The 11 Scariest People on Screen.
There have been plenty of lists on the scariest characters in cinema history. The Alien is scary, the cave dwelling things in The Descent are nasty, and Pennywise (in IT) was really scary until the weird (spoiler) spider ending. But what if we only include actual people? Which actors turn in the most chilling performances? Who are the people of cinemaland that really scare us? The ones that you feel uncomfortable as soon as they are on screen…
We decided to put a list of the characters that really darken the screen. There were a few rules- 1. They had to be fictional characters, 2. They had to be 100% human people, and 3. You had to actually be scared of them - no characters you secretly like (so that rules out scary heroes and Hannibal Lecter).
Some spoiler warnings ahead. So don’t read them if you haven’t seen the film (and definitely don’t open the videos!). And don’t watch them if you are squeamish or don’t want any bad language.
Dennis Hopper (as Frank Booth) - Blue Velvet (1986)
Few people do scary quite like David Lynch, and although Bob (Twin Peaks) and The Mystery Man (Lost Highway) might have made this list, it is Dennis Hopper’s Frank that is arguably the nastiest of them all. Frank is a gangster, who’s interests include murder, torture, rape, drug dealing, sadomasochism and Roy Orbison. Hopper has played some dark characters in his time, but none are quite as evil as Frank.
Javier Bardem (as Anton Chigurh) - No Country for Old Men (2007)
Bardem won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the relentless hitman, Anton Chigurh, in the Coen Brothers most recent thriller. Chigurh has an (almost?) unflinching lack of emotion, and every time he is on screen bad things happen. The Coen’s have had their “Devil” characters before, notably in Barton Fink, Fargo and The Hudsucker Proxy. It is an incredible performance from Bardem, but one which you don’t necessarily want to see any more of - the highest kind of accolade.
Christopher Walken (as The Man With The Plan)/ Steve Buscemi (as Mr Shhhh) - Things To Do In Denver When You’re Dead (1995)
This might count as cheating, as it is a 2 for 1, but they are essentially the same villain. This might not be the best film on the list, but Walken is absolutely terrifying in it. He has played plenty of bad guys in his time, but most of them fall foul of our Rule 3 (especially his turn in True Romance). The Man With the Plan is concise, sinister and completely cold hearted. Buscemi’s Mr Shhh is the actions to Walken’s words.
Robert Helpmann (as The Childcatcher) - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
How many nightmares was this responsible for?
Eihi Shiina (as Asami Yamazaki) - Audition (1999)
Glenn Close pretty much rewrote the script when it came to The Femme Fatale, with her part in Fatal Attraction. Shiina took the woman (not so) scorned in a far, far darker direction. There are scenes in this film that are literally and metaphorically torture. And some of it made Rob Zombie sick. A seriously disturbing piece of acting, in a seriously disturbing film.
Robert Michum (as Harry Powell) - The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Michum could easily be in this list twice, as his performance in the 1962 version of Cape Fear is almost as disturbing. It was as “Preacher”, Harry Powell that Michum was his most sinister. It was this performance that brought the iconic “LOVE” and “HATE” tattoos into popular culture.
Morgan Woodward (as Boss Godfrey) - Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Boss Godfrey was the sinister Chain Gang guard, that always wore glasses and didn’t seem entirely human. It’s all in the sunglasses. They don’t cover his eyes, they are his eyes. He was seen as being so much like The Devil himself, that he would be an obvious influence on the Coen Brothers’ Sheriff Cooley, in O Brother, Where Art Thou. Not entirely human.
Peter Lorre (Hans Beckhert) - M (1931)
Lorre’s depiction of Child Murderer Beckhert is frightening now, and it is 77 years since the film was made. Fritz Lang’s decision to cast a comic actor (Lorre), coupled with his pioneering mastery of leitmotif and the tracking shot made this film as uncomfortable now as it was then. The role was a defining one for Lorre, who would go on to repeat his creepy performance in films like The Man Who Knew Too Much and The Maltese Falcon.
Sergi Lopez (Captain Vidal) - Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
As with M, Guillermo Del Toro made a brave decision in casting a comedic actor for as Captain Vidal. Vidal is a psychopathic Captain of Franco’s fascist army. He hunts down guerrillas, and is not adverse to torture or brutal murder. He shows a complete lack of compassion for his wife and a hatred for her daughter. There is one scene in particular… the one with the rabbit hunters…
Gary Oldman (Norman Stanfield) - Leon (1994)
Not many people can play a psycho quite like Gary Oldman. And he has certainly had plenty of practice. Stansfield is a classical music enthusiast, and deranged police officer, who was responsible for the deaths of Mathilda’s (Natalie Portman) family. There are several scenes in the film that underline just how unhinged Stanfield is, not least when he starts sniffing people. Oldman managed to create a character that is both entertaining to watch, and downright frightening.
Louise Fletcher (Nurse Ratched) - One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (1975)
Ratched rules the Oregon State mental hospital with an iron fist. She is happy to lobotomize patients for disruptive behavior, humiliate them whenever possible and deprive them of food. Fletcher won an Academy Award for her role as Ratched, completing a Grand Slam of Oscars for the film. A frightening version of corrupted power.
Anyone we have missed out? Let us know.
