Some of the best modern horror movies feature incredible performances from actors and actresses, quickly making them the new faces of horror. Of course, some names that come to mind are the likes of Florence Pugh in Midsommar or Anya Taylor-Joy in The Witch. Both of these performers have showcased an incredible talent for delving deep into the world of horror and creating realistic and terrifying performances.
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With these performances comes a vast amount of fans, but what fans don’t know is that they’ve been in the world of horror before. Even if the actors and actresses are at the top of their game and recognized by everyone, it’s impossible to have every single one of their great performances receive the praise and time in the spotlight that they deserve. This applies not only to the biggest horror stars of the past but also to the biggest horror stars of the modern era of Horror. Fans may be surprised to see their favorite horror stars in these underrated movies.
15 ‘Mayhem’ (2017)
Samara Weaving as Melanie Cross
Image via RLJE films
Samara Weaving has specifically been a key figure when it comes to modern horror comedy movies, with prominent roles in both The Babysitter series as the titular killer babysitter, as well as an electric leading role in Ready or Not. She has already made a tremendous impact in the horror scene with her scene-stealing performances and high-octane energy that lends itself perfectly to the horror-comedy genre as a whole.
However, before both of these titles, her first foray into horror comedy would come in the form of Mayhem, a satirical horror comedy/action film that took jabs at nightmarish white-collar corporate jobs. The film sees an entire office finding itself infected with a virus that forces people to lose all inhibitions, eventually turning the entire office into a chaotic display of rage-induced violence. The story finds itself centering around the duo of Derek and Melanie (Steven Yeun and Samara) who, in an act of revenge against the company, begin literally killing their way up the ranks until they reach the big boss’s office.
Mayhem
Release Date November 10, 2017
Runtime 86 minutes
Watch on Tubi
14 ‘The Rite’ (2011)
Anthony Hopkins as Father Lucas Trevant
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
While Anthony Hopkins has been a successful dramatic actor for almost his entire career, one of his most iconic and successful roles has been in the legendary horror film, The Silence of the Lambs. His portrayal of Dr. Hannibal Lecter was one of the most defining and iconic performances of its era, allowing him to further explore the realm of horror acting with Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Hannibal. However, it’s always interesting to see Hopkins take his more dramatic experience and show it off when playing a horror movie hero instead of just a villain.
One of the most forgotten horror ventures during his career was The Rite, where Hopkins portrays Father Lucas Trevant, a priest who specializes in exorcisms and the dark side of faith. In the film, he is tasked with training seminary student Michael Kovak, as the duo uncover and explore the secrets of the unholy, traveling down a disturbing rabbit hole and discovering just how closely the devil finds himself inside one of the holiest places on earth.
The Rite
Release Date January 28, 2011
Runtime 112
13 ‘Villains’ (2019)
Bill Skarsgård as Mickey
Bill Skarsgård will go down in history as one of the best horror actors out there for his performance as Pennywise in It and It Chapter Two, as well as his tonally opposite role in Barbarian. With his upcoming role in Robert Eggers’ remake of the iconic vampire story of Nosferatu, it is safe to say fans are getting another stellar role from the horror actor. However, even though his career is relatively fresh in the realm of horror, he still has a select few hidden gems within his filmography.
One of his roles that often gets overlooked is his role as Mickey in Villains. Villains follow two rookie criminals as they attempt to break into a normal-looking suburban home. Once they get in, however, they stumble upon two sadistic owners with dark and terrible secrets that will do just about anything to keep them in. The film blends horror and comedy in a way that plays into the strengths of Skarsgård as an actor, also allowing him to play the role of a rootable hero that he is rarely seen as in horror films.
Villains
Director Dan Berk , Robert Olsen
Writers Dan Berk , Robert Olsen
Watch on Hulu
12 ‘Roadgames’ (1981)
Jamie Lee Curtis as Pamela “Hitch” Rushworth
Jamie Lee Curtis is one of, if not the most recognizable stars in horror history. Curtis has numerous iconic roles in horror films such as the Halloween franchise, The Fog, and Prom Night. She solidified her status as a scream queen during this era, yet Roadgames is a notable horror film from this era in which her work is extremely overlooked.
The film sees Curtis as a lone hitchhiker on a desolate Australian highway who soon finds herself being targeted by a mysterious serial killer truck driver in a terrifying cat-and-mouse game. Curtis brings out all the elements that have made her other classic horror performances massive hits of their time, making Roadgames a must-watch for fans of her classic horror work. Especially for those looking for more Jamie Lee Curtis horror in their lives, Roadgames acts as the perfect overlooked chapter during her career as the queen of horror.
Roadgames
Release Date February 27, 1981
Director Richard Franklin
Cast Stacy Keach , jamie lee curtis , Marion Edward , Grant Page , Thaddeus Smith , Steve Millichamp
Runtime 101
Watch on Peacock
11 ‘Tusk’ (2014)
Justin Long as Wallace Bryton
Image via A24
Justin Long has quickly become a big name in the world of horror with multiple outstanding performances. Some worth mentioning from Justin Long’s horror career are 2022’s Barbarian, where he plays an utterly unlikable owner of an Airbnb with an unspeakable danger lurking under the house, and Drag Me to Hell, where Long plays a boyfriend having to witness vast amounts of unspeakable things happening to his girlfriend as she is quite literally dragged to hell.
But one cannot forget his underrated performance in 2014’s Tusk. Here Long plays an arrogant and cocky podcaster, Wallace, who has traveled to Canada to interview a mysterious recluse by the name of Howe. Throughout Howe’s countless stories of his life, Wallace gets an increasingly strange feeling that he is in danger. When he discovers Howe’s weird and terrifying plans for him, Wallace is in store for a world of hurt.
Tusk
Release Date September 6, 2014
Runtime 102
10 ‘Marrowbone’ (2017)
Anya Taylor-Joy as Allie and Mia Goth as Jane Marrowbone
Image via TIFF
Marrowbone follows the story of the Marrowbone family, consisting of a young man and his three younger siblings. When their mother dies, they decide to keep their mother’s death a secret so that they can stay together as a family. When they flee to an abandoned farm, they are scared to find a place that is not what it seems. Plagued by a sinister presence, the siblings find themselves haunted by a dark secret hidden within the walls of the farm.
Starring two mega horror stars, Mia Goth and Anya Taylor-Joy, Marrowbone is one film that gets too easily overlooked. With a broken family at its center, the film does wonders in making each character someone the audience can sympathize with. Coupled with a beautiful love story, Marrowbone redefines the “haunted house” narrative through an effective psychological breakdown. It must be said that the ending is one to stick with the viewer for many days after.
Marrowbone
Release Date April 13, 2018
Director Sergio G. Sánchez
Runtime 110 minutes
Watch on Amazon Prime
9 ‘Malevolent’ (2018)
Florence Pugh as Angela Sayers
Angela (Florence Pugh) and her brother make a living off their fake ghost-busting scams. When hired to look into an old haunted foster home, Jackson and his team uncover dark secrets and a terrifying past. As their scam continues, Angela becomes increasingly uncertain of what’s real and what’s the scam as she is convinced she hears girls crying out to her. But the paranormal is the least of their worries when they discover the real evil in the house.
With Pugh’s international success in Midsommar, Malevolent may seem like a film to put on the back burner, but it actually is a great take on a ghost story. Released a year before Midsommar, Malevolent managed to sway heads in Pugh’s direction, with audiences noting that she is a star on the rise. They were correct, as Pugh has only continued to cement herself as one of the most defining actresses of the modern generation, both in and outside of horror after her roles in Oppenheimer and Dune: Part Two.
Malevolent
Release Date December 13, 2018
Director Olaf de Fleur Johannesson
Cast Florence Pugh , Celia Imrie , Ben Lloyd-Hughes , Scott Chambers , Georgina Bevan
Runtime 88
Watch on Netflix
8 ‘Bubba Ho-tep’ (2002)
Bruce Campbell as Elvis Presley / Sebastian Haff
Image via Vitagraph Films
Bruce Campbell is most commonly known for his highly creative and memorable portrayals of Ash Williams from the Evil Dead series, alongside a variety of other roles that make use of the actor’s undeniable charisma. Bubba Ho-tep is an often overlooked horror comedy that, like Campbell’s best performances, makes perfect use of said charisma for an unexpectedly perfect casting choice.
In the film, Campbell portrays an elderly Elvis Presley who never actually died, but instead switched identities with an Elvis impersonator years before his supposed death. Now living out his days in an elderly home having missed his chance to switch back, he soon finds that his seemingly boring retirement takes a terrifying twist, as an ancient Egyptian mummy begins haunting the retirement home. The film manages to be even more strange and hilarious than the premise entails, with Campbell’s portrayal of the King of Rock only further adding to the beauty of it all.
Bubba Ho-Tep
Release Date June 9, 2002
Director Don Coscarelli
Cast Bruce Campbell , Ossie Davis , Ella Joyce , Heidi Marnhout , Bob Ivy , Edith Jefferson
Runtime 92
Watch on Amazon Prime
7 ‘A Cure for Wellness’ (2016)
Mia Goth as Hannah and Dane DeHaan as Lockhart
A driven young executive (Dane DeHaan) is dispatched to pick up the Head of his company from a picturesque but enigmatic “wellness resort” in the Swiss Alps. He quickly feels that the remarkable remedies at the spa are not what they appear. His sanity is put to the test as he delves into its dark secrets and learns that he has the same strange ailment that has kept everyone else staying here, yearning for a cure. On top of starring Mia Goth, who would go on to lead a number of excellent horror films, the film sees Dane Dehaan, who is most well known nowadays for his role as Jim Dooley in the miniseries Lisey’s Story.
A Cure for Wellness marries fantasy and horror, creating a bewitchingly creepy film that allowed director Gore Verbinski to tap into horror 14 years after his previous horror smash-hit, The Ring. Moreover, DeHaan and Goth have strong performances, with modern scream queen Goth playing an ethereal and innocent patient that DeHaan befriends (and who plays a key part in what is to come).
6 ‘Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon’ (2006)
Robert Englund as Doc Halloran
Robert Englund is one of the most iconic figures in the world of horror, most commonly known for bringing to life one of the greatest slasher villains of all time, Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street. While Englund is most famous for his numerous horror villains, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon allows him to play against his type and play the complete opposite horror archetype. Especially for a film that is such a love letter to slashers and horror movies in general, the casting of Englund and his role in the film acts as a horror fan’s absolute dream come true.
In the film, he plays Doc Halloran, a mysterious agent against evil who acts as the equivalent of Doctor Lumis from Halloween for the film’s titular slasher killer wannabee, Leslie Vernon. Englund plays into the hardened vigilante fighting against evil role perfectly well, showing that his range and understanding of the horror genre as a whole expands well beyond simply playing the killer. The implementation of Englund into the film is just one of many ways that the film fundamentally understands the slasher genre, becoming a true hidden gem of the genre as a whole.
5 ‘Sinister’ (2012)
Ethan Hawke as Ellison Oswalt
Image via Lionsgate
With Ethan Hawke’s recent success as The Grabber in The Black Phone, Hawke cemented his worth in a horror flick, showing that he had terrific range and capabilities playing the role of a villain. With other great work, like his role as a sadistic serial killer in Taking Lives Hawke has been dabbling in the horror genre for much longer than people realize, with one film that should not be overlooked is his work in Sinister.
The film follows Ellison Oswalt (Hawke), a crime novelist, as he moves his family into a home where a terrible crime occurred in the past but keeps his family in the dark about it. To further his research for a book about the crime, Oswalt investigates video recordings he finds throughout the house, but he soon learns more than he had anticipated. Sinister acts as the original collaboration between Hawke and director Scott Derrickson nearly 10 years before they would work together again on The Black Phone, making it a perfect complimentary watch to that film.
Sinister
Release Date March 29, 2012
Director Scott Derrickson
Runtime 110
4 ‘Orphan’ (2009)
Vera Farmiga as Kate Coleman
Image via Warner Bros.
Kate (Vera Farmiga) and her husband John (Peter Sarsgaard) adopt Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), a nine-year-old girl, after losing their baby. Everything appears to be going perfectly for John and Esther, but something doesn’t seem right about Kate and her other children. They quickly learn about her mysterious past and come across several alarming psychological traits that have Kate fearing for her family’s safety. Orphan quickly delves into some deeply disturbing territory with its twists and premise, helping it attain cult classic status among horror fans.
Farmiga is most well known for her role as Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring series. The Conjuring universe is one of the best horror franchises out there, and Farmiga’s performances within are nothing short of outstanding, but her other roles in other horror films can’t be ignored. Farmiga proved she has what it takes in many different roles, with Orphan specifically having been released 4 years before she would take the world by storm with her performance in The Conjuring.
Orphan
Release Date July 24, 2009
Runtime 105
3 ‘Let Me In’ (2009)
Chloë Grace Moretz as Abby
While she has acted in films of different genres, Chloë Grace Moretz has been a fairly traditional scream queen throughout her career. Between one of her early appearances in the remake of The Amityville Horror and the Carrie remake to her modern roles in the Suspiria remake and Shadow in the Cloud, she has demonstrated a genuine dedication to horror. Few actresses have had the range to play both the final girl and the actual monster throughout their career, such as Moretz has.
One of her lesser-known works is Let Me In, the American remake of Swedish horror film Let the Right One In from director Matt Reeves. The film follows twelve-year-old Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is a lonely boy bullied in school. Living a sad life, Owen is glad to meet Abby (Moretz), also twelve years old and just moved into his building. With Abby harboring a huge secret, Owen is torn between love and fear when he finds out.
Let Me In
Release Date October 1, 2010
Director Matt Reeves
Runtime 115
Watch on Max
2 ‘The Invisible Man’ (2020)
Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Adrian Griffin
Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) flees an abusive relationship with a prosperous young entrepreneur (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). A short while later, he leaves her his fortune before taking his own life. She should now be able to go about her life without fear, yet she still thinks he is watching her from somewhere. Then events lead her to believe this is more than simply a feeling.
Audiences first met Jackson-Cohen in The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor. Jackson-Cohen portrayed two very different characters in Mike Flanagan’s universe, but what can’t be forgotten is his ability to play an abusive stalker in The Invisible Man. Many may not even realize he’s a part of the film, as he goes literally unseen for two-thirds of the suspenseful stalker film. Even with his character not directly being seen for most of the film, the impact and power that he holds over the movie and its characters is undeniable, a facet further amplified by Jackson-Cohen’s tremendous performance.
The Invisible Man (2020)
Release Date February 28, 2020
Director Leigh Whannell
Runtime 124 minutes
Watch on Peacock
1 ‘Spree’ (2020)
Joe Keery as Kurt Kunkle
Spree follows the story of Kurt Kunkle (Joe Keery), a young man, is totally fixated on becoming a social media sensation and going viral. Kurt secures a job as a driver for the ridesharing service Spree, equips his vehicle with cameras, and launches a new livestream series called “The Lesson,” in which he teaches viewers how to become famous on social media… by murdering his passengers. The film combines horror and comedy in such a refreshing and effective way for the modern audience, making it one of the most underrated horror comedies in recent memory.
It’s no secret that the cast of the famous horror/sci-fi series Stranger Things has gone on to do amazing things within the world of horror, but one can’t forget fan favorite Steve Harrington’s Keery in his wacky and original slasher flick Spree. Spree is especially a great turn for Keery because of how different the character of Kurt is from Steve, as he’s much more maniacal and terrifying, showing off Keery’s amazing horror range.
Spree
Release Date August 14, 2020
Director Eugene Kotlyarenko
Runtime 93 minutes
NEXT: The Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked