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Pools of water are often used as symbols of our collective subconscious. Since Creature from the Black Lagoon is about a humanoid creature who emerges from the depths to kidnap a beautiful woman, you might then say the Creature is a symbol for male sexual desire. And then you might have a B-movie monster I can really sink my teeth into. Sure, it’s just a matinee horror flick, but a few scenes certainly invite a little deeper meaning or enjoyment — especially the scene where Julie Adams goes swimming in the lagoon and the Gill Man mimics along beneath her, just out of sight, perhaps longing to be one with her. Even if you like to keep your enjoyment at surface level, Creature has a lot to offer, including a moody central location, memorable underwater photography, and one of the coolest movie monster designs of all time. The only disparaging element is an abrasive musical motif that blares whenever the creature is on screen (though other passages of the score are actually quite nice, particularly cues composed by Henry Mancini).