Empire of the Ants(1977)
1977 · Bert I. Gordon · 89 min
A Florida real estate developer and her captain lure investors to a property in the Everglades called Dreamland Shores, under false pretenses that the swampland will soon be developed. After the group arrives on a small island, they find it has been overrun by giant mutated ants, brought on by the dumping of toxic waste in the area.
Horror · Science Fiction
5.0129 votes
TMDB score
2/5
Intensity
2/5
Gore
1/5
Stays with you
How Empire of the Ants scares
Empire of the Ants is a cheesy creature feature from the late 70s, more goofy than scary. The pace is slow and talky for long stretches, with survival-movie chases through swampy jungle breaking up the drama. The giant ant effects are clearly dated, so the fear comes more from being chased and cornered than from anything that gets under your skin. It's a fun, campy watch for fans of old-school monster movies rather than something that will actually unsettle you.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Empire of the Ants rates psychological 1/5, visceral 3/5, gore 2/5, lingering effect 1/5, and overall intensity 2/5.
- Psychological: 1 of 5
- Visceral: 3 of 5
- Gore: 2 of 5
- Lingering: 1 of 5
- Intensity: 2 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 30 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 30 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 10 of 100 — leans Fun-scary
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A slow, campy setup gives way to a bumpy string of chases and attacks that rise and fall right through to the end.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 2.
How scary is Empire of the Ants?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, Empire of the Ants rates 2/5 — moderately scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. It attacks the body more than the mind — physical, in-your-face horror. Expect it to be moderately gory and fun-first. The dread fades once the credits roll.
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