A lot comes with crafting the perfect horror movie. Everything needs to come together, whether a competent director, a capable crew, stellar effects, or production values. The story must also be compelling yet eerie, inviting dread while remaining engaging enough. More than anything, it’s the actors on screen who give a performance that can elevate these films to the highest levels of acclaim.
The horror genre is home to some of the most spectacular acting performances in cinema. Several stars have left their mark on pop culture, turning in marvelous performances that were engaging, iconic, and sometimes terrifying. However, some horror performances stand out as the best in the genre, being undeniably iconic and continuing to be loved by audiences today. From Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out to Antony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs, these actors gave the most remarkable performances in the horror genre.
10 Daniel Kaluuya as Chris Washington
‘Get Out’ (2017)
Jordan Peele‘s Get Out is a remarkable entry in the horror genre, a unique mix of genuine suspense and terror with sprinkled bits of hilarious dark comedy. Though not particularly scary, it has a decent mystery and neatly-written dialog. Its greatest highlight stems from the powerful lead performance by British actor Daniel Kaluuya, who absolutely steals the show as main character Chris Washington, a photographer who must fight for his life when his supposedly peaceful weekend getaway to meet his new girlfriend’s wealthy family turns out to be a horrifying trap.
Chris is a truly spectacular final boy: smart, resourceful, and quick to understand his situation and find a solution to make it out on top. Kaluuya’s relatable charm, combined with competent acting skills, allows him to expertly portray this likable fish-out-of-water character and make viewers root for his survival. It’s a captivating performance that’s been instrumental in Get Out‘s huge box office success, earning Kaluuya his first Oscar nomination, a testament to how incredible this role truly was.
9 Mia Farrow as Rosemary Woodhouse
‘Rosemary’s Baby’ (1968)
Roman Polanski‘s Rosemary’s Baby is an iconic staple of the psychological horror genre, an intense thriller with gripping suspense and mystery that’ll keep viewers attracted throughout. Mia Farrow, in her defining role, plays the titular Rosemary Woodhouse, a New York homemaker who moves into a new apartment building with her actor husband Guy (John Cassavetes) to start a family. But when she begins expecting her first child, a series of bizarre events and the building’s tenants’ strange behavior lead Rosemary to believe they are plotting to take her unborn child for nefarious means.
Rosemary’s Baby is a slow-burner, allowing audiences time to get invested in its mystery and anticipate what it’s leading up to. Once the reveal hits, it’s satisfying and genuinely shocking, largely thanks to the central figure at the center of the mystery. Mia Farrow’s performance as Rosemary continues to be a stellar stand out of the horror genre. She’s a competent lead, able to act convincingly in the film’s dramatic and terrifying moments. It’s an iconic role that has become closely associated with Farrow’s career. Vulnerable but far from weak, Rosemary is a perfect horror protagonist, expertly brought to life by Farrow’s fiercely committed portrayal.
8 Toni Collette as Annie Graham
‘Hereditary’ (2018)
Indie filmmaker Ari Aster is on track to become one of the greatest horror directors of the 21st century, largely thanks to his modern horror masterpiece Hereditary. A mind-bending psychological chiller, Hereditary takes audiences on a frightening mystery that gets more shocking and unimaginably terrifying with every passing moment. With stellar performances all-around, it’s no surprise that Australian actress Toni Collette as the emotionally torn mother Annie Graham has become the film’s most definite highlight.
Annie Graham is a grieving parent, suffering countless horrors and trauma, starting with the passing of her mother and then with the grizzly death of her daughter. Viewers follow after as she witnesses strange, unnatural occurrences that make her question her sanity. It’s a powerhouse performance by Collette, who blew critics away with her riveting talent. It’s hard to look away during her most dramatic moments, including the iconic dinner scene, where she fully commands the screen. Collette was unfortunately snubbed for an Oscar nomination, but her performance continues to be praised by horror buffs, and her popularity has only intensified over the years.
7 Essie Davis as Amelia Vanek
‘The Babadook’ (2014)
The Babadook is a 2014 monster horror thriller directed by Austrian actress/filmmaker Jennifer Kent. In a truly awe-inspiring performance, Essie Davis plays Amelia Vanek, a stressed and paranoid single mother struggling to control her grief about the grizzly death of her husband while raising her rambunctious son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman). But when strange, supernatural occurrences begin to plague her existence, Amelia will fight to protect her home as a horrifying demon threatens to harm her son.
A gripping look into the complex themes of loss, loneliness, and trauma but with a monster twist, The Babadook is a modern supernatural classic that packs terrifying scares and compelling drama. Thanks to Essie Davis and her flawless performance, the story is so intense and engaging. She conveys many different expressions of emotions within the span of a few moments, genuinely acting and sounding like an overwhelmed parent who hasn’t had a break in years. Davis’ work is Oscar-worthy, a harrowing and moving depiction of frustration, desperation, and sheer terror that is as striking as it’s affecting.
6 Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance
‘The Shining’ (1980)
Jack Nicholson‘s name is synonymous with acting. Starting with his debut in 1958’s The Cry Baby Killer, he’s appeared in more than sixty other movies over a decades-long career, dominating the screen with his energetic, sometimes over-the-top but always magnificent performances that have become staples of pop culture. But hardly any of his roles stand out more than his iconic and chilling portrayal of the unhinged Jack Torrance in Stanley Kubrick‘s The Shining.
The Shining sees Nicholson at his most fearsome, playing a struggling former alcoholic and writer who drags his family to an isolated mountain hotel, The Overlook, to be its caretaker for the winter. However, months of being cooped up, along with the influence of a sinister supernatural threat, lead Jack on a violent mission to harm the ones he loves. Much of Kubrick’s version of The Shining leaves it up to interpretation whether the plot is more psychological or supernatural. Thus, audiences must guess the real motives behind Jack’s murderous breakdown, whether he truly was influenced by ghosts or just snapped under the pressure of months of isolation. It’s one of Jack Nicholson’s most overwhelming performances, a role that is simultaneously tragic and terrifying.
5 Bette Davis as “Baby Jane” Hudson
‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?’ (1962)
The marvelous Bette Davis was a feminine icon of the Golden Age of Hollywood. A renowned performer praised for her considerable contributions to the early entertainment industry, she was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won two. While she’s best remembered for her dramatic efforts in classics like All About Eve and Now, Voyager, her role as the tragic but eerie Baby Jane Hudson in 1962’s What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is one of her most riveting and terrifying performances of her career.
Co-starring alongside her fellow legend and acting rival Joan Crawford, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? sees Davis bringing her A-game in a story that follows two once-famous sisters shut out from Hollywood and spending years of isolation in a dilapidated house until their conflicting personalities and past traumas lead to deadly results. Davis plays Baby Jane as a heartbroken woman, unable to move past the fact that her glory years are far behind her. Audiences follow Jane as she slowly descends into delusion and snaps, surrendering to violence. It’s a truly striking and captivating performance that only Davis and her impeccable acting skills could make iconic.
4 Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil
‘The Exorcist’ (1973)
No other film can rival the scares and intense imagery shown in William Friedkin‘s The Exorcist. Wildly regarded as one of the most terrifying and acclaimed horror movies in history, it’s a spine-chilling, nightmare-inducing classic with iconic performances that have become legendary. The undeniable highlight of the film is the young Linda Blair in her breakout performance as the troubled and possessed Regan MacNeil.
Poor Regan gets taken over by a demon that both mentally and physically transforms her into a horrifying monster no parent could ever hope to see their child become. Blair does tremendous work bringing this physically challenging performance to life. She brings something unique and terrifying to her role through multiple stages of her character’s possession, using powerful facial expressions to let viewers know she doesn’t have to say anything to come across as intimidating. It’s one of the most raw, extreme, and purely terrifying performances in horror, so intense that audiences abruptly left the theaters due to shock.
3 Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates
‘Psycho’ (1960)
Sir Alfred Hitchcock‘s landmark horror classic Psycho is an iconic masterpiece with horrifying moments that still disturb audiences today. In the performance of a lifetime, Anthony Perkins plays motel owner Norman Bates, a timid young man managing a rundown motor inn while caring for his unstable and reclusive mother, or so it seems. When a woman (Janet Leigh) goes missing, an investigation into her disappearance leads the authorities to Norman, who reveals a terrible dark side that no one could have ever seen coming.
Norman Bates is a legendary horror antagonist, one of the most unsettling depictions of a fictional serial killer ever shown on screen. To the outside world, he’s a shy, unassuming, even friendly motel operator just trying to keep his business afloat. However, underneath, he’s an unhinged, fractured soul harboring a murderous beast that is constantly waiting to be unleashed. Perkins was perfectly cast for the role, expertly playing Norman and his deadly “Mother.” He’s most intimidating when acting as Norman, portraying a troubled man struggling to keep his other side from boiling to the surface. It’s an iconic performance that has become legendary in the entertainment industry. Truly, no one else could have played it other than him.
2 Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes
‘Misery’ (1990)
Misery is a 1990 psychological horror thriller directed by Rob Reiner and adapted from an iconic novel by horror author Stephen King. It follows the story of an injured novelist held against his will by an unstable fan who wants him all to herself. With nail-biting suspense and powerful acting, Misery is best remembered today for the stellar lead performance by the always wonderful Kathy Bates as the frightening and unhinged captor, Annie Wilkes.
Things are not what they seem when it comes to Annie Wilkes. She hides behind a kind smile and friendly facade like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, but when crossed or outraged, she reveals a darker, violent side that’s willing to commit unspeakable, heinous acts to get her way. Bates is terrifying as Annie, delivering a performance that’s complex and wildly unpredictable. Her efforts won her an Oscar for Best Actress, a rarity for the horror genre and even more unheard of for a Stephen King adaptation. Annie is arguably King’s best villain, and it’s easy to see why, considering how eerie and mesmerizing she is whenever she appears on the screen.
1 Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter
‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)
The great Sir Anthony Hopkins and his Academy Award-winning performance as the cunning and terrifying cannibalistic Doctor Hannibal Lecter from Jonathan Demme‘s The Silence of the Lambs is one of cinema’s most iconic movie villains. The brilliant psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a cold, calculating, and remorseless incarcerated serial killer who uses his mind and powers of manipulation to eventually escape.
Despite only having around 16 minutes of screen time, most of which is behind bars, Lecter is an intimidating and imposing threat throughout the movie. His words, phrases, and expressions are enough to instill fear and a sense of dread, leaving viewers to worry about what beastly monster lay beneath his calm, sophisticated demeanor. It’s a role tailor-made for Hopkins, whose soft-spoken voice and gentlemanly appearance add an extra unnerving layer, making Lecter all the more intriguing and complex. While others have given their take on adapting this iconic mastermind, Hopkins is the best Lecter by far and remains one of horror’s most frightening characters.
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