politique

The most iconic horror-movie villains of all time

October 8, 20240
“Frankenstein.”

Universal Pictures

  • Horror-film villains become nightmare fuel for kids for decades.
  • Some villains like Freddy, Jason, and Ghostface have multiple films to get under your skin.
  • Others, like Annie from “Misery” or Jack from “The Shining,” only needed one movie.

At a time when the box office can be hit-or-miss (see: .”

Ever since people have been under the thrall of the vampire and his mythology. The Transylvanian has been the subject of multiple novels, plays, and films, most famously 1931’s “Dracula,” 1970’s “Count Dracula,” 1979’s “Dracula,” 1992’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula.”

He reappeared in the 2020 Netflix/BBC miniseries “Dracula” played by Claes Bang.

In 2023, Nicolas Cage showed us all his interpretation of the famed vampire in “Renfield,” while a different version of Dracula sailed from Transylvania to London in “The Last Voyage of the Demeter,” played by Javier Botet.

Arguably, we owe “Nosferatu,” “Twilight,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and more to our fascination with Dracula.

Frankenstein’s monster is a tragic villain, but he’s still one of the most recognizable symbols of Halloween.
“Get Out.”

Universal Pictures

Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford, Allison Williams, and Caleb Landry Jones all came together for 2017’s “Get Out” to play the Armitage family, a family that lures in Black people in order to hypnotize them and steal their bodies for a twisted kind of immortality.

From Whitford’s seemingly sincere “I’d vote for Obama for a third time if I could” to the chilling way Williams eats her cereal and milk separately, the casual racism and white saviorism of the Armitages would’ve been horrible enough, but once things kick into high gear and Daniel Kaluuya’s character Chris has to start killing them, you’ll find yourself cheering.

“Get Out” came at a time when mainstream horror was in a slump, and director Jordan Peele‘s “social thriller” essentially revitalized the genre, establishing him as the modern king of horror.

Whatever you do, don’t say the Candyman’s name five times in a mirror.
“The Grudge.”

Columbia Pictures

Kayako made her (tragic) debut in the 2000 Japanese horror film “Ju-on: The Curse.” Kayako began as a lovesick woman obsessively writing about a man who was not her husband in a diary — predictably, when her husband discovers the diary, things go awry and Kayako ends up becoming a vengeful demon with a grudge.

Kayako appeared in every sequel to the original Japanese version, and then she made the cut again when the franchise was remade in America, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as the franchise’s final girl.

Takako Fuji played Kayako in “Ju-on: The Curse,” “Ju-on: The Curse 2,” “Ju-on: The Grudge,” Ju-on: The Grudge 2″ in Japan and in the US remakes “The Grudge” and “The Grudge 2.” Aiko Horiuchi then took over for “The Grudge 3” in 2009.

In the Japanese franchise, Misaki Saisho began playing everyone’s favorite vengeful ghost in 2014’s “Ju-on: The Beginning of the End.” She returned for 2015’s “Ju-On: The Final Curse,” while Runa Endo played her in 2016’s “Sadako vs. Kayako.”

In the 2020 American reboot, “The Grudge,” Kayako was taken over by Junko Bailey.

After seeing “Malignant,” all anyone could do was rub the back of their head and pray there wasn’t a Gabriel there.
“M3GAN.”

Universal Pictures

When the trailer for “M3GAN” debuted on the internet, the terrifying AI-powered doll immediately achieved icon status. The memes about Megan were inescapable, from praising her beautiful singing voice to her very TikTok-inspired dance moves.

Played by Amie Donald and Jenna Davis as her physical body and voice, respectively, Megan started off as the perfect toy for a grieving child, only to become a homicidal killer toy bent on protecting her owner, Cady, by any means necessary.

“M3gAN” was such a success that a sequel was greenlit almost immediately. We can’t wait for “M3GAN 2.0.”