The horror genre often follows a typical formula, having a main character/hero and a villain who targets them. Whether the villains are regular people, paranormal entities, or supernatural beings, there is always a clear idea of the good guys vs. the bad guys.
Some films muddy the line between a villain and a hero, creating twists and revelations about a protagonist who wasn't a hero in the story but the heartless or misguided villain the entire time. It’s a great way to change up a traditional movie structure to excite and surprise an audience.
10 The Others: The Protagonists Are Actually The Ghosts Haunting The House
Released in 2001 and directed by Alejandro Amenábar
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=750&dpr=1.5)
On the surface, The Others sounds like any other haunted house film. However, there is an incredible twist in the movie, which centers on a mother caring for her children during the 1940s while her husband is away at war. The woman experiences paranormal activity in her home, leading to her belief that something sinister is trying to hurt her family.
However, the film reveals that the family experiencing these events are actually deceased and have been for many years. In fact, it was the mother who killed her children and herself, meaning she and her children are actually the ghosts haunting the home. The paranormal events are a product of the current, very much alive, residents who moved into the empty house.
9 The Fly: Scientist Seth Brundle Becomes A Monster
Released in 1986 and directed by David Cronenberg
1986's The Fly follows the story of a successful scientist, Seth Brundle, who's working on an important experiment. However, a grave mistake results in the man fusing his DNA with that of a common house fly. At first, the film sees the main character gain unnatural abilities such as strength and agility, which leads many to believe the movie might have the likeness of a superhero film. However, the story quickly shifts as Brundle begins transforming.
As the story progresses, his appearance becomes more grotesque and his actions worsen. By the end of the film, the man becomes a fully transformed insectoid monster, driven by his impulses. He ultimately attacks those he once cared for, making him the villain in his own story.
8 Malignant: A Parasitic Twin Uses His Sister's Body To Murder His Victims
Released in 2021 and directed by James Wan
The horror film centers on a woman, Madison, who has sudden and intense dreams about a killer brutally murdering people. As the film progresses, the woman’s past is revealed and the true nature of the killer comes to light.
Malignant follows a villain, Gabriel, who's seen through Madison's nightmares and waking life, and during the attacks, seems like he's a separate entity. However, the climax of the film reveals how Gabriel is Madison's parasitic twin. He took over her brain and body after she hit her head and used her to harm others. Gabriel shares a brain with his sister and literally appears through the back of her head, performing villainous acts while using her body.
7 Saint Maud: Maud's Delusions Lead Her To Make Gruesome Decisions
Released in 2021 and directed by Rose Glass
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=750&dpr=1.5)
After a traumatic event, a woman by the name of Maud becomes a devout catholic. Maud is a palliative nurse helping a terminally ill dancer and atheist. Maud believes she must save the soul of this dancer from eternal damnation, all while her faith is challenged by various events surrounding her.
Saint Maud focuses on psychological horror as the events in the film’s ending suggest there's a religious and almost paranormal element present, although it’s unknown if it’s the workings of a woman reaching her breaking point or an actual paranormal experience. Either way, Maud becomes a villain with the violent actions she takes in the name of god.
6 An American Werewolf In London: David Turns Into A Werewolf
Released in 1981 and directed by John Landis
The 1981 horror film follows two friends, David and Jack, who are backpacking through England when they're attacked by a werewolf. Jack is killed while David survives and endures the aftermath of the incident.
An American Werewolf In London centers on David as he's warned by his deceased friend that he'll soon transform into a monster. The film follows the formula of the villainous main character when David, who refuses to believe what is happening to him, fully transforms during a full moon and kills various people.
5 Us: Adelaide Is A Tethered
Released in 2019 and directed by Jordan Peele
The film Us has very obvious villains known as the Tethered; however, there is a less obvious villain within the story, which follows a family who take a trip to a beach house. While there, they encounter twisted versions of themselves who live underground, mirroring those who live above.
As the film reaches its climax, the audience learns why these doppelgangers are carrying out their evil plan. It turns out the main character, Adelaide, switched places with her tethered clone and is living a life meant for her double, indirectly causing the tethered to riot. This leads to the revelation that Adelaide was a tethered herself, which makes her a villain.
4 Child’s Play: Chucky Becomes The Face Of A Franchise
Released in 1988 and directed by Tom Holland
Child’s play follows a young boy named Andy after he's gifted a good guy doll named Chucky, which is actually possessed by the spirit of the serial killer, Charles Lee Ray. Throughout the film, Chucky attempts to use a voodoo spell to transfer his soul into Andy’s body as a way to acquire a new host.
While Chucky is considered the antagonist and Andy the protagonist in Child’s Play, Chucky remains the classic face of the film series. He's one of the few consistent characters and has become synonymous with the series, making him the lead character in the franchise as well as the primary villain.
3 American Psycho: Patrick Bateman Is A Villain From The Start
Released in 2000 and directed by Mary Harron
The hit 2000 film follows Patrick Bateman as he gives into his homicidal urges, most of which stem from the anger and frustration he experiences at his job in the corporate world. Bateman leads a double life as he gruesomely commits murders while trying to maintain a comfortable lifestyle.
American Psycho observes Patrick as both the protagonist and antagonist in the film. Right from the beginning, it's established that he's the villain. This is made clear through his narration, which reveals his desires to cause people harm, and through the exploration of his psyche as his experiences drive him to madness.
2 Creep: Josef Feigns Friendliness To Lure His Victims
Released in 2014 and directed by Patrick Brice
The film follows the character, Aaron, who answers an ad to film a stranger for a day. As the stranger, Josef, begins unfolding the reasons he wants to record himself, Aaron notices the strange man’s requests become more suspicious.
Creep follows only two characters throughout the whole film, playing out the dynamic between a murderer and his victim. Josef is portrayed as a simple man with innocent intentions, but as the movie goes on, his character shifts into his serial killer habits and makes him both a main character and villain.
1 Psycho: Norman Bates Believes He's His Own Mother
Released in 1960 and directed by Alfred Hitchcock
The 1960 Alfred Hitchcock classic features Norman Bates, a man who runs the Bates Motel. When a young woman arrives and spends the night, the characters witness Norman's odd relationship with his mother and his taxidermy hobby.
Psycho is known for having one of the horror genre's greatest twists and reveals. As the audience follows the woman’s story, it becomes clear there's a killer, but it isn’t until later on it's revealed the killer is Norman, who's deeply troubled and killing people under the belief he's his dead mother.