Behold, the eighth wonder of the world! Since 1933, King Kong has been a pop culture icon, and there’s no sign of his retirement anytime soon, with the next Godzilla x Kong: Supernova movie on the way. In the meantime, we’re taking a look back at some of the best King Kong movies.
What are the best King Kong movies as of 2025?
Since the 1933 film, thirteen movies featuring our oversized ape have been made. They vary in reception and quality, but a few are great in their own right. However you rank these films, the original is King.
King Kong (1933)
One of cinema’s most outstanding achievements — and the reason we have so many monster-centric films today — King Kong roared into theaters in 1933. A bit of movie history for you cinema buffs: King Kong was the first film to pioneer the use of stop-motion animation and rear-screen projection for its effects. Everything we owe to the monster genre (and even a good chunk of filmmaking itself) comes from what was accomplished in the making of King Kong.
Directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, King Kong follows filmmaker Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) and his film crew as they set off to an exotic island for their next big project. Fay Wray plays Ann Darrow, a struggling actress who’s been somewhat duped into joining the project.
Not being given all the project details, Ann tags along with the filmmakers, the captain, and the crew of The Venture. When an indigenous tribe spots her golden hair, they know she’d make a perfect sacrifice to their god. The islanders kidnap Ann, which kicks off a frantic search by the team to rescue her. It all leads to that unforgettable finale at the Empire State Building, with Kong holding Ann as planes circle overhead. Even all these years later, while the effects have aged, the story is still just as heartbreaking.
King Kong (2005)
Some remakes of original movies can be devastating flops. The 1976 remake of the original is also worth watching. But Peter Jackson once again proves he’s a legend for a reason. Fresh off the massive success of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Jackson created what could be considered a love letter to the 1933 classic. He first saw the original when he was nine years old and cried when Kong fell from the Empire State Building. By twelve, he was already trying to remake it on his parents’ 8mm camera. Universal Pictures first approached Jackson about the project back in 1995, but it took years to finally get it rolling. After Peter Jackson went from being known only in film circles to being a household name, the studio finally gave the picture the green light.
Upon its completion, King Kong broke records as the most expensive movie ever made at the time. Like the original, it tells the story we all know, but with the epic scope and personal touches only Peter Jackson could bring. The movie features an outstanding cast including Jack Black, Naomi Watts, and Adrien Brody. Plus, Andy Serkis is back in another career-defining movement-acting role as Kong.
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Skull Island is the second movie in the newer Monsterverse. This takes us back to when Kong was not yet the monster he would become. Set in the 1970s, towards the end of the Vietnam War, a team of soldiers and scientists set out to explore an uncharted island in the Pacific. What they don’t realize is that the island is home to ancient creatures and the island’s undisputed ruler.
Led by tracker James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), photojournalist Mason Weaver (Brie Larson), and military commander Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), the crew quickly learns that nature isn’t something to mess with. Though the movie fits the mold of a survival movie, it gives us a chance to interrogate our perspective on who the monsters are.
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
Directed by Adam Wingard, Godzilla vs. Kong is the long-awaited showdown between two of the legendary monsters we’ve come to love and fear. The story picks up after the events of Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Kong: Skull Island. Humanity has made a fragile peace with these beings, and that delicate balance grows more unstable. But when Godzilla suddenly begins attacking cities for unknown reasons, scientists and military forces swoop in to take control.
And of course, these apex predators crossing paths means plenty of action. But these epic battles are beautifully choreographed, and the movie delivers on the action you’d want out of this monster movie. Skyscrapers crumble, aircraft carriers sink, planes get knocked out of the sky, and the sound design alone rattles your bones. Though Godzilla vs. Kong absolutely prioritizes spectacle over story — and, for that matter, any character development — the movie’s redemption comes through Kong’s bond with a young deaf girl named Jia (Kaylee Hottle).
King Kong Escapes (1968)
King Kong Escapes is one of those entries you either love or hate, and the hate mostly comes from the wild tone shift this movie takes. Produced by Toho Studios (the same studio behind Godzilla), this Japanese–American co-production is more campy sci-fi adventure than traditional monster movie. But go with it and trust that’s part of its charm.
The story follows an evil genius named Dr. Who (unrelated to the British TV character), who builds a giant mechanical replica of Kong called Mechani-Kong. This guy plans to use it to dig for a powerful radioactive element in the Arctic. But any good robot premise requires it to malfunction, and in this film, we sadly have the real Kong captured and forced into animal labor. As the title promises, Kong makes a break for it and eventually faces off against his robotic double in downtown Tokyo.
Released in Japan in 1967 and in the U.S. in 1968, King Kong Escapes was initially tied to Rankin/Bass’s animated TV series The King Kong Show, which is why we get some of the same characters and a pulpy tone. Though it’s far from the serious adventure of the 1933 original, it’s a piece of Kong history. Only the late ’60s could pull something like this off.
How we picked the best King Kong movies
We generally looked at audience and critical consensus, as well as which films had the most significant impact on filmmaking. If we haven’t already stated it, the other films can’t hold a candle to the 1933 original or Peter Jackson’s remake. Still, our other picks on this list at least give us a look into Kong’s history and a glimpse of where the giant ape might be headed next.
