MASTERMINDS IN HORROR MOVIES

Norman Bates

Psycho (1960)

Sometimes the best way to fool the world is to believe your own lie. At first glance, Norman Bates seems like the most harmless guy in the universe: he’s polite, soft-spoken, and awkward around women. But beneath this non-threatening exterior lurks a dangerous individual with a severe case of mommy issues. When Marion gets stabbed to death at the Bates Motel, we’re led to believe that it’s the work of Norman’s overly possessive mother. Only later do we learn this “mother” is none other than an alternate personality created by Norman’s troubled mind. Hardly anyone could’ve suspected this timid motel owner to be capable of such brutal murders - least of all himself.

Damien Thorn

“The Omen” Franchise (1976-2006)

Don’t be fooled by that adorable smile: this sweet-faced little boy is none other than the Antichrist, the son of the devil, whose ascension to power was carefully planned out over thousands of years. From childhood, Damien uses his subconscious powers to anticipate all potential threats to himself and eliminate his enemies in mysterious freak accidents. Meanwhile, his childish appearance and angelic smile ensure that no one around him suspects the truth -- until it’s too late. After becoming a powerful businessman and politician, Damien masterfully uses his army of Satanic followers to get ever closer to his ultimate goal: preventing the Second Coming of Christ. Evil has never been so patient and so calculating.

Pinhead

“Hellraiser” Franchise (1987-2018)

Only an intellectual (and incredibly perverse) villain would use a puzzle box to trick his victims into summoning him. In a decade when many horror films featured mindless brutes like Jason Voorhees and Mike Myers, Pinhead stood out by being the opposite: a stoic villain with a brilliant mind, less intent on killing people and more interested in subjecting them to an eternity of pain. As the leader of the Cenobites, he uses humans’ fears and desires to his advantage, coercing them into serving him before he eventually drags them to hell. While Pinhead makes deals with people, he’s . . . not known for his fair play: and with his aeons’ worth of experience in torture, those who fall into his traps are royally and utterly screwed.

Hannibal Lecter

“Hannibal Lecter” Franchise (1986-2007)

Whether he’s hosting a lavish dinner party or stuck behind bars in an FBI prison, this infamous serial killer always seems fully in control of the situation. As a former psychiatrist, he makes good use of his in-depth knowledge of the human mind: when Clarice Starling asks him for help with the case of Buffalo Bill, he paints her a frighteningly accurate profile of the man -- but only after toying with her deepest, darkest insecurities. Hannibal’s bloodlust is carefully concealed behind a cool, calculating exterior, which allows him to carry out the grisliest of murders without batting an eye. The combination of a genius-level intellect with a monstrous appetite for human flesh easily makes him one of the most dangerous villains in horror history.

John Kramer

“Saw” Franchise (2004-)

If you look up “puppet master” in the dictionary, you’ll probably find a picture of John Kramer, a.k.a., the Jigsaw killer. This former civil engineer has one simple and seemingly admirable goal: to make people cherish the gift of life. It just so happens that this involves putting them through physical and psychological hell, with the help of some gruesome death traps. For someone who ludicrously insists he’s not a murderer, Jigsaw seems to derive great pleasure from finding ingenious ways to torture his victims. But his most chilling trait by far is his ability to turn the few survivors of his “games” into loyal followers, thus ensuring that his devious plans are carried out for years after his own death.