This Is 50
Oh, the horror! Villains who terrified us
Gen Z filmmakers are scaring moviegoers on the big screen with breakout hits like Obsession and Backrooms. But it’s the horror masters of previous generations—with their low-tech special effects and iconic villains—who paved the way.
MICHAEL MYERS
Halloween, 1978
> Why he’s terrifying: There’s his creepy white mask, signature butcher’s knife and backstory as a murderous child. But Michael also seemingly appears out of nowhere.
> Cultural impact: Directed by John Carpenter, Halloween helped popularize the modern slasher film. Michael reflects our fear of senseless destruction, says Scott Kenemore, author of Edge of the Wire.
CHUCKY
Child’s Play, 1988
> Why he’s terrifying: Chucky catches his victims off guard. Who would expect a doll to stab them?
> Cultural impact: He’s a prime example of the killer-toy horror subgenre—turning a symbol of childhood innocence into one of fear.
> Staying power: He helped pave the way for more recent killer-toy movies, such as 2023’s M3GAN.
PINHEAD
Hellraiser, 1987
> Why he’s terrifying: Pinhead is a character of unsettling contrasts. The grid of scars and nails covering his face and head evokes pain and torture. But his demeanor is calm, unemotional and matter-of-fact. “If you don’t seek out forbidden knowledge, you have nothing to fear from him,” Kenemore notes.
> Staying power: A gender-bent Pinhead and fellow Cenobites returned in the 2022 Hellraiser reboot.
JASON VOORHEES
Friday the 13th, 1980
> Cultural impact: Jason’s hockey mask is instantly recognizable, even to those who aren’t fans of horror movies. “[He] helped establish the horror formula of doomed teenagers, remote settings, inventive deaths and endlessly returning killers, Kenemore adds.
> Staying power: Through 12 films, Jason has basically become immortal. He even stars in a Friday the 13th video game released in 2017.
FREDDY KRUEGER
A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984
> Cultural impact: “These films are original texts for today’s creators,” says author and horror aficionado Afsheen Farhadi. The villain of Netflix’s Stranger Things, Vecna, shares Freddy’s deformed skin and penchant for invading the minds of teenage victims.
> Staying power: Paramount Pictures has a new Nightmare on Elm Street film in the works.
THE XENOMORPH
Alien, 1979
> Why it’s terrifying: A xenomorph gestates in a person’s body before bursting through the chest.
> Cultural impact: Alien is a master class in body horror that influenced films like 1982’s The Thing and 1997’s Event Horizon. Also, Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of Ellen Ripley upended gender norms and redefined the action hero by proving women could anchor major blockbusters. —Emily Guy Birken
33%
of Gen Xers still receive financial support from their parents.