We've seen countless King villains, some are utterly horrifying and others are completely
laughable.
But there's a handful that are so terrifying they'll inspire nightmares.
These are the Stephen King movie villains who've kept us up at night, ranked from the
worst to the very best.
Warden Samuel Norton
The Shawshank Redemption demonstrates how some of the scariest movie monsters are the
ones you could meet in real life.
Warden Samuel Norton is a man who's willing to do whatever it takes to gain power over
others.
"Don't you ever mention money to me again."
He claims to be a man of God, but he runs Shawshank State Prison like a slave owner,
manipulating inmates to do his bidding and punishing anyone who doesn't comply.
Ultimately, Norton is a coward: He chooses to take the easy way out when confronted with
his own misdeeds.
But cowards like Norton are capable of doing some truly frightening and despicable things,
and they shouldn't be underestimated.
Reverend Lowe
We can't say for certain whether Stephen King has something against organized religion,
but religious figures are often the villains in his story.
Take Reverend Lowe for example, a man of the cloth with a beastly secret.
1985's Silver Bullet tells the story of a small town terrorized by a werewolf and the
people who are brave enough to fight the ungodly creature.
The film is indicative of a lot of horror films that came out in the 1980s, it's more
cheesy than actually scary.
Honestly, the fact that Gary Busey is one of the stars tells you everything you need
to know.
Still, werewolves are scary beasts, and the fact that this werewolf is the town's religious
leader makes him all the more frightening.
Isaac Chromer
There's nothing scarier than an evil child, and the town in Children of the Corn is full
of them.
Some might argue that the scariest presence in the film is He Who Walks Behind the Rows.
That's the fertility demon who dwells in the cornfield, and these nasty kids keep sacrificing
the town's adults in order to appease him.
Of course, demons are bad news on the best of days…but there's something about a charismatic
cult leader, a child in this case, that strikes us as even more horrifying.
"In the dream, the Lord did come to me, and he was a shape.
It was He Who Walks Behind The Rows."
Actor John Franklin does an incredible job portraying a corrupt, power-mad adolescent.
Thanks to his performance, the film becomes less about the horror of a cornfield demon
and more about the dangers of charismatic leaders with frightening ulterior motives.
Christine
Beep, beep!
What's worse than buying a new car only to find out it's pure evil?
Uh…nothing, actually.
Christine is a unique horror film that takes something as mundane as a car and turns it
into an unstoppable killing machine.
Christine isn't one of the most popular King adaptations, but it's still a pretty intense
thrill ride, and the film is certainly worth giving a whirl.
"Okay.
Show me."
While it's obviously impossible for an inanimate object to convey emotion, director John Carpenter
and his star Keith Gordon are great at making it seem like Christine has a personality all
her own…however terrifying that personality may be.
Fun fact: The film's famous resurrection scene almost didn't happen on screen.
Carpenter added it after production wrapped because he felt the movie needed more special
effects.
Cujo
Stephen King is an absolute master when it comes to turning life's everyday comforts
into total nightmares.
Cujo tells the story of Donna and Tad, a mother and son who are forced into a hot, broken-down
car by a rabid St. Bernard that's quite literally foaming at the mouth.
The film turns out to be less about a killer dog and more about human relationships and
childhood trauma, and Cujo comes to represent all the terrible things that are happening
in Donna's family.
Also, what's more frightening than watching a lovable creature turn into a bloodthirsty
monster, and through no fault of his own?
At the beginning of the film, Cujo is a sweet, curious dog who simply winds up in the wrong
place at the wrong time.
Oh, and speaking of being in the wrong place at the wrong time:
Throughout the film, the audience feels a real sense of helplessness as they watch the
creature transform before their eyes…and that sense of helplessness soon turns to utter
horror.
Margaret White
Mothers can be monstrous, in real life, and in the movies.
And as far as bad mamas go, you'd be hard pressed to find a mother as depraved and dangerous
as Carrie's Margaret White.
She's a religious zealot who feels an overwhelming compulsion to punish her daughter Carrie at
every turn, calling her a "sinner" whenever she gets the chance.
She's also fond of locking poor Carrie in a prayer closet, essentially a broom closet
adorned with candles and religious icons, including the creepiest crucifix you've ever
seen.
When Carrie gets her first period, Margaret tells her it's because she's had impure thoughts.
"Oh Lord, help the sinning woman see the sin of her days and ways!"
At the end of the day, she's an all-around miserable person who thinks sex and sexuality
is sinful and revolting.
Of course, Margaret gets hers in the end...because having a telekinetic daughter who throws knives
with her mind isn't without its risks.
But while she's alive?
Man, Margaret is a friggin' nightmare.
Kurt Barlow
Kurt Barlow from Salem's Lot is the quintessential boogeyman.
The vampire is barely seen throughout the two-part miniseries, which had a theatrical
release in Europe, preferring to prey on the people of Salem's Lot under a veil of darkness
and chic mystique.
But when he finally does show his face, he's a decidedly unsexy vampire, there's no mistaking
him for Edward Cullen.
"I'm going to kill you!"
Barlow is more akin to Nosferatu's central creep, another repulsive monster who doesn't
waste time trying to charm his victims.
Barlow keeps his eye on the prize and just focuses on what he does best: Terrorizing
the townspeople.
"Don't look at him!"
Gage Creed
When he was alive, Pet Sematary's Gage Creed was a real cute little kid.
But after a fatal accident involving an 18-wheeler, his father made the perfect worst choice and
decided to go ahead and reanimate him.
The result of all this inadvisable hocus pocus is…not so cute.
"I brought you something mommy."
Okay, maybe he's still pretty cute.
Nevertheless, he turns into a murderous zombie with a fondness for scalpels.
He sneaks.
He creeps.
You'll always find him in the most unexpected places.
Basically, he's a full-fledged menace who must be stopped!
In the end, Gage's odd mixture of childlike innocence and unstoppable evil adds up to
pure, unadulterated nightmare fuel.
As a wise man once said:
"Sometimes dead is better."
Gage is the embodiment of corrupted innocence.
A victim of unfortunate circumstances, his transformation into a tiny monster is ultimately
the byproduct of his father's grief.
In that regard, Pet Sematary is a terribly sad film, on top of being absolutely terrifying.
The Mist monsters
Let's face it: Most insects and arachnids are pretty off-putting in real life.
The mere sight of a creepy-crawly is a surefire way to get the blood pumping, a fact that
horror directors are all too happy to exploit.
Well, the creatures in The Mist are all super-sized…and so is your mounting sense of dread.
Just take a look at this angry militia of creepos if you don't believe us.
Most of the action in The Mist takes place in a single location: A store that's suddenly
become enveloped in a thick, mysterious fog.
Most of the people trapped inside are loath to venture out.
Those who do explore the mist end up meeting horrible fates…
The mist monsters are otherworldly creatures that go sight unseen throughout much of the
film.
But when we finally do catch a glimpse, it's not a happy sight.
Those oversized tentacles are not for the faint of heart.
And the sharp pinchers should give you pause, too.
They're ghastly, malevolent monsters, and it's really best to avoid them.
There's certainly no reasoning with them.
Just try talking some sense into this guy.
These monsters are seemingly unstoppable, too.
The only way to save yourself from a gruesome death is to fight back, and that's way easier
said than done.
Annie Wilkes
Looking for a life of fame and glory?
Well, Annie Wilkes will make you think twice about that.
Misery tells the story of Paul Sheldon, a famous writer who's taken in by a seemingly
gregarious nurse following a serious car accident.
Annie is all-too willing to help Paul get back on his feet, but she's also happy to
break his ankles.
After all, she's his Number One Fan, and she feels things very strongly.
"I'm also a nurse."
And in case you haven't caught on yet, she's also a total friggin' psychopath.
"There, look there, see what you made me do?"
Wilkes holds the poor writer hostage, forcing him to rewrite his latest book in a way that
she deems satisfying and appropriate.
No profanity.
No cheap endings.
And when he tries to escape this horrible predicament, she hobbles him with a sledgehammer,
all the while assuring him that she's his "biggest fan."
Annie is easily one of Stephen King's most frightening villains, and part of what makes
her so terrifying is Kathy Bates' incredible performance.
She rightfully earned an Oscar for her work, and it's easy to see why Total Film said,
"[Annie Wilkes is] one of cinema's greatest, friendliest, monsters."
Indeed, part of what makes Annie so awful is the fact that she really does love Paul.
But when admiration turns into obsession, there's no telling what a person is capable
of doing, and Annie is apparently willing to do anything, no matter how wretched it
is.
The Overlook Hotel
The 1980 film adaptation of The Shining is a bonafide horror masterpiece.
Director Stanley Kubrick created a ghostly and ghastly world inside The Overlook Hotel...and
his utterly terrifying film is widely considered an essential, iconic piece of horror cinema.
The story revolves around a writer and family man who loses his mind inside a haunted hotel,
which sounds somewhat straightforward at first.
But there's a lot going on here.
Though Kubrick's vision is something of a departure from Stephen King's original novel,
his take on the haunted hotel has unspeakable horrors waiting behind every door, and just
around every corner.
As the story goes, The Overlook Hotel was apparently built on an Indian burial ground,
and any horror fan knows that's never a good sign.
Throughout the film, the formidable building establishes itself as something of a villain
in its own right, it really feels like a living, breathing entity with blood on its mind.
The ghosts that seem to inhabit the property are all deranged and diabolical in one way
or another.
There are elevators full of blood.
Ballrooms teeming with ghostly spectres.
And who the hell knows what's going on in Room 237?
From the Grady twins to these two fine fellows, there's something to fear on every floor of
The Overlook Hotel.
You can run, but you can't hide.
Jack Torrance
Though the spectral hotel guests at the Overlook Hotel are admittedly creepy, it's questionable
whether any of them can physically harm you.
Still, there's no doubt they'll drive you towards madness using every trick at their
disposal.
Case in point: Jack Torrance, who totally loses his mind throughout the course of the
film.
He starts out as a deeply frustrated husband and father who seems to have a rather short
fuse...but he slowly transforms into a genuine monster, a monster who happens to be highly
proficient with an axe.
"Here's Johnny!"
Taking the job at the Overlook proves to be Jack's undoing.
We watch helplessly as he loses his grip on reality, and sometimes it feels like we're
losing it right along with him.
He becomes more and more terrifying with every scene…and when he finally meets his demise,
there's something truly awful in that frozen grimace, and the vision stays with us long
after the final frame of the film.
Of course, that final frame is creepy in its own right.
Pennywise
If you were a child in the '90s, there's a good chance you caught the It miniseries starring
Tim Curry as the child-eating Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
"C'mon, Bucko."
"I'm not supposed to take stuff from strangers.
My dad said so."
"Very wise of your dad."
Curry's Pennywise was a villain that made kids afraid to turn off their bedroom lights,
not just because clowns are inherently awful, but because this clown can manifest as your
greatest fear.
He can also get to you quite easily…wherever you happen to be.
Although the It miniseries has arguably lost a bit of its bite in recent years, Pennywise
the Dancing Clown is still a force to be reckoned with.
In the recent It films, Bill Skarsgård takes on the meaty role, and his interpretation
is dazzlingly demented in its own right.
The pancake makeup.
The teeth.
That hideous dance!
The new Pennywise is the perfect villain for these troubling times.
At the end of the day, we all get the monsters we deserve.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Looper videos about your favorite horror movies are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.