The team behind Crystal Lake is finally talking, and the pitch is starting to make sense. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Brad Caleb Kane, who also helped build HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry, explained that the series isn’t actually trying to mimic the original films beat for beat. Instead, it’s reshaping the world around a tone that predates Jason’s hockey mask era entirely. As he told the outlet:

That framing of psychological tension first and slasher brutality second is not what I expected, but it might be precisely what the franchise needs. Kane says he approached the show by examining the cultural moment that gave rise to the original 1980 film: a post-’70s America defined by mistrust of institutions, second-wave feminism, and a broader sense of national paranoia. The idea isn’t just to recreate Camp Crystal Lake, but to reconstruct the world that shaped Pamela Voorhees long before she picked up a knife.

And speaking of Pamela, Linda Cardellini is stepping into the role. According to Kane, she’ll surprise a lot of people. If you only know her for her comedic or dramatic work in Dead to Me, ER, or Brokeback Mountain, he suggests this performance hits an entirely different gear. He wouldn’t say more, but the way he talked about her had me practically whispering “ki-ki-ki, ma-ma-ma” under my breath.

The show also introduces young Jason (played by Callum Vinson), years before he becomes the franchise’s silent mascot. Rather than retread the continuity battles of the films, where Jason is first dead, then alive, then undead, then… whatever was happening in Jason X, the prequel series seems more interested in the knotty family dynamics that started it all. The supporting cast rounds things out nicely, with William Catlett, Devin Kessler, Cameron Scoggins, and newcomer Gwendolyn Sundstrom joining the mix.

More than anything, the show’s creator sounds committed to making Crystal Lake feel like its own thing. Yes, fans will get blood. Yes, there will be kills worth talking about. But the engines here seem to be mood, era, and character — the stuff the movies never had the time or structure to explore. For my money that's exciting, because it gives this series a reason to exist beyond IP recognition.

I may have started out skeptical, but Kane’s explanation has me more than ready to see where this goes. If the series can blend ’70s paranoia cinema with slasher movie energy and give Pamela Voorhees the kind of character study she’s never gotten, Crystal Lake could sit alongside shows like Bates Motel and Hannibal, as the rare prequels deepen a horror icon instead of flattening them.

Showrunner Brad Caleb Kane Celebrates End Of Filming For Crystal Lake Season 1

Following the myriad behind-the-scenes complications that preceded the current iteration of Crystal Lake, Brad Caleb Kane took over as showrunner, one of my favorite TV leads (Linda Cardellini) was cast as Pamela Voorhees, and then production in earnest kicked off in April 2025. Now, a mere six months later, Kane took to Instagram to not only share pics alongside writer Laura Marks and stars Cardellini, Daniel Stewart Sherman, Joy Suprano and Cam Scoggs, but also to announce that Season 1 is more or less in the can. Here’s how he worded it:

Of course, there are obviously still many things left to do before Crystal Lake is deemed worthy enough of debuting for audiences. From crafting the foley sounds for bloody squelches to peppering up gore effects with CGI spatter to putting a score to the visuals, the post-production process can be as much of a make-or-break time as anything else. But I have to assume it’s made a lot easier with talents like those noted, as well as the crew.

Kane is set to hopefully make Stephen King fanatics happy with IT: Welcome to Derry, for which he served as a co-showrunner opposite Jason Fuchs, and I have to wonder if he’ll need to drop out of a potential second season of Derry if Crystal Lake scores an early renewal. No sense in thinking about that now, though, when it’s a happy occasion.

Co-Star Cam Scoggs Shared His Own Intriguing Wrap Post

Co-star Cam Scoggs shared his own excited and heartfelt Instagram post to commemorate the end of filming, and in his post, he used a word that I can only assume comes up extremely rarely in the same breath as mentioning Friday the 13th. See if you can pick out which one I mean:

If you assumed I was talking about the word "wit," then ding-ding-ding, you are an instant winner. Because let's face it: if you told me the Friday the 13th franchise was developed specifically to repel wit, I'd question the sources but wouldn't automatically distrust it. Most of the movies' intentional attempts at humor fall flat, while other sincere moments are the ones that end up garnering the most laughs. (Part VI: Jason Lives is a minor exception, but that movie is flat-out silly, and not specifically witty.)

To clarify, I do realize that Scoggs was technically referring to the way Kane approached his first foray into Friday lore, and not to Crystal Lake itself. But I cannot readily believe that the showrunner's wit, respect and enthusiasm for Jason & Co. were entirely absent from the finished product. They're in there, no doubt. If anyone who worked on the 12 F13 movies can speak to any of those directors exuding wit while filming, that might convince me otherwise.

Also, me not thinking Friday the 13th is witty doesn't have any kind of effect on how I feel about the franchise as a whole. I don't need it to be clever in that way. It's just a nice bonus when it is.

Scoggs continued his post and managed to get my excitement up even higher, saying:

Crystal Lake has yet to announce an official release date for when we'll be invited to the infamously cursed location, but until then, be sure to check out the standalone short film Sweet Revenge from Silent Night, Deadly Night director Mike P. Nelson.

Thanks in large part to Horror Inc. and its head honcho, Robert Barsamian, fans are getting a Jason-aissance, as it were, with a variety of upcoming horror movies and other multimedia projects in development that will fall under the umbrella branding of the Jason Universe (stylized as Un1v3rse), which was first unveiled in May 2024. That slate also includes the Peacock prequel series heading to streaming in 2026, and the goal is to keep adding more projects that are worthy of brandishing the supernatural entity’s name.

I cannot wait for each and every new project that delves into the Voorhees family, the camp, the lake and everything else. So let’s take a look at what we know for sure is on the way.

Jason Universe Movies: New Feature In The Works Following "Sweet Revenge" Short

Friday the 13th first hit theaters in May 9, 1980, and I think most fans would agree that it should always be considered a film franchise first and foremost, regardless of how many other versions of the story are in the works. With that in mind, let's focus on Jason's cinematic future, while also celebrating his first official "Jason Universe" appearance.

Mike P. Nelson's "Sweet Revenge" - Released

It wasn't until the sequel when Pamela Voorhees' kiddo truly took over as the "face" of the franchise, but this isn't the "Pamela Universe," so it only makes sense that the first official piece of storytelling from Horror Inc. would center on Jason Voorhees himself, as well as a few unsuspecting victims.

Mike P. Nelson, the director of Wrong Turn and the upcoming Silent Night, Deadly Night remake, helmed the short film Sweet Revenge to showcase Jason's first on-screen kills since Platinum Dunes' 2009 reboot. It doesn't reinvent the wheel or anything, but it's fun and delivers about as much blood spatter as one could hope for in less than 13 minutes (without ignoring character development, story and logic, of course).

Check it out below for a possible taste of what's to come, should Nelson end up landing the gig of directing a new F13 movie.

Untitled Friday The 13th Movie - Announced

\Coinciding with the public release of "Sweet Revenge," Horror Inc. Vice President Robbie Barsamian revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 that early development is happening for a new movie, and the way he worded it at the time made it both interesting and difficult to speculate on. Here's how he put it (via Bloody Disgusting):

The announcement understandably sparked a huge wave of excitement both at SDCC and beyond. (We'll talk about the video game side of that later.) Unfortunately, no major updates have surfaced in the meantime, and so it still isn't known quite yet if Barsamian was indicating the Jason Universe movie would be a direct (or spiritual) sequel to a specific Friday the 13th movie, or perhaps Sweet Revenge itself. He may have also been using the term more loosely to mean the new feature would follow the upcoming TV show.

It would be interesting for a new movie to go the route of David Gordon Green's Halloween and Exorcist: Believer by semi-ignoring less-celebrated sequels, given how increasingly ludicrous Friday the 13th sequel plots got with each new movie. Would I still take a space-set Jason X 2 if it were the only possible project? Absolutely.

Jason Universe TV And Streaming:

Even if horror fans are most excited to see Jason return to the big screen, I am very intrigued to see how all the creatives involved are going to expand this relatively simple fictional universe for episodic storytelling.

Crystal Lake (Streaming Series) - Currently Filming

• Release Date: TBA 2026
• Platform: Peacock
• Creator/Showrunner: Brad Caleb Kane
• Cast: Linda Cardellini (Pamela Voorhees
  • Callum Vinson (Jason Voorhees)
  • William Catlett (Levon Brooks)
  • Devin Kessler (Briana Brooks)
  • Cameron Scoggins (Dorf)
  • Gwendolyn Sundstrom (Grace)
  • Nick Cordileone (Ralph)
• Producers: Brad Caleb Kane, Victor Miller, Marc Toberoff, Robert M. Barsamian, Robert P. Barsamian, Stuart Manashil, Michael Lennox
• Studio: A24

Peacock's Crystal Lake series' existence preceded the Jason Universe announcement by around 18 months, as it first went into development back in October 2022, with Hannibal and American Gods creator Bryan Fuller as its maestro (and with Robert Barsamian producing). However, in May 2024, Fuller was fired from the project, with creative differences being blamed, and with that timing coinciding with the rebranding shift. Other names that were reportedly temporarily attached were Scream writer Kevin Williamson, Charlize Theron, Channel Zero creator Nick Antosca, Cube director Vincenzo Natali and Boys Don't Cry director Kimberly Peirce.

The dust settled in August 2024, with IT: Welcome To Derry and Lodge 49 writer Brad Caleb Kane taking on showrunner duties. Casting then got underway, with filming kicking off in April 2025, with a goal of wrapping the first season in October of the same year. So far, no teasers or official images have been unveiled, but I cannot wait to see what Kane has in store.

All that's known about the plot at this point is that it's a prequel tale that centers in part on Linda Cardellini's Pamela Voorhees, and that some familiar characters from the first film are included, such as the bike-riding doomsayer Ralph. What's more, the show is filming at the same camp location where Sean S. Cunningham directed the first film.

Jason Universe Video Games: New Project Announced

Friday the 13th has never exactly been a franchise synonymous with gaming, despite early efforts for PCs and the NES, though Jason himself has been utilized in other series such as Mortal Kombat, Call of Duty and Multiversus. The most noteworthy game to date was the asymmetrical killer-vs-prey multiplayer release Friday the 13th: The Game, which launched in 2018. Unfortunately, those aforementioned rights issues were once again a problem, and the game's servers were shut down in 2020, with the title getting delisted altogether in 2023.

Attempts to bring that game back online in a more polished form were essentially squashed by Horror Inc.'s legal team, though it wasn't until July 2025 that the company revealed its own dedicated efforts to develop a Jason-centric video game. Partnered along with the movie news, the new game was also referred to as a "sequel," though without further information about what that means, or which game studio(s) is handling the development.

Jason Universe's Other New Projects: Halloween Horror Nights & More

During the SDCC panel, Horror Inc. CMO Sheri Conn shared the following sentiment when addressing the company's overall interest in delivering more Jason and F13 to fans in just about any respect possible. As Conn put it:

To that end, arguably Jason's biggest impact on 2025 outside of the Sweet Revenge short has been the Jason Universe haunted house crafted for Universal's Halloween Horror Nights 34, which itself marks the first time the masked killer has been showcased at the event since 2015's Freddy vs. Jason maze. By and large, fans seem to be loving the classic approach, and it's a good sign that we'll get more themed experiences like that in the future.

Outside of interactive fare, the Jason Universe is also bringing lots of Friday the 13th-oriented merchandise to mall stores and horror boutiques everywhere, from Halloween costumes to backpacks to glow-in-the-dark hockey masks to any kind of drinking apparatus imaginable. I have to assume we aren't far from someone opening up a real-life Camp Crystal Lake as a themed weekend getaway. (Or a non-get-away, if you know what I mean.)

In summary, the future couldn't be brighter for everyone's favorite drowned-boy-turned-supernatural-death-machine, with tons of new Jason Universe projects and merch on the horizon. And no matter how fast you try to run away, they'll always be right behind you.

The beautiful thing about a character like Jason is that it's all in the look and the physical performance. I'd argue that the role requires less acting skills than perhaps when The Miz wanted to play Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2, and if we're talking about casting someone who's both imposing and intimitdating, Strowman is a no-brainer. With that in mind, let's dig into what the actor said, and how this wish could one day be a reality.

Braun Strowman Is Interested In Playing Jason Voorhees

Braun Strowman (real name Adam Scherr), who's listed online as being 6'8 "and 335 pounds, recently spoke to Collider ahead of the release of his upcoming horror movie, Deathgasm 2. When asked about the horror franchise he'd like to appear in as more acting roles come his way, Strowman teased he may already be in discussions to play Jason Voorhees within the Friday the 13th franchise's future:

The former WWE superstar was released from the company in May 2025, but has kept busy. In fact, he has a new show planned for the 2025 TV schedule called Everything on the Menu with Braun Strowman, which will air on USA Network in late October. Even so, it seems he's still quite hungry for even more high-profile projects, and the fact that he'd put just about anything aside for an opportunity to play the slasher villain, well that sounds like the biggest vote of confidence possible.

When Will The Next Friday The 13th Project Happen?

It remains to be seen when the next Friday the 13th project will arrive, though there are projects in the works. Peacock's Crystal Lake, a prequel to the events of the original movie, is currently working towards an upcoming release date after having first put into development in 2022, which later led to behind-the-scenes changes over creative differences.

Recent casting updates revealed that Linda Cardellini will play Pamela Voorhees, and that young actor Callum Vinson will play Jason when he was a child. It's possible that the conversations Braun Strowman had involved Crystal Lake, with him eventually playing the adult Jason Voorhees.

At the same time, Horror Inc. executive Robbie Barsamian stated earlier this summer at San Diego Comic-Con that a new Friday the 13th movie was still a priority, though no official announcement was made (via Gizmodo). It's a possibility that talks are underway about bringing Jason back to the big screen, and that Braun Strowman is on a shortlist to portray the character. Will it happen? I'm crossing my fingers and would love to see it happen!

With Halloween season fast approaching, stream the original movie right now over on Paramount+. I know I'm psyched to revisit some of the best horror movies of all time, and that one is certainly up there!

The full list of everything there is to do at Halloween Horror Nights in 2025 is such that you’ll likely want to do everything the event has to offer, the thing is, unless you’re willing to drop the cash for a Frequent Fear Pass in order to go on multiple nights, or spring for the line-skipping Express Pass, doing everything in one night is likely impossible.

It Costs Money To Do It All In One Night At HHN

Even if you’re able to push your way through every house one after another, you’d miss out on other great stuff like Scarezones and the delicious food that Halloween Horror Nights offers, which is why we recommend you don’t try to do only houses. But if you go in knowing you won’t do it all, which ones do you do?

Well, it depends on which coast you’re on. Both CinemaBlend’s social media manager, Tiffney Ma, and I attended one event. We have compared notes, and here’s what we think.

Terrifier (Florida And Hollywood)

No matter which HHN you attend, Terrifier is a house worth seeing. This house is a stomach-turning dive into the twisted world of Terrifier, featuring the sadistic killer clown, Art the Clown. Shocking gore, chaotic atmosphere, and chilling scenes capture the horror and brutality that fans of the slasher franchise love. Expect to be stalked by Art as he goes on a bloody rampage through the house.

This was an absolute thrill for those who enjoy extreme terror. Few, if any, HHN houses have gone quite this hard when it comes to violence and gore. The house made Tiffney more interested in the Terrifier movies. It made a friend of mine literally wretch when he got out. Either way, it's a big win.

Five Nights at Freddy’s (Florida Only)

Based on the video game series and the new movie franchise, this house brings the terrifying animatronics of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza to life. As you walk through, you are surrounded by these creepy characters as they move in for the kill. The tension is palpable as you navigate through dark hallways, never knowing when the next animatronic will spring to life. The attention to detail is top-notch.

The animated characters are the creations of the iconic Henson Creature Shop, and in addition to jumping out and scaring you, they also perform on stage as they would in the Chuck E. Cheese-inspired pizza restaurant that the house recreates. That said, Florida gives fans three characters on stage in the house’s big set piece, while the version at Universal Hollywood only has one, which is a bit of a letdown, and makes this one worth recommending only in Florida.

Monstrous 3: The Ghosts Of Latin America. (Hollywood Only)

For the last two years, Universal Studios Hollywood has offered houses based on very specific monsters, the terrible creatures from Latin America. Each one has been incredible, and this year the trilogy is completed with the third iteration of the house., This one has some absolutely incredible set pieces, including giant monsters that eat scareactors alive.

This house is only available at Universal Studios Hollywood. However, a version of the first Monstrous house did make its way to Orlando last year, so it’s possible we could see this one make the leap at some point in the future.

The Horrors of The Wyatt Sicks (Florida And Hollywood)

Not everybody is a fan of professional wrestling, but don’t let that stop you from experiencing the horror of the Wyatt Sicks. It turned out to be one of the best ones this year. This house delves into the dark history of the Wyatt Sicks family and the twisted horrors that plague them. You’ll experience grotesque rituals, horrifying family secrets, and disturbing visions. The house is a deep dive into an unsettling Southern Gothic nightmare, with plenty of eerie moments that feel like you're trapped inside

These two houses are significantly different in Florida and California, with the Orlando version including more WWE-specific elements and the version in California focusing more on the story of the characters. But either way, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Dolls: Let’s Play Dead (Florida Only)

This is an original IP for Universal. This house is filled with menacing, creepy dolls that seem harmless at first, but then they start to move. Absolute nightmare fuel. The atmosphere is a twisted playhouse where every doll is tortured in different ways, making it a terrifying journey into a world of childhood innocence turned sinister. Expect jump scares and spine-chilling moments as the dolls come to life in the most unsettling ways. If you don’t think you’re afraid of dolls, you might change your mind after walking through this house.

This house is exclusive to Halloween Horror Nights in Florida. You won’t even find it in California, which is a shame since it’s so good. Maybe next year.

Jason Un1v3se (Hollywood Only)

While Tiffney didn’t love the version of Jason Un1v3se that she experienced in Florida, I have to say that the version at Universal Studios Hollywood was absolutely a top-four house. I’m not even that big a fan of Friday the 13th as a franchise, but I still loved this house, which had some absolutely incredible scares that blended static figures with active scareactors in creative ways to cause maximum fright.

If you have the time to do more than four houses, you absolutely should. There’s plenty more to enjoy at Halloween Horror Nights. Just outside each of our top four rankings, we had El Artista: A Spanish Haunting in Orlando, a creative original house with a ton of atmosphere, and Hollywood’s Scarecrow: Music by Slash, which lets the Guns ‘N’ Roses guitarist put his own musical twist on a classic HHN house.

As we all know from years of F13 fandom, the actors who take on the role of Jason are inevitably beloved by fans, but aren't necessarily set up for extremely complex performances. As such, Crystal Lake's casting news for Jason isn't necessarily as interesting to mull over as one of the details attached to the announcement.

Chucky Vet Callum Vinson Was Cast As Crystal Lake's Jason

One thing immediatley setting Crystal Lake apart from past franchise efforts is its timeline, which will take place before Jason's camp-set death that kicks off Pamela's reign of vengeful murders. Which means the version of Jason that we'll be meeting is the young child, and not the rotting and seemingly unkillable killer we all know and love.

According to Deadline, the role will be played by the talented youth Callum Vinson, who already gained a lot of genre cred starring as Henry Collins in Chucky's third season. He's also known for playing Amanda Seyfried's son in Peacock's Long Bright River, as well as a co-starring role in the school talent show mystery episode from Poker Face Season 2, not to mention a role in a 2025 episode of FBI: International before CBS canceled the drama spinoff.

Vinson is also set to pop up in a Season 3 episode of The Night Agent, so it's safe to say fans can expect to see a lot from the actor in years to come. Only we might not actually see him that much in Crystal Lake.

The Detail That Has Me Questioning How Devoted Pamela Will Be As A Mother

Even though the new streaming series falls under the blood-crusted Friday the 13th umbrella that fans most readily associate with the latter-stage evolution of Jason Voorhees, Crystal Lake will be largely centered on Pamela Voorhees, with Linda Cardellini previously cast as the sweater-donning horror icon. But I still expected to see her interacting with her son on a regular basis, considering their relationship is at the crux of so much deadly mayhem.

However, Vinson was only cast in a recurring capacity, as opposed to being a series regular. Which makes me question just how dedicated a parent Pamela will be to her son.

While specifics are fairly few and far between while filming continues, it's believed that Linda Cardellini's Pamela will be in the midst of a singing career when she has to pump the brakes so that she can devote more attention to raising her special-needs son. And it's of course his death, which was previously blamed on inattentive camp counselors, that turns Pamela into a psycho killer.

But what does it mean if Jason isn't actually in every episode? One would think that Pamela and Jason would be inseparable, considering the lengths she travels to avenge his death. But this makes it seem like she might not be spending nearly as much time performing motherly duties as I'd have thought. So what will she be so busy doing for the majority of the season's run?

One way Callum Vinson's recurring role wouldn't necessarily limit Jason's on-screen time would be if Crystal Lake starts off prior to the character's birth, where we get to know Pamela before she became a mother. If that would be the case, then Jason only appearing in five episodes, for example, would be both understandable and justifiable. Not that I'd be quick to craft her a Mother of the Year award in either case.

Crystal Lake, which also boasts cast members Nick Cordileone, Victoria Russell, Danielle Kotch, William Catlett and more, will make its debut on Peacock after the 2025 TV schedule has concluded, so we'll hopefully know more about what to expect the closer we get to that premiere.

All The Dude wanted was his rug back. That simple rug, micturated upon by Woo, drives all the action in the movie, and while the audience doesn't see much of the rug that The Dude (Jeff Bridges) is trying to replace, we do see the one that he (briefly) gets from the millionaire Lebowski in the Big Lebowski.

The DeLorean Time Machine

Admit it, you wanted a DeLorean time machine. We ALL wanted one. Heck, most of us would settle for a regular DeLorean. Ever since we all went back in time with Marty and Doc in Back To The Future, we've longed for the same ability, in the same machine. Now those cars are as lost to time as Biff's Sports Almanac.

Wilson

When the only star who appears in most of a movie only has one friend and that friend is a volleyball, it's bound to be a famous prop. Wilson the Volleyball is the only companion Chuck (Tom Hanks) has in Cast Away, and just like Chuck, the audience gets pretty attached to that silly ball with a face made of Chuck's blood.

The Briefcase In Pulp Fiction

Another cool MacGuffin on this list is the briefcase from Pulp Fiction. We never actually see what's inside, just that it is glowing gold. Maybe that's why the prop has become so famous. If we knew it was just like a stolen Oscar statuette or something, we'd feel differently.

The Red And Blue Pills

While the Blue Pill and the Red Pill in The Matrix have since taken political connotations in recent years, they were famous way before that. One will wake Neo (Keanu Reeves) up, and one will put him back to sleep. Honestly, I don't care which is which, and any political connections are weird, so let's leave it at that.

One Ring To Rule Them All

Not only is The One Ring one of the most famous props in movie history, it's one of the most famous in literature these days. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a masterpiece, and without this one ring to rule them all, it wouldn't exist.

Indy's Whip

You might say Indiana Jones' hat is the most famous prop in the Indiana Jones movies, but the whip that Harrison Ford's character is just as iconic and let's be honest, a little more interesting than a hat. So the whip gets the nod here.

The Giant Piano In Big

Any kid lucky enough to visit the FAO Schwartz in New York after Big was released, their first mission was to find the giant piano you could walk on and even play. It's one of the most iconic scenes in any movie from the era, and while I learned firsthand it was impossible for me to recreate the scene, I still dream about getting a big enough piano to make it work.

Thor's Hammer

There are a lot of famous props in the MCU, like ranking the MCU movies, we could almost do a list of props all its own. Things like the Infinity Gauntlet, or the stones that go into it, are iconic, but is there anything as iconic in the whole franchise as Thor's hammer? Heck, it's one of the famous objects in world mythology, much less Marvel's corner of it.

The Leg Lamp

After the dad in A Christmas Story wins a fragile, major award, it turns out to be a lamp in the shape of a woman's leg. He's so proud of it that he wants to display it in the window, much to the chagrin of his wife. It doesn't make it to the end of the movie, and there is another prop, the Red Ryder BB Gun, that is equally famous, but we just had to go with the leg. After all, it must be Italian.

Dorothy's Ruby Slippers

Of all the famous props and wardrobe pieces on this list, none, not a one, are as famous or as iconic as Dorothy's Ruby Slippers in The Wizard of Oz. It's a prop that is so famous that they are in the Smithsonian along with Fonzie's jacket and Archie Bunker's chair.

The Heart Of The Ocean

Sure, the boat in Titanic is probably the most famous non-character in the movie, but that would be a little on the nose. Instead, we went with the necklace that the crew led by Bill Paxton's character is searching for, The Heart of the Ocean. It ends up down with the boat, though.

The Batmobile

Pick your favorite Batmobile. Any Batmobile works here. You could go with the great one from the '60s TV show (my favorite), or the one from Tim Burton's Batman, and get even more tech with one of Christopher Nolan's versions. You can't go wrong.

Maverick's Jacket

Maverick (Tom Cruise) has one of the most iconic pieces of wardrobe ever. That bomber jacket, covered in patches, is legendary. It's such an important part of the character that when Top Gun: Maverick dropped its first teaser, it was simply a close-up of the jacket and Maverick putting it on.

Freddie's Glove

There are a lot of famous props in horror movies, many of them masks. Freddie's glove in the Nightmare on Elm Street is among the most famous, maybe the most famous. It's a terrifying weapon that has given fans nightmares for decades.

Lightsabers

Okay, so how much do we really need to say here? Of all the props in all the world, is there one more famous than the lightsabers in the Star Wars franchise? No matter what color, there is no weapon in any other franchise that has nearly the same cache as the elegant weapon of the Jedi knights.

Wonka's Golden Ticket

Without the Golden Ticket in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, none of the kids (or their parents) would get the tour of Willie's wild factory. They wouldn't have gotten in any trouble, either.

The Red Swingline Stapler

Stephen Root's character, Milton, in Office Space is one of the weirdest characters in any comedy of the era. Not only is his mumbling disturbing, but his love for his red stapler is downright scary.... and hilarious. It became so famous that Swingline made a special red version of their stapler based on the prop.

Proton Packs

According to Ray (Dan Aykroyd), each Ghostbuster is "carrying an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on his back." Those proton packs have since become a key part of every kid who dressed like our heroes in Ghostbusters for Halloween for decades. Hopefully, the ones the kids wear are a little safer.

The Maltese Falcon

This is a prop so famous, they named the movie after it! Or maybe the prop is named after the movie? I don't know. It could be either way, I suppose. It's one of the most famous MacGuffins ever, the statue in The Maltese Falcon.

Vote For Pedro Tee Shirt

Long after the hype for Napoleon Dynamite faded, we were still seeing people with "Vote For Pedro" shirts walking the streets. The shirts were so popular, it almost eclipsed the movie. Now, they still might be more popular.

The 2001 Obelisk

Obelisks are so cool that people are still randomly building them in the desert (look up Las Vegas Obelisk). That all stems from the Stanley Kubrick classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. Even people who have never seen the legendary film know the scene(s) with the obelisk.

Ghostface's Mask

There are a few very famous masks in horror history, so of course, a movie like Scream, which is essentially a love letter to the classic '70s and '80s slasher films, would end up with one of the most famous. The masks, like the franchise, have been incredibly enduring and probably will be for the next 100 years.

The Sorting Hat

In the world of Harry Potter, there are a few famous props, like the flying car and the various wands. Still, every fan of the franchise secretly has dreams about being sorted by the Sorting Hat into their favorite house at Hogwarts.

Mary Poppins' Umbrella

Every kid dreams of a flying nanny like Mary Poppins, if not having Poppins herself as their nanny. The umbrella has become one of the most recognizable props in the movie over the years. The scene where we first see Julie Andrews as Mary gently guiding herself down is one of the most famous scenes in Hollywood history.

Rita Hayworth Poster

CinemaBlend has called The Shawshank Redemption the best movie of the '90s. The Stephen King story on which it is based is called, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. That's how important the poster is that Andy (Tim Robbins) hides his escape tunnel. The moment when the warden tears it down is one of the most fun moments in any movie, ever.

The New Bluesmobile

The Bluesmobile in The Blues Brothers is not, actually, the original Bluesmobile, according to Jake (John Belushi). The original was a Cadillac, not the former Police Car that Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) shows up in to pick Jake up from prison. Elwood explains that he had to trade it for a microphone, which Jake understands. No matter what, the car is one of the most famous cars of the 1980s.

Reese's Pieces

Oh, what a mistake Mars Candy made when they reportedly didn't want Steven Spielberg to use M&M's in E.T. That opened up an opportunity for the folks over at Reese's Pieces, who did license their product, and now they are one of the most famous food items in any movie, ever.

Jason's Hockey Mask

Of all the famous masks in slasher films from the '70s and '80s, there is none more iconic than Jason's mask in the Friday the 13th franchise. We're not going to get into who was actually wearing it in the original movie, because it doesn't matter. It's the mask that matters.

The Burn Book

Ahhhh, the "Burn Book" in Mean Girls. It's the ultimate downfall of the titular click in the classic comedy written by and starring Tina Fey. It's filled with all the evidence anyone would ever need to take those terrible people down, and eventually, they are dramatically brought down.

The Box In Seven

"What's in the box?" is one of the most disturbing questions ever uttered in any movie, ever. Brad Pitt's performance in the moment is some of the best acting work of his career. We certainly don't want to go into detail with the answer to that question, but if you know, you know.

The Red Balloon In IT

Some people are scared of clowns. Some people are scared of balloons. IT finds a way to freak both groups out and in the process creates one of the most iconic props of all time. No words are needed to scare people, either. Like so many props on this list, one quick glance is all it takes to know exactly what movie it comes from.

Well, being the idiot that I am, I showed my son and daughter, who are 8 and 9, respectively, this intro, and I stupidly said, “You know, Grandpa took me to see this when I was only 8, and it’s rated R,” to which my children obviously asked, “Can we watch rated-R movies then?”

I walked right into that one, didn't I? I told them no, of course, since I felt bad for even taking my then-six-year-old son to a PG-13 movie like Godzilla Minus One. But my children asked me why I could watch a rated-R movie at their age, and they couldn’t, which really got me thinking: Should I let them watch R-rated movies? Well…

I Guess It All Depends On The Movie, Right?

Terminator 2 is rated R, sure, but I don't know if I would consider it a heavy R. What I mean is the rating is mostly because of the violence, as well as the profanity, as the movie has around 52 f-bombs in it.

Yes, that's a lot, and the first time I saw the movie, I was shocked! I distinctly remember turning to my dad, who gave me an apologetic expression, and I exclaimed, “They can say that?”

How naive I was, as the word was uttered several more instances after that first time. But, here's the thing: after that initial f-bomb, it didn't have the same impact for me anymore. In fact, I kind of didn't even notice it after awhile. So when it comes to my own children, would it really be so bad if they heard a few f-bombs in a movie? I mean, kids at their school say the f-word all the time, and I only know this since I've heard other kids saying it when I've picked my own children up.

So, really, if I let my kids watch an R-rated flick, it all depends on the movie. For instance, my son has asked if he can watch Deadpool, and I said absolutely not. Besides the profanity, there's also a lot of sexual innuendo in that movie, and the violence is a bit too extreme.

My daughter asked if she could watch The Evil Dead, since it's in one of my favorite horror franchises, which, in my enthusiasm, I've told her about several times. But besides the gore, that movie also has that scene (and you know what scene I’m talking about). So even though I saw an R-rated film when I was only 8, I'm not sure if my own kids are “ready” yet. But that brings me to my next question.

What Age Is Appropriate?

I’ve settled on 13. Is that the best age to let kids watch rated-R movies? Honestly, I have no idea, but I figure that if I tell my kids a certain age that’s not too far away, then they’ll be more amenable to accepting that rather than me just saying, “Wait until you’re 17.”

Because, honestly, I trust my children, and I don’t think watching a rated-R movie is going to warp them or turn them into deviants. For example, I’ve been a diehard Mortal Kombat fan ever since the first game debuted back in 1992. In fact, everybody I knew back then was a big fan of Mortal Kombat, and we turned out just fine.

Also, I swear I watched every Friday the 13th movie, unedited, by the time I was 13. My mom worked nights, so I used to wait up until my older sister fell asleep, and then sneak downstairs to watch them (in fact, I watched a lot of movies my sister told me not to watch).

In that way, 13 feels like a good age to me. That's because I’m the kind of father who has been answering any questions my children have from as early as they could talk; my rationale being that if they’re old enough to wonder, then they’re old enough to know the truth. So, when they asked me where babies came from, I took them to the library and showed them an age-appropriate book. I didn’t say, “The stork,” or anything that I would have to walk back later.

I respect their intelligence, and when my daughter started watching The Simpsons, I was a little apprehensive at first since there are sexual jokes. But at the same time, I know these jokes are coming since I’ve seen every episode multiple times, and I’m prepared to explain any bawdy humor that comes up whenever my daughter asks, “What do they mean?” Which brings me to my next point.

Whatever They End Up Seeing, I'll Of Course Watch The Movie First

When my dad took me to see Terminator 2, we went into it blind. He told me that he had asked a coworker of his if it was “appropriate” for his 8-year-old son, and his coworker said that it was. But what’s appropriate for one parent may not be appropriate for another.

For example, I don’t curse in front of my children, but I know there are plenty of parents who do. So for them, Deadpool’s dialogue may not be an issue. For me, it is, at least when it comes to my kids. As another example, a lot of the kids in my son’s class have already watched Squid Game (my son’s friend asked him if he wanted to play “Russian Roulette,” to which my son, thankfully, didn’t know what he was talking about).

So whatever R-rated movie I let my children eventually watch when they turn 13, I’ll of course have to watch it first. In other words, unlike my dad, I won’t just take another person’s word for what is appropriate for my kids.

I feel this is my job as a parent anyway. I’m not throwing any shade, but my kids don’t even have cell phones. I know, how is that even possible, right? When even kindergarten kids have smartphones these days, I feel like the odd parent out since I won’t let my children have them. But even with parental settings on, there are just too many outside factors that I can’t control that I don’t feel comfortable with.

This brings me to my last point…

Lastly, I Know My Kids Will Likely Find A Way To Watch Something That They Want To See Anyway, So I Want To Be There When They Do

Being a parent is knowing that your children aren’t going to do what you want them to do, probably 99% of the time. For example, my mom didn’t want me watching Friday the 13th, or the Halloween movies (which I’ve also watched all the way through), but I watched them anyway. It’s mostly because my mother and I never had that conversation of what I should or shouldn’t watch. It was just implied.

However, it doesn’t matter the generation. If a kid wants to see something badly enough, they’ll find a way to see it, and my kids are no exception. Like, my son had to be the one who narc'd on his sister when he told me that she watched an episode of Hazbin Hotel on my account. I have since pulled Prime Video from my television and now only watch it on my phone.

That said, for my son to even narc on his sister in the first place just tells me that 1, she must have done something that pissed him off, so he wanted to get her in trouble; and 2, even he realized that she shouldn’t have been watching a show like that.

So, when it comes to an R-rated movie, I want to be there when they watch one all the way through. Firstly, I want it to be something that they want to watch so it shows that I trust their maturity level. And secondly, I want it to be there to explain things, if need be. For example, when I used to sneak downstairs and watch Jason kill horny teenagers, a part of me thought sex was bad and that the camp counselors DESERVED to die since they shouldn’t have been having sex in the first place.

But I don’t want my kids to grow up thinking sex is “bad,” or that violence is “good,” which I grew up believing since I watched these films alone at such a young age. I want them to know the risks of sex and the consequences of violence, and I feel I can do that if we watch these films together.

But what do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

10 total houses are coming to Florida, with eight set for California, not to mention numerous other spooky attractions and ghoulish entertainment. There's a lot planned for Halloween Horror Nights 2025! Here's everything you need to know about this year's event.

Confirmed Universal Studios Florida Houses

Universal Studios Florida remains the marquee location for Halloween Horror Nights. With 10 houses to fill alongside numerous scary zones and other attractions, bigger is sometimes better. Here’s what's coming to the USF event in 2025.

Terrifier

The Terrifier franchise has become one of the most popular modern horror franchises, which makes its inclusion in Halloween Horror Nights not that shocking. What makes its inclusion surprising is that Terrifier is known for being one of the most gory and gross horror franchises. Fans will get to experience it in all its gory glory, as the house has two paths, one is "wetter" than the other.

Fallout

The first announcement of the year is usually the most exciting, and this year was certainly no exception. Fallout was an incredibly popular video game franchise for decades before becoming a hit streaming series (available with a Prime Video subscription). Now, the Fallout series has inspired an HHN house, and though it isn’t necessarily viewed as a straightforward horror franchise, the post-apocalypse certainly has its moments of gnarly gore and freaky characters. No matter how scary it is, fans of the franchise will be excited to visit the Wasteland. And the word is elements at the end of the house will tease fans on the upcoming Fallout Season 2.

Jason Un1v3rse

Horror movie slashers are a staple of Halloween Horror Nights, and it’s rare that we don’t have a year without the likes of Leatherface or Michael Myers. This year (on Friday the 13th, 2025, no less), the company revealed that Jason Voorhees would be making his return to HHN. Jason Universe, or Jason Un1v3rse as it’s being stylized, will take guests to Camp Crystal Lake, where rather than simply seeing a single Jason story unfold, we’ll get some of the best moments from the entire Friday the 13th franchise.

El Artista: A Spanish Haunting

The first original house announced for Orlando will be set in a country manor in 19th-century Spain. It will tell the story of a tortured artist who moves into the house to discover art that comes to life and possesses him. By the end, he will likely be a truly tortured artist.

Hatchet And Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters

Last year's HHN featured the house Slaughter Cinema 2, which included a fictional B-movie about demon bounty hunters. Now, fans who wish that movie were real will get their chance to go inside it as Hatchet and Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters is now a house all its own.

Dolls: Let's Play Dead

Plenty of horror movies have shown just how creepy dolls can be, and that's when they're small. In Dolls: Let's Play Dead, the guests become the size of dolls and are hunted by tortured toys. What if Toy Story was just Sid the whole time?

Grave Of Flesh

Most HHN houses try to kill you. In Grave of Flesh, it seems the story is that you're already dead. Unfortunately, the worst isn't over, as you're now in the underworld and being hunted by all manner of unspeakable creatures.

Galkn: Monsters Of The North

One of the great things HHN does is find scary monsters from other cultures and introduce them through houses. Galkn: Monsters of the North takes an old Norse monster you've probably never heard of, and makes you wish you still hadn't.

Five Nights At Freddy’s

Five Nights at Freddy’s is a franchise that fans have wanted to see at Halloween Horror Nights for a long time, and with the upcoming Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 movie hitting theaters this Halloween season, now is as good a time as any. While the fact that something FNAF-related was coming to HHN this year was announced early on, it was only recently that a full house was confirmed.

WWE Presents: The Horrors of The Wyatt Sicks

Potentially the most intriguing house of the year will see Universal partner with WWE to bring its horror-themed family of freaks, The Wyatt Sicks, to Halloween Horror Nights. The house will feature the current cast of terrifying weirdos but will also honor the legacy of Bray Wyatt, the man who started the Wyatt Family, and will include his alter ego, The Fiend, the first time the character has been used since the death of Bray Wyatt.

Confirmed Universal Studios Hollywood Houses

Universal Studios Hollywood isn’t as big as the park in Florida, so its HHN event doesn’t quite measure up. That said, USH traditionally gets eight houses, with several exclusive to the California park to make up for the smaller number. On top of that, this is the only place to get the Terror Tram, which is always a highlight. Here’s what we know about HHN at USH in 2025.

Terrifier

The Terrifier franchise will come to HHN in Hollywood as well as Florida. Elements from all over the franchise, including Art the Clown's Funhouse and a terrifying Christmas area, will both appear.

Fallout

Fallout is traditionally set on the West Coast, so it’s only right that the Fallout HHN house has a home in California as well as Florida. The story of Lucy McLean and the Ghoul will be highlighted here, along with all the RAD roaches and Deathclaws the Wasteland has to offer.

Jason Un1v3rse

Jason Voorhees will terrorize campers on both coasts when the Jason Universe HHN house opens at Universal Hollywood. It will be interesting to see how similar the two houses are. Even when HHN places the same house at both parks, they aren’t always exact replicas. Back when The Last of Us came to HHN, it was felt by many that the Hollywood version was noticeably better than Florida's. And since Jason Universe will be pulling from the entire Friday the 13th franchise, it’s at least possible that each house could get full set pieces from entirely different movies.

Monstruos 3: The Ghosts Of Latin America

The first Monstruos HHN house back in 2023 was a massive hit and widely regarded as the best house at Universal Studios Hollywood that year. Last year, that house made its way to Orlando, while a sequel house appeared in California. Now, the trilogy will be completed with three terrifying monsters, La Llorona, La Muelona, and La Siguanaba.

Five Nights At Freddy’s

The Five Nights at Freddy’s house confirmed at Universal Studios Florida is also happening at Universal Studios Hollywood. Freddy Fazbear's Pizza will come to life, as will the animatronics that want you dead.

Scarecrow: Music By Slash

Guns 'N' Roses guitarist Slash has partnered with Halloween Horror Nights to provide original music for the last six years in a row and 2025 will be no different. This year his full score will back a story of mother nature wreaking vengeance on homesteads via terrifying scarecrows.

WWE Presents: The Horrors of The Wyatt Sicks

The Wyatt Sicks will be coming to Universal Studios Hollywood as well as Universal Studios Florida. WWE fans who are also theme park fans, and there are a lot of those people, are sure to love this one. If the house is done well, knowledge of professional wrestling should not be required.

Poltergeist

The final house announced for HHN at USH in 2025 was Poltergeist, the iconic horror franchise will pull guests through the glowing TV screen and see them chased down by The Beast

Terror Tram: Enter the Blumhouse

Of all the HHN activities at Universal Studios Hollywood, the one that no other park, including other Universal parks, can ever hope to imitate is the Terror Tram. This is where the iconic Universal Studios Backlot Tour is transformed into a horror experience. For the second year in a row, Blumhouse will host the Terror Tram, with elements from Black Phone, Megan 2.0, Happy Death Day, and The Purge all teased to be part of the show.

On paper, this looks to be a great year for Halloween Horror Nights. The event launches on August 29 at Universal Studios Florida and on September 4 at Universal Studios Hollywood. Tickets are still available.

Yes, you read the right: the hockey mask-clad, machete-wielding iconic horror movie villain does, indeed, have one blood-soaked, decomposing foot in the world of creator Sam Raimi’s ultra-gory demonic possession films, which are continuing with two upcoming horror movies currently in the works. Just how do the Friday the 13th movies connect to the Evil Dead universe? Well, if you call yourself a fan of classic horror movies, you might know already. If not, allow me to explain…

Jason Voorhees Is A Deadite

While not widely considered one of the best Friday the 13th flicks, 1993’s Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (yeah, right) is recognized as an important installment in uncovering the mystery behind Jason Voorhees’ ability to continue his murder streak at Crystal Lake and elsewhere again and again… and again. The killer actually dies in the first scene, but remains a presence throughout by way of bodily possession. So, just how is that possible?

Protagonist Steve Freeman (John D. LeMay) discovers at the Voorhees Family home a strange-looking book that Evil Dead fans should recognize as the Necronomicon Ex Mortis (a.k.a., the Book of the Dead). This implies that Jason’s mother, Pamela (the iconic female horror movie villain originally played by Betsy Palmer), used the flesh-bound, blood-inked volume of the book to bring her deceased son back to life and sort of succeeded, turning him into a murderous monster. In other words, Jason Voorhees is no different from the spiritually possessed “Deadites” that Ash Williams lays waste to with the chainsaw he replaced his right hand with.

The Lore Goes Deeper In A Comic Book

Speaking of the snarky, but resourceful horror movie hero played by horror movie icon Bruce Campbell, Ash Williams has even faced off against Jason Voorhees, just not on the big screen. The Jason Goes to Hell ending teases a Friday the 13th/A Nightmare on Elm Street crossover that eventually became a reality with the release of Freddy vs. Jason ten years later. Campbell recalled to radio host Sam Roberts how New Line Cinema approached him with a pitch for a follow-up that would see his character take on the slasher villains, like Jason, but nothing materialized for various behind-the-scenes reasons.

However, the idea would inspire a comic book from DC’s Wildstorm and Dynamite Entertainment aptly titled Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash. The six-issue series from writer James Kuhoric ties all the subtle crossover connections between the three hit franchises (from the aforementioned Necromonicon cameo in Jason Goes to Hell to a shot of Freddy Krueger’s glove in the horror-comedy movie favorite, Evil Dead II) together in one epic, bloody showdown.

As previously mentioned, the Evil Dead series is moving forward with Sébastien Vaniček’s Evil Dead Burn and another anthological feature follow-up in development, as is the saga of Jason Voorhees with Peacock’s upcoming horror TV show, Crystal Lake. Could the connection between these thrilling franchises grow deeper with the release of these forthcoming projects? Only time will tell. Until then, have a happy and safe Friday the 13th!

Margaret White (Carrie)

Sissy Spacek's title character from Brian DePalma's 1976 adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie possesses telekinetic abilities that make her a danger to others, but she is not the villain of the story. That would be her mother, Margaret (Piper Laurie in an Oscar-nominated performance), who is an abusive, extreme religious fanatic with deluded reasoning for cruelly punishing her daughter, whom she even considers to be a punishment for her own past sins.

Lucille Bluth (Arrested Development)

There are very few members of the Bluth Family from Arrested Development who do not boast hilariously despicable personalities. The worst of them all might just be the matriarch, Lucille (Jessica Walter), whose self-serving, elitist ego drives her to manipulate and arrogantly berate all of her "loved" ones, with her own children facing much of the brunt.

Momma Lift (Throw Momma From The Train)

In the 1987 dark comedy movie, Throw Momma from the Train, Owen Lift (Danny DeVito, who also directs) agrees to kill the ex-wife of his writing professor, Larry Donner (Billy Crystal), in exchange for murdering his mother. Honestly, it is hard not to empathize with Owen when Anne Ramsey first appears in her Oscar-nominated role as the loud, nasty, belligerent, and physically abusive Momma Lift.

Livia Soprano (The Sopranos)

Every Sopranos character has their standout qualities, but Livia Soprano (Nancy Marchand) has absolutely none. Her gangster son Tony (James Gandolfini) enters therapy to get over issues stemming from his terrible childhood living under her roof. However, she committed her worst sin against him when he was grown up, attempting to orchestrate his murder.

Lady Tremaine (Cinderella)

You could look at any iteration of the classic fairy tale, Cinderella, and the title character's wicked stepmother could be considered an all-timer in this category, based on her unjustifiably horrid treatment of the innocent young woman. However, Eleanor Audley's portrayal in the Disney animated classic from 1950 is perhaps the most bloodcurdlingly cruel and chillingly intimidating.

Selina Meyer (Veep)

In Armando Iannucci's hilarious political satire, Veep, Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) uses and abuses as many people as possible to rise in the ranks of the United States Government. Receiving the worst treatment, however, is her own daughter, Catherine (Sarah Sutherland), whom she constantly belittles and shamelessly uses as a tool in her campaigns.

Mary Jones (Precious)

One of the most stunning examples of a comedian giving a stellar dramatic performance is Mo'Nique's Oscar-winning role in Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire as the title character's mom, Mary Jones. Not only does she physically and verbally abuse her teenage daughter (played by Gabourey Sidibe), but she also stands by when her husband takes advantage of her, only to blame her for the situation and accuse her of "stealing her man."

Cersei Lannister (Game Of Thrones)

In the world of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, there are many noble royals who breed despicable children, and just as many noble royals bred from despicable parents. However, Cersei Lannister (played by Lena Headey in HBO's Game of Thrones cast) is an example of a sadistic woman who also bred sadistic children, all of whom would end up meeting a bitter end as a result of her manipulative ways.

Joan Crawford (Mommie Dearest)

Arguably, the mother of all mean movie mothers is not a product of complete fiction, but allegedly based on fact. Faye Dunaway gives a frighteningly over-the-top performance as Academy Award winner Joan Crawford in a 1981 adaptation of Mommie Dearest, a memoir by the screen legend's own adoptive daughter, Christina.

Cookie Lyon (Empire)

The dog-eat-dog nature of the music industry has rarely been captured better than in Lee Daniels and Danny Strong's hit series, Empire, especially as seen through the eyes of Loretha "Cookie" Lyon. Portrayed by Taraji P. Henson in a Golden Globe-winning performance, the record executive and former convict is not opposed to pitting her own children against each other to benefit her own influence over the family's company, Empire Entertainment.

Pamela Voorhees (Friday The 13th)

If you really think about it, Pamela Voorhees (portrayed by Betsy Palmer in the 1980 horror movie classic, Friday the 13th) is not, in essence, a bad mother. It was her loving commitment to her son that drove her to murder the camp counselors she believes were responsible for his fatal drowning. In fact, proof that the sympathetic horror villain was a good mom lies in the mysteriously resurrected Jason and his bid to continue killing debaucherous teens in her honor.

Marie Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond)

On the beloved TV sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond, Frank Barone (Peter Boyle) is the more outwardly spiteful parent to Ray (Ray Romano) and Robert (Brad Garrett). At least he does not treat his sons like children, even as grown-ups, like his wife, Marie, does. Doris Roberts' multi-Emmy-winning role might be an even worse mother-in-law, with the way she puts down Ray's wife, Debra (Patricia Heaton), at seemingly every chance.

Lavona Golden (I, Tonya)

I believe the key to Allison Janney's Oscar win for portraying Tonya Harding's mother, Lavona Golden, in I, Tonya is how persuasively she argues that she is responsible for pushing the Olympic figure skater (played by Margot Robbie) to greatness. However, she takes absolutely no responsibility for instilling qualities of poor sportsmanship, incessant verbal and physical abuse, and her shamelessly manipulative ways.

Evelyn Harper (Two And A Half Men)

Holland Taylor is dynamite in her ferocious, four-time Emmy-nominated performance as the cold and vindictive Evelyn Harper on Two and a Half Men. It is no wonder that her sons, the commitment-phobic Charlie (Charlie Sheen) and hopelessly dissatisfied Alan (Jon Cryer), turned out to be, when you imagine what living with her must have been like.

Petunia Dursley (The Harry Potter Movies)

What makes Petunia Dursley (Fiona Shaw) easily one of the most despicable Harry Potter characters is her terrible role as a parent, but in more than one way. She treats her son, Dudley (Harry Melling), far too well, spoiling him beyond repair. Yet, her treatment of her eponymous orphaned nephew (played by Daniel Radcliffe) is abhorrent, from locking him in a cupboard under the stairs as punishment to making him into her home's indentured servant.

Colleen Donaghy (30 Rock)

Elaine Stritch earned five Emmy nominations for appearing on 30 Rock as the domineering and mercilessly critical mother of Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), Colleen. Jack once accidentally hit her with his car and, as a result of her unfavorable behavior, proceeded to wait eight minutes before deciding to call 9-1-1.

Ruth DeWitt Bukater (Titanic)

Frances Fisher's role in the Titanic cast, Ruth DeWitt Bukater, is an essential example of an overbearing, elitist, and manipulative movie mother. Perhaps her worst offense is forcing Rose (Kate Winslet) to marry her loathsome fiancé, Cal (Billy Zane), purely for the social status it will earn their family.

Brianna Barksdale (The Wire)

On The Wire, the only thing standing in the way of D'Angelo Barksdale's (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) switch to the right side of the law is his mother. Brianna (Michael Hyatt) is constantly manipulating her son into giving up so much for the benefit of their family's unlawful business, including serving a long prison sentence on behalf of his uncle, Avon (Wood Harris).

Eleanor Shaw Iselin (The Manchurian Candidate)

Discovering that you have been brainwashed into becoming a political assassin is terrifying. Discovering that your own mother is involved in the conspiracy, like what Eleanor Shaw Iselin (Angela Lansbury) does to her son, Raymond (Laurence Harvey), in the 1962's The Manchurian Candidate, is simply devastating.

Endora (Bewitched)

Some of the funniest moments on Bewitched would come courtesy of Agnes Moorehead as Endora, a literal witch who never once held back from expressing her resentment toward her mortal son-in-law, Darrin Stephens (original Dick York and later Dick Sargent). Of course, Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) is as much a victim of her mother's domineerance, and one can only imagine what sorts of wicked things she must have put up with while growing up with her.

Mrs. Robinson (The Graduate)

Watching The Graduate from the perspective of Elaine Robinson (Katharine Ross) makes the 1967 dramedy an even more maddening trip. It is bad enough that her mother (played by Anne Bancroft) attempts to ruin her relationship with Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), but to discover that he is her lover, too, sounds like a nightmare.

Irina Derevko (Alias)

To get a more authentic look at what the life of a spy must be like, I would not recommend checking out the James Bond movies, but the hit ABC series, Alias, which follows the adventures of double agent Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner). She was prepped for the traumatic hardships of espionage at an early age when her mother, Irina Derevko (Lena Olin), faked her death, but even that could not prepare her for when Irina betrayed her daughter in favor of the KGB.

Beverly Sutphin (Serial Mom)

The central character of writer and director John Waters' uproarious dark comedy, 1994's Serial Mom, is Beverly Sutphin (Kathleen Turner), a suburban housewife who would never harm her own children. However, she has absolutely no qualms about brutally harming other people for the sake of her children, which does not make things any better, of course.

Maya Lewis (Scandal)

Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) had dedicated her life and career to making crises disappear on Scandal. On the other hand, her mother, Maya Lewis (Khandi Alexander), has, ironically, dedicated her life to making them happen. However, Olivia did not know that for almost two decades, and, in fact, she was under the impression that her mother was dead that whole time.

Mrs. Windle Vale (Now, Voyager)

Bette Davis stars in director Irving Rapper's 1942 drama, Now, Voyager, as Charlotte Vale, who longs for independence from her overbearing mother (played by Gladys Cooper), who constantly belittles her with comments about her being an embarrassment to their family. Apparently, Mrs. Vale could not stand the idea of her daughter protesting her dominance because the day she does just happens to be the day she succumbs to a sudden heart attack.

Ida Welker (Malcolm In The Middle)

While Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) could be seen as a mean mom, in retrospect, she put up with a lot while raising her five boys (six if you count Bryan Cranston's Hal) on Malcolm in the Middle. While I have nothing but respect for her, I have nothing but disdain for her mother, Ida (Academy Award winner Cloris Leachman), who is a cold, conniving, and downright horrid woman right to her core.

Zinnia Wormwood (Matilda)

Based on the novel by Roald Dahl, 1996's Matilda stars Mara Wilson in the title role of a young girl gifted with telekinetic powers but cursed with despicable adult peers, including her uncaring parents. Not only is her mother, Zinnia Wormwood (Rhea Perlman), a vain, airheaded narcissist, but her father (played by Danny DeVito, who also directs) is just as bad.

Dr. Beverly Hofstadter (The Big Bang Theory)

Almost every member of CBS' The Big Bang Theory cast has a mother with a strong personality, to say the least, but Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) has that claimed unmatched. Psychologist Beverly Hofstadter (Christine Baranski) never bothered to show Leonard any affection, considering she only had children for experimental and research purposes anyway.

Alice Ward (The Fighter)

Melissa Leo gives an Academy Award-winning performance in 2010's fact-based, acclaimed boxing movie, The Fighter, as Alice Ward. The portrayal paints her as a woman who is more concerned with what is best for the athletic careers of her sons, Micky (Mark Wahlberg) and Dicky (Christian Bale), than what is best for their well-beings.

Constance Langdon (American Horror Story)

As one of the most frequent recurring American Horror Story actors, Jessica Lange has played an amusing variety of characters on the seasonal horror anthology TV show. However, her scariest role may be the first, Constance Langdon, whose horrid parenting skills and refusal to take responsibility for them have resulted in chaos in her household and for others affected by her children's actions.

Lilly Dillon (The Grifters)

One might assume that Lilly Dillon (Anjelica Huston) would be happy that her son, Roy (John Cusack), has found love with Myra (Annette Bening), who is in the same line of work as she is: con artistry. However, Lilly is the type of mother who does not believe any woman is good enough for her son, which is why she plots to murder Myra in 1990's The Grifters.

Norma Bates (Bates Motel)

We never actually meet Norma Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's seminal 1960 thriller, Psycho, but we can imagine, from the way her son, Norman (Anthony Perkins), takes on her likeness when murdering people, that she was not an easy person to get along with. The A&E original series, Bates Motel, offers an inside look at the complicated relationship between Norma (Vera Farmiga) and young Norman (Freddie Highmore), which is littered with lies, manipulation, and murder.

Light spoilers below for the first episode of The Bondsman for anyone who hasn’t yet streamed it with an Amazon Prime subscription.

Like relative few actors, Kevin Bacon excels in literally every genre. Award-earning drama? Check. Action-packed superhero flick? Check. Cult-chasing thriller? The pattern is clear. Nothing makes ME happier, however, than when he embraces his darker side for ‘80s classics like Friday the 13th and Tremors to the ever-underrated Stir of Echoes to his slimiest villain yet in MaXXXine, and then some. Bacon’s back for possibly his bloodiest role yet in The Bondsman, and his gory first-scene death would likely get a thumbs up from F13’s Pamela Voorhees.

Kevin Bacon talked to CinemaBlend ahead of his Prime Video series’ April 3 premiere, and the lifelong horror nerd in me was only too gleeful to ask about how his character Hub Halloran’s brutal throat slashing in The Bondsman compared to Jack Burrell’s iconic arrow-through-the-neck demise, our pick for best death in the first Friday the 13th. As seen in the video above, he shared a fun story about how the shoestring budget meant there wasn’t room to get anything wrong, even though things did indeed go wrong.

Considering the general discomfort suffered by the young actor, whose only named role before that was in National Lampoon's Animal House, I suppose it's a net positive for his neck that director Sean Cunningham and his creative team didn't have the money to take a few dozen cracks at getting the moment ju-u-u-ust right. Bacon continued:

While I'll admittedly never tire of seeing Jason swinging an occupied sleeping bag into a tree, Kevin Bacon's Friday the 13th death will forever be disturbing to witness. The combination of his eyes staring out into nothing and the unnatural blood glooping is successful in a way that a perfectly executed moment might not have been.

Bacon talked to CinemaBlend in December 2024 about Friday the 13th fans will continuously approach him at events and elsewhere with photos from that particular scene for him to sign, even if he'd maybe prefer ones where he doesn't look quite so tortured.

Kevin Bacon Says His Death In The Bondsman Went Exactly The Way An Actor Would Want It To

Even though it doesn't sound like Kevin Bacon went through a ton of prep work for his first horror appearance, he went through the full gamut of stunts, effects, and makeup for The Bondsman, where his bounty hunter Hub Halloran is killed by rival criminals and then resurrected by the Devil himself in order to track down demons to banish them back to hell. (Wait, what if that was what Jason Voorhees was doing in the F13 movies?)

In any case, few sequences looked rougher for the Death Sentence vet than when Hub gets viciously murdered before viewers are even aware of what's happening. Thankfully though, it wasn't rough at all for Bacon himself. As he put it:

Would it have been amusing to see Hub having to put a straw into his neck to drink in the premiere? Maybe, maybe not. But everything about The Bondsman is a bloody blast regardless, with an A+ ensemble cast that includes Jennifer Nettles, Beth Grant, Jolene Purdy, Maxwell Jenkins and Damon Herriman. (Seeing Bacon and Herriman on-screen together just made me want Bacon to retroactively be added into Justified at some point.)

All eight episodes of The Bondsman's first season are available to stream now, so you better do it before the mythological wind spirit that's huddled in the corner over there gets up and possesses you.

Now that the series has started to chug along in its current form, it appears that the pivotal character of Pamela Voorhees has been cast, and with an actor who's worked on both sides of the cinematic comic aisle. That choice comes with another facet though, as it's unfortunately ripe to inspire some Crystal Lake questions among the fandom that are similar to ones asked of the MCU’s Spider-Man.

Introducing Linda Cardellini As Pamela Voorhees

As freshly announced by Deadline, it appears that a deal has closed that will see Dead To Me vet and James Gunn collaborator Linda Cardellini playing one of horror’s most infamous mothers. Accompanying that news were these notes on how the character will be portrayed in Crystal Lake:

Spoilers for those who haven’t seen Friday the 13th but have somehow landed on this news: Pamela Voorhees is the original killer in this legendary franchise that helped define the slasher subgenre. It’s honestly a twist worthy of a Scooby Doo episode, as new fans usually walk in knowing Jason, but find themselves tripped up by his status in the overall arc of the story.

It sounds like Crystal Lake will be centered around Linda Cardellini’s maternal figure, and the reign of terror she visits upon Camp Crystal Lake in the wake of her son’s wrongful death. So much like Bates Motel did for Psycho before it, the backstory before the real bloodletting is going to shape what we see. Though whether or not that focus will be the driving force for the entire series is yet to be determined, as this Peacock subscription teaser’s plans are still hiding in the New Jersey woods.

However you don’t need to know too much more to realize two things, the first of which is that a largely Jason-less series might rub some fans the wrong way. The second factor is the one we’re really here to discuss, as Ms. Cardellini’s casting seems almost bound to incur some very MCU flavored discourse ahead.

Why Friday The 13th Fans Are About To Invoke “Aunt May” On This Casting

It’s been a little over three years since Spider-Man: No Way Home took out Aunt May Parker, and yet Marvel fans still debate Marisa Tomei’s casting as the classic Marvel Comics character. With a lot of spectators seeming to question whether an Aunt May can be “young and hot,” it’s a subject that stalks any message board like Jason Voorhees stalks his prey.

I fear that Crystal Lake is going to come under fire in the same way, as Linda Cardellini’s casting breaks the mold in the same sort of manner. You can practically hear keyboards firing up, ready to call out how the No Good Deed star’s looks are some sort of disqualifier for playing the more matronly looking Pamela Voorhees - with or without the machete in hand.

As far as I’m concerned, seeing the No Good Deed star cast in another morally complicated role is perfectly fitting. Not to mention if we’re really going to call out any cognitive dissonance here, it should be how a former Velma Dinkley will presumably slip on a mask of her own, in the name of dispatching some meddling kids at Camp Crystal Lake. Jinkies doesn’t even cut it.

I hope that more horror fans see Linda Cardellini as the new Pamela Voorhees for the win it truly is. Her multifaceted talents have brought her from genre to genre, running the gamut of morality throughout. Though we don’t know when Crystal Lake will premiere, it will assuredly be at a date that gives the internet plenty of time to debate. While healthy disagreements are fine and well, my fingers are crossed that the Aunt May-style discourse won’t be as long lived as what we’ve seen out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The upcoming horror TV show has actually been in development since 2022 and, at one time, was thought to be cancelled, but is now moving toward its long-awaited premiere faster than Jason Voorhees stalks his victims. Learn all that we know about Crystal Lake with the following guide to the upcoming A24 TV show.

Quick Facts About Crystal Lake

Before I discuss some of the things that Crystal Lake has me racking my brain over, let’s unmask some some of the confirmed facts that we know about the series so far.

• Crystal Lake Has No Set Premiere Date
• The Series Is Said To Take Place Before 1980's Friday The 13th
• Linda Cardellini Stars As Pamela Voorhees (via Deadline) And William Catlett Plays Levon Brooks (via Variety)
• Brad Caleb Kane Is The Showrunner
• Crystal Lake Is Produced Under A24

What Is The Crystal Lake Premiere Date?

There is no telling when you should prepare to return to camp at the moment, because Crystal Lake has no set premiere date, as of August 2025. It is unlikely we will find it showing up on the 2025 TV premiere schedule, but we can tell you that the series will be available to stream with a Peacock subscription upon release.

What Is Crystal Lake About?

Anyone familiar with the Friday the 13th movies knows the legend of Jason Voorhees – a young boy who drowned in the waters at Camp Crystal Lake while two counselors who should have been keeping watch were engaging in lewd activity. This would send the boy’s mother, Pamela, down a dark and murderous path, seeking to avenge her son by ridding the world of as many debaucherous youths as possible, as seen in the 1980 slasher movie favorite that started it all.

Not much else is known about Jason, who would rise from the dead to finish what his mother started, and Pamela Voorhees from before that tragic incident, and that is where Crystal Lake comes in. Plot details are still scarce for now, but we do know that the series will serve as a prequel to the beloved horror movie franchise, taking place during the early years of the eponymous place that made Friday the 13th a summer horror movie classic.

The Crystal Lake Cast

The Friday the 13th franchise has made horror movie icons out of a few different actors, such as Kane Hodder, who is one of the most famous people to wear the hockey mask as Jason Voorhees. Maybe the same will happen for the members of the Crystal Lake cast, which includes a couple of genre veterans already. Take a look at who plays who in the upcoming series, as confirmed by NBC, below.

Linda Cardellini (Pamela Voorhees)

Leading the Crystal Lake cast as a younger version of the mother of all female horror movie villains, Pamela Voorhees – originated in Friday the 13th by Betsy Palmer – is Linda Cardellini. The actor has starred in several family-friendly horror titles (her acting debut in the short-lived series Bone Chillers, her portrayal of Velma in the live-action Scooby-Doo movies, and her role as Wendy on Gravity Falls), which, not counting Strangeland and The Curse of La Llorona, would make this series her darkest contribution to the genre yet. The three-time Emmy nominee is also known for beloved TV shows like Freaks and Geeks and Netflix’s Dead to Me, hit movies like Legally Blonde and Brokeback Mountain, and for playing two different characters in the MCU (Laura Barton and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s Lylla).

William Catlett (Levon Brooks)

Playing a character named Levon Brooks is William Catlett, who just broke into the horror genre in 2024 with Radio Silence’s fun vampire movie Abigail and the apocalyptic Never Let Go. The actor is also known for his recurring role on Black Lightning, the acclaimed 2023 drama A Thousand and One, and the sci-fi Apple TV+ original series, Constellation.

Devin Kessler (Briana Brooks)

As Briana Brooks, we have Devin Kessler, who is best known for Godfather of Harlem, which serves as a prequel to 2007’s American Gangster. The period crime series is only her third acting credit, following the 2019 drama Yes and a 2024 short film called Juicy.

Cameron Scoggins (Dorf)

Cameron Scoggins, who plays Dorf on Crystal Lake, does not have much horror on his acting resume, which includes CMT’s Nashville, a recurring stint on Shades of Blue, and a voice role from the hit video game, Red Dead Redemption II. However, he did work behind the scenes on 2023’s The Exorcist: Believer, and is credited as providing additional voices for the 2024 thriller, Caddo Lake.

Gwendolyn Sundstrom (Grace)

Gwendolyn Sundstrom is a young, up-and-coming actor appearing on Crystal Lake as Grace, who might be an attendee at the titular camp. She made her acting debut in the 2025 drama, I’m Beginning to See the Light.

Callum Vinson (Jason Voorhees)

The latest of many actors to play Jason Voorhees, and easily the youngest so far, is Callum Vinson in the recurring role of the legendary horror movie villain’s younger self. The child actor is already a Scream King in the making, having starred in another horror TV show called Chucky, which continues the Child’s Play franchise. Vinson is also known from voicing Piglet on two recent iterations of the Winnie the Pooh franchise, the Peacock original crime miniseries Long Bright River, and one of the best episodes of Poker Face Season 2.

Adrienne King

The first actor confirmed to appear in the Crystal Lake cast was the Friday the 13th franchise’s original iconic Final Girl, Adrienne King, who confirmed the news on her official website. Who the actor is playing remains a mystery for now. However, I think it would have been cool to see her play the new Pamela (whose head was chopped off in the original by King’s character, Alice Hardy) in what would have been the ultimate example of someone becoming their own worst enemy.

Brad Caleb Kane Is The Showrunner

Running things as the “head counselor” at Crystal Lake is Brad Caleb Kane, who, according to Deadline, was announced as the showrunner in 2024 after production was put on hold following Hannibal developer Bryan Fuller’s exit from the position. He is also the co-showrunner for another TV series spun off from an acclaimed horror movie, It: Welcome to Derry, which will be available to stream with an HBO Max subscription in October 2025.

Alongside celebrated production company A24 helping back the project, Kane is joined by original Friday the 13th scribe Victor Miller helping bring the story to life as a co-writer. The filmmakers commissioned to helm the first eight episodes of Crystal Lake include Oscar nominee Michael Lennox, Celine Held and Logan George (the writing and directing duo behind the trippy thriller, Caddo Lake), and Quyen Tran, who has directed episodes of hit series like Sirens and Ahsoka.

There Is A New Friday The 13th Movie In The Works

Counting 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason, there are 12 Friday the 13th movies, which makes Crystal Lake the lucky 13th installment of the franchise. However, fans can also expect to see a 13th official feature on its way.

As reported by Bloody-Disgusting, Horror Inc. Vice President Robbie Barsamian confirmed at 2025’s San Diego Comic Con that a long-awaited new Friday the 13th movie is in development, and that’s not at all. He also adds that a follow-up to the 2017 video game inspired by the franchise is in the works, too.

Questions I Have About Crystal Lake

Because we still know so little about Crystal Lake, I have a few questions about that have been cutting away at me lately.

Will Any Of The Orignal Scripts Be Used?

Back when Bryan Fuller was still the showrunner of Crystal Lake, Bloody-Disgusting reported that he hired Kevin Williamson as a writer. The Scream movies creator (who is helming Scream 7) later shared in a tweet that he penned an episode that was essentially an hour-long chase sequence, which is something I would love to see. So, I am hoping that, if anything, this is one aspect from the Fuller-headed production that is not completely scrapped and is a part of the final product.

Will Other Franchise Veterans Appear?

The casting of Adrienne King has me wondering (or, more accurately, hoping), if she will be the first of several actors added to the Crystal Lake cast whose previous involvement in Friday the 13th movies made them into horror movie icons. For instance, it would be fun to at least see a cameo by Corey Feldman (the first actor to play Tommy Jarvis in 1984’s Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter) or Kane Hodder, a veteran stuntman who became one of the most beloved actors to portray Jason Voorhees after joining the franchise in 1988 with Friday the 13th: The New Blood, or Kevin Bacon, who was relatively unknown when his character suffered one of the original slasher movie classic‘s most unique kills. An especially epic idea might be to involve Ari Lehman – the very first actor to play Jason in that shocking jump scare from the end of the first film.

Will The Series Explore The Lake's Origin?

One of the most perplexing mysteries surrounding the Friday the 13th movies is just how Jason Voorhees manages to return from the dead over and over again, and whether or not the source of his immortality is some supernatural force existing in Crystal Lake itself. I would be interested in seeing that explained in this new series, unless it decides to double down on the concept of Jason being a Deadite from the Evil Dead movies, which was implied in 1993’s Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday.

Will Crystal Lake Pay Any Homage To Friday The 13th: The Series?

Crystal Lake is actually not the first TV show inspired by the Friday the 13th franchise. That would be the Emmy-nominated Friday the 13th: The Series, which aired on CBS from 1987 to 1990 and followed a group of people seeking to retrieve cursed artifacts. While it really has no other connection to Jason Voorhees outside of its namesake, I think it would be fun to see the widely forgotten show pay homage to the new series in some way, shape, or form.

I am happy to see more TV shows based on horror movies being made and, speaking as someone who does not even have the strongest affinity for the Friday the 13th series, Crystal Lake is one I am very much looking forward to.

Sidney Prescott (Scream)

Neve Campbell's lead role from the 1996 Wes Craven-helmed classic is not actually the sole survivor of Ghostface's murder spree and would appear in several more sequels. However, Sidney Prescott is, essentially, the compendium of all the most inspiring Final Girls to come before her, especially when you consider that Scream was a compendium of all the best slasher movies to come before it.

Nancy Thompson (A Nightmare On Elm Street)

Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) has a tougher break than most "Final Girls" as she never has a chance to have a moment's rest since sleeping makes her more vulnerable to Freddy Krueger's attack. However, she shows Robert Englund's iconic horror movie villain no mercy in the final act of 1984's A Nightmare on Elm Street, taking down the burned boogeyman Kevin McCallister-style before Home Alone was even conceived.

Sally Hardesty (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre)

Most "Final Girls" earn their merit from bringing their attacker to some sort of justice, which makes Marilyn Burns' role from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre an odd one out since Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) is still alive and well by the end of Tobe Hooper's nightmarish 1974 classic. Yet, Sally Hardesty's sheer will to survive and ability to ultimately escape his sawblade and flesh-eating family should be commended, especially after all she goes through.

Alice Hardy (Friday The 13th)

It is a shame that, after surviving the events of 1980's Friday the 13th, Alice Hardy never had the opportunity to take on Jason Voorhees – a sentiment actor Adrienne King agrees with. Then again, she is the one who beheads the notorious killer's mother (and one of the greatest female horror movie villains), Pamela Voorhees (Betsy Palmer), essentially setting off Jason's vengeful killing streak, which makes her an undisputed legend of Crystal Lake lore.

Sarah Connor (The Terminator)

While more widely associated with classic action movies thanks to its later sequels, James Cameron's 1984 sci-fi masterpiece The Terminator is a slasher movie in its metallic bones. Thus, Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor, whose son is destined to lead humanity in a revolt against mechanical overlords, should be recognized as a definitive "Final Girl."

Jess Bradford (Black Christmas)

Many audiences might know Olivia Hussey best from her star-making turn as the female lead of Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. However, she is also an icon in the horror community for leading Bob Clark's 1974 holiday horror movie favorite, Black Christmas, as a college student who begins to suspect that she and her fellow sorority sisters are being stalked by a homicidal creep during winter break.

Jeryline (Tales From The Crypt Presents: Demon Knight)

Spun-off from the eponymous hit horror anthology TV show, 1995's Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight depicts the modern-day peak of an eternal quarrel between an immortal warrior (William Fichtner) and the demon (Billy Zane) he is sworn to fight against. However, by the end of the film, Jada Pinkett Smith's Jeryline proves to be out to be the true titular hero.

Sienna Shaw (Terrifier 2)

Only a lucky few have survived the many unspeakable acts by Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton), such as Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) in Terrifier 2. Just as quickly as the creepy clown movies' horrifying harlequin became a hall-of-fame slasher villain, she became one of the top "Final Girls" of her generation, ensuring her return in Terrifier 3.

Ellen Ripley (Alien)

In Ridley Scott's terrifying, 1979 space movie masterpiece Alien, Ellen Ripley wound up becoming the sole survivor of the Xenomorph's attack on the Nostromo (unless you count the cat, Jones). Sigourney Weaver would return to the role bigger and better in James Cameron's more action-oriented 1986 favorite, Aliens, for which she earned an Academy Award nomination and a place among cinema's fiercest "Final Girls."

Laurie Strode (Halloween)

There are few horror movie icons more widely beloved as Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis, particularly for her breakthrough performance as Laurie Strode in John Carpenter's riveting smash, Halloween. When the Haddonfield teen first took on Michael Myers in that 1978 classic, the "Final Girl" trope was essentially invented and every slasher movie protagonist has tried to live up to her influence since.

Ginny Field (Friday The 13th Part 2)

The first "Final Girl" in the Friday the 13th movies to take on the one, the only Jason Voorhees in 1981's Friday the 13th Part 2 is Ginny Field. Played by Amy Steel, she is also the one who discovered the horror movie villain's somewhat understandable motivation to avenge the death of his mother, which she cleverly used against him.

Julie James (I Know What You Did Last Summer)

Jennifer Love Hewitt's Scream Queen moment came when she led the cast of 1997's I Know What You Did Last Summer as Julie James. She would reprise the "Final Girl" role the following year in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, which sees her still suffering the consequences of seemingly causing the death of an innocent man in a car accident.

Maxine Minx (X)

In Ti West's acclaimed 2022 A24 horror movie, X, Mia Goth's Maxine Minx became the only survivor of a massacre on the set of an adult film that was meant to be her big break. Luckily, as revealed in 2024's MaXXXine, she would go on to have a decent career in the industry, which would eventually win her a part in a legitimate horror film but not without a run-in with another crazed killer with a personal vendetta against her and the general moral decline of the '80s.

Erin Harson (You're Next)

In director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett's You're Next, a dysfunctional family gathering is interrupted by a group of masked assailants who keep their secluded home surrounded with deadly traps and weaponry. Luckily, they have some help from one family member's girlfriend, Erin Harson (Sharni Vinson), who is revealed to have been raised on a survivalist compound, making her one of the most refreshingly resourceful horror movie characters of all time, regardless of gender.

Clear Rivers (Final Destination)

For starters, is there a single horror movie "Final Girl" with a more wicked name than Ali Larter's character from 2000's Final Destination? It was a shame to see the Grim Reaper finally claim her soul in the sequel but her willingness to take that risk to help a new group of doomed characters makes Clear Rivers a legend.

Naru (Prey)

In 2022, Prey was criticized by a few for the "unrealistic" depiction of a petite, young, 18th Century Comanche woman single-handedly taking down a hulking extraterrestrial whose most notable adversary from the previous Predator movies was Arnold Schwarzenegger. Well, any true fan of the 1987 original should know that it takes brains and not brawn to defeat said creature, and Naru (Amber Midthunder) was one of the first humans to realize that instinct and use it to victory.

Dani Ardor (Midsommar)

One of the few "Final Girls" to willfully and effectively adopt the "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" strategy is Dani Ardor (Oscar nominee Florence Pugh) from 2019's instant A24 movie classic, Midsommar. Not receiving the comfort she needs from her boyfriend, Christian (Jack Reynor), after suffering the horrifying loss of her entire family, she finally finds it when she attends a cultural festival run by a group of Swedish villagers who put a big smile on Dani's face as she watches them burn Christian alive.

Jamie Lloyd (Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers)

Danielle Harris was only at least 11 when she earned Scream Queen status by following directly in the footsteps of the quintessential "Final Girl," Laurie Stroud. Harris stars in 1988's Halloween 4: The Return of the Michael Myers as the orphaned daughter of Laurie Strode, Jamie Lloyd, whose uncle makes her his next intended prey.

Mia Allen (Evil Dead)

Jane Levy proved that an Evil Dead movie without Bruce Campbell's Ash Williams in the lead is still worth hailing to with her performance in Fede Alvarez's 2013 reboot as Mia – an addict whose road to recovery is grossly interrupted by malevolent entities that turn her into a vessel of grueling terror. Luckily, her brother, David (Shiloh Fernandez), manages to cure her possession, leading to one relentlessly brutal final showdown between her and a boss Deadite.

Grace (Ready Or Not)

In Radio Silence's brilliant 2019 horror-comedy movie, Ready or Not, Samara Weaving plays the newly married Grace, who falls prey to a ritual that forces her entire extended family to hunt her to death. While she does receive some help from her brother-in-law and it is ultimately Satan's wrath that saves her, she manages to outrun, outwit, and out-fight many of them and (mostly) maintain her sanity throughout the bloody ordeal.

Adelaide/Red (Us)

Throughout much of Jordan Peele's 2019 sophomore effort, Adelaide (Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o) has the audience's full support until the shocking Us ending that reveals she was her tethered duplicate Red the whole time, having switched with the real Adelaide decades ago. This marks one of the few instances in which the "Final Girl" (who does manage to save her entire family from the Tethered) is revealed to be the true villain in the end.

Casey Cooke (Split)

One of the various roles that have made Anya Taylor-Joy a great Scream Queen for her time is Casey Cooke from the 2017 M. Night Shyamalan movie, Split. She cleverly uses her own history of abuse as a weapon against her captor... or, more accurately, "captors," since James McAvoy's Kevin Wendell Crumb is a DID patient housing a few unfavorable personalities

Dana Polk (The Cabin In The Woods)

In director Drew Goddard's ingenious horror genre deconstruction The Cabin in the Woods, a group of college students fall prey to strange and terrifying circumstances on a camping trip, unaware it is all part of a ritual that requires people with their common personality types. Dana Polk (Kristin Connolly) absolutely fits "The Facility's" definition of a "Final Girl" but she ends up being the kind who also stands her ground and ends up turning the tables on them, in spite of the apocalyptic circumstances.

Sarah Carter (The Descent)

What makes 2005's The Descent a special kind of horror film that acknowledges grief is that Sarah Carter (Shauna Macdonald) is a protagonist who defies expectations with her resilience. She endures the loss of her husband and daughter, the discovery that her husband was being unfaithful with one of her best friends, and being trapped in an unexplored cavern with man-eating mutants like a total boss.

Kirsty Cotton (Hellraiser)

It's bad enough that Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) struggles to warm to her stepmother, Julia (Claire Higgins), in Clive Barker's 1987 favorite, Hellraiser. However, learning that Julia was murdering men so that she could reunite with her reanimated lover, Frank (also Kirsty's uncle) who has escaped captivity from a group of sadomasochistic demons is quite a challenge.

Jen (Revenge)

At the beginning of Coralie Fargeat's 2018 feature debut, Revenge (indeed one of the best revenge movies), Jen (Matilda Lutz) comes off as a conceited bimbo. However, after her boyfriend's business partner takes advantage and, instead of offering help, the boyfriend leaves her for dead in the Moroccan desert, she proves to them that she is not one to mess with and to us that she is a resilient hero worth rooting for.

Tree Gelbman (Happy Death Day)

Tree Gelbman is one of the few "Final Girls" who actually does die in her own movie... multiple times. Writer and director Christopher Landon's Happy Death Day is a fun slasher-style take on the time loop movie genre in which Jessica Rothe's protagonist finds herself reliving the same day over and over again and must use her "unlimited lives" to figure out who has been trying to kill her.

Alison Parks (Chopping Mall)

Chopping Mall is a 1986 cult favorite from producer Roger Corman in which a group of teens become locked inside a shopping center with security robots that have gone inexplicably haywire. The way Kelli Maroney's Allison Parks claps back at the machines with their own catchphrase ("Have a nice day!") before making junk out of them makes this awesomely cheesy movie worth a watch.

Maddie Young (Hush)

One of Mike Flanagan's best movies, 2016's Hush, is a creepy, well-crafted thriller about an author named Maddie (Kate Siegel) whose secluded home is invaded by a masked murderer (John Gallagher Jr.). Despite having lost her ability to hear as a teenager, Maddie prevails in her deadly cat-and-mouse game with the stranger using her sharp instincts.

Emerald Haywood (Nope)

If not for its stunningly unique take on the alien invasion movie genre or its clever satirical commentary on the influence of spectacle, the number one reason to see Jordan Peele's 2022 thriller Nope is Emerald Haywood. Keke Palmer's infectious, scene-stealing performance as the ambitious, amateur UFO hunter makes the character a standout "Final Girl" (of sorts) for the ages.

Jessie Burlingame (Wrong Turn)

Wrong Turn – in which six people fall prey to a group of murderous mutants when they become stranded in the middle of nowhere – is one of the more underrated slasher-style thrillers of the early 2000s. In the same breath, Eliza Dushku's character, Jessie Burlingame, is one of the more underrated "Final Girls" of her time, bearing the right amount of intelligence and resilience to be considered a worthy horror movie hero.

Marybeth Dunston (Hatchet)

Some "Final Girls" have remained staples of their respective franchises, even if that means recasting them with different actors. For instance, Marybeth Dunston was originally played by Tamara Feldman in 2006's Hatchet but was portrayed in the next three sequels by Halloween franchise star Danielle Harris.

Over the course of his multi-decade career, Kevin Bacon has played a wide variety of different roles, including those of both good moral character and bad, but one detail that serves as a common thread between many of them is the fact that he has died on screen quite a lot. He doesn't quite have Sean Bean's reputation for making early exits in projects, but he has built up his own special legacy.

With that in mind, I felt compelled to ask the beloved actor about his favorite cinematic deaths when I had the chance to speak with him this past summer during the Los Angeles press day for MaXXXine. In the new horror movie, his character meets a brutal end when he is locked inside of a sedan and the vehicle is cubed by a car crusher in a wrecking yard, but as he acknowledges in the video above, his history dying in genre films dates back to one of his earliest roles: Friday The 13th:

Friday The 13th was in 1980, with Kevin Bacon playing Camp Crystal Lake counselor Jack... but that wasn't actually his first time dying on screen. Mentioned among the titles in the interview, 1978's Animal House is the movie that has that particular distinction. Bacon's first film role was playing preppy Chip Diller in the classic fraternity comedy, and he meets a grisly, funny end during the film's third act when he is quite literally flattened as he is trampled by a panicked crowd.

Also among the notable Kevin Bacon deaths is the white water rafting thriller The River Wild from 1994. That particular kill is notable not because of the way Bacon's character dies, but because who is responsible: in the movie's big climax, he gets shot to death by Meryl Streep.

It was mentioning The River Wild that also triggered the actor's memory of another big death. Bacon makes a notable mid-movie exit in the 1996 crime thriller Sleepers and he recalled during the MaXXXine interview being loaded up with squibs and flailing around as he was riddled with bullets:

It's a special legacy, and if you want to watch the most recent contribution to it, the opportunity is open for you. A fun title to reflect on as we look back on the year of cinema from 2024 (you can read my three-and-a-half star CinemaBlend review), MaXXXine is now available for purchase on 4K UHD and Blu-ray if you're a physical media fan, and if you're looking for a digital option, you can stream it right now with a Max subscription.

Here are 32 movie villains with a tragic backstory…

Erik Killmonger (Black Panther)

Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger helped make Black Panther one of the best Marvel movies as well as a landmark comic book movie thanks in no small part to his tragic backstory. The unknown cousin of Chadwick Boseman’s King T’Challa and son to a wayward prince killed by the former king, Killmonger spent his life searching for himself and his elusive homeland of Wakanda. Sure, he tried to take it over and bring chaos to the world, but he had every right to do so.

Lotso (Toy Story 3)

On the surface, Lotso (Ned Beatty) seems like an iron-fisted ruler of the toys stuck at Sunnyside Daycare, but his heartbreaking personal history adds a whole other level to the Toy Story 3 antagonist. After being left at a rest stop by his “faithful” owner long ago, Lotso went to great lengths to find the little girl, only to discover he’d been replaced. Traumatized by the experience, the once kind-hearted stuffed bear went through a radical transformation.

Gollum (The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy)

Though not the central antagonist in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, Gollum (Andy Serkis) is up there. In the third and final film – The Return of the King – it’s revealed that Gollum was once a hobbit who became consumed by the powerful ring, being transformed into a deformed and deranged creature with one purpose in life: hold onto his “precious.”

Jason Voorhees (The Friday The 13th Movies)

Jason Voorhees is one of the most recognizable horror movie villains of all time with a kill count that is up there with the best of them. However, like other great horror icons, this masked, undead killer has a heartbreaking story behind his path of blood, guts, and revenge. Cast aside by society and the counselors of Camp Crystal Lake, a young Jason drowned with no one watching.

Roy Batty (Blade Runner)

Roy Batty, or model number N6MAA10816, is one of those characters played by the late Rutger Hauer that will live on forever, and that’s because the Blade Runner villain was a sympathetic antagonist like no other. Forced into slavery upon his inception, the vengeful replicant suffered years of unimaginable abuse and danger to help the bottom line of the Tyrell Corporation. That was until he led a rebellion for a better life for himself and others of his kind.

The Grinch (How The Grinch Stole Christmas)

One of the best things about Ron Howard’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas is the way the 2000 movie expanded Jim Carrey’s titular character and provided a more in-depth look at the green recluse and what led him to live alone on Mount Crumpit. The story of a young Grinch being picked on by his schoolmates for no reason besides his appearance is utterly heartbreaking and is impossible to watch with a dry eye.

Carrie White (Carrie)

An antagonist or protagonist depending on how you look at it, Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) in Brian De Palma’s adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name is one of the most sympathetic and justified characters in the history of horror movies. Through no fault of her own, the teenage girl with awe-inspiring and deadly powers, is thrust into a murderous rampage after being tormented and humiliated by her fellow students.

Hannibal Lecter (The Silence Of The Lambs)

Hannibal Lecter will forever go down as one of the most chilling horror movie icons of all time, but he also has one of the most disturbing and heartbreaking backstories. Long before he became the infamous cannibalistic at the center of The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal was a young boy when he narrowly survived an encounter with a group of starved and desperate Nazi soldiers who attacked and ate his sister.

Magneto (The X-Men Movies)

Magneto (Ian McKellen, Michael Fassbender) was one of the most complex characters in all of the X-Men movies and had one of the most unsettling backstories. In X-Men: First Class, we saw the origins of the legendary comic book villain who was forced to watch his mother being brutally murdered in a German concentration camp.

Thanos (Avengers: Infinity War)

Perhaps the best comic book movie villain of all time (at least in the MCU), Thanos (Josh Brolin) wasn’t your average big bad. Inspired by the traumatic event where he watched his civilization rip itself apart due to a lack of resources, the Mad Titan put a plan into effect to prevent that from happening ever again. It’s just that his plan temporarily resulted in the deaths of billions of living beings.

Severus Snape (The Harry Potter Movies)

Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) will always be one of the most complex and beloved characters in the Harry Potter series, even if he’s viewed as a villain for most of the books and movies. Madly in love with Harry’s late mother, Lily, a young Severus was also bullied by the Potter’s father and his friends, pushing him to the dark side.

Candyman (Candyman)

Daniel Robitaille (Tony Todd), aka Candyman, is a terrifying figure in the world of horror, but that’s because he also has an incredibly tragic backstory in which he was was lynched, disfigured, and killed by bees before his body was burnt by an angry mob.

Frankenstein’s Monster (Frankenstein)

Frankenstein’s monster in Frankenstein was just enjoying being a dead man when he was reanimated and unleashed upon the world in the 1931 horror classic. Though viewed as a monster by most, this tragic figure had a heartbreaking existence.

Darth Vader (The Star Wars Movies)

Losing your mother and being responsible for the death of your wife is enough to make anyone turn to the dark side, and that’s what happened to Anakin Skywalker, aka, Darth Vader, in the Star Wars movies. Sure, Lord Vader is all but void of humanity, but that’s because of the pain, suffering, and tragedy that filled his life, both before and after being defeated by his mentor in battle.

Bane (The Dark Knight Rises)

The Dark Knight Rises is a bit of a mess, but Tom Hardy’s Bane is one of the most interesting characters and sympathetic villains in all of comic book movies. Taking over Gotham was bad and there were a lot of unnecessary deaths, but the masked figure was doing it for Talia al Ghul (Marion Cotillard), whom he nearly died protecting years earlier.

Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)

Sleeping Beauty leads us to believe that Maleficent is a force of pure evil, but the character got her due in Maleficent. In this live-action Disney film starring Angelina Jolie, we learn that the character was only acting out the way she did because her former friend and current king betrayed her long ago.

Mr. Freeze (Batman & Robin)

Batman & Robin isn’t the first movie that comes to mind when you’re thinking about tragic villains, but Arnold Schwarzenegger’s take on Mr. Freeze in this 1997 comic book movie has a heartbreaking backstory. All of his antics, destruction, and puns are part of an attempt to reconnect with his wife, who’s long been in a coma, caught between the living and dead.

Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street)

Before he was Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp), Benjamin Barker was a talented barber sent into exile by a powerful and corrupt judge who lusted after his wife. In Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, it is revealed that Barker’s wife took her own life and their daughter is under the control of his nemesis, which kicks off his bloody tour of revenge.

Zemo (Captain America: Civil War)

Daniel Bruhl’s Zemo in Captain America: Civil War, though different from his comic book counterpart, quickly became one of the best and most complex villains in the MCU. Instead of being gifted with superpowers or awesome tech, this antagonist used his grief from the death of his family (at the hands of the Avengers) as his motivation to tear the team apart from the inside.

Kayako Saeki (Ju-On: The Grudge)

Kayako Saeki is Ju-On: The Grudge is one of the most terrifying horror movie characters of the 21st century but also one with an absolutely gut-wrenching origin story. Once a living person, the film’s antagonist became a ghostly undead figure after she and her family were viciously murdered and left to haunt their former home for all eternity.

Scar (The Lion King)

If you only take into account the events of The Lion King, then Scar is a vengeful, jealous, and bitter brother of the king of the Pride Lands. However, learn more about his upbringing in which he was originally named Taka (a name that essentially means “trash”) and how he was cast aside for Simba, and his actions start to make sense.

Norman Bates (Psycho)

Though vicious and sadistic, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) in Psycho had quite a tragic backstory, one filled with jealousy, revenge, and unaddressed mental illness. This does not justify his actions, but it does offer some insight into why he carried out the way he did.

John Kramer (The Saw Movies)

John Kramer (Tobin Bell), aka, Jigsaw, is one of the most devilish and inventive serial killers in cinematic history, but he’s also oddly enough one of the most sympathetic. The death of an unborn child, a divorce, a terminal illness, and a slow descent into madness helped turn the civil engineer into a murderous madman.

Ms. Collins (Last Night In Soho)

Last Night in Soho, one of the best horror movies of 2021, had what can best be described as one of the most shocking endings in recent memory when it was revealed that Ms. Collins (Diana Rigg), the seemingly normal owner of Ellie’s (Thomasin McKenzie) small apartment is a vicious killer preying upon less-savory men. However, it turns out that Ms. Collins’ motivation for the crimes is even more tragic.

Cruella De Vil (Cruella)

Estella Miller (Emma Stone), who later becomes the Cruella de Vil we all know and love (to hate) from 101 Dalmatians, had quite a tragic backstory in Cruella, a 2021 prequel that explained her hatred for a certain breed of dogs. Losing a parent to a pack of the spotted pups is enough to drive one mad.

Scarlet Witch (Doctor Strange And The Multiverse Of Madness)

After witnessing the death of her best friend and lover, not once but twice, before being turned to dust for five years and then returning to a world she no longer understands, it’s easy to see how Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) could turn into a monster of her own creation in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Add in the deaths of her children (don’t tell her they don’t exist), and it gets even darker.

Two-Face (The Dark Knight)

The Two-Face story has always been one of tragedy, but no version is as heartbreaking as the one that plays out in The Dark Knight. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) goes from being Gotham’s last hope against crime and corruption to one of its most violent and disfigured villains. The loss of the love of his life and a chance at normalcy push him over the edge.

Ghost (Ant-Man And The Wasp)

Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen), better known as Ghost, was introduced in Ant-Man and the Wasp as a young and tormented villain still suffering from the effects of a quantum explosion that left her in state of physical limbo and her parents dead. Sad, confused, and angry, Starr turned against S.H.I.E.L.D. after the organization began taking advantage of her powers.

The Vulture (Spider-Man: Homecoming)

Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton), aka, The Vulture, quickly made an impact in Spider-Man: Homecoming, providing an all-time great movie villain in the process. After the Department of Damage Control essentially puts his small salvage operation out of business, Toomes goes to great lengths to provide food, shelter, and security for his family… even if it means taking a more villainous path.

Syndrome (The Incredibles)

One of the best Pixar villains, Syndrome (Jason Lee) in The Incredibles has a great and unforgettable backstory that adds another dimension to his character. After being turned down by his longtime idol, Syndrome turns to a life of villainy against Mr. Incredible after his whole worldview is shattered in an instant.

Arthur Fleck (Joker)

Not knowing your father has to be one of the most traumatic events someone could go through, but that’s just a part of Arthur Fleck’s (Joaquin Phoenix) story in Joker. The unhinged and violent loner in Todd Phillips’ 2019 comic book movie lived a life of loneliness, misery, and confusion before making a name for himself in a shocking way.

Draco Malfoy (The Harry Potter Movies)

Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) is one of the most annoying Harry Potter characters, but he’s also a villain who’s rather sympathetic once you consider his backstory. Subjected to all kinds of torment by his father and the expectations of his family, poor Draco never stood a chance.

Nurse Ratched - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Louise Fletcher's performance as the manipulative Nurse Ratched is one of the most chilling to grace the silver screen. Her iron-fisted rule over McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) and the rest of the patients is quietly evil, making it way more effective and terrifying than an over-the-top style of villain. 

Wicked Witch Of The West - The Wizard Of Oz

There may be no more recognizable villain, male or female, to movie fans than the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard Of Oz. The Margaret Hamilton character has been scaring kids (in the best way) for almost a century. The role is so iconic that when we think of a generic "witch," we almost always picture the Wicked Witch of the West. 

Alex Forrest - Fatal Attraction

You know we couldn't make this list without the absolutely unhinged Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) in Fatal Attraction. Close's performance of the jilted lover is consistently ranked among the great villains of all time and it's easy to see why. The movie keeps viewers on the edge of their seats as she gets more and more detached from reality, leaving us all terrified of what could come next. 

Madeline "Ma-Ma" Madrigal - Dredd

Madeline "Ma-Ma" Madrigal (Lena Headey), the gang boss in 2012's Dredd, is among the most ruthless criminals on film in recent years. Her control over the housing block Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is trying to police is fanatical and all-encompassing. Ma-Ma doesn't seem to have - or want - friends or advisors, just soldiers in her battle for control. 

Mary Lee Johnston - Precious

A lot of the villains on this list are traditional movie villains. Mary Lee Johnston (Mo'Nique) in Precious is not traditional. She's also the "realest" villain on this list. So real, it's horrifying, making Precious being a great movie that you almost never want to watch ever again. She's so evil it's really hard to watch. Mo'Nique is fantastic, bringing this wicked character to life on the screen. 

Phyllis Dietrichson - Double Indemnity

Female villains are nothing new, of course. One of the all-time classic examples is Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity from 1944. Barbara Stanwyck plays the traitorous wife who takes advantage of an insurance salesman (Fred MacMurray) by dragging him into her diabolical plan to off her husband and collect on his life insurance. 

Kathryn Merteuil - Cruel Intentions

High school bullies make great villains. They make especially great villains when they are as manipulative as Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) in Cruel Intentions. Kathryn has no morals and no ethics, she only cares about herself and doesn't care who she hurts. That's why watching her get caught in the end is so satisfying. It's also maybe the best use of music in the movies. 

Pamela Voorhees - Friday The 13th

In the history of horror movies, one of the most iconic has to be the original Friday The 13th. While Jason Voorhees is on the Mount Rushmore of slasher film villains after countless sequels and spinoffs in the franchise, it's his mother who is the real villain in the original and that's why she, Pamala Voorhees (Betsy Palmer), deserves to be on this list. 

Mystique - X-Men

Magneto may the "big bad" in most of the X-Men movies, but he wouldn't be nearly as threatening without his right-hand woman, Mystique. Played by both Rebecca Romijn and Jennifer Lawrence in the movies, the shapeshifting mutant does a lot of Magneto's dirty work. 

Elektra King - The World Is Not Enough

Given James Bond's history with women, you might expect more of his villains to be women. While there are plenty of henchmen, there are not a lot of women who played Bond villains. One great exception is the diabolical Elektra King (Sophie Marceau) in The World Is Not Enough. King,  wasn't born evil, but she definitely turned that way, perhaps even more extreme than the man who made her that way. 

Regina George - Mean Girls

Ruining Regina George's life might not have made Cady (Lindsay Lohan) happy in Mean Girls, but it sure was satisfying to watch! George, played by the great Rachel McAdams, is one of the all-time great girl-bullies in movie history. The manipulative popular girl gets what's coming to her in the end, after proving how awful she can be to even her closest friends. 

Bellatrix Lestrange - Harry Potter

It's impossible to see anyone other than Helena Bonham Carter in the role of the Harry Potter Bellatrix Lestrange. She plays the role of the villain perfectly in the series. Most of Potter and Co.'s enemies are male, of course, but one of the scariest has to be Lestrange.

Cassandra Nova - Deadpool And Wolverine

The MCU has a handful of female villains and for the most part, they are among the most powerful of all the villains. Take Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin) in Deadpool And Wolverine, for example. She's just as powerful as her brother, Charles Xavier, but she's pure evil. That's a terrifying combination. 

Annie Wilkes - Misery

This list would certainly not be complete without one of the meanest villains of the '90s, or any other decade in film history. Annie Wilkes, played by Kathy Bates in an Oscar-winning performance. She completely stole the show in one of the greatest horror movies of all time and earned a place on the Mount Rushmore of movie villains. 

Mama Fratelli - The Goonies

Big-time fame came late to Anne Ramsey. The actress had built a solid career in Hollywood as a character actor, but she really hit the big time after playing the villainous Mama Fratelli, matriarch of a hapless, yet very mean family, in The Goonies. Tragically, she died just three years later of cancer at age 59. 

Amy Dunne - Gone Girl

Is there anything as scary as a cold, calculating villain like Amy Dunne in Gone Girl? Amy, played by Rosamund Pike, is certainly justified in her beef with her cheating husband, put her method of revenge is pure evil. It's also darn impressive, and in the end, she "wins," so she deserves to be on this list. 

Miranda Priestly - The Devil Wears Prada

Everyone has had bad bosses, but no one has had a boss quite as awful as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. Meryl Streep's performance as the ultimate boss from hell is one of the best of her amazing career and a rare example of the actress playing a true villain. 

Cruella DeVille - One Hundred and One Dalmatians

Disney has a long history of great female villains, and close to the top of the greatest ones has to be Cruella DeVille. The One Hundred and One Dalmatians baddie knows exactly how to tear out viewers' hearts in everything she does, to say nothing of making coats from puppies. 

Aileen Wuornos - Monster

Charlize Theron plays one of the rare real people on this list, serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster. Monster is the perfect description of her, too. While her unbelievably terrible life that led to her murders is something no one would wish on their worst enemy, what Wuornos became is pure evil in every way. Theron won an Oscar for her performance as Wuornos, who was executed in prison a year before the movie was released. 

Hela - Thor: Ragnorak

Some of the most powerful villains in the MCU are women and Hela in Thor: Ragnorak certainly qualifies here. Cate Blanchett's chameleon-like performance is just so great and Hela looks so cool, that you almost want to root for her. 

Maleficent - Sleeping Beauty

When you're such a good villain that they start making spin-offs about you, you absolutely belong on this list. Maleficent is one of the all-time great villains in Disney history and we love to hate her so much that she even got two films all her own in the 2010s, starring Angelina Jolie as the diabolical fairy, where we learn she's maybe not as evil as it seems. 

Harley Quinn - Suicide Squad

Of all the villains on this list, Harley Quinn is the most fun. Yeah, she's a psychopath, sure, but she's a fun psychopath! That's really all she wants to do, have fun and create chaos and that makes her pretty endearing in a lot of ways, as does Margot Robbie's awesome performance as the manic pixie dream psycho in the Suicide Squad movies. 

Veronica - Heathers

On the surface, you may argue that Heather Chandler (Kim Walker) is the villain in Heathers. Like Regina George, Chandler is the alpha mean girl in the crew of Heathers. But really, it's Veronica (Winona Ryder) and her boyfriend J.D. (Christian Slater), who are the real baddies here. They're the ones committing the murders, after all.  

Elle Driver - Kill Bill

Daryl Hannah was mostly known for rom-coms and more "innocent" characters before she was brilliantly cast by Quentin Tarantino as Elle Driver in Kill Bill. The California Mountain Snake, as Driver was known as part of the Deadly Vipers is a remorseless killer and relentless in her pursuit of her intended victim. 

Elsa Schneider - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade

Elsa Schneider is the worst kind of traitor, she's a Nazi traitor who turns on one of cinema's great heroes, Indiana Jones. It's an unforgivable sin that earns her place on this list. Allison Doody's performance is great, as the surprise twist is something few saw coming. 

Catherine Tramell - Basic Instinct

It's unfortunate that Basic Instinct is really only remembered for one scene, surely you know which one. It's sad because Sharon Stone's work in the film as the calculating Catherine Tramell deserves to be remembered for more than just that interrogation scene. It's arguably the finest performance of her career. 

Jadis The White Witch - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Jadis The White Witch (Tilda Swinton) is, in the end, really nothing more than a dictator and a bully. She just has powerful magic to help her in her mercurial schemes and grievances. Not only does she delight in turning her enemies to stone for even the most minor slights, but she also plunges Narnia into winter for decades. 

Madison Lee - Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle

Traitorous villains, like Madison Lee (Demi Moore) in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle are the worst kind of people, but they make for some epic baddies in movies. A former Angel, Madison turns to the dark side after she thinks Charlie disrespects her and goes after her old friends with total abandon. 

Ursula - The Little Mermaid

It's hard to narrow down all the great Disney female villains for this list, but we had to include Ursula from The Little Mermaid. She's the epitome of everything that makes Disney villains great. Life's full of tough choices, isn't it?

Mallory Knox - Natural Born Killers

Like many others on this list, Mallory Knox (Juliette Lewis) in Natural Born Killers is in some ways a victim of circumstance. Her upbringing was shocking, and her husband Mickey (Woody Harrelson) is the catalyst for their crime spree. Neither of those things gives her a pass though. Instead she makes this list as an all-time great villain. 

Frau Farbissina - Austin Powers 

One of the great Bond villainesses. Rosa Klebb in From Russia With Love is the inspiration for another great, Frau Farbissina in the Austin Powers franchise. Mindy Sterling's performance as Dr. Evil's right-hand woman is just pitch-perfect as a parody and she absolutely deserves to be on this list. 

President Alma Coin - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay

President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland) is the classic bad guy in The Hunger Games movies, but after Snow is finally deposed and Alma Coin (Julieanne Moore) takes over as President, it turns out she's just as ruthless as Snow. Her pettiness towards Katniss doesn't do much to endear her to anyone, either.

And, when it comes to upcoming horror movies, I’ll likely see all of them, too. But, only in the summertime. Because, that’s right, I pretty much only watch horror movies between the months of June and September. 

You might think, “well, that’s weird,” and yes, I’lll agree with you. It is weird. But, there’s just something about horror movies in the summertime, namely the Friday the 13th movies, that make me want to watch them in the hottest months of the year. But, why specifically the Friday the 13th series when there are so many other great horror franchises to choose from? Well, you’re about to find out.  

The Movies Take Me Back To My Own Memories Of Actually Going To Summer Camp As A Child 

Like many parents, my mom wanted to get rid of me during the summertime, so she sent me away to summer camp. Okay, maybe she didn’t want to get rid of me (I’m actually pretty sure I asked her if I could go), but the fact remains, for a portion of my childhood, I would get bused off to a campsite, and spend my days there during the summer. 

It wasn’t a sleepaway camp (which is another cult horror movie) or anything like that. I would definitely come home every day. That said, I have a sharp memory of the flag going up every morning, the shorts-and-t-shirt wearing camp counselors, and the giant lake that we would sometimes row out on. 

All of this is to say that summer camp is a big part of my childhood. Not only that, but I live in New Jersey, which is also the location of the fictional Crystal Lake from the Friday the 13th series. 

So, yeah. Every summer, without fail, I take a trip down memory lane and watch the Friday the 13th movies–most notably parts 1-4 (which are some of the best in the franchise) since they were more camp focused. These four movies remind me of what it was like to go to summer camp, and the fun (and sometimes the fears) of being out in nature.  

They Also Take Me Back To My Fear Of Watching The Movies As A Kid, Which Was Coincidentally In The Summertime 

It’s crazy to me when I think back, but my mom used to randomly buy me videogames when I was a kid. One such title was the Friday the 13th game for the NES, which was actually my introduction to Jason Voorhees. 

In the game, you take on the role of different camp counselors -–some super slow, and some really fast who can jump like Michael Jordan –- and you wander all over the campgrounds, sometimes encountering a purple clad Jason. It wasn’t really all that scary, as whenever you encountered Jason, he used to box you like it was Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!

So, my impression of Friday the 13th was that it was kind of silly, and that Jason wasn’t somebody to be feared (Unlike A Nightmare on Elm Street, which I knew was terrifying). Well, one night, when my mom wasn’t home (She worked nights), and my older sister was asleep, I snuck downstairs and watched the fourth Friday the 13th movie, The Final Chapter, and man. Was I wrong about Jason.

You see, my older sister never warned me against the Friday the 13th series. I was supposed to be in bed anyway, and wasn’t prepared for what I was about to see. This Jason was a merciless killer, and it seemed like no matter what you did to him, he would always just keep on coming. 

I’ll never forget how terrified I was of Jason after seeing that movie. And yet, at the same time, being a kid, I had a sick desire to see even more movies in the franchise. Slowly but surely, I got through all of the Friday the 13th movies by the time that I turned 17. And, watching them in the summertime has become an annual tradition for me since it takes me back to that first time I ever laid eyes on the destruction of Jason on that sultry, summer night.  

I Associate The Halloween Series With Halloween, But Friday The 13th With Summer 

Do you know how some people like to consider Die Hard a Christmas movie? Well, I wouldn’t say I completely agree (and neither does Bruce Willis), but I will say that certain movies definitely feel like they should be watched during certain times of the year.

For example, the Halloween series. Even though I rarely ever watch horror movies outside of the summertime season (Which I’ll get into soon), I absolutely must watch my favorite Halloween movie, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, in October. It’s just, like, the perfect fall movie. In fact, even though I’m perfectly okay with watching the other Halloween movies in the summertime, I definitely associate the series as a whole with the Halloween season, because, duh. It’s right there in the title.

That said, I would never deign to watch the Friday the 13th series in the fall, because it is not a Fall series. Yes, some of the later Friday the 13th movies, like Jason X, feel like they can be watched at any time of the year. But, those early movies (specifically Parts 1-4) definitely feel like summer movies. 

So, just like how some people have to watch Elf every Christmas, or Halloween every, er, Halloween, I have to watch Friday the 13th 1-4 every summer season. It’s a given.  

Lastly, The Movies Still Scare Me, And I Like That The Sun Is Still Out By The Time I Finish Watching Them 

Finally, as I alluded to earlier, I only really watch horror movies in the summertime, with Halloween III: Season of the Witch, being the rare exception. And, do you want to know why? It’s because horror movies actually scare me. Yeah, I’m a total chicken, and I can’t watch horror movies when it’s dark out. Seeing Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter when I was a child probably scarred me for life on that end. 

And, the movies still scare me, believe it or not. My son loves video games where there are these huge chase scenes, but the idea of being chased terrifies me, and that’s all the Voorhees family does -– they chase people. Not quickly, mind you, but slowly. Relentlessly. And that really gives me the creeps.

But, I like that I can watch the Friday the 13th movies in the summertime since the sun is out longer, and it gives me more time to finish them before it gets dark. Because Heaven forbid that I have to see that jumpscare from the first movie at night. I do like to sleep, you know. 

So, that’s why I rewatch the early Friday the 13th movies in the summer. Are there any horror movies that you like to watch at a specific time of the year?  

In a fantastic new feature published to The Wrap, details are being laid out as to why A24’s first foray into IP storytelling, Crystal Lake, has stalled. The specifics sound familiar to anyone who has been tracking the entertainment industry for a short amount of time: budget concerns, arguments over creative vision, and the lingering effects of the 2023 writers strike also seem to have helped pump the brakes on what sounds like an incredible exploration of the Jason Voorhees. And at the top of the report, there’s previously unannounced news that Academy Award winner Charlize Theron was “eyed” to play the pivotal role of Pam Voorhees, Jason’s mother and the real killer in the initial Friday the 13th film.

Ugh, I want this show to happen so badly.

According to the report, Crystal Lake would have spanned several seasons, and spent its time expanding on the mythology of the first four movies in the original Friday the 13th series. Those really are the strongest overall chapters of the saga, and follow somewhat of a chronological storyline that begins with Mrs. Voorhees attacking camp counselors because they allowed her son, Jason, to drown in the titular lake. After 1984’s Friday the 13th part four, ironically titled The Final Chapter, the series basically went off the rails. It featured seriously cool kills. But the narrative stopped making any sort of sense.

Fans of Bryan Fuller hoped that he could do for Jason and Pamela Voorhees what he did for Hannibal Lecter with the celebrated series Hannibal. Critics adored the intelligent series, and the show ended too soon.

Is this the case with Crystal Lake? There’s hope at the end of the Wrap piece, with sources close to A24 claiming they still intend to produce the show, and different creatives being eyed who might start over from scratch instead of continuing Fuller’s vision. Then again, The Wrap cites agents who refer to the unproduced Crystal Lake as “radioactive,” which is far from promising.

I still think the idea of a multi-season, serious Crystal Lake series sounds incredible. But I’d feel a lot better about it if Bryan Fuller’s hands were on the wheel, steering the vehicle through production.

Rest assured, readers, we have the solution to that. Today, I’ll review several great picks for horror movies for beginners, whether you want something with a little less horror or maybe a little more. Let’s get into it. 

Poltergeist (1982)

Poltergeist is a classic horror movie from the 1980s that Steven Spielberg co-wrote. The film follows a family who has to find a way to save their daughter when vengeful spirits kidnap her in their own home. Out of most horror movies, this one is very light on the jumpscares and mainly builds fright through suspense – mixed in with some pretty okay-ish CGI. 

Halloween (1978)

You can’t get more of a classic horror movie villain than Michael Myers. Halloween was released back in 1978 and told the story of a young woman acting as a babysitter the night of Halloween and how she has to survive the wrath of Michael Myers, an escaped killer from a mental facility. Halloween isn’t gorey but has excellent music, suspense, and an unforgettable villain. Out of all the Halloween movies, this one is still the best. 

The Fog (1980)

The Fog is a horror movie directed by John Carpenter that makes you question what you see in the fog. It focuses on a group of strangers who all have to survive this strange fog that takes over their town, which seems to contain evil forces. The movie isn’t scary, but it is a nice entrance into a more suspenseful horror. 

The Sixth Sense (1999)

M. Night Shyamalan’s best movies often involve some horror, and The Sixth Sense follows that. The film mainly focuses on a child psychologist with a patient who can see dead people, but of course, the classic Shyamalan twist makes this movie all the better. It’s not scary, per se – just exciting. 

Psycho (1960)

I mean, yes. I have to put Psycho on here. Directed by Hollywood legend Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho is based on the novel of the same name and follows the story of an investigator looking into the strange life of Norman Bates at the Bates Motel and how one interaction with a young woman and her disappearance changes everything. It’s black and white with no gore, but it's a great horror movie to start on. Trust me. 

Friday The 13th (1980)

The Friday the 13th movies were essentially some of the films that began the subgenre of slasher within horror, but the first movie isn’t even that bad. It focuses on a group of teenage counselors trying to survive a serial killer at their summer camp after a tragedy occurred years prior. While there are some messier scenes, it’s not that bad and has some great music. 

Beetlejuice (1988)

With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice releasing, it’s the perfect time to watch the first film. Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular character, a “bio-exorcist” contacted by two ghosts to get humans to leave their home – but he has tricks up his sleeves. Look, Beetlejuice, truthfully, is probably the best entrance into horror. This movie is way more funny than scary, but it has enough creepy moments to dip your toes in horror. 

The Black Phone (2022)

Starring Ethan Hawke, The Black Phone is an excellent horror film that follows the story of a teenager who is abducted by a child murderer and can use a rotary dial phone to speak to past victims to find a way out. This film has a few gorier moments, but they’re pretty tame. And truthfully, the plot alone is so creative you’ll be sucked in. 

Happy Death Day (2017)

There are plenty of fantastic horror comedies, and Happy Death Day is one of them. The film follows a young woman who, when she is killed, is forced to relive the day over and over again to find the murderer. Yes, this is a horror version of Groundhog Day, and it’s the best. 

Gremlins (1984)

Gremlins is a comedy horror film that everyone has seen at least once. The film follows the story of a man who receives a strange creature called a mogwai. At first, it seems fine, but once they get fed past midnight, they turn into monsters that wreak havoc. The movie isn’t scary, but it has some good makeup and will make you chuckle at the monsters. 

Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

Shaun of the Dead is a classic comedy zombie movie directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg. The film follows a salesman who must survive the zombie apocalypse with his friends when the entirety of London falls. The zombies can sometimes be creepy, but trust me when I say you’ll be laughing a heck of a lot more than screaming. 

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

Night of the Living Dead essentially created the zombie genre as a whole. This classic horror film from the 1960s, directed by George A. Romero, follows a group of survivors in Pennsylvania who must try to survive when they are all attacked by corpses that have come back to life. The movie features the slowest zombies ever, but they’re still pretty creepy – and powerfully told. 

Get Out (2017)

Jordan Peele’s movies are always hits; Get Out was his first big one. The movie follows a young Black man who travels to his Caucasian girlfriend’s house for the first time to meet her family, only to discover that they hold much darker secrets than ever before. There’s barely any gore in here—all the horror is in the storytelling and how evil humans can be. 

The Ring (2002)

Have you ever heard the phrase “Seven days?” Because it comes from here. Directed by Gore Verbinski and based on the Japanese horror film and novel of the same name, this movie follows the story of a journalist who discovers that when she watches a cursed tape, she will die in seven days—and now she must find a way to survive. Yes, the girl can be a little creepy, but truthfully, the movie isn’t that bad.

Insidious (2010)

When it comes to horror movies about demons, Insidious is pretty much the best you can get because it’s not “poop your pants” scary, but it’s effective in the way it scares. Directed by James Wan, the film follows a married couple who must find a way to save their son when he enters into a coma, and his body becomes host to several vengeful spirits and demons. There are a few jumpscares, but it’s nothing an average person can’t handle. 

Scream (1996)

This film isn’t scary, and I stand by it. Scream is the first in the Scream franchise, and it follows Sidney Prescott as she tries to avoid getting killed by Ghostface, a serial killer in her town. This movie is just a trope city, and there are undoubtedly bloody moments, but not enough to truly scare you. If anything, it’s a love letter to horror movies from decades before. 

Zombieland (2009)

Zombieland was one of the first zombie movies I ever watched, and I think it’s a great horror comedy for first-time viewers. It mainly follows four survivors as they try to survive the zombie apocalypse, but it’s the comedy that keeps you coming back for more. It’s so funny, and some of the ways the zombies are killed are hilarious. It’s one of Emma Stone’s best films. 

An American Werewolf In London (1981)

Starring David Naughton, An American Werewolf in London tells the story of two American backpackers who are attacked by a werewolf. One of them gets bitten, turning him into a werewolf when the moon rises. The scariest thing about this film is the realistic werewolf transformation, but other than that, it’s a great horror movie to start on. 

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

While the found-footage horror genre has only gotten bigger, I often credit The Blair Witch Project as the first to really set it off. The film focuses on a group of film students who are trying to make a documentary about a local legend, only to vanish. Their footage is found a year later—hence the name, “found footage.” The movie has a few scary movies but builds its scares on suspense. 

Jaws (1975)

Will you be scared of sharks a little after this? Sure, but Jaws is iconic for a reason. The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, follows a marine biologist and a shark hunter working together to take down a man-eating great white shark. Yes, the score is as iconic as you think it is.

Alien (1979)

To me, the original sci-fi horror movie was always Alien. The movie, directed by Ridley Scott, follows the space crew as they have to survive aliens that make their way into their vessel. Truthfully, I don’t see the aliens as too creepy—the only thing that’s truly scary is the alien popping out of someone’s chest, but it’s not that bad. 

The Shining (1980)

One of the best Stephen King adaptations is The Shining. Based on the novel of the same name, The Shining follows a family in which a writer takes on the position of off-season caretaker in a hotel, only for him to lose his mind while he’s there. The movie itself is built on suspense and doesn’t really have that many gory or scary moments—it’s just a greatly shot film.

Old (2021)

Old is an M. Night Shyamalan movie that follows a group of vacationers who realize that they are aging inexplicably quicker on a beach, to the point where they grow closer and closer to death with each passing hour. I enjoy this film a decent amount and think it’s excellent for first-time horror viewers, mainly because there’s barely any gore, and it’s an exciting concept. 

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (2019)

For all my PG-13 peeps, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a great first-time horror movie. Based on novels of the same name, the film follows how horror stories written in an ancient book come to life, and it’s up to three teenagers to figure out how. The movie is creepy, eerie, and so much more – but it doesn’t quite cross the line of unwatchable. I love it. 

Carrie (1976)

Carrie is hands-down one of the best horror films to start watching. The film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, follows a young woman who is bullied at school. She later finds out that she has telekinetic powers—ones she uses to exact revenge when she’s pushed too far. The film isn’t gory but expertly acted and brilliantly told. 

The Cabin In The Woods (2013)

This sci-fi comedy is everything. The Cabin in the Woods follows a group of close friends who go away to a remote cabin for a weekend. There, they all fall victim to different kinds of killers—only to find out that these killers aren’t who they thought they were. The twist is excellent; you have to watch it. It’s not scary at all. 

A Quiet Place (2018)

A Quiet Place is a great horror movie to start on. The film follows a family who are trying to live in a world where man-eating but blind monsters have taken out much of humanity. They have incredible hearing, and you're dead if you make a sound. The monsters can be a little creepy, but there’s so much more that makes this movie so good. 

Goosebumps (2015)

Goosebumps is an excellent PG-13 pick on here. Based on the R.L. Stine books of the same name, the film follows a group of kids and a fictionalized Stine as they struggle to capture all the monsters in the Goosebumps books when they come to live and terrorize their town. It stars Jack Black and is silly, goofy, and just a little scary – perfect for first-timers. 

The Birds (1963)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, The Birds follows the sudden invasion and attack of birds that look to kill in California and how it came to be. Yes, I know the premise sounds goofy, but it’s a well-shot film and a classic for a reason. 

Child’s Play (1988)

Child’s Play may sound like it’s for children, but it’s not. The film follows a widowed mother who gifts a doll to her son, unaware that a serial killer’s spirit possesses it and is looking to kill again. Look, this movie is goofy as heck. It is. It’s about a doll killing people – you’re not going to have nightmares after. Just make sure the kids don’t see it. 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Everyone needs a horror musical sometimes. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, starring Tim Curry, is based on the musical of the same name and follows an engaged couple who take refuge in a castle when their car breaks down, only to see that it’s occupied by several interesting and enigmatic people. That’s all I’ll say. Now, let’s do the Time Warp!

Mama (2013)

Starring Jessica Chastain, Mama tells the story of two girls who are brought home by their uncle after their parents die and are haunted by a strange entity. The spirit follows them to their new house. The film certainly focuses more on the love a mother can bring than anything else, but it’s perfect for first-time horror fans. 

With all these options, now I feel like watching some of the best horror movies ever – I think it’s time for a horror movie marathon. 

Now, to be clear, we are in no way justifying the heinous and horrifying actions of any of these iconic horror movie villains, but by taking a deeper look at their back stories, you may never be able to see them in quite the same light (or, more accurately, darkness) again.

Carrie White (Carrie)

In Brian DePalma's 1976 adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie, Sissy Spacek's title character uses her telepathic powers to cause an explosive massacre on prom night. However, after facing unwarranted torment from her merciless classmates, constant judgment from her fanatical mother, and getting pig blood poured on her on stage, it is easy to interpret her as the hero of the story.

John “Jigsaw” Kramer (Saw)

Despite the deadly nature of his homemade traps, it is not really John Kramer's (Tobin Bell) intention to actually kill anyone in the Saw movies. The terminally ill criminal — otherwise known as Jigsaw — wants to give his "subjects" a new appreciation for life by bringing them dangerously close to death.

Pamela Voorhees (Friday The 13th)

Jason Voorhees drowned to death in Crystal Lake because his camp counselors were too busy indulging in debauchery. Therefore, while there are better answers than violence, you cannot blame his mother, Pamela (Betsy Palmer), for attempting to put an end to such behaviors in the original Friday the 13th.

Jason Voorhees (Friday The 13th Movies)

As we discover in Friday the 13th Part 2, Jason Voorhees never actually died (Or was resurrected as immortal, maybe?), but is still mad about his counselors' neglect. Throw in the fact that his mother is dead — at the hands of another teen — and he has more than enough reason to be Camp Crystal Lake's worst nightmare.

Sam (Trick 'R Treat)

Not enough people see Halloween as the sacred time of year it deserves to be treated as — a mistake that Sam (Quinn Lord) intends to correct in the 2007 cult favorite anthology, Trick 'r Treat. The mischievous trick-r-treater may go a little too far in his attempts to teach people a lesson in honoring All Hallow's Eve traditions, but his passion for the holiday is unmatched and, for that, we believe he should be recognized as its official mascot.

Pale Man (Pan's Labyrinth)

Who likes to share food anyway? Doug Jones' grotesque ghoul from Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth certainly does not, as seen from when he catches Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) stealing some of his grapes.

The Mother (Barbarian)

In Zach Cregger's 2022 horror favorite, Barbarian, Georgina Campbell's Tess discovers her accidentally double-booked Airbnb is also hiding a revolting mutant woman (Matthew Patrick Davis) who takes her prisoner. When you think about it, though, she was born into a world of isolation and abuse and grew up to be the kind of person who just wants someone to care for (hence the credited name of "The Mother"), which is an undeniably admirable quality to have.

The Facility (The Cabin In The Woods)

Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins' characters in the clever horror-comedy movie classic, The Cabin in the Woods, work for an organization tasked with preventing the apocalypse. It is not their fault that the only solution is letting deadly creatures loose on a group of five young, archetypical vacationers to appease the gods.

The Thing (The Thing)

In director John Carpenter’s 1982 paranoia-driven alien invasion movie classic, The Thing, a group of researchers are forced to question which one of them is still human when a shape-shifting alien infiltrates their base in the arctic. While the creature’s imitation of multiple characters does suggest that its ultimate goal very likely could could have been a global takeover, at the end of the day, it seems that it just wanted to survive. Quite often, the most effective method is blending in.

Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street)

Anyone who has seen director Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (or the Broadway musical it is based on) knows that Johnny Depp's titular hairdresser is not just some natural born killer. He was falsely convicted of a terrible crime by a judge (Alan Rickman) who wanted to steal his wife, leading him down a vengeful path.

The Shark (Jaws)

Like any animal, a shark has to eat and, sometimes, humans just happen to be around when the aquatic apex predator from Jaws is hungry. In fact, as many fans of Steven Spielberg's 1975 blockbuster agree, the story's true villain is the greedy Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), who keeps Amity Island's beach open despite the warning signs.

Queen Xenomorph (Aliens)

Out of all the different Xenomorph variations seen in the Alien movies, few would disagree that the Queen is the most terrifying by her appearance alone. Yet, how truly threatening is she when unprovoked? In 1986’s Aliens, she is merely minding her own business laying some eggs until Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), after rescuing Newt (Carrie Henn), takes a flamethrower to her children. Would that not get you pretty riled up?

Daniel Robitaille (Candyman)

Tony Todd's titular urban legend from Candyman was savagely murdered over his romance with a white woman, igniting a vengeful fury that allowed him to live beyond death. The Clive Barker-inspired 1992 thriller's themes of racial discrimination were expanded upon in the 2021 requel, which suggests that people who die unjustly are resurrected as part of the "hive."

Alex Forrest (Fatal Attraction)

They say that love makes people do crazy things, even boiling the pet rabbit belonging to the family of the man you had a one-time fling with. Of course, you could argue that Manhattan editor Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) was already mentally unstable before crossing paths with Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas) in 1987's Fatal Attraction, but the married lawyer should have known better than to toy with a woman’s feelings in the first place.

The Tethered (Us)

Jordan Peele’s 2019 thriller, Us, comments on classism, as represented by The Tethered — a group of people who really want nothing more than to live a life of their own beyond their underground home, like they surface-dwellers they resemble and have been forced to mimic. Not to mention, the central antagonist, Red (Lupita Nyong'o), absolutely deserves her revenge, given what we discover about her true identity at the end.

Kevin Wendell Crumb (Split)

In M. Night Shyamalan’s 2016 hit, Split, James McAvoy gives a transcendent performance as Kevin Wendell Crumb, who takes three teenage girls captive in his home. However, the real Kevin — a patient with Dissociative Identity Disorder — actually had nothing to do with the kidnapping, which was really orchestrated by the more villainous personalities living inside him that manifested out of him being subjected to years of abuse.

Stitches (Stitches)

It is very rare to find a creepy clown movie with a sympathetic antagonist, but the horrifying harlequin from the Irish slasher, Stitches, comes closest. It stars comedian Ross Noble in the title role — a birthday clown who falls prey to a fatal joke and, years later, returns to exact revenge on the pranksters who caused his death.

Belial Bradley (Basket Case)

The grossly deformed Belial was separated from his twin brother, Duane (Kevin VanHentenryck), against his will, forcing him to be kept hidden in a basket — hence the title of Frank Henenlotter’s 1982 cult classic, Basket Case. If the doctors who performed the procedure had respected the siblings' wishes to remain conjoined, they would still be alive.

Winslow Leach (Phantom Of The Paradise)

In Brian DePalma's 1974 musical horror comedy movie, Phantom of the Paradise, Winslow Leach (William Finley) is a talented musician whose compositions are stolen by record producer Swan (Paul Williams). After an attempt to stop the situation leaves his face disfigured, he is forced to haunt Swan's concert hall, the Paradise, where he seeks vengeance against him.

Alex Hammond (Prom Night)

One of the few teen slashers with a somewhat sympathetic villain is Prom Night, which stars Jamie Lee Curtis and follows a group of teens targeted by a masked killer during the big school dance. Their assailant is actually Alex Hammond (Michael Tough), who wishes to punish the teens in question for causing the death of his sister years earlier.

Clover (Cloverfield)

Imagine being a lonely, helpless, confused child prematurely woken up from a nap. It seems that a temper tantrum would be the natural response, right? Well, according the creators of 2008's found footage horror favorite, Cloverfield, that is the reason why New York falls prey to a strange monster, and not for any malicious intent.

Herbert West (Re-Animator)

While we do not particularly agree with the idea of cheating death, the idea of giving people a second chance at life or the chance of a longer life is an admirable goal. Thus, we cannot deny that Dr. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) created his resurrection serum with good intentions in Re-Animator.

Eva Galli (Ghost Story)

In 1979's Ghost Story, four elderly men are reminded of a terrible mistake from decades earlier when they become a acquainted with a woman named Alma Mobley (Alice Krige). However, they come to realize that Alma is really the spirit of Eva Galli — a woman from their past who has returned to avenge her death.

Lord Summerisle (The Wicker Man)

At the infamous, shocking conclusion of 1973's The Wicker Man, we discover that Sgt. Howie (Edward Woodward) was duped into coming to Summerisle as a sacrifice for the island’s crops. While the idea of murder magically benefitting agriculture is obviously ridiculous, we can at least admire the community's leader, Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) for going to far lengths for the sake of his people, even if his methods are horribly misguided.

Laura Barns (Unfriended)

In the surprisingly scary "video call horror" favorite Unfriended, a group of teens hanging out over Skype are taunted and killed one by one by an unwanted visitor.  It turns out to be the vengeful spirit of Laura Barns — a student who took her life after they embarrassed her with a viral video a year earlier.

Anton Phibes (The Abominable Dr. Phibes)

One of the most overlooked characters played by horror icon Vincent Price is the tile role of The Abominable Dr. Phibes, who seeks revenge on the doctors responsible for his wife's untimely death. To punish them, he takes inspiration from the Bible, setting rats, locusts, and other unusual curses on them.

Angela Baker (Sleepaway Camp)

After losing his father and sister in a skiing accident, Peter Baker was sent to live with his aunt, who forcibly raised him as her daughter under the name of his dead sibling, Angela. When "Angela" (Felissa Rose) was sent to the eponymous Sleepaway Camp, her fellow campers' merciless torment and inappropriate advances by some adult employees was the final straw, driving her to murder.

Victor Crowley (Hatchet)

While we are certainly not justifying the sadistic, indiscriminate murder streak of Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder), we cannot help but feel a bit bad for the antagonist of 2006’s Hatchet and its sequels. Because of his grotesque facial deformity, he was hidden from the public against his will until the day he died and was resurrected as an undead vessel of vengeance.

Rusty Nail (Joy Ride)

In 2001’s Joy Ride, Paul Walker, Steve Zahn, and Leelee Sobieski’s characters are stalked by a mysterious trucker referred to as Rusty Nail after pranking him over a CB radio. In Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead, another group of travelers feel his wrath after stealing a car from his house. In Joy Ride 3: Roadkill, he is lured by a young couple intending to rob him. In conclusion, this killer trucker only messes with people who mess with him first.

Willard (Willard)

Bruce Davison plays the title character of 1971’s Willard — a lonely, poorly treated young man who finds unexpected kinship in a litter of rats. When his cruel boss (Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine) ends up killing one of his new friends, named Socrates, he and an army of furry vermin retaliate.

Mama (Mama)

The eponymous, mysterious entity from 2013's Mama becomes the guardian to two young girls she saved from their own father, until they are discovered in the woods and taken in by their aunt and uncle five years later. So, it makes perfect sense that "Mama" would feel her adoptive children were stolen from her and want them back.

May Dove Canady (May)

Due to her awkward personality and lazy eye, the titular character from May, played by Angela Bettis, had no friends but a twisted doll named Suzie, until she becomes broken. We cannot blame her for wanting to find a replacement for Suzie, even though her solution is creating a new friend out of an assembly of human body parts.

Next time you watch a horror movie, instead of immediately writing off the villain as irredeemable, try to see things from their perspective. However, we also recommend trying to deal with your own problems in a calmer and more mature manner, as well.

Kane Hodder (Freddy Krueger In A Nightmare On Elm Street)

As Kane Hodder revealed during ShudderFest’s Horror Royalty panel in 2020 (via Yahoo), before he played Jason Voorhees, Wes Craven considered him to play Freddy Krueger before Robert Englund joined the A Nightmare on Elm Street cast. However, at the end of the ninth Friday the 13th movie, that's actually Hodder's arm wearing Krueger’s claw pulling Jason's mask underground, meaning the actor got to play both roles after all.

Drew Barrymore (Sydney Prescott In Scream)

Seeing an A-lister like Drew Barrymore die in the opening scene of Wes Craven’s 1996 slasher revival was one of horror cinema’s greatest surprises since Janet Leigh’s death in Psycho, just as the actor predicted. Barrymore revealed on Hot Ones that she was offered Sydney Prescott, the lead role of the original Scream cast, but requested to play Casey Becker instead, knowing it would shock the audience.

Christopher Lee (Dr. Loomis In Halloween)

An undisputed Scream King for playing Dracula and starring in other classics like The Wicker Man, Christopher Lee's influence could have cast a wider net with a role in Halloween. According to The Digital Fix, he later said he regretted the chance to star in John Carpenter's seminal 1978 slasher as Dr. Sam Loomis, which was ultimately given to Donald Pleasence.

Bela Lugosi (The Creature In Frankenstein)

Following his success in the title role of 1931’s Dracula, Bela Lugosi was given the chance to play another legendary Universal Monster in that year’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. According to The Immortal Count: The Life and Films of Bela Lugosi by Arthur Lennig (via SlashFilm), the actor believed such a grotesque, inarticulate creature was “beneath him,” giving Boris Karloff the chance to embody Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s creation.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Patrick Bateman In American Psycho)

Christian Bale once told GQ that every role he has played was first offered to Leonardo DiCaprio and one accurate example is Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, as Vice’s oral history recalls. Legend has it Gloria Steinem (Bale’s stepmother, coincidentally) convinced DiCaprio that playing the sadistic investment banker would hurt his post-Titanic reputation, but he later told The Morning Call that he passed because felt the script “didn’t mean anything in the end.”

Jean-Claude Van Damme (The Predator In Predator)

The late, 7’2” Kevin Peter Hall played the titular extra-terrestrial hunter in 1987’s Predator and its first sequel, but the original actor chosen for the role was actually the 5’6” Jean-Claude Van Damme. As detailed in oral history by THR, the future Belgian action movie star quit because he did not want to be hidden in the costume, which resembled a large insect at the time.

Jamie Lee Curtis (Regan MacNeil In The Exorcist)

Playing Laurie Strode in Halloween made Jamie Lee Curtis one of the first and all-time greatest Scream Queens, but her years as horror royalty apparently could have started earlier. The Oscar winner told EW that a producer for The Exorcist asked her mother, Psycho’s Janet Leigh if the then-13-year-old could audition to play the possessed Regan MacNeil. Leigh refused on her daughter’s behalf and the role ultimately went to Linda Blair.

Will Poulter (Pennywise In 2017's It)

Bill Skarsgård made one of modern cinema’s scariest horror villains out of his portrayal of Pennywise in the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King’s It. However, as director Andy Muschietti told Deadline that year, he had, at one point, spoken to Will Poulter about the possibility of succeeding Tim Curry as the clownish, shape-shifting entity until the future Midsommar star became “slowly disengaged” from the dark role.  

Jack Nicholson (Father Damien Karras In The Exorcist)

Before playing Jack Torrance in The Shining made him horror royalty, Jack Nicholson read for the role of Father Damien Karras in 1973’s The Exorcist before it went to Jason Miller. At the 2013 Dallas International Film Festival, director William Friedkin said the Oscar winner came up to him and Ellen Burstyn at a restaurant asking to be considered, to which the filmmaker responded, “Jack, if I show you in a priest collar, the whole audience is gonna go up.”

Bette Midler (Annie Wilkes In Misery)

Kathy Bates’ Oscar-winning performance as Annie Wilkes is a key reason why Rob Reiner’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery is such a classic. However, the role of the nurse with a morbid obsession over her captive guest, author Paul Sheldon (James Caan), was previously offered to Bette Midler, who told Variety that the character’s violent, unfunny, and irredeemable qualities turned her away from it.

Jeff Bridges (Matt Hooper In Jaws)

When speaking to Vanity Fair about the making of Jaws, Steven Spielberg shared that Richard Dreyfuss was not his first choice to play shark expert Matt Hooper. One of his initial candidates was Jeff Bridges, whose closest contributions to the horror genre have included 1976’s King Kong, Terry Gilliam’s Tideland, and R.I.P.D.

Emma Stone (Margot In The Menu) 

In director Mark Mylod’s 2022 horror-comedy, The Menu, Anya Taylor-Joy plays Margot, one of several guests at an exclusive dinner run by an unhinged chef played by Ralph Fiennes. According to The Film Stage, Taylor-Joy actually stepped in as a replacement for Oscar winner Emma Stone, who was cast in the role was Alexander Payne was attached to direct.

Slim Pickens (Dick Hallorann In The Shining) 

You could argue that the heart and soul (and a few endearing qualities) of Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of The Shining is Scatman Crothers’ performance as Dick Hallorann. According to Screen Rant, the musician was not actually the first choice to play the Overlook Hotel’s head chef, which was offered to Slim Pickens, who previously worked with Kubrick on Dr. Strangelove and said he would only take the role if his scenes could be done in fewer than 100 takes.

Alice Cooper (Pennywise in Stephen King's It) 

Before Bill Skarsgård, the definitive image of Pennywise was that of Tim Curry, who was actually just one of several actors considered to play the embodiment of fear in the miniseries adaptation of It from 1990. Perhaps the most fascinating name tossed around, according to THR, was rock star Alice Cooper, who has dabbled in horror on the big screen (such as when he played Freddy Krueger’s father in Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare) and in his music.

Haley Lu Richardson (Dani Ardor In Midsommar)

After appearing in M. Night Shyamalan’s Split, Haley Lu Richardson passed on the opportunity to lead another disturbing movie called Midsommar, which turned out to be one of the best A24 horror movies in the eyes of many. She told Backstage in 2023 that she did not have to courage to watch it yet, but has nothing but praise for Florence Pugh, who ultimately did play Dani Ador in Ari Aster’s sinister sophomore effort from 2019.

Al Pacino (Hannibal Lecter In The Silence Of The Lambs)

While Brian Cox first played Hannibal Lecter in Manhunter, Anthony Hopkins’ became the most recognizable iteration with his Oscar-winning performance in The Silence of the Lambs. However, Jodie Foster revealed to Deadline that there were a few American actors considered to play the cannibalistic criminal psychologist in the Best Picture Oscar winner, including Al Pacino.

Michael Cera (Cole Sear In The Sixth Sense)

When talking to Esquire, Michael Cera recalled auditioning to play Cole Sear in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense without realizing the character was a medium. Upon seeing the thriller, when watching the scene he read for, he noticed how Haley Joel Osment played it very sorrowfully instead of the upbeat and optimistic vibe the future Arrested Development star was going for.

Tilda Swinton (Pennywise In 2017's It)

Her chameleonic talents — best seen in her unrecognizable turn in 2018’s Suspiria remake — have us convinced that Tilda Swinton could have played Pennywise. Indeed, the Academy Award winner’s name was brought up as a possible choice for the fear-devouring clown in 2017’s It, as Andy Muschietti confirmed to Vanity Fair after a journalist jokingly mentioned her.

Sharon Tate (Rosemary Woodhouse In Rosemary's Baby) 

The title role of 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby — a woman who grows suspicious of her new neighbors after becoming pregnant — skyrocketed Mia Farrow into movie stardom. Before Farrow was cast, according to Vanity Fair, writer and director Roman Polanski’s own wife, Sharon Tate, fought hard to play the role herself.

Helen Mirren (Ellen Ripley In Alien)

In an interview with Vulture, Helen Mirren recalls reading the script for Alien and not being able to tell if Ripley, or any of the characters, were male or female. The future Academy Award winner would audition for Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi classic, but the role of Ripley ended up going to Sigourney Weaver.

Chris Evans (Dan Torrance In Doctor Sleep)

Despite making a cameo in Doctor Sleep, The Shining’s original Danny Torrance, Danny Lloyd, is a former child star who no longer acts, which is why Ewan McGregor assumed the role for Mike Flanagan’s 2019 sequel. The filmmaker confirmed on his personal Tumblr account that, before the Emmy-winner was cast, one of the actors he met with was the MCU’s Steve Rogers, Chris Evans.

Shelley Winters (Pamela Voorhees In Friday The 13th)

While the Friday the 13th movies’ centerpiece slasher is Jason Voorhees, the main antagonist of the 1980 original was his vengeful mother, Pamela, played by Betsy Palmer. David Grove, author of On Location in Blairstown: The Making of Friday the 13th, told EW that one of the actors previously discussed to play the iconic female horror movie villain was Shelley Winters, best known for her Oscar-winning performances in The Diary of Anne Frank and A Patch of Blue, and her nominated role in disaster epic, The Poseidon Adventure.

Tobey Maguire (Alex Browning In Final Destination)

On director Jeffrey Reddick’s wish list for the Final Destination cast, he wanted the lead to be Tobey Maguire, who was cast in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man just two years later. However, as the filmmaker shared with Den of Geek, New Line Cinema was not convinced by the choice, which led Devon Sawa to ultimately take the part of Alex Browning.

Michelle Pfeiffer (Clarice Starling In The Silence Of The Lambs) 

Jodie Foster won her second Oscar for playing intrepid FBI trainee Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, but the part was previously offered to Michell Pfeiffer. The actor told The New Yorker that the “evil” in the film made her nervous, but she does regret turning down the opportunity to reunite with her Married to the Mob director, Jonathan Demme.

Freddie Prinze Jr. (Billy Loomis In Scream)

In an interview with Dread Central, Freddie Prinze Jr. revealed that he and Skeet Ulrich were the final two candidates to play Billy Loomis in 1996’s Scream before the vengeful murderer role ultimately went to the latter. At least Prinze Jr. got to work with writer Kevin Williamson on another teen slasher favorite, I Know What You Did Last Summer, the following year.

John Lithgow (Seth Brundle In The Fly)

Jeff Goldblum gave one of his best performances as half-man, half-insect Seth Brundle in David Cronenberg’s 1988 remake of The Fly. Before he was cast, however, the role was offered to Goldblum’s The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension co-star John Lithgow who told In Magazine (via IndieWire) that he “didn’t want to play something so grotesque.”

Johnny Depp (The Invisible Man In The Invisible Man) 

In 2016, The Wrap reported that Johnny Depp was up to star in the title role of a modern reimagining of The Invisible Man. That was until the immediate failure of the Dark Universe convinced Universal to go in a different direction with its monstrous properties, allowing Leigh Whannell to introduce his own modern interpretation of H.G. Wells’ classic thriller.

Drew Barrymore (Carol Anne Freeling In Poltergeist) 

Drew Barrymore broke through at age 7 with her role in E.T. the Extra-terrestrial, but she actually met Steven Spielberg when auditioning for another film. She recalled to Ellen Degeneres how she was considered for, but ultimately not given the role of Carol Anne (which did go to Heather O’Rourke) in 1982’s haunted house classic, Poltergeist.

Lee Marvin (Quint In Jaws)

Steven Spielberg’s first choice to play Quint in Jaws was actually Lee Marvin, but the Oscar winner (for 1965’s Cat Ballou) was not interested, as the filmmaker recalled to Vanity Fair. Thus, the role of the intrepid shark hunter was given to Oscar nominee Robert Shaw.

Anne Lockhart (Laurie Strode In Halloween)

It is impossible to imagine other than Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode — the one Haddonfield babysitter who survives Michael Myers’ killing streak in the original Halloween. However, according to Biography, one of co-writer and director John Carpenter’s first choices was Anne Lockhart of Battlestar Galactica fame before she passed on the role.

Jodie Foster (Margaret White In 2013's Carrie)

As Vulture reported in 2012, Jodie Foster was approached to star alongside Chloe Grace Moretz in a remake of Carrie as the titular telekinetic’s overbearing mother, Margaret White. The part ultimately went to Julianne Moore, who, coincidentally, was Foster's replacement to play Clarice Starling in 2000's Hannibal.

Kirsten Dunst (Clear Rivers In Final Destination)

As Final Destination director Jeffrey Reddick shared with Den of Geek, he had a wish list for the unique 2000 horror flick’s cast that included Kirsten Dunst as Clear Rivers. Instead, that role would end up going to Ali Larter, who came back for Final Destination 2.

We would honestly love to peek into an alternate universe in which one of these actors got the iconic horror movie role they were up for, just to see how creepy it might have turned out.

Seeing as how Friday the 13th is one of the best horror movies of all-time, the next effort should have someone equally noteworthy behind the camera. Speaking with Collider about his ongoing hopes for Blumhouse Productions to acquire rights to the slasher classic, he suggested one of the genre’s current hitmakers would be perfect for it. In Blum’s words:

Oh man, oh man, oh man. The idea of having James Wan in the driver’s seat for a Friday the 13th movie seems like a legitimate match made in viscera-soaked heaven. And one doesn’t even need to be a super-fan of either Wan’s entire filmography or all of the Friday sequels to grasp how sweet this could be. 

One of the biggest issues in the world of horror, whether it’s reboots or wholly original projects, is that projects rarely get sizable budgets, and much of the money that does get spent goes to securing rights and marketing, with the cast and special effects also taking a chunk of the dough. And when all of that comes into play, there’s rarely enough left over to land top-notch filmmakers to get behind the camera, with plenty of promising horror movies being helmed by first- or second-time directors that don’t necessarily have a “vision” yet.

But James Wan rather quickly established himself as someone with the skills to bring a variety of genre tales to life, from Saw’s slasher vibes to Insidious and The Conjuring’s supernatural scares to Malignant’s slow-burn approach. And his work with the Aquaman films and Fast X proved he can still deliver even when the budgets are huge. 

Blumhouse is in the process of promoting Jeff Wadlow’s upcoming horror movie Imaginary, and is still riding the waves of success of Five Nights at Freddy’s (and Night Swim more recently, to a lesser extent). Meanwhile, James Wan is coming off of the highly erratic production and release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which fizzled at the box office in light of James Gunn and Peter Sarafan’s rebooted DCU. But that was outside of his impact, so it likely won't dissuade fans from watching everything else he does in the future. And if that "everything" includes resurrecting Jason Voorhees in theaters, he'll earn every Camp Crystal Lake badge possible.

Though nothing is actually moving forward with a new Friday the 13th movie just yet, it's only a matter of time before it happens. Until then, remember to hug your mother.

Ash Williams (The Evil Dead Movies) 

The Ash we meet in 1981's The Evil Dead is completely in over his head, struggling desperately to defend himself against his possessed friends in whatever way he can find. However, by the end of 1987's Evil Dead II, when he replaces his severed hand with a working chainsaw, Bruce Campbell's most iconic role becomes one of the horror genre's grooviest heroes… even if he is prone to a few flubs and mishaps here and there.

Laurie Strode (Halloween) 

Out of all of the babysitters working in Haddonfield on All Hallow’s Eve, Laurie Strode is the only one who manages to survive the escaped Michael Myers' killing streak in 1978's Halloween. The young woman’s courage and avoidance of distracting vices in John Carpenter's quintessential slasher made the character the ultimate “final girl” and Jamie Lee Curtis the quintessential Scream Queen.

Ben (Night Of The Living Dead) 

Duane Jones made history as the first Black actor to play the lead hero in a horror movie with his role in 1968's Night of the Living Dead. Ben is the one character in George A. Romero's groundbreaking thriller who manages to keep a level head when struggling to survive against hungry reanimated corpses.

Nancy Thompson (A Nightmare On Elm Street) 

Played by Heather Langenkamp, Nancy Thompson certainly takes a little while to figure out how to defeat the subconscious-haunting Freddy Kreuger (Robert Englund) in writer and director Wes Craven’s supernatural slasher classic. Near the end of A Nightmare on Elm Street, when she realizes that bringing him into reality is the key, she turns the tables on him with a series of elaborate traps that predate Home Alone.

Ellen Ripley (Alien) 

Sigourney Weaver’s career-defining role of Ellen Ripley became the sole survivor of  1979’s Alien and, as a result, one of the most inspirational female heroes in horror movie history. Her previous experience contending with the Xenomorph provided her with the resilience and wherewithal to ensure there would be more survivors in 1986’s Aliens, making her one of the greatest female action heroes of all time.

Sidney Prescott (Scream) 

When you have been targeted by masked killers as many times as Sidney Prescott, you tend to pick up on a few helpful tips and tricks for survival. Even before the original Ghostface first struck in 1996's Scream, the tragic murder of her mother a year prior prompted Neve Campbell's character to be prepared for such things.

R.J. MacReady (The Thing) 

Easily one of Kurt Russell's best roles is R.J. MacReady in John Carpenter's The Thing. The pilot brings a well-conceived, no-nonsense approach to weeding out who among his fellow researchers is a shape-shifting alien in disguise while stranded at their outpost in the Arctic.

Elise Rainier (Insidious)

When your house (or, maybe, your child) is haunted, the first person you should call is someone with a direct line to the afterlife, such as Lin Shaye's Elise Rainier from the Insidious movies. The medium comes to the Lambert Family's aid after young, unwitting astral traveler Dalton (Ty Simpkins) flies too far into "The Further" — a spiritual realm she named herself.

Chris Washington (Get Out)

Jordan Peele made a point to have a protagonist capable of making intelligent decisions for his Oscar-winning directorial debut, Get Out. He achieved that goal beautifully with Daniel Kaluuya's Chris Washington, with his adept suspicions of unusual circumstances and ingenious plan to escape the Armitage Family’s clutches.

Grace (Ready Or Not) 

Samara Weaving's newlywed in Radio Silence's breakthrough hit, Ready or Not, proves to be an ideal Hide-and-Seek player when her in-laws forced her to play it to the death as part of a matrimonial ritual. While she does get spotted a few times, it is in those moments when Grace also proves to be quite the fighter.

Dutch (Predator) 

Even the biggest fans of the Predator movies seem to forget that, when it comes to defeating the cunning, titular extraterrestrial, being the toughest, strongest, and best marksman is nowhere near as important as being the smartest. Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character from the 1987 original) realizes this after becoming the last of his crew and taking him on with old-school hunting tactics.

Sienna Shaw (Terrifier 2) 

Played by Lauren LaVera, the hero of Damien Leone's sequel to his shockingly brutal, old-school slasher throwback, Terrifier, is not just a final girl by circumstance. As foretold in artwork crafted by her late father, it is Sienna Shaw's destiny to cross paths with and defeat the sadistic Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton).

Clarice Starling (The Silence Of The Lambs) 

Jodie Foster won her second Academy Award for her performance in Jonathan Demme's adaptation of Thomas Harris' novel, The Silence of the Lambs. Her role as Clarice Starling — an FBI trainee seeking help from a manipulative, cannibalistic psychiatrist (played by Anthony Hopkins) — is one of the most intelligent and inspirational heroes in cinematic history, regardless of whether or not you want to call the Best Picture Oscar winner "horror."

Casey Cooke (Split, Glass) 

In M. Night Shyamalan’s Split, it eventually becomes known that Casey Cooke's calm demeanor and resourcefulness when she and her friends are kidnapped by a DID patient (James McAvoy) are the result of years of abuse from her uncle. Her trauma also allows Anya Taylor-Joy's character to have a unique connection with her captors' core identity, Kevin Wendell Crumb, that helps bring him back to earth in the 2019 sequel, Glass.

Randy Meeks (Scream)

The only original Scream cast member as resourceful as Sidney (if not more) is Randy Meeks, whose obsession with horror movie tropes allows him to, successfully, figure out at least one of Ghostface's true identities. Even though Jamie Kennedy's movie buff does not survive 1997’s Scream 2, his prime suspect in that sequel also turns out to be halfway correct.

Chief Martin Brody (Jaws)

Roy Scheider's Brody is the one member of Jaws' heroic trio with the least amount of experience with sharks. Yet, he makes up for it with the courage and skill needed to rid the waters of that man-eating beast.

Erin Harson (You're Next) 

When masked assassins turn an already bitter family reunion into a bloody nightmare in You're Next, the first one to take charge (and take out these adversaries) is Sharni Vinson's Erin, who is dating one of the family members. It is later revealed that she was trained for situations like this when she was a child, having grown up on her father's survivalist compound.

Peter Washington (Dawn of the Dead)

In the midst of the apocalypse, there is no one better to have in your crew than a member of SWAT, like Peter Washington. Ken Foree's role in George A. Romero’s 1978 zombie movie classic, Dawn of the Dead, is not only a master at slaying zombies, but a devoted survivalist and clever strategist.

Mindy Meeks-Martin (Scream, Scream VI) 

Like uncle, like niece. You would not be able to tell that Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) never got to meet the slain Randy based on how remarkably similar she is to him, particularly in her wide range of horror movie knowledge that proves to be very beneficial for the Scream franchise's new generation of targets.

Dr. Sam Loomis (Halloween) 

In Halloween, Laurie Strode manages to defend herself against Michael Myers, but is unable to expect when, where, and how he might strike — unlike the killer's psychiatrist. Donald Pleasence's Dr. Loomis is not necessarily one step ahead of his former patient, but is not too many steps behind him either, and there might have been fewer casualties in Haddonfield if more people actually accepted his advisement.

Marty (The Cabin In The Woods) 

Fran Kranz's character in the 2012 horror-comedy movie favorite The Cabin in the Woods, Marty, is chosen to represent the "Fool" archetype by The Organization, but they largely misjudged him. He is the first among his vacationing friends to pick up on the strange circumstances surrounding them and call them out on poor decisions often made in less self-aware horror movies.

Maddie Young (Hush) 

In Mike Flanagan's Hush, when a masked killer (John Gallagher Jr.) discovers his target, Maddie Young (Kate Siegel), is deaf, he takes advantage of that fact to intimidate, manipulate, and trap her in her secluded home. What he does not expect is that, as an author, she possesses a sharp analytical mind that keeps her one step ahead of her adversary.

Naru (Prey) 

In Dan Trachtenberg's 2022 Predator prequel, Prey, Amber Midthunder's aspiring Comanche warrior, Naru, proves her worth as a hunter by besting the greatest hunter in the universe. Much like Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch from the original classic, she manages to take out the hulking extra-terrestrial with her wits.