There are plenty of slasher movies – some spine-chillingly scarier than the others. What makes these slasher movies stand out is not just their stories, but also their villains. It’s the psychotic, sadist, and menacing antagonists that are the USP of these movies. Be it a chainsaw-wielding Leatherface or running behind you with knives Ghostface… They make life a living hell for protagonists and stay with us for so long that even their name makes our skin crawl. And, while paranormal movies have their iconic devils and ghosts, let’s take a look at some of the scariest villains of slasher movies.
7 slasher movies with spine-chillingly scary villains that you can watch on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV & Google Play Movies
1. Jigsaw (Saw) — Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Prime Video
Tobin Bell brought to screen one of the deadliest villains named John Kramer, aka Jigsaw, from the terrifying movie franchise Saw. Fans of slasher movies need no introduction to this mysterious figure, riding a tiny bicycle, and kidnapping people. For the unversed, Jigsaw, whose identity and backstory are revealed in the second part, kidnaps people and puts them through a series of twisted games in his house of horrors. He wants people to feel grateful for being alive, hence the abductions. The survivor walks out free. To win each level of the game, the people either have to inflict pain on themselves or kill others. The movies are quite graphic and Jigsaw ups his bloodbath with every movie. There are 10 movies in the franchise.
2. Jason (Friday the 13th) — Amazon Prime Video
Jason Vorhees, immortalised on screen by Ari Lehman, goes on a killing spree to seek revenge for the way he was treated by people when he was a child. There’s a mystery around him – he is believed to have drowned during a camp when he was a child, only to return years later as an adult and cause mayhem. Just like Jigsaw, his backstory too is revealed later on in the series and a tiny part of your heart low-key feels sorry for him. But, that’s all gone when you see him torturing and hunting down innocent, unsuspecting victims. He wears a mask throughout (barring one time when it slips and you see a deformed figure beneath it) and his overall tall, hefty figure and cold personality add eeriness to his character. And, him being an immortal who feels no pain, makes him petrifying – how do you kill someone who can’t die? There are 12 movies and Jason appears in almost all of them – he is either the killer or inspiration of copycat killers.
3. Chucky (Child’s Play) — Amazon Prime Video
If Stephen King’s IT made us weary of clowns, the Child’s Play movie franchise instilled fear of dolls. Spanning eight films, the plot primarily revolves around a psychotic killer, Chucky, who has his soul transferred into a doll so that he can live forever. Chucky then targets children intending to possess their souls by getting them to commit crimes. His choice of weapon is knives. Each movie ups Chucky’s menace and the gore quotient. Put a child and doll in the same frame and you know if you have a troubled narrative on hand.
4. Ghostface (Scream) — Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video
It was in 1996, we first met Ghostface, who goes on a killing spree in the fictional town of Woodsboro. His main target is Sidney Prescot (Neve Campbell). The series gets interesting with movies as varied secrets about Ghostface, Sidney, and Woodsboro are revealed. Full of twists and turns, Ghostface keeps you on your toes. The scary part is, like Michael Meyers from Hallowee, Ghostface doesn’t seem to die either. And, the fact that every movie springs a new person behind the Ghostface mask, makes him one of the most unpredictable killers. Scream is one of the longest-running and most successful movie franchises. The sixth movie came out earlier this year and there are plans for another one.
5. Michael Meyers (Halloween) — Amazon Prime Video
Do you know what’s scary about Michael Meyers? The fact that he is silent, doesn’t even grunt or make a squeak, and you never know from where he’ll come at you. He takes his time in reaching his victim – who in this case is Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis – playing and toying with them by killing others around them. Spanning 13 films, the plot primarily focuses on Michael, returning to his hometown after 15 years and going on a killing spree. He was jailed for his older sister’s murder as a child and was sent to a psychiatric institution. Laurie, a babysitter, becomes Michael’s new prey – she is revealed to be his younger sister in the second movie. Michael keeps coming back for Laurie, despite being ‘killed’ by her on several occasions.
6. Leatherface (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) — Amazon Prime Video
The killer gets his name from the leather mask he wears, with a chainsaw being his choice of weapon. The movie revolves around a cannibalistic family, with Leatherface, as the main antagonist, living in an isolated small town near Texas. They kill every visitor to their part of the countryside. The movies are quite unsettling due to the graphic content and also the sound of the chainsaw that makes you want to grind your teeth. Leatherface and the movie are reportedly based on a true story of a serial killer who murdered people and made masks from their skin.
7. Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street) — Amazon Prime Video
There are various actors playing the creepy, deformed Freddy Krueger, who murders his victims by invading their dreams as they sleep. The scary part is, he has the ability to pop up anywhere – you close your eyes for even a second and he’ll ensure you slip into a deep slumber so he gets enough time to kill you. Once you are in his desired dreamscape, he unleashes his nightmare. Freddy’s backstory is equally disgusting – he was a child molester burned alive by the children’s parents. And, the victims are the children who he had molested. There’s also a Jason and Freddy crossover in a movie titled Freddy vs Jason, in which the latter emerges as an anti-hero.
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