has been on every horror themed show from Elvira to regional horror hosts in the 80's. It was a go-to movie like Night of the Living Dead. There is a bright spot, Leslie Neilsen before his crossover into comedy. Maybe this movie killed his dramatic career. If so, we should all be thankful for giving us a comedic genius.

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