From children with an evil streak to psychopathic killers hiding in the closet, there’s no denying that films centered on killers, murder, and mayhem have the power to send you to bed with bad dreams. With classic horror freaks like Jason and Michael Myers and modern characters like the American Psycho, some people are curious or thrive on the fact that many of the nightmarish plots surrounding popular movie killers have the possibility to become a reality. In this article, you will encounter a collection of the creepy, scary, and most brutal of the movie screen.
Supernatural Scariness
The supernatural world plays an important role in many scary movies. ‘The Howling’ brought us werewolves and we can’t forget the assortment of vampire-inspired flicks that have graced movie theater screens , from Dracula to Severen in ‘Near Dead.’ Sometimes restless spirits of serial killers or something altogether unrecognizable are behind the mysterious deaths taking place in a movie. From an evil genie to unsettled spirits of the dead, some infamous characters to remember include: the Creeper in ‘Jeepers Creepers’, Pinhead from ‘Hellraiser,’ Chucky from ‘Child’s Play,’ as well as the Wishmaster, man from Phantasm, Pumpkinhead, the Warlock, and Candyman.
Smart and Sadistic
Not all movie killers look like beasts or disheveled stalkers hiding in dark alleys. Some killers are wealthy, intelligent, refined, and even geniuses. They may use their high society connections to obtain victims or hide from the suspicions of police detectives.
Let’s take the Jigsaw Killer in ‘Saw.’ He’s a wealthy and obviously clever man who while suffering a terminal illness decides to use his last moments to educate others on the value of life, friends, family, and the decisions we make. With lethal precision, his brainteasers and mental tests grotesquely place individuals in precarious life or death situations.
Another classy movie killer to consider is Hannibal Lecter (‘Silence of the Lambs’), an accomplished professional who is quite familiar with the finer things in life, until he becomes cannibalistic. Once locked up, he becomes the center of attention once again by plotting his escape, while feeding federal agents clues on how to solve a kidnapping case that’s pressed for time.
Masked Mayhem
Sometimes, a movie killer doesn’t want its victims to know their true identity. Wearing a mask and other disguises is a common practice. Ghostface from ‘Scream’ inspired thousands upon thousands of Halloween outfits. Leatherface from ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ wears a mask made out of human flesh. And when the Miner from ‘My Bloody Valentine’ took lives, no one could tell who was behind the mask.
The Younger Crop
With movies like ‘The Bad Seed’ and ‘The Good Son,’ the use of children in horror and thriller movies continues with films, like ‘The Orphan.’ There’s a certain appeal moviegoers have for seeing a child possessing the ability to slice and dice with the best of them. The character Damien from ‘The Omen’ has been a classic horror film remade several times, including a made-for-TV movie. And didn’t Gage Creed (from Stephen King’s ‘Pet Cemetery’) wielding a knife at family and friends give you the chills?
Overall, the movie industry is saturated with timeless classics to innovative plotlines , frightening enough to make moviegoers not only lose sleep, but in some cases, bodily fluids. Is your favorite scary movie character listed on the top 100 list of movie killers?
Source: Top 100 Movie Killers