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Of all Earth’s creatures that strike fear into the human heart, snakes rank very high. Some serpents earn their scary reputation all on their own, and others are quite harmless. That said, once the ophidiophobia has set in, it can be hard to overcome.
The many movies about snakes, particularly dangerous, big, and man-killing ones, don’t help to mitigate that aversion, but for the right audience, they can be pretty entertaining. With the new Anaconda in theaters, naturally, people would be looking for more snake horror.
So, apart from the original Anaconda—which is always a must-see—you should add these ten other snake movies to your watchlist.
The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch (1968)
Pictured: The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch (1968).
While it’s true that there could be more snake and witch action in The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch(Hebimusume to Hakuhatsuma), this adaptation of a Kazuo Umezu manga story is still an effective chiller. Directed by Noriaki Yuasa, the man behind the classic Gamera era, the movie is a moody, gothic beaut. You’ll likely wish this pushed the envelope a bit more than it actually does, considering the source material, but the visuals and wacky effects make up for the somewhat tame execution.
Sssssss (1973)
Pictured: Sssssss (1973).
In line with other ’70s horror movies, Bernard L. Kowalski‘s Sssssss focuses on its psychological element. Here, a herpetologist (Strother Martin) develops a secret serum that can turn people into snakes. Unfortunately, the first guinea pig is his assistant (Dirk Benedict). Fans of character studies and body horror should keep an eye out for this, although as a warning, the story does become rather heavy.
Jennifer (1978)
Pictured: Lisa Pelikan and Bert Convy in Jennifer (1978).
Clearly inspired by Carrie, Brice Mack‘s Jenniferreplaces telekinesis with the not-as-cool ability to control snakes. The titular snake charmer in this less-remembered, coming-of-rage film is played by Lisa Pelikan, who later starred in Ghoulies. Not-so-original as it is, Jennifer still manages to amuse with its commitment to the premise.
Fair Game (1988)
Pictured: Fair Game (1988).
In Mario Orfini‘s Fair Game (also known as Mamba), revenge is a dish best served scaly. An embittered man (Gregg Henry) releases a deadly mamba into his ex’s apartment, then traps her (Trudie Styler) inside. What follows is definitely what could be considered a slow burn, but the ending of this vindictive chronicle should provide some satisfaction. The movie also stars horror icon Bill Moseley.
Curse II: The Bite (1989)
Pictured: Curse II: The Bite (1989).
A man (J. Eddie Peck) is afflicted by a radioactive snake in Frederico Prosperi‘s Curse II: The Bite, an unrelated sequel to 1987’s The Curse. Fans of FX wizard Screaming Mad George will surely take delight in all the gross-out special effects and makeup that decorate this wild story, but for a movie so known for its sick visuals, the characters are also surprisingly well written.
King Cobra (1999)
Pictured: The titular star of King Cobra with Pat Morita (1999).
Even if David Hillenbrand and Scott Hillenbrand‘s King Cobra had come out before Anaconda (1997), it still would have ended up being overshadowed. On the bright side, the semi-animatronic namesake of King Cobra is fairly memorable, once it comes out of hiding and is shown in plain view. That immense, mildly goofy-looking snake is a sight to behold as it does battle with Pat Morita’s character, and later receives a flying kick to its hooded head (not courtesy of Morita, sad to say). Come for the cobra, stay for the campiness.
Silent Predators (1999)
Pictured: Shannon Sturges in Noel Nosseck’s Silent Predators.
Remember back when the cable network TBS used to produce its own movies? Well, maybe you don’t, but they most definitely did make a couple, including this one adapted from an old John Carpenter script. After dusting off and revamping the Halloween director’s idea, and casting Harry Hamlin as the handsome snake wrangler, TBS delivered a standard yet watchable “when animals attack” kind of story. It’s ’90s movie-of-the-week all the way. Oh, and calling this Silent Predators, when the creatures involved are rattlesnakes, was a stroke of genius.
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)
Pictured: Anacondas The Hunt for the Blood Orchid.
Anacondas aren’t native to Borneo, Indonesia, but who cares? Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid is a whole lot of silly fun. Dwight H. Little, the director of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, gave us the best of the Anacondas sequels, although in retrospect, the bar became very low. Here, a whole cast of “fish out of water” types, plus Johnny Messner as their hunky guide, go in search of a rare and coveted flower in the jungles of Borneo. You can probably guess what they find instead.
Snakes on a Plane (2006)
Pictured: Samuel L. Jackson in Snakes on a Plane.
As far as high concepts go in the genre of “dangerous animals found in strange places,” David R. Ellis‘ Snakes on a Plane ranks somewhere in the middle. This bold and ridiculous thriller is a reminder of when studios put down good money to make bad cinema; however, there are some pleasures to be found in this early example of movies suffering from internet buzz. It was just impossible for Snakes on a Plane to live up to the hype.
Anaconda: Cursed Jungle (2024)
Pictured: Anaconda: Cursed Jungle (2024).
Believe it or not, there was already an Anaconda remake back in 2024; the current reigning champion of CGI-heavy creature-features, China, slapped together bits and pieces from those first two movies. In Anaconda: Cursed Jungle, circus performers take a boat through Thailand, only to then be targeted by giant, man-eating snakes. Funnily enough, there doesn’t seem to be any anacondas in the movie. Quibbles with the title aside, this remake doesn’t offer anything of value, story or character-wise, but snake lovers might enjoy seeing all those massive danger noodles on screen. The visual effects are better than you might expect.
Anaconda (2025) is now playing in theaters.
