History NightmareFuel / Aquaman2018

* The Trench are literally incarnate nightmare fuel; we're told relatively early in the movie that they are one of the seven Atlantean kingdoms, who chose to inhabit [[EldritchOceanAbyss the deepest depths of the ocean]]. There, they devolved into non-sapient, toothy, barely humanoid yet horribly piscine monsters, like a cross between a [[Creator/HPLovecraft Deep One]] and a [[Franchise/{{Alien}} Xenomorph]].

** Feeling overwhelmed, our heroes opt to try fleeing from the boat through the water, using the Trench's aversion to light to their advantage by using flares to keep them at bay. They dive into the water, and as they plunge down, we're treated to a bird's eye view as the light from their flair illuminates several hundred trench dwellers circling them like a whirlpool. The two heroes struggled to deal with half a dozen of the damn things and the sea is ''thick'' with them.

** Special mention goes to the seahorses the Xebellians ride. Long a staple in comics (and seen on ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'') as a ride for Aquaman, in drawings they were simply sized-up regular looking non-threatening seahorses. In this movie? Clawed, spiky monstrosities with frog-like legs that [[ArmlessBiped make them look even more wrong]], as well as snapping mouths full of very large teeth.

** Our first glimpse of the Trench in action comes when Arthur and Mera are sailing through a storm, and then the Trench start clambering out of the sea to attack them. First one, then two, then ''dozens'' of them come clawing out of the deep. It's comparable to being attacked by hundreds, even thousands of man-sized piranhas.

*** They then dive through a hundred more who were dwelling further below the surface, and yet still more rise from the depths to great them. Just when you think there can't possibly be any more, ''[[TheSwarm there are]]''.

* The Brine, home to crustacean crab people, can be rather creepy to some viewers, though not as savage or feral as the Trench have become.

* The second trailer has Queen Atlanna being attacked ''in her and Thomas' home''. And considering there was an earlier shot in the trailer where she leaves Thomas and Arthur with the most heartbroken expression, it could be that she's leaving to keep them out of danger -- either from her enemies, or her ''subjects''.

* The movie early on tells us about the horror of the Karathen. Queen Atlanna reminds Arthur later on. They were '''NOT''' kidding. Arthur meets it in a dark area of the Earth's core where it is guarding the Trident of Poseidon and the remains of King Atlan. At first all we see are some of its tentacles and even then its size and shape is horrifying. Then Arthur succeeds in obtaining the trident and with it the creature's allegiance. He rides it into battle against Orm and Nereus' alliance and we see the Karathen for what it truly is. The creature is brobdingnagian in size, with equal parts Godzillaesque nightmare and Lovecraftian horror with its many tentacles. It smashes Atlantis' largest warships like they were flies. [[TheJuggernaut NOTHING its hit with even slows it down or seems to do more than annoy it]]. The only reason it stops is because Mera reminds Arthur that too many people are dying because of the fighting.
* Orm killed a king, and forced his adolescent daughter to participate in a sea battle. Think of the trauma she had to go through for her age.

* The second trailer has Queen Atlanna being attacked ''[[AdultFear in her and Thomas' home]]''. And considering there was an earlier shot in the trailer where she leaves Thomas and Arthur with the most heartbroken expression, it could be that she's leaving to keep them out of danger -- either from her enemies, or her ''subjects''.

* The soldiers attacking Atlanna and Thomas' home [[AdultFear with a young Arthur inside as well]].

** The Trench is so terrifying, that it's going to get its own spin-off movie.

* Orm killed a king, and forced his adolescent child to participate in a sea battle. Think of the trauma they had to go through for their age.

* Orm killed a king, and forced his adolescent son to participate in a sea battle. Think of the trauma he had to go through for his age.

* Orm killed a king, and forced his adolescent daughter to participate in a sea battle. Think of the trauma she had to go through for her age.

** It is soon revealed that not only was Arthur and Thomas hometown was hit but numerous locations around the world as well with piles of garbage that humanity has carelessly thrown into the ocean sent right back at them including entire ships with the message being very clear: Atlantis is ''not'' happy with the surface world.

This is directed by James Wan, so of course this film must have some good ol' NightmareFuel.