Fossil researchers in the Amazon venture to the Black Lagoon where they, inadvertently, attract the attention of a beast from the deep.

The Creature From The Black Lagoon may be one of the later Universal Classic Monsters film but that doesn’t mean it’s one of the weakest. In fact, history has cemented its iconic status.

And this is for good reason. A great cast, brilliant direction and a masterful use of a building suspense all play their part.

And then there’s the big reveal when we finally get to see Ol’ Fishface fully and it doesn’t disappoint.

And this is another reason why I love the film and the other films it inspired. Give me a man in a suit any day of the week over the latest CGI bollocks and I’m happy. I kept thinking of another such film that follows the same pattern (Slithis) and how much I love this kind of film.

Imagination, intelligence and a low budget will always trump multi-million dollar wizardry for me when it comes to cinema, particularly horror.

4.5 out of 5 stars