Classic and iconic villains such as Michael Myers, Jason, Freddy Krueger, or Chucky may come to mind when thinking of horror movies. Although these are in the mainstream media, there is a whirlwind of horror movies that aren’t as popular. Perhaps, some horror movies are well-known, but the antagonists may not be considered “villains” to the average viewer.
Evil comes in different shapes and sizes. A villain doesn’t have to wear a mask, have extensive weapons, or have some type of powers. They can be the person next door, a child, or even an inanimate object. Let Scream’s Ghostface and Pinhead take a back seat for a while.
Roman and Minnie Castevet, Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Roman Polanski’s 1968 horror-mystery Rosemary’s Baby is about a young newly-wed couple Rosemary and Guy, who moves into an apartment building in New York City. They hear rumors about witchcraft and death has occurred on the property; they take the apartment anyway. Guy is a mostly out-of-work actor who will do anything to find success. The couple (Guy in particular) gets close to their elderly couple neighbors Roman and Minnie Castevets (Sidney Blackmer, Ruth Gordon). When Rosemary gets pregnant, Roman and Minnie do anything to help: give her medicine, books, and even get a particular doctor. As time goes on, Rosemary becomes paranoid that these “sweet” neighbors have ill intentions, yet Guy doesn’t believe her and continues getting close to them.
Roman and Minnie eventually admit that they are witches, and they had a strong interest in this couple producing a baby. Why? Because they wish to hijack Rosemary’s uterus to make the son of the devil. They welcome Guy into the coven as he becomes a very willing participant because they help his acting career tremendously. They conjure the spirits to cause an accident upon a fellow actor, thus moving Guy’s understudy to the starring role.
Roman and Minnie don’t scream “villain” or even “evil” until the end. Minnie is the comic relief throughout the film, and Roman appears to be a passive husband who does whatever his wife tells him. They appear like the sweet "grandparents" that you want as neighbors. The unsuspecting, kind, and considerate couple next door are very deceiving, and this is what makes them even more of a villain.
Angela Baker, Sleepaway Camp (1983)
A young, shy girl who had a traumatizing childhood and is constantly bullied by older girls: the least suspecting person to be a killer. Robert Hiltzik’s 1983 slasher film Sleepaway Camp is a cult classic for many reasons, one being that the killer is a child and for the shocking reveal at the end.
Sleepaway Camp is about Angela, a young girl who is sent off to sleepaway camp by her eccentric aunt for the summer. She was forced to live with her aunt after a freak accident killed her parents eight years prior. Upon arriving at camp, a string of murders begins, and everyone becomes wary of a serial killer on the loose.
Throughout, Angela appears to be a quiet and innocent character, but in the end, she is revealed as the killer. The camera zooms in on her naked body, and a camp counselor screams in horror, “Oh my God. She’s a boy!” Did director Hiltzik make Angela become a girl due to enforcement by her aunt to make a statement on gender roles? If Angela was not forced to live as a girl by her aunt, would she still have the drive to kill?
These questions all come to mind, but what makes Angela an underappreciated killer is how likable she is and how she murders people who “deserve it.” These range from girls who bully her to a sexual predator cook. The film is told through her eyes, and Hiltzik provokes the audience to feel sorry for her. She is constantly tormented and bullied and being forced to be a gender that she is not. All of this combined almost makes the killing she does more permissible.
Killer Bots, Chopping Mall (1986)
Not all villains have to be human. Jim Wynorski’s 1986 horror cult-classic Chopping Mall proves this. The film is about teenagers who finish their shift at the mall and have a party in one of the stores. When the mall closes, the new security system, three giant robots, malfunction and go on a killing spree, mistaking the teenagers for intruders.
Being made in 1986, this film has some foreshadowing of what the world could quickly become. It is the ultimate 80s camp fun; it doesn’t try to be more than it is. The killer bots sowing their reign of terror on over-the-top stereotyped teenagers is extremely fun. The kills are good, the acting is cheesy yet endearing, and the robots warn the audience of what is to come.
Aside from having awesome kills, Chopping Mall also highlights how much one can do with a minimal budget. With a budget of just $800,000, the film had to change up their initial wants. According to nightmarenostalgia.com, although initially supposed to be filmed in the Beverly Center, it was changed to the Sherman Oaks Galleria.
The Laugh, Amusement (2008)
This underappreciated killer shows that bullying is traumatizing and that the bullied person will never forget it. John Simpson’s horror anthology film Amusement (2008) is about three friends, Shelby, Tabitha, and Lisa, who are all tormented by a man with the same distinctive and blood-curdling laugh. “The Laugh” is shown in numerous roles: a truck driver, a creepy caretaker, and a terrifying clown.
The film is set into multiple parts, in which the same guy agonizes each girl. In the end, it is revealed that the man was a boy that the girls went to Briar Hills Elementary School with. Although the girls barely recall the boy, he remembers them for bullying him constantly. A flashback is shown of yearbook photos of the three girls, with them all having hopeful titles such as "Most Likely to Succeed,” "Most Likely to Shine,” and "Most Likely to be Famous.” A picture of a boy is then shown, with the title "Extremely Dangerous” underneath.
The film ends with Tabitha driving away and remembering how she and her friends laughed at the boy as children. Although they have all grown up, forgotten about the boy, and moved on from it, he never forgot about them. Be careful with who you laugh at.