Top 10 Best Horror Movie Masks
These are the faces that bring fear into the hearts of millions.
Worn by Jason Voorhees, the hockey mask became iconic in Friday the 13th films as a symbol of the relentless killer. The third installment of the Friday the 13th film franchise forever changed how we view sports equipment. Jason Voorhees dons his classic mask for the first time in this film, and thus nightmares were born. The relative harmlessness of a hockey mask is replaced with homicidal bloodlust as Jason kills teenager after horny teenager. It's an iconic horror mask that brings to mind menace, murder, and machetes.
His mask is awesome and badass, and Jason is well-suited for it. His machete also pairs well with both him and his mask.
Leatherface's crude, flesh-sewn mask is used to cover his face and instill terror in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. As a general rule, cannibals tend to be a little off-putting. A cannibal wearing a mask and carrying a chainsaw is probably the worst. However, it's the mask made from the skin of his victims that truly drives home the bone-chilling fright of Leatherface. Of course, the chainsaw and his massive size pretty much mean certain death.
The blank, expressionless white mask worn by Michael Myers conceals his identity and amplifies his haunting presence in Halloween. Who knew that a Captain Kirk mask could haunt the dreams of children and adults for generations? Armed with nearly supernatural killing abilities, Michael Myers is the killer who keeps on killing. His super creepy mask, complete with matted hair and hollow eyes, delivers the kind of terror that makes you want to sleep with a nightlight. As if that would help.
This is actually a Captain Kirk mask painted white.
Ghostface wears a stylized, elongated white mask based on Edvard Munch's "The Scream" in Scream. The Ghostface mask seems like it was designed to inspire perfectly practical scares. The sinister eye holes, the contorted mouth, and the black-and-white coloring make it a mask you don't want to see at your window or door. Aside from the campiness, and thanks to a clever film, the Ghostface mask embodies sharp killing and even sharper knives.
This mask is based on Edvard Munch's The Scream.
Pigs don't generally inspire fear, but combining an unsettling representation of a swine's head with brutal deaths and gut-wrenching horror follows. Worn by Jigsaw and his accomplices to hide their identities, and representing the zodiac year in which the killer began his reign of terror, this gruesome disguise dials up the dread in a horrifying scenario. Seeing that pig mask is pretty much a sign that you're already doomed.
The muzzle mask placed on Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs prevents him from attacking others while he's restrained. The fact that this otherwise cool, calm, and collected middle-aged gentleman has to be restrained with a strange muzzle pretty much says it all. Seething with cannibalistic intent and a curious appetite, Hannibal the Cannibal's mask serves as a reminder that he can kill you whenever he wants and eat your organs.
This mask is a fairly recent addition to the horror genre, but it doesn't skimp on the scares. It might be the shattered human jaw combined with the cracked cheeks or the creepy Babyface doll that only works with barbed wire. Or it might be that there's someone behind the mask, but this is definitely the film's main freak-out.
Auditioning for a movie role is terrifying enough, but when you add a murderer into the mix, things become slightly more intimidating. The Hag mask is particularly terrifying with its deep, hollow eyes and frown of murderous intent. A sickle, a few rival actresses, and lethal determination bring new meaning to the term fierce competition.
The film's overall tone is hidden behind a mask with a horrible makeup job. When combined with a violent yellow raincoat, unsettling is an understatement. In the hands of a child, it's kind of eerie, maybe a little disturbing. But on the face of a killer, that ghastly eyeshadow is sinister, making it a mask of nightmares.
There are subterranean monsters, disfigured humanoids, and undead creatures, but this mask-wearing serial killer stands out above them all. This movie may have flown under the radar, but the mask worn by the film's villain, Dr. Decker, is clearly the star of the show. The button eyes and zipper mouth really enhance the creepiness factor, which is impressive given that he is already a night-dwelling murderer.