Since birth, we’ve been indoctrinated with a love of horror, whether we knew it or not. The first game your mother would play with you involved her hiding behind her hands and then shouting, “Boo!” We would get taught folk tales that involved a witch wanting to eat children or a wolf wearing the skin of an elderly woman. Some of us were warned of the Krampus, who’d kidnap misbehaving little boys and girls. We’d play Bloody Mary and watch old Disney films. You know, the scary ones. It was a lifetime of preparation for horror. Because deep down, we all have an innate desire to be frightened. We crave it and these characters scare us better than any others. Since this list encompasses the entire history of horror, every genre (and subgenre) is represented. Everything from creature features to kinder trauma, action movies to horror comedies are eligible. I combined characters if they worked as a duo or a group and I excluded animals (save for one) unless they were supernaturally possessed or if they had an internal monologue so that we could understand their motivations. I also only included characters from thrillers if they targeted children. This list is a celebration of horror and the icons that help us lose sleep at night.
These are the 500 Greatest Horror Characters of All Time.
425. Selene (Kate Beckinsale) | Underworld (Franchise)
What started off as a Romeo and Juliet story but with vampires and werewolves turned into an epic action series that spanned centuries. Selene is a Death Dealer, a vampire warrior tasked with hunting down and eradicating the Lycans (werewolves) who are enemies of the vampires in a centuries-old war. Selene is known for her fierce combat skills, cold determination, and striking appearance, often clad in black leather and wielding firearms and swords with deadly precision. Her character is driven by vengeance and loyalty, initially focused on avenging her family’s death, which she believes was caused by Lycans. However, as the series progresses, Selene uncovers deeper truths about the vampire-Lycan war, her own origins, and the betrayal by those she once trusted.
It all gets a bit soap opera-y towards the end but as bad as the films get, Beckinsale never phones in her performance. She is the heart of the series, embodying the franchise’s blend of supernatural action and brooding drama. Over the course of the films, she becomes a powerful symbol of resistance against tyranny, fighting not only for survival but also for the truth and freedom of those oppressed by the vampire hierarchy. There’s a reason fans wanted there to be a Selene/Blade crossover, she’s the coolest and sexiest vampire hunter around and he’s the coolest. Perfect pairing that never happened.
424. Dr. Philip K. Decker (David Cronenberg) | Nightbreed (1990)
Everything about Nightbreed is weird. It’s Clive Barker’s take on X-Men, but with a serial killer as the main antagonist instead of a Holocaust surviver who can control metal. Based on Barker’s own novella Cabal, the film explores themes of monsters, identity, and societal outcasts and was clearly meant to be the first in a series of films about the Nightbreed but the film was just too crazy for mass audiences. I don’t personally care about the mutants themselves but if each film cast a known horror director as the villain, this would’ve been my favorite franchise by a country mile. Imagine Carpenter playing an Evil ghoul trying to control the Nightbreed or David Lynch as the head of a shadowy organization that wants to capture them for his own nefarious reasons. It could’ve been stunt casting but if they all deliver performances as good as Cronenberg does in this movie, I wouldn’t care.
Dr. Decker is a psychotherapist who, on the surface, appears to be a calm and collected professional. However, beneath this facade, he harbors a terrifying secret—he is actually a masked serial killer known as “The Buttonface Killer.” Decker uses his position as a psychiatrist to manipulate his patients, most notably the protagonist, Aaron Boone. Decker convinces Boone that he is responsible for a series of brutal murders, leading Boone to seek refuge in the hidden city of Midian, a sanctuary for monsters known as the Nightbreed. Decker’s true nature as a sadistic and calculating murderer is revealed as the story unfolds. He is obsessed with eradicating the Nightbreed, whom he views as abominations.
David Cronenberg, primarily known as a director of body horror films like The Fly and Videodrome, delivers a surprisingly compelling performance as Decker. He’s acted in films before but nothing on this scale. His portrayal is unsettling, with a detached and emotionless quality that makes the character’s malevolence even more frightening. The iconic mask worn by Decker, with its sewn-up button eyes and zipper mouth, adds to his eerie and terrifying presence. His chilling calmness and intellectual demeanor contrast sharply with the horrific acts he commits, making him one of the most memorable and disturbing villains in horror cinema.
423. The Car (Lincoln Continental Mark III) | The Car (1977)
A Jaws ripoff but with a demonic car instead of a shark. The pace is glacial and there are far too many characters, most of which add nothing but unnecessary melodrama (there’s a battered spouse, a cop trying to help her, her racist husband, a recovering alcoholic and Brolin and his family) and outside of one cool shot, the action is never thrilling or memorable. The car looks cool though. The car looks so cool, that it has a bigger cult following than the film itself. A parody of it showed up on Futurama and Del Toro loves it so much, he bought the damn thing.
422. The Rich | Society (1989)
Every teenager thinks their parents are weird, but Billy has more cause then most to think this. His family members really are weird and there really is something wrong with them. With every member of proper Society with a capital ‘S.’ They’re sickening, shape shifting monsters that literally feed on the lower classes through a process called ‘shunting,’ which seems like code for melting your body into a weird shape and then sticking your hand up a person’s ass until your fingers come out of their mouth.
It’s this horrific orgy of body horror the cements Society as a real cult classic. Without it, it’s a story with a message and not much meat, but the final twenty minutes or so is balls to the wall crazy that takes the whole ‘the upper crust are really monsters that suck off the rest of the world’ idea and makes it flesh and bone. It’s weird that it’s this massive shock of latex and goop that turns the movie around (it’s kind of boring and obvious before this) and actually lets it make the statements that it’s been clumsily hinting at the whole time, but it does.
The effects lend themselves to comedic moments and some of them are pretty good – others, not so much. A moment with Billy’s dad, transformed so that his face is sticking out of his ass, is milked way too much. A fight scene with the rival has a rubber ‘twang-g-g-g’ sound effect that goes on too long and too loud to be funny. I still don’t know what is up with that woman and her obsession with hair. Overall, though, the parade of sickening effects works and is almost – ALMOST – as grossly satisfying as the end of Dead Alive.
-Bob Cram
421. Christina Delassalle (Véra Clouzot) | Diabolique (1955)
Director Henri-Georges Clouzot reportedly beat Alfred Hitchcock by only a matter of hours when he bought the film rights to the original novel and I’m glad he didn’t wait to snatch them up. Hitchcock would’ve undoubtedly made a classic but I have a hard time picturing any alternate version of this being half as good and Hitchcock himself agrees. He loved the film and most film historians believe it bore an influence on the making of Psycho. One of the main reasons I doubt Hitch could’ve done as well is in the casting. Everyone is amazing across the board but the stand out is easily Véra Clouzot as Christina Dellassalle. Christina is the frail, timid wife of Michel, the cruel and abusive headmaster of a run-down boys’ boarding school. Michel not only mistreats Christina but is also openly involved with another woman, Nicole Horner.
Despite this, Christina and Nicole form an unlikely alliance, united by their mutual hatred for Michel. Together, they devise a plan to murder him and rid themselves of his tyranny. The plan appears to succeed when they drown Michel in a bathtub and dispose of his body in the school’s murky swimming pool. However, when the pool is drained and the body is nowhere to be found, Christina’s fragile nerves begin to unravel. She becomes increasingly haunted by mysterious events that suggest Michel might still be alive, leading her into a spiral of paranoia and fear. Watching her nerves fry after every twist and turn in the narrative takes your mind off of them, because you’re too focused on her emotional state. You have no idea where the story is going and some audiences at the time suffered the same thing that happens to her at the end in the theaters. Any performance that elicits an actual physical response in an audience member should be canonized for all time.
420. Heidi Hawthorne (Sherri Moon Zombie) | The Lords of Salem (2012)
The criticism leveled at Rob Zombie by the people who can’t stand him is all correct. He makes hillbilly fetish porn that’s dragged down by bad performances from his wife that are somehow getting worse with each film. Most directors improve with each film but not Zombie. He’s regressing and shockingly so. Each new film is more embarrassing than the last, which is a shame considering the amount of promise some of his films did show. What happened? Where did he go astray? Making one good movie can be chalked up to luck or any number of things but no one accidentally directs two good movies.
I genuinely think The Devil’s Rejects is a grindhouse masterpiece and The Lord’s of Salem is the best Italian film Italy never produced. And it’s the only time his wife has ever been good in a movie. Heidi is a recovering drug addict and a DJ at a local radio station, where she receives a mysterious vinyl record from a band called “The Lords.” When she plays the record on-air, it triggers a series of bizarre and terrifying events that seem to be connected to Salem’s witch trials. As the movie progresses, it becomes clear that Heidi is tied to an ancient curse, and the film delves into themes of destiny, past lives, and the struggle between good and evil. Sherri Moon Zombie’s portrayal of Heidi is haunting and evocative, capturing the character’s vulnerability and descent into madness as she becomes increasingly entangled in the supernatural forces at play. It’s an actual performance from the actress and a damn good one at that.
419. Luke (Levi Miller) | Better Watch Out (2016)
A teenager (Olivia DeJonge) is babysitting a 12-year-old boy (Levi Miller) when they both realize that someone outside is watching them. To give away any more of the plot would be criminal, just know that the film is a hardcore reimagining of Home Alone but as a grisly horror thriller. Every ten minutes you’ll either scream “what the fuck” or “holy shit” or you’ll be covering your eyes to shield yourself from the multiple gruesome acts of violence peppered throughout. Although it probably won’t become your new holiday tradition, it is good enough to be in the conversation of the best Christmas horror films ever made. It’s also a strong contender for the best twist of the 2010s. It expertly pulls the rug out from the audience and then somehow continues to one-up itself and that’s because it shifts focus from the babysitter to the kid she’s watching. Few films have switched leads as effectively and even less have a villain as cunning or as effectively awful as this.
418. Katrina (Grace Jones) | Vamp (1986)
Due to the fact that they both came out around the same time, horror fans usually pit Fright Night and Vamp against one another as the best vampire film of the ’80s that ISN’T The Lost Boys. Since they both have the same strengths (great supporting cast, excellent tone, and fantastic villain), it’s easy to compare the two and I have a hunch that the majority of people who pick Vamp over Fright Night are doing it because of Grace Jones. If this was one of the first vampire films you’ve ever seen, Katrina might hold the same significance to you as Santanico Pandemonium or Trash does to most others.
One of the most iconic scenes in Vamp is her performative dance, where she captivates the audience with a hypnotic and primal routine. The scene is almost surreal, with Jones’ commanding presence and the use of bold, stylized lighting, creating an unforgettable visual moment. Her character’s appearance—shaved head, dramatic makeup, and avant-garde costumes—further enhances the sense of otherworldliness and danger that she embodies. She was the sexual awakening to a very small but nevertheless important part of the fandom.
417. Pat Quid (Stacey Keach) | Road Games (1981)
At some point while watching this film, you’ll think to yourself, “why was Disturbia sued by the Hitchcock estate but this wasn’t?” and when it ends you’ll realize why. Because while they both clearly lift from Rear Window, Road Games only uses that film’s premise as a jumping off point. Everything on top of that is unique to this film. The setting was changed from an apartment building to a truck in the middle of the Australian outback, the main character is now a gruff truck driver instead of a cripple with fears of commitment, the relationship between the leads was changed and their chemistry is far better and the ending, while admittedly a bit lackluster, is radically different. It’s also as tense and suspenseful as Rear Widow and honestly, a bit more exciting. Apologizes to Stewart but if I’m forced to listen to conspiracy theories about a suspected murder from someone, it’s going to be Keach. He can read from a phone book and keep me enthralled.
416. Rodger (Alvin Alexis) | Night of the Demons (1988)
Rodger might be the smartest character in any horror film. The second shit goes down, he’s out of there. And despite the fact that he’s a black character in a horror movie, he not only survives to the end, he saves the main character. It’s as if in a meta way, the character knew they were in a horror movie and had a cheat code to survive. Or that every other character in the movie was dumber than shit and even a simple strategy would’ve proven successful. Rodger is part of a group of teenagers who decide to throw a Halloween party at Hull House, an abandoned funeral parlor with a dark past.
The house is rumored to be haunted, and as the night progresses, the group inadvertently awakens demonic forces that begin to possess them one by one. Rodger stands out among the characters for his strong survival instincts. Unlike many horror movie characters who make fatal decisions, Rodger is cautious and quick to recognize the danger they’re in. As his friends succumb to the demonic possession, Rodger does everything he can to avoid the same fate, often finding himself fleeing in terror while the others are trapped or picked off. He single handedly killed the “black guy dies first” cliche forever.
415. The Blind Dead | The Tombs of the Blind Dead (Franchise)
Sometimes an entire horror series can rest on how great the antagonist is, and for me this is the case with the Blind Dead series – Tombs of the Blind Dead, Return of the Blind Dead, The Ghost Galleon and Night of the Seagulls. While I can’t say any of them are truly good films, they each have a certain atmosphere of dread that’s effective and the Blind Dead themselves – resurrected members of the (fictionalized) Knights Templar – elevate everything when they’re on the screen. While it can be trying to get through the constant low-level misogyny and ludicrous behavior of the characters, the desiccated knights really are worth the price of admission, riding in on their black steeds or (in one film) boarding a train with their swords raised to take public transportation to the apocalypse. Yeah, the effects are quite stiff and the fact that they’re blind makes them – theoretically – easy to escape from. Just their presence seems to mean people will be loud and stupid, though.
-Bob Cram
414. Margaret (Rebecca Hall) | Resurrection (2022)
Margaret is a successful, seemingly composed single mother living a carefully structured life. She is fiercely protective of her teenage daughter, Abbie, and maintains strict control over every aspect of her life, both personally and professionally. However, her carefully maintained facade begins to crumble when she encounters David (Tim Roth), a figure from her past who reawakens terrifying memories of a deeply abusive relationship. As the film progresses, it’s revealed that Margaret’s history with David involves extreme psychological manipulation and physical abuse. David’s reappearance in her life triggers a spiral of paranoia, fear, and desperation as Margaret becomes convinced that David is threatening not just her, but her daughter’s safety as well.
Her past trauma resurfaces with devastating intensity, leading her to increasingly erratic and desperate actions in her attempt to protect Abbie. The film is a psychological two-hander with both parts being equally good and equally important. Even though both could’ve easily made the cut, I decided Margaret had to make the list. What David is doing to her is insane and watching her mentally breakdown while trying to combat the psychological torment he’s putting her through is legit Oscar nom-worthy. If only they nominated horror. *Cough.*
413. Francesco Dellamorte (Rupert Everett) | Cemetery Man (1994)
Cemetery Man AKA Dellamorte Dellamore follows a beleaguered cemetery caretaker played by Rupert Everett, whose deceased residents just can’t seem to stay dead. With distinctive Italian characteristics, Cemetery Man is a brilliantly stylish and fun watch. There is a surreal blend of comedy that doesn’t really follow a coherent narrative that is a hell of a lot of fun with some steamy sex scenes. Director Michele Soavi’s film feels like it belongs in the ’60s or ’70s alongside Italian horror greats like Argento and Fulci. It’s a French press of old and new styles (mostly the energy of Raimi and the style of Argento) along with a great performance by Everett to make the most unique blend of coffee you’ll ever taste.
If weird ain’t your cup ‘o joe, just stay for the eye candy. This is filled with some of the sexiest corpses on this side of Trash and Santanico Pandemonium and has Everett at his most heartthrob-y. Honestly, this feels like the most bizarre audition for James Bond. He has that same level of sex appeal and laid-back swagger. They also bang women non-stop but Bond’s are at least alive.
–Vincent Kane
412. Karen White (Dee Wallace) | The Howling (1981)
If you’re a Lycan fanatic, the year 1981 must be a godsend. Within a span of 365 days, there were no less than five werewolf movies. While two were forgettable (Full Moon High and The Monster Party) and one was pretty good (Wolfen), the last two just happen to be the best in the genre: An American Werewolf in London and The Howling. Even though they were directed by real-life best friends who share similar interests, neither film is similar in any way. Both are horror comedies about werewolves and not even the comedic tone or design of the werewolf is alike. Because while Landis made a comedy that turns into a horror film, Dante made a drama with comedy sprinkled throughout that turns horrific. There are bits and pieces you’re supposed to laugh at but for the most part, it’s played completely straight. And it’s all the better for it.
Karen White’s story feels like a completely different horror movie that runs into a werewolf one. Karen is a television news anchor who becomes traumatized after a terrifying encounter with a serial killer named Eddie Quist. Following this ordeal, she is advised by her therapist to take a break at “The Colony,” a secluded resort in the countryside designed as a retreat for those dealing with psychological issues. However, Karen soon discovers that the inhabitants of The Colony are far from ordinary; they are werewolves, and she is drawn into their dark world. Dee Wallace’s performance as Karen is a highlight of the film. She brings a sense of vulnerability and strength to the character, making her a relatable and compelling protagonist. Her performance in E.T. is far more iconic but I think this is her best work of the ’80s.
411. The Mother (Matthew Patrick Davis) | Barbarian (2022)
The Mother is a grotesque and terrifying figure who lives in the hidden depths of a seemingly ordinary house in a rundown Detroit neighborhood. She is a product of extreme and horrifying circumstances, the result of generations of abuse and isolation. Her appearance is monstrous—towering, emaciated, and disfigured, with long, unkempt hair and a barely human demeanor. Despite her frightening exterior, The Mother is driven by a distorted sense of maternal instinct, which is both her most human and most horrifying trait.
Throughout the film, The Mother’s interactions with the main characters—particularly Tess (Georgina Campbell) and AJ (Justin Long)—are marked by her twisted desire to care for them as if they were her own children. She has lived her entire life in the underground tunnels beneath the house, conditioned by her abuser (Frank, played by Richard Brake) to see herself as a mother figure, desperate for connection and control. Her attempts to “mother” Tess and AJ are terrifying because they are rooted in deep psychological trauma and an utterly warped understanding of motherhood. Her physiology doesn’t make sense, nor does her incredible speed and strength but when a monster is this fun, why does it matter.
410. Akikazu Fujishima (Koji Yakusho) | The World of Kanako (2014)
The World of Kanako is a relentless, unpleasant journey through a sweaty, hell lead by an abusive, alcoholic demon. There are no heroes here, only various shades of awful people. A dark, twisted, and visually striking thriller that dives into the underbelly of human depravity, the film follows Akikazu Fujishima (Kōji Yakusho, a million miles away from his character in Cure), a former detective with a violent and self-destructive streak, as he searches for his missing teenage daughter, Kanako (Nana Komatsu). As he delves deeper into her life, he uncovers shocking truths about her secretive and dangerous world.
The film is structured as a non-linear narrative, jumping between past and present, as Akikazu’s investigation reveals the dark corners of his daughter’s life and the people surrounding her. The more that’s revealed, the more you’ll want to take a shower. If 8mm made you uncomfortable, stay far away from this because it makes that look like Sesame Street by comparison. And I don’t just mean because of its brutal subject matter. That movie at least had a couple of characters you can latch onto to help wade through the grime. There’s no life preserver here. Akikazu Fujishima is a demon leading you by the throat to Hell and he’s the hero.
409. Miriam Blaylock (Catherine Deneuve) | The Hunger (1983)
I don’t know if Catherine Deneuve is the sexiest vampire of all time, but no other vampire has had Bowie as a pet nor have they had sex with Susan Sarandon, so it’s hard to argue against her. In the film she plays Miriam, an ancient vampire who has lived for centuries, sustained by her ability to grant eternal life to her chosen lovers—though with a devastating catch. She offers them immortality, but not eternal youth. Over time, her partners inevitably age rapidly and deteriorate, leaving them in a state of eternal suffering, unable to die but no longer truly living.
At the beginning of the film, Miriam is living (if you can call it that) in New York City with her current lover, John (David Bowie), who begins to experience the horrifying effects of the curse she has placed upon him. As John starts to wither away, Miriam seeks out a new companion, turning her attention to Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon), a brilliant scientist researching the nature of aging. Her relationships with John and Sarah are fraught with manipulation and desperation, as she seeks to fill the void of her endless existence. The film is steeped in eroticism and melancholy, with Miriam’s vampirism serving as a metaphor for the destructive nature of obsession and the inevitability of decay, no matter how much one tries to escape it.
408. Jay (Maika Monroe) | It Follows (2014)
Jay – played with a sleepy-eyed detachment by Maika Monroe – is a disaffected young college student still living at home, still drifting through life as she drifts in the above-ground pool in the backyard. Other characters Jay knows are introduced with typical horror movie economy – the pining nerd, the jealous sister, the former flame next door. And, of course, the really nice guy she’s dating – the one with the terrible secret.
It’s that secret that lies at the heart of It Follows. Her beau has what has to be one of the worst sexually transmitted diseases of all time. There’s something monstrous following him, trying to kill him. When the inevitable occurs and Jay has sex with him, that thing is passed on to her. It’s a horror movie cliché that sex equals death, of course, but here the trope is reversed. The only way to rid oneself of the curse is to have sex with someone else – passing it on to them. (Though if that person then dies, it makes its way back down the chain – neatly circumventing the obvious tactic of sleeping with your hated ex.)
The majority of the film involves Jay and her friends trying to deal with a presence that only she can see, that can look like anyone, and that absolutely will not stop. Jay, it turns out, has hidden depths – and is even willing to sacrifice others, if only to gain herself more time. The thing is, you still root for her and, if you’re me, are willing to buy into an upbeat ending that may or may not be deserved. At least you hope it’s upbeat, otherwise Jay’s new boyfriend is in trouble. Because if nothing else, Jay is a survivor.
-Bob Cram
407. Miss Caroline (Lupita Nyong’o) | Little Monsters (2019)
All this film had to do was lean into its own premise a bit harder and give Lupita Nyong’o more shit to do and it easily could’ve been an all-time great horror comedy. The concept is rock solid: a preschool teacher must pretend that a zombie outbreak is all a part of an elaborate game so that they don’t all freak the fuck out due to panic and fear. It’s a solid gold premise but the problem is, the preschool teacher isn’t the main character
The main character is an annoying as hell thirtysomething loser (Alexander England) who’s nephew is in her class, which is why he signs up for the field trip in the first place. Not to spend time with his nephew or because he needs a job, but because he wants to bang Nyong’o. He sucks so much, that the film suffers for it immensely. Admittedly, he does get better as the film progresses but the trailer and the poster both sell a movie where Nyong’o kills zombies while singing Taylor Swift songs to children, so why didn’t the film want to be that instead? Miss Caroline deserves a movie worthy of her Nyong’o’s greatness.
406. Sam (Larry Fessenden) | Habit (1995)
For die-hard horror fans, Larry Fessenden is royalty. He looks like a homeless Jack Nicholson and like that iconic actor, his mere presence, no matter how brief, makes every project 10% better. The problem is, he’s barely the lead of any project. He doesn’t have many starring roles to flex them chops (he primarily does cameos or bit parts), with his debut still being the best showcase of his talents.
Set in 1990s New York City, Sam is a man adrift. His father has recently died, and his long-term relationship has ended, leaving him in a state of emotional and psychological disarray. Fessenden’s portrayal of Sam is raw and nuanced, embodying a man who is struggling to cope with his life’s crumbling foundation. He drinks heavily and engages in self-destructive behaviors, wandering through his days in a fog of grief and alienation. The film captures the urban decay and isolation of the city, paralleling Sam’s internal breakdown.
Sam’s life takes a strange turn when he meets a mysterious woman named Anna at a party. Played by Meredith Snaider, Anna is seductive, enigmatic, and unlike anyone Sam has ever met. They begin a passionate, chaotic relationship, but Sam soon notices strange things happening. He experiences unexplained physical symptoms—weakness, dizziness, and mysterious bite marks on his body. As their relationship deepens, Sam begins to suspect that Anna may be a vampire, slowly draining him of his life.
What makes Habit stand out in the vampire genre is its ambiguity. The film never definitively confirms whether Anna is truly a supernatural creature or if Sam’s deteriorating mental and physical state, exacerbated by his alcoholism, is causing him to hallucinate and imagine the vampiric elements. This uncertainty adds a layer of psychological horror to the film, as the viewer is left questioning what is real and what is the product of Sam’s increasingly unstable mind.
405. Peter Evans (Michael Shannon) and Agnes White (Ashley Judd) | Bug (2006)
Based on the play by Tracy Letts, who also wrote the screenplay, Bug is a claustrophobic, tension-filled descent into the delusional world of its characters. Characters who happen to be banana balls insane. Peter Evans is a drifter and war veteran who meets Agnes, a waitress living in a rundown motel. Peter appears quiet and introverted at first, but as the story unfolds, his delusions about government conspiracies and secret experiments become apparent. He believes that his body has been infested with microscopic bugs implanted by the government, possibly as a result of his time in the military.
Michael Shannon’s portrayal of Peter is disturbing and raw, showing a man completely consumed by paranoia and fear. Shannon brings a manic intensity to Peter, making his descent into madness both terrifying and tragically believable. Agnes White is a woman dealing with her own trauma, primarily stemming from the loss of her child and an abusive ex-husband.
At first, she is skeptical of Peter’s bizarre claims, but as the two grow closer, Agnes becomes emotionally dependent on him. Judd’s portrayal of Agnes is both vulnerable and desperate, as her loneliness and fragile state make her susceptible to Peter’s increasingly unhinged worldview. Agnes slowly adopts Peter’s belief system, and together they descend into a shared delusion, feeding off each other’s paranoia. Judd’s performance is gripping, showing the emotional depths of a woman who is already on the edge before being pushed into complete psychosis.
As the film progresses, they barricade themselves in the motel room, convinced that they are being monitored and targeted by external forces. Their shared paranoia creates an oppressive, feverish atmosphere, where reality and delusion blur beyond recognition. The motel room becomes a literal and metaphorical pressure cooker, as Peter and Agnes’s collective breakdown manifests in disturbing and violent ways.
404. Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho) | Thirst (2009)
Sang-hyun is a Catholic priest who becomes a reluctant vampire in this bold and genre-defying film directed by Park Chan-wook. Thirst is a mix of genres that also explores deeper themes like morality, desire, and guilt. If you’ve seen the director’s previous films, you know going in, this won’t be a typical vampire story. Sang-hyun’s transformation into a vampire and his subsequent inner conflict form the emotional core of the film. Sang-hyun is a devout, self-sacrificing priest who volunteers for a dangerous medical experiment intended to find a cure for a deadly virus. The experiment goes wrong, and he contracts the virus.
On the brink of death, he is miraculously revived—but soon realizes that he has been transformed into a vampire. His new condition forces him to drink blood to survive, a profound violation of his faith and moral beliefs. As the character grapples with his new nature, he is increasingly torn between his human desire for love and the guilt he feels for abandoning his principles. This inner conflict drives much of the film’s tension, as Sang-hyun’s vampiric urges gradually overpower his spiritual devotion. His internal struggle between his religious convictions and his growing thirst for blood makes him one of the most unique vampires in film.
403. Eric Binford (Dennis Christopher) | Fade to Black (1980)
Fade to Black is in desperate need of a reboot. The film has all the right ingredients, it just doesn’t know what to do with them. A talented up-and-comer or a seasoned pro looking for an interesting challenge could really do something with this story. The only downside to a remake or retelling of this story is that you’d lose this amazing Dennis Christopher performance. He’s perfectly cast as Eric Binford, a deeply disturbed and socially isolated young man whose obsession with classic films and Hollywood icons spirals into madness.
Eric works in a mundane job as a film delivery boy, but his true passion lies in old movies, especially the stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age. He escapes from his bleak reality by obsessively watching and quoting films, often losing himself in the glamorous, fantastical lives of the characters he admires. However, this obsession becomes dangerous as Eric begins to identify too strongly with these characters, particularly their darker or more violent traits.
As his isolation deepens and he faces rejection from the real world, Eric snaps. His descent into madness is marked by his decision to act out his cinematic fantasies in real life, dressing up as famous film characters like Dracula, Hopalong Cassidy, and Norman Bates, and reenacting scenes from the movies—often with deadly consequences. It’s an interesting character and Dennis Christopher’s portrayal of him is a complex and layered performance.
He expertly captures the character’s vulnerability, showing Eric’s deep loneliness and craving for validation while also portraying his increasingly unhinged behavior. Christopher brings a sympathetic yet chilling presence to Eric, making the audience both pity him and fear the lengths he’ll go to in his delusional state.
402. John Trent (Sam Neill) | In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
The always watchable Sam Neill does a great job as John Trent, a freelance insurance investigator who is hired to investigate a claim by the Arcane publishing house. It seems one of their authors, the best-selling horror writer Sutter Cane, is missing. Convinced this is some sort of publicity scam, Trent wants to go looking for Cane.
Carpenter pulls a great trick on us by introducing Trent to us as he is at the end of the story, raving mad and confined to a mental institution. It’s a nod to H. P. Lovecraft and an unsettling note that follows us and Trent throughout the entire film. We know things go bad, just not how it got there or how bad it is.
Trent starts off his investigation as a non-believer, a sarcastic and world-weary misanthrope more interested in the paycheck than the mystery. As the movie progresses, however, and things get more and more unreal – this is a movie about the end of the world after all – he starts to get the suspicion that maybe he is nothing more than a character in a story someone else is telling. A HORROR story.
-Bob Cram
401. D (Kaneto Shiozawa & Andrew Philpot) | Vampire Hunter D (1985) / Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000)
Calling the Vampire Hunter D movies horror is a bit of a stretch. Both films blend elements of horror, fantasy, action, and westerns in a post-apocalyptic stew. Neither one is concerned with scaring you or putting you on edge. They are stylish mood pieces punctuated with extreme violence with a cool as fuck vampire hunter as the lead. D is a dhampir—a half-human, half-vampire hybrid whose goal is to wipe every undead bloodsucker from the Earth. He is a mysterious and stoic character known for his cold demeanor and unmatched combat skills. His story is set in a post-apocalyptic world where vampires and other supernatural creatures are common, and he takes on the role of a bounty hunter, hired to eliminate vampires terrorizing humans.
Like most anime protagonists, he is an enigmatic hero whose silence and solitary nature only add to his allure. His backstory is slowly revealed over time, hinting at his incredible age, power, and the dark legacy of his lineage. While the Vampire Hunter D universe is bleak, filled with nightmarish creatures and gothic landscapes, D remains an unwavering force for good, hunting down those who would prey on the weak. Basically, D is what would happen if Blade got transported to the Mad Max universe and got really sullen about it.
450-426 | 400-376
What do you think of the list so far? Which characters do you hope will make the cut?
