Bears. The sharks of the forest. Or at least that’s what the horror genre would have you believe. Even though they’re cute and cuddly—don’t try to hug one!—it’s no real wonder these enormous beasts have become the centerpiece of woodland horrors, right up there with Bigfoot and cannibalistic hillbillies.
While we wait to sink our teeth into the coked-up madness that is Cocaine Bear roaring into theaters this weekend, it might be a good idea to snort some hairy appetizers. Below are ten streaming horror films featuring seriously pissed-off bears to whet your appetite and keep you from snatching your neighbor’s picnic basket.
Some titles on this list are great. Some are almost un-bearable. But in all these films, you’ll encounter a little something for everyone, from towering behemoths to mutant monsters and vengeful momma bears. Oh my!
Grizzly (1976)
The next time someone says non-R horror isn’t good (or whatever), plant their butts in front of William Girdler’s Grizzly, Clockwork Orange-style. Following an enormous bear terrorizing a campsite, this movie is 18 feet of towering fury that’ll give those numbskulls a bear claw to the head. The penultimate “bears attack” film dubbed “Jaws with claws,” however, it’s nowhere near the level of Spielberg’s classic.
’70s horror didn’t mess around. With bear attack scenes that’ll rip your face off and moments of shocking taboo-shattering, you might rethink that camping trip after this one. Also, how can you not love a movie that introduces a giant killer bear to a rocket launcher?
Streaming on: Shudder, Tubi
Day of the Animals (1977)
When talk of Global Warming started becoming a mainstream topic, horror movies of the 1970s made it their mission to scare audiences into caring. Too bad it didn’t work! But the decade did give us ridiculous entertainment like Day of the Animals, so take the wins where we can get them, I guess.
Directed by William Girdler (the guy loved doing animal attack films, apparently), the setup is one of those kind of funny but could possibly happen one-day scenarios in which the sun’s rays break through the Ozone layer and cause the animals to go insane. Unfortunate news for a group of hikers led by Christopher George (who also stars in Grizzly).
While there isn’t a whole lot of bearanormal activity in this movie, it does give us the gift of a crazed (and shirtless!) Leslie Nielsen wrestling a grizzly in the rain. What more could you want?
Streaming on: Shudder, Tubi, Pluto TV
Prophecy (1979)
Two words: Mutant. Bear. Another iconic entry from the environmental terror trend of the 70s, John Frankenheimer’s Prophecy follows a government health inspector sent to investigate the damage done by a logging company to land claimed by indigenous people. Once there, it’s discovered that the mercury the loggers have been pouring into the water has transformed a bear into something that would later inspire South Park’s Man-Bear-Pig.
Written by The Omen’s David Seltzer (he also wrote the novel), Prophecy is an odd mix of stark terror and laugh-out-loud silliness (forget Friday the 13th, this has the best sleeping bag kill in horror history). Excellent creature effects by The Burman’s Studio and a committed cast make Prophecy a must-watch for anyone looking for a good killer bear (man-pig) movie.
Streaming on: Prime, Paramount+
Die wütende Bärenmutter will ihr Junges rächen und macht gnadenlos Jagd auf die Jugentlichen.
Grizzly Rage (2007)
The only thing more enraging than paying to see Grizzly Rage is the group of dude-bro jerks who accidentally run over a grizzly cub and incite the wrath of its supercharged mother (thanks, once again, to drinking toxic waste in the water).
Luckily, this one’s streaming, so no payment is necessary! Directed by David DeCoteau (director of Puppet Master III, AKA the best one), Grizzly Rage doesn’t have much going for it. But you can’t help but get a kick out of watching this grizzly claw-slap fools through the air with splatters of CG blood hitting the screen.
Streaming on: Prime, Paramount+, Tubi
Backcountry (2015)
The feature debut of director Adam MacDonald (Pyewacket), Backcountry is by far the most gut-wrenching film on this list. Following a couple on a camping trip in the woods who encounter a territorial black bear, MacDonald delivers a tense survival horror thriller with some serious bite. Most of the films on this list are silly (intentionally or not), but if you really want to get your heart pounding, this may be the one for you. Make sure to have a gallon of your favorite ice cream to bury your face in afterward. You’re going to need it.
Streaming on: Kanopy
Bear (2010)
One minute in, and you’ll want every character in Bear to end up bear dung. They’re crude. They’re annoying. They’re poorly acted. Perfect bear food for the grizzly that shows up after they accidentally crash their car in the woods. Unlike the rest of this list, this bear isn’t eighteen feet tall. It’s not a mutant by way of toxic chemicals. It’s just a normal, adorable bear with an excellent sense of comedic timing in popping up just when the characters think it’s gone.
Streaming on: Tubi
Bear with Us (2017)
Though far from perfect, William J. Stribling’s Bear with Us is a charming horror comedy (mostly comedy) about a poor sucker named Hudson (Cheyenne Jackson) who brings his girlfriend Quincy (Christy Carlson Romano) and friends to a remote cabin where he plans to propose to her for a second time. It’ll really work this time, he thinks, with a ludicrous plan that involves his buddy dressing up in a bear suit. But when a real killer bear shows up, a comedy of errors ensues. Quirky. Lighthearted. Utterly absurd. If you can get past the less-than-quality production value and a second act caught in hibernation, there’s fun to be had with this off-kilter bear attack movie.
Streaming on: Prime, Tubi
Grizzly II: Revenge (1983/2021)
I won’t lie to you. Grizzly II: Revenge isn’t good. It’s bad. We’re talking the inside of a Yeti’s armpit bad. But no bearsploitation list would be complete without this marvel of a disaster. Originally shot in 1983 and unfinished until 2021 (long story), this “37 years in the making” sequel tells the story about, you guessed it, an 18ft tall “devil bear” terrorizing a national park on its way to crashing a rock concert. Playing out like a nature documentary meets a music video meets a killer bear movie, Grizzly II is as messy as it gets. Yet early appearances from George Clooney, Laura Dern and Charlie Sheen—the film slaps their names on the poster despite all three appearing in just one scene—make it worth a look. Not to mention Louise Fletcher trying her damndest to make it seem like she wants to be there. John Rhys-Davies goes full lumberjack madman. And you can’t not love a clunky, mechanical bear. Sadly, no rocket launcher in this one, though.
Streaming on: Prime
Annihilation (2018)
Audiences messed up by sleeping on Alex Garland’s Annihilation. It features a cast of greatness consisting of Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Tessa Thompson, to name a few. The cinematography is breathtaking. And oh, it also has the scariest goddamn bear in cinematic history. In a film where a group of scientists is sent into an environmental anomaly dubbed “The Shimmer,” Portman and crew encounter all sorts of mutated life, some beautiful, most horrific.
Soon an enormous bear with half of its face ripped off appears. More unsettling is the way in which the bear’s growls mimic the dying screams of one of the film’s earlier victims. Only appearing in two scenes, the one in which the creature encounters the team while they’re tied down is a moment of unforgettable intensity.
Streaming on: Paramount+
Zombeavers (2015)
Okay, this one’s a bit of a cheat, but hey, any opportunity to get you all to watch the entertaining absurdity that is Jordan Rubin’s Zombeavers. Following a group of friends staying at a cabin for the weekend who encounter mutant beavers transformed by, you guessed it, a chemical spill; this one only has about three seconds of bear, but what a bear! Part zombie. Part bear. How there hasn’t been a Zombear sequel, I’ll never understand. There may not be much to bear about in Zombeavers, but more people need to see this gross, gory horror comedy filled with goofy zombie beaver puppets and gut-ripping laughs.
Streaming on: Tubi, Pluto TV
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