From the undead and the demonic to murderous and the monstrous, horror cinema is jam-packed with iconic villains who have left audiences paralyzed with fear as to what exactly is going bump in the night. Some of the genre’s greatest legends come in the form of masked killers, be they psychotic, slashing serial killers lusting for blood, or horribly disfigured beings covering themselves to get close enough to strike.
Many of the greatest masked killers in horror have come from the slasher subgenre, but there have also been great deviants to don daunting disguises in such categories as home invasion horror and supernatural thrillers. With long-standing legacies as some of the genre’s most terrifying figures,these masked slashers have assembled fan followings even longer than their kill lists and stand as undisputed icons of horror film.
20The Collector
‘The Collector’ (2009)
WithThe Collectorand its 2012 sequelThe Collectionmarking something of a cult glory in slasher cinema, the franchise’s titular sadistic killer has etched out a small corner of horror folklore as his fanbase has steadily amassed. The original film follows an ex-con desperate for money who decides to break into his boss’s house to steal a valuable gem. His efforts embroil him in the twisted game of a deranged killer who has taken the family hostage and rigged deadly traps around the property.
It excels assimple yet effective torture pornfor viewers who are into that, enriching its formulaic story with plenty of nasty traps and extreme gore. The approach has seen the Collector (Juan Fernández) become a fan-favorite horror hacker, with hismeticulous and methodical cruelty meshing with his entrancing fascination with pain and sufferingto deliver a deliciously macabre killer who embodies the sinister exhilaration of the genre like few others.
The Collector
Watch on Amazon Prime
‘You Might be the Killer’ (2018)
You Might be the Killeroffers an intriguingnew spin on the mystery and mayhem of slasher cinema. It opens with camp counselor Sam (Fran Kranz) experiencing a nightmarish murder spree at Camp Clear Vista. When he calls his horror movie-loving friend Chuck (Alyson Hannigan) for help, the two deduce that Sam may not necessarily be in grave danger, as it looks as though he could be blacking out and committing the murders himself.
In the film,the creepy mask is not only an eerie aesthetic, but a vessel of great and terrible poweras well. It is unbreakable, and Sam’s own face burns when he tries casting it into fire, with its mystery tied to a carver who used wood from a tree containing a dark spirit to craft it. The film hasn’t made an immediate splash in mainstream circles—therefore, its killer concept remains underappreciated—but as fun and lively slasher fare,You Might be the Killershould endure as a cult classic that sees more fanfare head its way.
Watch on Fubo
18The Killer
‘Alice, Sweet Alice’ (1976)
Hitchcockian intrigue, Giallo style and story, and a healthy dollop of pioneering slasher spectacle have madeAlice, Sweet Alicean outstanding 70s horror movie, as well asan underrated horror film. Containing creepy kids and creepier masked maniacs, it sees an emotionally unstable 12-year-old girl sent away when her favored younger sister and her aunt are brutally murdered. However, when the killings continue, it falls to the girl’s father and a local priest to determine who the real murderer is.
Reveling in themes of religious fanaticism and family dissolution,Alice, Sweet Aliceruns with a particularly harrowing killer who—beyond their character’s name—doesn’t earn a menacing moniker, but still makes a striking impact on all viewers with their cherub Halloween mask and yellow raincoat. It’sa brilliant blend of child-like innocence, religious iconography, and sheer eerinessto deliver a captivating killer that, despite not getting the plaudits of some of its fellow slashers, ranks among the most terrifying figures the genre has seen.
‘The Orphanage’ (2007)
While not necessarily an evil and malicious killer, Tomás (Óscar Casas) remains one of the eeriest and most disconcerting characters the genre has seen in the 21st century. The Spanish horrorThe Orphanage, follows a young family that moves into a new home that was once an orphanage. When their young son begins speaking of five imaginary friends, the parents investigate and learn that he is communicating with the ghosts of orphans who had been murdered.
Tomás is revealed to be the son of a former caretaker at the orphanage, one whose horrible deformity forced him to wear his creepy sack mask. As the grueling history of the orphanage and the fate of Tomás and the other orphans is unveiled, the film pivots from beingan atmospheric Gothic haunted house horrorand becomes more entrenched as an evocative supernatural tragedy. In the process,Tomás becomes one of the most poignant figures in horror of late.
The Orphanage
16Animal Mask Killers
‘You’re Next’ (2011)
Sometimes it is the most simplistic of ideas that proves to be the most terrifying. That is the case inYou’re Next, which follows an estranged family’s reunion/anniversary celebration as it turns into a hellish nightmare when their estate is besieged by a band of assassins donning animalistic disguises as they attempt to pick off the Davidson family one by one.
The wolf, the tiger, and the lamb are the beasts picked out to serve as the killers’ vile visages, with the trio’s screen presence defined by the creeping dread that comes with their abruptvisual reminder of their primitive savagery and total inhumanity. The fact that the mystery surrounding the three killers isn’t given concise answers, with the true motivation behind their bloodlust remaining unresolved, only sees their fearsome and feral demeanors continue to play on the mind long after the credits have rolled.
You’re Next
15Leslie Vernon
‘Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon’ (2006)
Part mockumentary, part homage to the slasher genreBehind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernonis a pure celebration of slasher horror, and indeed of horror in general. Imbued with plenty of nods to past classics, it follows a crew of filmmakers documenting an aspirational serial killer inspired by the characters in some of his favorite slasher movies.
Although the film never made it past cult status, Leslie Vernon’s (Nathan Baesel) legacy in the genrehas appealed to fans with its meta look at its tropes and conventions. Baesel’s performance as Leslie is immensely underrated, as ishis masked killer’s presentationwhich is both striking and unique.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
‘Hush’ (2016)
A startling early success from the now legendary horror filmmakerMike Flanagan,Hushserved as an arresting home invasion horror which signaled the director’s brilliance early on. Simply referred to as The Man (John Gallagher Jr.), the killer is rather plain at a glance, but he left a big impression on viewers of the underrated horror movie.
As he terrorizes a deaf author in her home, The Man is nothing short of chilling with his featureless white mask, and he only becomes more haunting when he unmasks himself. With one of the best unexpected actor reveals in the genre,Gallagher Jr.’s sublime performance mixed with Flanagan’s sharp direction to make for a truly terrifying masked killer.
Watch on Shudder
13The Phantom Killer
‘The Town That Dreaded Sundown’ (1976)
Pre-dating some of the earliest pioneers of the slasher genre which gave audiences so many famous masked killers,The Town That Dreaded Sundownis an underappreciated horror thriller.The Town That Dreaded Sundownis based on true eventsand takes place in 1946 in Texas where a ranger struggles to hunt down an at-large serial killer who is terrorizing a small town.
Dubbed The Phantom Killer, his sack-headed design is rather simple but incredibly effective, instilling a paralyzing sense of fear in viewers when he appears on-screen. While neither the 1976 original nor the surprisingly good 2014 remake have become true horror hits, their contribution to the genre is worthy of acknowledgment, especially considering the real Phantom Killer was never identified.
Watch on Tubi
12Bayfield Babyface Killer
‘Happy Death Day’ (2017)
Bringing a healthy dose of fun and time-looping mayhem to the slasher genre,Happy Death Daywas an imaginative and light addition to the typically blood-soaked subgenre. It follows Tree (Jessica Rothe), a self-centered collegian who must solve her own murder when she is caught in a cycle of re-living the day of her death.
While not the most vicious masked killer horror has ever seen,the Bayfield Babyface Killer still proves to be effective as an unsettling antagonistic presence. The film’s eagerness to play with the genre helped make the killer all the more memorable, while its toned-down nature will likely make the Bayfield Babyface Killer something of a gateway slayer for young slasher fans of the future.
Happy Death Day
11Shadyside Killers
‘Fear Street’ (2021)
Netflix’sFear Streettrilogy has proven to be a horror franchise with some staying power. A lot of that ongoing public interest stems from the fact that, in addition to its phenomenal cast, it featured multiple masked killers, many of which paid homage to classic antagonists in the genre.
Based onR.L. Stein’s book series of the same name, eachfilm in the horror trilogytook place in the central town of Shadyside in a different decade, exploring differing horror subgenres along the way while staying firmly in touch with its slasher core. As such,its litany of great killers really serves as an embarrassment of riches, with everyone from the Nightwing Killer to The Grifter being more than worthy of generating their own franchises.
