Editorials
10 Underrated Horror Villains to Dress as This Halloween
The best time of the year is finally upon us! This means you’re likely already thinking costume selection if you haven’t already plotted one out. The Halloween stores are stocked with current trends, like Stranger Things costumes, or classic favorites like Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees. If you’re tired of the same options or just don’t want to show up to the Halloween party where there are already 5 other Elevens from Stranger Things, then here are 10 underrated horror villains to dress as this Halloween:
Victor Crowley – the Hatchet series
With the surprise newest entry of this beloved franchise currently on tour in the Victor Crowley Road Show, one could argue that this horror villain isn’t exactly underrated. Yet, the Hatchet series still feels more cult appreciated than the mainstream love it deserves. As for assembling this costume, Trick or Treat Studios made a fantastic Victor Crowley mask available on their site or through Amazon. With a few more easy finishing touches, like overalls and prop weapons, you have an easy costume that will make party-goers intimidated.
Billy Murphy – The Final Girls
This horror comedy doesn’t get nearly enough love, and neither does its slasher villain Billy Murphy. A clear parody of films like the Friday the 13th series, Billy Murphy shares a resemblance to Jason Voorhees. Instead of a hockey mask, Billy has a comical tiki mask. Don’t have coveralls? That’s ok, Billy Murphy is more the black pants, shirt, and jacket type. Easy costume assembly representative of a fun horror comedy.
Any – Killer Klowns from Outer Space
With the smashing success of IT at the box office, you can almost guarantee Pennywise will be a hot costume commodity this Halloween. That makes this the perfect time to bring this cult classic to the forefront. The best part is that there’s no shortage of costume ideas to be taken from the colorful clown villains featured in the film. Jumbo, Fatso, Shorty, and so many more, all are perfect for terrorizing those with coulrophobia this Halloween. Trick or Treat Studios developed costumes for many of the Killer Klowns, though you could always make your own. Not into the idea of being a clown? That’s ok; you could always be one of their victims in cotton candy cocoons instead.
Lola – The Loved Ones
For an easy costume of an underrated, yet chilling horror villain, look no further than Lola “Princess” Stone. Wearing a simple pink dress and a pink paper crown, Lola dubs herself her own Queen of the dance as she tortures her victims for rejecting her, all in search of her own prince. Lola’s standards are impossibly high; making anyone she sets her sights on very unfortunate. Lola is a worthy horror villain with an easy ensemble to emulate- making her a great costume selection this Halloween.
Dr. Phillip K. Decker – Nightbreed
Played by horror master David Cronenberg, the movie’s first introduction to this horror villain is the opening sequence that sees the masked psychotherapist systematically murder an innocent family, including the children. The mask is creepy enough, but Decker’s cold demeanor and calm intelligence make him the true terror of the movie. In a world where monsters of all shapes and sizes exist, it’s the serial killing human that we’re afraid of. A burlap sack-like mask with button eyes and a zipper mouth paired with a suit makes for an easy, yet terrifying costume.
Candyman – Candyman
Not only is this supernatural urban boogeyman severely underappreciated, but he would make one awesome Halloween costume this year or any year. The bees, the hooked hand, and even the exposed flesh- the Candyman, thanks in large part to Tony Todd’s performance, is equal parts terror and class. For all of the horror icons cosplayed at horror conventions or Halloween parties, I have yet to see a Candyman. Can we change that, please?
Julia Cotton – Hellbound: Hellraiser II
While poor Kristy Cotton’s wicked stepmother proved to be a real villain in the first film, the sequel allows Julia to truly shine as the evil killer unleashed from hell. Even without skin, men still fall for her wiles, not realizing how deadly she is until it’s too late. While Frank Cotton simply wanted to free his hellish prison in the first film, overachiever Julia wants to rule in it as a Cenobite herself. One of the most ruthless horror villains of all time, Julia’s Bride of Frankenstein inspired outfit would make for an excellent costume.
Leslie Vernon – Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
Nathan Baesel’s performance as the eponymous Leslie Vernon is pure heart and humor. This slasher lovingly pokes fun and dissects the slasher sub-genre in mockumentary style before giving way to full-on film during the climax. For those that prefer dressing as a character full of charm that doesn’t take themselves too seriously, Leslie Vernon should be your pick. The overalls allow for more breathing room, you know, if you need to do a lot of cardio this Halloween. And don’t forget the flame-retardant gel underneath the mask if you think your Halloween party might get out of control. Then again, you don’t even have to have the mask to pull this one off.
Officer Matthew Cordell – Maniac Cop 2
Why the sequel version of NYPD’s worst nightmare? While any iteration of the undead Maniac Cop would work, this sequel gives the character a cool makeup upgrade. As for the franchise itself, Robert Z’Dar delivers an iconic performance, and Larry Cohen films are always a blast. Not only is the series worth seeking out and watching, but Halloween could use more Maniac Cops. Cop costumes are super easy to find this time of year, so why not upgrade it into something horror related?
Angela Franklin – Night of the Demons
Night of the Demons is quintessential Halloween. Holding a Halloween party at Hull House is all fun and games until party host Angela Franklin performs a séance and unleashes evil demons within. So iconic and cool, Angela becomes the centerpiece for the entire trilogy. The best part about dressing as Angela is that you’ve got multiple stages of Angel’s possession to choose from. Gothic black wedding dress, tiara, and jewelry and you’re all set for pre-possession. Throw in fangs, contacts, and blood? Even better. Major points to those daring enough to take her full demonic mode.
What will you be dressing as this Halloween?
Judging from the unprecedented box office success of Kane Parsons’ Backrooms adaptation, you’ve likely already seen the liminal horror hit that managed to make audiences afraid of empty hallways and bad wallpaper. And now that so many of us have already entered the yellow labyrinth (some of us more than once), the time has come to discuss the spoiler-filled details that make the movie so fascinating in the first place.
And if there’s one element here that makes the Backrooms movie stand out from any previous lore/mythology, it has to be the genius addition of the Still Life entities. Warped recreations of real people that somehow wandered into the Complex, these misremembered creatures are responsible for some of the most disturbing imagery of 2026 – as well as laugh-out-loud memes created by one of the film’s very own concept artists.
However, true to Parsons’ word that the movie would rely heavily on practical effects, each of these distorted monsters was brought to life by real actors under heavy layers of makeup and prosthetics (with the occasional splash of CGI enhancements). While Anora and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You actress Ivy Wolk wasn’t among these performers, despite what Letterboxd might have you believe, the creature cast did benefit from veteran players with plenty of genre experience.
For starters, Alien: Romulus alumni Robert Bobroczkyi (who previously brought that film’s horrific Offspring to life during its most memorable sequence) plays the flick’s main antagonist, the Still Life version of Captain Clark. And though there was some obvious CGI involved in making the character’s peg-leg and nightmarish face more believable, Bobroczkyi’s monstrous performance and his natural 7’7″ frame helped to make that final chase sequence a clear highlight among this year’s genre offerings.
The film’s Texas-Chain-Saw-inspired “dinner” scene also features a freaky collection of less-aggressive Still Life creatures in the form of the Bearded Man, the Red-Headed Woman and, strangest of them all, the cheekily named “Archibald Leland Sutter Still Life” (who earned this title among fans and crewmembers as a reference to his apparent affinity for lamps).
While this was the first major horror outing for both Patrick Baynham (The Bearded Man) and Dana Mahmood (Archibald), Rhiannon Roberts has worked as a stunt performer in everything from Yellowjackets to HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation – which is probably why The Red-Headed Woman is the most active out of Clark’s impromptu “family.” That being said, the Archibald Leland Sutter Still Life is my personal favorite of the bunch simply because his anachronistic outfit suggests that the Backrooms phenomenon might be a lot older than the Async Foundation. I also love how hard he tries to be helpful with that little light of his!
That might be it for the Still Life entities, but I think horror fans will also be pleased to hear that the film’s Found Footage prologue stars none other than Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City star Avan Jogia as Naren Warne – and American Mary herself Katharine Isabelle also shows up in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo at Mary’s house party towards the middle of the story (though I have a feeling that she originally had a bigger part that was likely cut for time).
At the end of the day, Parsons’ Backrooms may have been an auteur-driven project motivated by the young director’s unique take on the classic creepypasta, but film has always been a collective artform, so it’s fun to see just how many talented performers it takes to bring this kind of supernatural nightmare to life in a way that connects with so many people.
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