The Lake Blob from Creepshow 2 Floats into the Third Class Tier of the Hall of Killers
Some killers slash, some stab, and some just… slowly slurp you up like human soup. This week, we welcome one of horror’s most underrated (and gooey) villains into the Third Class Tier of our Hall of Killers – The Lake Blob from Creepshow 2. That’s right, the mysterious, oil-slick-like monster from the segment The Raft has officially bobbed its way into horror immortality.
Now, Creepshow 2 may not have hit the giddy heights of George A. Romero and Stephen King’s original anthology masterpiece, but let us be honest: The Raft absolutely steals the show. Forget Old Chief Woodenhead and that weird vengeful hitchhiker yelling “Thanks for the ride, lady!”, the real star of the show is a sentient oil slick that eats horny college students.
Released in 1987 and directed by Michael Gornick (Romero’s longtime cinematographer), Creepshow 2 carried on the comic book horror tone of the first film, giving us three macabre morality tales. But The Raft, based on a short story by Stephen King, is where things got deliciously nasty.
The setup is simple: four college kids drive out to a remote lake, swim out to a floating raft, and realise too late that the black slick spreading across the water is not pollution, it’s a carnivorous, flesh-dissolving organism with an appetite for teenagers. It’s basically what happens when nature says, “You know what, I’ve had enough of your beer cans and bad decisions.”
The Lake Blob doesn’t run. It doesn’t roar. It doesn’t even talk. It just floats menacingly, luring its victims with the kind of deceptive calm that only a killer puddle can manage. Then, when the time is right, it lashes out, pulling its prey under with a sickening slurp. In one unforgettable moment, poor Deke gets caught mid-flex and is devoured faster than you can say “eco-horror.” And then there’s the scene where Laverne meets her fate in a gruesome display of practical effects that made audiences squirm and grin in equal measure.
What makes the creature so iconic is its simplicity. It is literally a patch of tar with a bad attitude, and yet, somehow, it is terrifying. The Lake Blob doesn’t need claws or teeth. It just melts you alive. It is the ultimate low-maintenance monster: no backstory, no dialogue, just endless hunger. Think The Blob on a budget, but with more sass and a taste for college kids.
And speaking of budget, Creepshow 2 was working with significantly fewer dollars than its predecessor. The creature itself was famously constructed from black garbage bags, plastic sheeting, and motor oil, yet the effect remains surprisingly effective. It moves with a weird organic grace, sliding across the water like a liquid Grim Reaper. It is proof that sometimes the scariest monsters are made from whatever you can find at the local hardware store.
Fans have long argued that The Raft is the standout story of Creepshow 2. It is short, sharp, and shockingly mean-spirited; a perfect slice of 80s horror that combines King’s twisted morality with Romero’s knack for irony. The final shot, where the last surviving teen celebrates escaping the creature only to be instantly devoured, is poetic justice in the most darkly hilarious way possible. If you ever wanted a horror film to literally yell “Don’t celebrate too soon!”, The Raft delivers it beautifully.
So why Third Class for our slimy friend? Well, let’s be honest. The Lake Blob is more cult favourite than mainstream monster. It never got its own sequel, never popped up in a toy line, and definitely never starred in a Saturday morning cartoon (though we would absolutely watch The Lake Blob and Friends). It is the definition of one-hit wonder horror brilliance, unforgettable to those who saw it, but still somewhat of an under-the-radar menace.
And yet, that is what makes it perfect for the Third Class Tier. It joins the ranks of killers who didn’t need a franchise to make their mark, those strange, brilliant, and slightly ridiculous icons that horror fans whisper about with love.
So here’s to The Lake Blob, the laziest killer in horror history. It doesn’t chase, it doesn’t taunt, it doesn’t explain itself. It just sits there, looking like an oil spill, waiting for someone dumb enough to go for a swim. It is horror stripped back to its purest form, no motivation, no explanation, just a big floating death pancake doing what it does best.
Next time you find yourself by a quiet lake and see something strange glistening on the surface, maybe skip the swim and crack open a cold drink instead. Because The Lake Blob is patient. It has waited nearly forty years for this recognition, and now it floats proudly among our killers, slicker, meaner, and hungrier than ever.
Welcome to the Hall of Killers, you beautiful blob. You’ve earned it.
