12 B-Movies So Strange, You'll Wish They Were Nightmares

These peculiar cinematic adventures are so off-kilter, they'll make you question not just your taste in films, but the very nature of reality itself.

Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)

We're kicking things off with the Citizen Kane of bad movies, a catastrophic collision of misguided aliens, clumsy zombies, and atrocious acting. The plot: aliens try to stop humanity from creating a doomsday weapon by raising the dead. Think of it as a Shakespearean tragedy performed by third-graders in alien costumes.

The Room (2003)

Tommy Wiseau's magnum opus of awfulness, The Room has achieved a cult following for its laughably melodramatic acting and dialogue that sounds like it was translated from Martian. Watching this film feels like attending a party where everyone but you is on a different planet. But trust me, it's a party you won't want to miss.

Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010)

Here's a movie that takes the threat of global warming and turns it into... attacking birds. Complete with Microsoft Paint-quality special effects, this eco-horror masterpiece will have you laughing harder than any comedy you've seen this year.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)

Yes, you read that right. It's a film about Santa Claus being kidnapped by Martians to bring joy to their children. With wooden acting and a plot that feels like it was dreamt up during a fever dream, this is a Christmas movie like no other.

Troll 2 (1990)

No trolls in Troll 2, just vegetarian goblins turning people into plants. It's a salad of bad acting, worse special effects, and a script that must've been penned in green crayon. But, oddly enough, it's quite addictive, like junk food for your brain.

Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)

What do you get when a fertilizer salesman decides to make a movie? An incomprehensible plot, painfully slow pacing, and some of the most awkward dialogue in cinematic history. Manos is a film so dire, it could be used as a weapon of psychological warfare.

The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961)

This nuclear cautionary tale features a Soviet scientist turned into a radioactive monster by an atomic explosion. The catch: the film has no synchronized sound, turning the plot into a guessing game. You'll be confused, amused, and slightly worried about nuclear safety.

The Creeping Terror (1964)

This film features a 'terror' that looks like a reject from a 3rd-grade art class, shambling around eating people. The narration feels like it's straight from a poorly-translated wildlife documentary, adding a surreal vibe to the whole viewing experience.

Zaat (1971)

A mad scientist turns himself into a giant catfish to take revenge on humanity. Need I say more? It's a seafood platter of crazy that must be seen to be believed.

Robot Monster (1953)

Featuring an intergalactic villain who is essentially a gorilla in a diving helmet, Robot Monster serves up a bonkers tale of alien invasion. The plot – as much as it can be discerned – involves the last surviving humans battling this creature. With a script that teeters on the brink of incoherence and special effects that are more 'special' than 'effective', this film feels like a fevered dream of a space-obsessed eight-year-old. Its iconic low-budget aesthetic and idiosyncratic vision have endeared it to cult movie fans. It's a guilty pleasure, the cinematic equivalent of a deep-fried Mars bar.

Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977)

This film takes a perfectly ordinary household item and transforms it into a malevolent, man-eating entity. Yes, it's a bed that consumes anyone who lies on it. The film oscillates wildly between low-budget horror, absurdist comedy, and a peculiar form of art-house cinema. Imagine if Salvador Dali had a bad dream after binge-watching horror flicks and then decided to make a movie. But there's a strange allure to it, a charm that can't be replicated. It's a visual journey through a mindscape so peculiar you might want to bring a map and compass.

Hercules in New York (1970)

Who knew that one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's first forays into acting was a B-movie? In Hercules in New York, Schwarzenegger, hilariously dubbed, plays Hercules, who's banished to Earth by his father Zeus. This oddball flick sees the muscle-bound demigod wrestling professional fighters, battling mobsters, and romancing a professor's daughter. It's the sort of kitschy, offbeat charm that can make B-movies so endearing. And with Arnie's hilariously stilted performance, it's like a time capsule of wonderfully wonky 70s cinema.