The Best and Worst Killer Plant Movies | Part 2

Welcome back! Last week we explored 6 of the greatest killer plant movies ever made. We covered everything from camp classics to bizarre low-budget horrors, touching on everything from blood-sucking vines to killer tomatoes. Each film brought its own unique brand of absurdity, showcasing just how wildly varied the killer plant genre can be. Today, we’re venturing to the opposite end of the spectrum. These films are better left to rot in the compost bin. Brace yourself as we dive into 6 of the worst killer plant movies.

13. The Guardian

In The Guardian, a young couple hires a seemingly ideal nanny, Camilla, to care for their newborn, only to uncover that she belongs to an ancient druidic cult that sacrifices infants to a menacing tree deity. As they grasp the danger surrounding them, they must fight to protect their child from Camilla, who wields supernatural powers and commands the forest to trap them.

The film combines elements of supernatural horror and dark folklore and was an anticipated return to the genre from director William Friedkin. With the director of The Exorcist at the helm, you'd expect something spine-chilling and groundbreaking. Instead, The Guardian feels like it’s ticking off a horror cliché checklist.

While Friedkin brings a solid dose of atmosphere to the film, the dreamlike tone clashes with the violent attacks and gore. The story itself also leans heavily on predictable, overdone horror tropes. It’s not necessarily a terrible movie, just too self-serious and very disappointing considering the pedigree involved. 

12. Troll 2

In Troll 2, a family goes on vacation to the small town of Nilbog, only to discover that it’s inhabited by goblins disguised as humans who are eager to transform them into plants so they can consume them. As the young son uncovers the town’s dark secret, he must find a way to save his family from the vegetarian goblins’ bizarre diet.

This movie is a sequel in name only and has no connection to the first in any way. It was brought to us by prolific Italian director Claudio Fragasso. Italian copyright laws are notoriously lax, allowing filmmakers to create their own sequels and knockoffs of popular movies. The practice has become a genre in itself, and Claudio continued that trend with Troll 2. It becomes clearly evident when you realize the movie features goblins, not trolls.

Infamously known as the best worst movie ever made, Troll 2 is a blast for all the wrong reasons. The movie features everything you would expect from low-budget trash such as awkward acting, cheesy effects, and a non-sensical plot to such a ridiculous degree that it almost comes back to being impressive. This is the kind of movie you watch with friends after a few drinks. 

11. Shrooms

In Shrooms, a group of friends heads to the Irish countryside to try hallucinogenic mushrooms, but things take a dark turn when one of them accidentally consumes a deadly mushroom, sparking terrifying hallucinations. As the group becomes increasingly paranoid and disoriented, they are hunted by a malevolent presence in the woods, unable to tell what’s real from what’s imagined.

Shrooms offers a promising setup with its eerie Irish countryside and hallucinogenic premise but ultimately falls into familiar slasher tropes and clichés. A standard slasher can be fun, but there are no fun or interesting kills here and its a pretty bloodless affair. It leads to an ending that had potential but the execution is fumbled, making it a truly forgettable horror experience. It does have a pretty great poster though.

10. Children of the Corn

In Children of the Corn, a young couple traveling through rural Nebraska stumbles upon a town where the children have murdered all the adults under the influence of a mysterious. As the couple tries to escape, they realize the children are part of a cult that sacrifices outsiders to ensure a good corn harvest.

I’m sure people will disagree with me putting this movie on the list, but after a recent rewatch I stand by it. To me, Children of the Corn commits the cardinal sin of any movie, it’s boring. Outside of a strong opening scene and a truly memorable performance from the character of Isaac, there’s not much to latch on to here. Long stretches without much action or plot progression result in a slow pace and a feeling of repetition. The attempts to make corn scary are laughable as well. 

9. Seedpeople

In Seedpeople, alien plant spores arrive on Earth and begin taking over a small town, transforming humans into plant-like creatures who continue to spread the invasion. As the townspeople struggle to survive, they realize the aliens are bent on conquering humanity by turning people into seeds that grow into new invaders.

Seedpeople is brought to us by Full Moon Features, a production company specializing in low-budget, straight-to-video creature features that gained popularity in the late 80s’ and early 90s’. If you are familiar with them, you know what to expect in this movie: lots of cheesy rubber monsters.

The plot is essentially the same as Invasion of the Body Snatchers, minus any social commentary or feeling of paranoia. Like most straight-to-video movies we are treated to wooden acting and cheap effects. While many of Full Moon Features' outings feature the same quality as this, Seedpeople doesn't have the charm that those films captured. 

8. Island of the Doomed

In Island of the Doomed, a group of people visit a mysterious island owned by a reclusive botanist, Baron von Weser, who has been experimenting on carnivorous plants. As the visitors explore, they realize the Baron’s creations are deadly, mutated plants that begin to hunt them one by one, trapping them on the island with no escape.

Directed by Mel Welles (Mr. Mushnik from 1960s Little Shop of Horrors), this film is filled with unintentional humor. The blend of cheesy dialogue and stiff performances makes scenes meant to be suspenseful often come across as absurd. While the blood-sucking plants can be genuinely creepy, their creator and antagonist of the movie feels more like a James Bond villain.

As we wrap up our dive into the worst killer plant movies, it’s clear that not all films in this niche genre manage to strike the right balance of scares and entertainment. From the unintentionally hilarious Island of the Doomed to the missed potential of Shrooms and the notoriously bad Troll 2, these movies prove that even killer plants can wilt on the vine. But whether you watch them to cringe, laugh, or marvel at the absurdity, they certainly make for an unforgettable—and occasionally entertaining—viewing experience. Stay tuned for next week when we'll wrap up our list of worst movies.