What’s scarier, an ax murderer, or a bad outfit? Now imagine both of those things put together. Terrifying. I’d certainly prefer to be chased by a sharply dressed serial killer, demon, ghost or whatever it may be in my personal horror movie. At least they’re sane enough to care about their appearance right? It’s kind of nice to know your demise is an occasion worth dressing up for. Just imagine how disappointed you would be if Michael Myers showed up at your door in some sweatpants and a white tee. So, in honor of the end of spooky season, enjoy this list of horror movie villains ranked by style, and hear some UO student opinions on where these villains hit or missed.
10. Pennywise (It)
Coming in at last place is Stephen King’s murderous demon clown, Pennywise. For being a primordial entity that had been around for 200 years at the time of the film, you’d think it (haha) would have picked up on some sense of what’s in and what’s out. Unfortunately, Pennywise seems to have been too busy terrorizing the people of Derry, Maine, to build a stylish wardrobe. There’s so much going on with Pennywise’s outfit, and yet so little to say. It’s not even worth trying to figure out where Pennywise went wrong, because the whole thing is wrong. Showing up in a literal clown outfit is more offensive than frightening. Pennywise’s effort for being different is respectable though.
“The ginger blowout is iconic,” Sarita Sharma, a senior at UO, said. The outfit itself is a crime arguably worse than Pennywise’s bad habit of child kidnappings, and for that reason, Pennywise has to be last.
9. Leatherface (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre)
While Leatherface is slightly more in touch than Pennywise, it’s not by much. Looking at his outfit from the neckline to the shoes, it’s actually not too bad. He wears a collared shirt and tie throughout the film, which admittedly could benefit from some ironing, but are nice overall.
“He’s got a button up shirt and a tie. It gives him kind of an eerie formality,” Adrian Wille, a senior at UO, said. Leatherface even shows some sense of wanting to preserve these clothes, as he chooses to dawn a butcher’s apron for his more bloody everyday activities.
The issues arise when we get to his headwear, which happens to be a mask made entirely of human skin taken from his victims. Beyond the unethical sourcing of his materials, the fit is unflattering and uneven, the hair is unkempt and there are visible stitch marks all over the place. It’s also a bit distasteful to steal someone’s face that they worked so hard on growing and pampering to use as your own. It’s unoriginal and uninspiring, and Leatherface has to face the consequences by coming in at ninth place.
8. Regan MacNeil (The Exorcist)
Technically, Regan MacNeil isn’t the real antagonist in “The Exorcist,” as that title rests with Pazuzu, the demon possessing her. However, MacNeil acts as the demon’s conduit through her possession, so we’ll count it. MacNeil’s fashion sins are mostly because she was a victim of her time. Her iconic nightgown is a bright teal with white polka-dots and white lace ruffles along the neckline. It’s interesting to say the least. I’m sure the nightgown was to die for in the early 1970s when the film takes place, but by today’s standards, it just doesn’t hold up.
It’s understandable that being possessed by an eldritch demon probably doesn’t make you feel so good, but it doesn’t help that MacNeil ends up covering the gown with demon-induced vomit later in the film. The queasy teal color actually helps the vomit blend in, but that’s not such a good sign. MacNeil clearly had some bigger problems than a bad outfit, but the outdated vomit-gown must be punished.
7. Chucky (Child’s Play)
It feels a little unfair to judge the outfit of a child-like doll, but knowing the doll is inhabited by the soul of a serial killer makes it fair game. It’s hard to go wrong with some overalls and a striped long sleeve if you’re five, but Chucky isn’t five. Chucky is the doll inhabited by serial killer Charles Lee Ray, and if you want to act like one of the big shots of horror, you’d better dress the part.
“Chucky is dressed like it’s laundry day. He’s one of the many people who think overalls look good on them,” Ronan Keenan, a senior at UO, said. It’s definitely alarming to be chased by a murderous doll dressed like something you associate with happiness and innocence, but the overalls and striped shirt just aren’t on the caliber of some of the more stylish villains.
6. Samara Morgan (The Ring)
Samara Morgan’s outfit is what Rachel MacNeil’s outfit wishes it was. A simple, long white nightgown that looks vintage, but not detrimentally so. It could definitely use a wash, but spending a week slowly dying in a well is bound to take a toll on your appearance. Hey, at least it’s not vomit.
Her dress is simple, and lets Morgan’s ghostly appearance do most of the talking with her iconic long black hair. However, given that a lot of her look is due to her personal appearance and not the clothes themselves, she’ll have to live with a spot in sixth place.
5. Ghostface (Scream)
Ghostface’s trademark look is identified by a mask that looks like, wait for it, a ghost’s face. Thought to be inspired by Edvard Munch’s famous painting, “The Scream,” the mask is actually inspired by old-fashioned cartoon animations. Beyond the mask, Ghostface’s attire consists only of a black robe. It’s very classic, and to-the-point. There’s nothing to complain about here, but there’s also not much to be excited about.
“I mean, it’s good, but it’s just a black cloak. He should try a little harder,” Sarah Svoboda, a senior at UO, said. Ghostface’s black robe and scary mask gets the job done, but doesn’t do it with much flare, and for that reason, he lands right in the middle of the rankings.
4. Red (Us)
Half the reason the antagonists of Jordan Peele’s 2019 movie, “Us,” are so scary is because they’re döppelgangers. They don’t need to be dressed in bloody rags to give you a good jump. They seem to know this as well, because their outfits are quite simple. Red, the main antagonist, does her work in some simple crimson coveralls — a great color that’s reminiscent of blood, but it’d be a lie to say she’s the first to do it.
3. Michael Myers (Halloween)
In fashion, originality matters, and Michael Myers was the first to bring coveralls to the scene. It’s hard to put on some dark blue coveralls without drawing some comparison to this classic villain. Myers takes it up a notch with his iconic pale mask. Who would’ve thought a William Shatner mask could be so terrifying? Apparently, Myers did, and points must be awarded for his creativity and originality.
2. Count Orlok (Nosferatu)
On the topic of originality, Nosferatu is regarded as one of the first vampire horror films. Count Orlok takes the stage as the vampire, and he looks damn good doing it. There is something truly unsettling about Orlok’s look, and it goes beyond the eerie atmosphere you get with most silent films. Orlok dons a classy, all-black outfit characterized by a tailored coat with a raised shoulder that gives his silhouette a goblin-like look.
“This guy is the godfather of Opium. The reclusive swag is unmatched,” Keenan said. All black never goes out of style, and neither does good tailoring. “That jacket is just sharp. He looks so put together,” Svoboda said. Orlok’s style embodies the basics of what makes a cohesive and representative look, and he must be recognized for it.
Honorable Mention: The Xenomorph (Alien)
The Xenomorph has to be excluded from the official list on account of it not wearing any actual clothes, but H.R. Giger knocked it out of the park with the Xenomorph’s design, and it must be recognized. The Xenomorph’s biomechanical body is both beautiful and disturbing. This is the creature the serial killers and demons on this list have nightmares about. If the Xenomorph’s eyeless face and pharyngeal jaws aren’t enough to make NASA astronauts consider a different career, I don’t know what will. Alas, the Xenomorph is technically naked throughout the film, and fashion is about the clothes and not the model.
Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th)
Jason Voorhees knows what works, and more importantly, he knows how to put it all together. His tastefully distressed clothes and blood-stained hockey mask are spot on for a psycho killer, and he’s become one of the most iconic slasher villains of all time because of it. Voorhees hopped on the workwear trend long before Carhartt’s renaissance, and his work jacket has the natural wear and tear you can only get from murdering helpless summer camp counselors.
Similar to his peer, Michael Myers, Voorhees takes a mask that isn’t inherently frightening in itself, and turns it into a symbol of his terror: a genius idea for creating a recognizable personal brand that must receive points for originality. His look strikes a perfect balance of style and utility where function and form work together rather than one following the other. Truly fantastic work. All fashion heads should look up to him, minus the killings of course.