Editorials
Scene Stealers: 10 Horror Sidekicks Who Stole the Show
While villains and heroes often hog the spotlight, the supporting characters rarely get the appreciation that their due. But a supporting character, and sidekick, are extremely important to the story. Not only must they back up the main characters, but they’re often the ones that deliver important exposition, expand the mystery, offer much higher dramatic stakes, and more than not, bring comedic levity. We laugh with them and we get upset if they’re killed, because let’s face it, a sidekick is far more expendable than the hero. Sometimes, though, a sidekick comes along that is so great that they manage to outshine the lead players. In honor of the sidekick, and especially the ones that manage to steal the film out from under the heroes and villains, here’s horror’s best:
Fright Night – Evil Ed
In a film with Roddy McDowall and Chris Sarandon, Stephen Geoffreys holds his own and then some as the scene-stealing Edward “Evil Ed” Thompson. He also pulls double duty on the sidekick front, first as best pal to lead protagonist Charley Brewster, and then as a right-hand man to lead vampire Jerry Dandridge once turned. Evil Ed has a distinct laugh, a slightly warped sense of humor, an affection for horror movies, and a distaste for Charley’s girlfriend Amy; all reasons we end up loving and rooting for Ed. We love him even more as a vampire, something he clearly enjoys being. But most of all, we love his one-liners, and Geoffreys’ delivery of them. “Oh, you’re so COOL, Brewster!”
Jaws – Quint
Chief Brody may be the lead protagonist of this Steven Spielberg classic, but it’s Robert Shaw and his portrayal of grizzled shark hunter Quint that steals our hearts. An integral part of the team, Quint brings a lot of wisdom as captain of the Orca, and just a ton of character. He’s the perfect counterpart to meek oceanographer Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and his stubborn resilience makes him perfect for hunting the elusive man-eating shark. But it’s his three-and-a-half-minute speech about his time served aboard the USS Indianapolis during World War II, in which he and shipmates delivered the Hiroshima bomb, that’s utterly captivating. It’s a scene-stealing monologue delivered by fantastic Shaw that makes this one of cinema’s best scenes ever. Of all the victims of Jaws, Quint’s really stung.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 – Chop Top Sawyer
Sometimes even the bad guys get sidekicks, and in this over the top sequel, the iconic Leatherface couldn’t hold his own against his brother Chop Top. A deranged Vietnam vet with a metal plate in his head thanks to a “lucky gook with a machete,” he was initially conceived to be the Hitchhiker, before evolving into his more deranged twin. What really made Chop Top a scene stealer though, was Bill Moseley’s scene-chewing performance, clearly enjoying every minute of it. Tobe Hooper enlisted Moseley for the part after the actor played the role of The Hitchhiker in a short film parody of the first film, and we’re glad he did. Chop Top also wins for being the rare sidekick to outlast the lead; the final battle is between Chop Top and Stretch after Sawyers and Lefty are killed in an explosion.
An American Werewolf In London – Jack Goodman
The sarcastic best friend to straight-man turned werewolf David Kessler, Jack steals every scene he’s in. As the undead cursed to plague David until the werewolf lineage ends, Jack serves both as the moral compass and comedic relief. That every appearance marks a drastic deterioration in Jack’s undead condition further elevates the anticipation for any scene with this scene-stealing sidekick. As great as David’s twisted journey with his werewolf curse is, and his romance with Nurse Alex, it’s Jack’s winning personality that makes him easier to empathize with.
Saw – Amanda Young
Shawnee Smith’s appearance as Amanda Young was so brief and minor by comparison, as the only known survivor of the Jigsaw Killer, but so memorable that she returned for the second and third entry in a much bigger role. Revealed to be Jigsaw’s righthand woman, Amanda managed to be one of the series most sympathetic characters, despite her trap-setting work. Much of that was Smith’s performance, but it also had a lot to do with the fact that Amanda rarely killed out of spite, something most in line with Jigsaw’s mission statement. Of all the apprentices that have come and gone, the one that fans most want to see return is Amanda. Considering how iconic Jigsaw and his puppet are, that’s no small accomplishment.
Get Out – Rod Williams
Rod Williams is the type of best friend that all best friends should aspire to. That he deftly handles the task of comedic relief assigned to nearly all sidekicks isn’t what makes him a scene stealer, though, but his tireless quest to keep his friend out of harm’s way. It begins with the warnings out of concern, before Chris sets off for his girlfriend’s parents. He keeps tabs on Chris, too, making sure his friend is ok with constant communication. He’s even willing to make himself look like a fool at the police station when that communication goes silent. His detective work shows he’s much smarter than he’s given credit for, too. If somehow none of that is enough to convince you of he steals the show, then the scene in which he swoops in to save the day, allowing the audience to release the breath they were holding, solidifies it. Rod Williams ends the film as the MVP.
Cabin In the Woods – Marty Mikalski
In keeping with Joss Whedon’s dissection of horror tropes, Marty Mikalski begins the film as the stoner sidekick before eventually transitioning into unlikely hero. Designated to play the part of The Fool, Marty is meant to poke fun of the idiot teens that exist in a lot of horror. His stash of marijuana-laced by the Chem Department of The Facility running the ritual for The Ancient Ones to make him more suitable for the role, but a hidden, untampered with stash meant he was the first to break type and piece together what was really happening to his friends. It wasn’t the Scholar or the Athlete that determined the fate of the world, but The Fool, an archetype that’s usually reserved for early deaths. It also helped that Marty was played by the hilarious Fran Kranz, an actor with a penchant for sarcastic delivery.
Day of the Dead – Bub
The domesticated zombie creation of George A. Romero, Bub isn’t the sidekick of lead protagonist Dr. Sarah Bowman, but her colleague Dr. “Frankenstein” Logan. There’s a strangely beautiful friendship between the pair, as Dr. Logan hopes to bring the docile zombie back toward humanity. Bub loves music, saluting soldiers, and the companionship of his friend. Bub represents an innocence amidst the corruption of the soldiers in Fort Myers, and we grieve with him when he finds the corpse of his friend. While all of this would be enough to earn Bub the title of scene-stealer, it’s his oh-so-gratifying revenge upon Captain Rhodes that makes him the best character in the film.
Bone Tomahawk – Chicory
A case could be made for Richard Jenkins as a scene stealer any of his horror roles, from Let Me In to The Shape of Water; he’s that good. But it’s his role as the bumbling backup town deputy, Chicory, that wins. His friendship with Sheriff Hunt (Kurt Russell) provides an emotional center, but most importantly, it helps the long stretch as the film’s main foursome ride across the Wild West to rescue captives from troglodytes. Chicory is amusingly chatty, much to the dismay of many in the party, and Jenkins’ brilliantly gives his blundering character a ton of heart. Because it takes a long while before the horror kicks in, we needed Chicory’s hilarious banter with stoic Sheriff Hunt. It’s hard to stand out when Kurt Russell is playing the lead, but Richard Jenkins does with seemingly effortless ease. Chicory didn’t even have to steal the show with heroic acts; he just had to be played by the always great Richard Jenkins.
Scream – Randy Meeks
While Matthew Lillard was a serious contender as scene stealer for his turn as the killer’s sidekick and best friend Stu Macher, it was ultimately Jamie Kennedy as Randy Meeks that stole the show. Close friend of final girl Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Randy’s geeky, movie-obsessed personality was not only endearing but it made him a vital asset; his movie knowledge meant much-needed exposition for both Sidney and the audience. The biggest reason Randy resonated so strongly with horror fans, though, is that he was our proxy. Randy was the avatar of every horror fan, and reminded us that we weren’t alone in our fandom. One of Wes Craven’s most brutal kills was that of Randy Meeks in Scream 2. We’re still not over it.
We’re now officially in the back half of 2026 now that July is here, but what a year it’s been for horror so far. The sequels and reboots are still holding strong at the box office with films like Scream 7 and Scary Movie, but it’s also been a year where new voices are shattering records in unexpected ways.
Markiplier eschewed conventional production and distribution channels with his feature adaptation of Iron Lung, for example. We’re also still in the midst of Backrooms and Obsession-mania, with the former back in theaters with bonus footage and the latter extending its box office reign. Liminal horror has exploded, and low-budget indie horror is seeing just as much, and sometimes even more, success as big studio-backed fare.
All of which to say that 2026 has been a hell of a year so far for the genre, and it’s only getting warmed up. Still on the way are Evil Dead Burn, Insidious: Out of the Further, Resident Evil, Clayface, Whalefall, and Werwulf, just to name a few.
Also catch up with the Best Horror Books and Best Horror Games of the year so far.
Here are the ten best horror movies of the year (so far).
10) Chime
Horror master Kiyoshi Kurosawa is back with one of his most haunting yet, though one that’d likely be higher on this list if it were more accessible. The 45-minute feature was initially produced and distributed as an NFT before receiving a theatrical run earlier this year, with no plans to distribute digitally or on home media. It spins a somewhat cryptic tale, introducing a culinary teacher, Takuji Matsuoka (Mutsuo Yoshioka, Never After Dark), whose classroom becomes disrupted by a strange sound that leads to violence. It’s a quiet but haunting unraveling, one that leaves no aspect of Matsuoka’s life untouched, in true Kiyoshi Kurosawa style. That it defies any easy explanation also ensures Chime embeds itself under your skin.
9) Send Help
Sam Raimi’s splatstick return to form is a delightfully deranged two-hander that doubles as infectious catharsis for anyone who’s ever had a bad boss. Rachel McAdams (Doctor Strange) and Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner) face off when their characters are shipwrecked on an island, prompting a bid for survival in more ways than one. While O’Brien often matches her, It’s McAdams who shines as she deftly handles everything that Raimi, working from a script by Damian Shannon & Mark Swift (Freddy vs. Jason), throws at her. Send Help is full of vibrant personality, packed with all of Raimi’s signatures, making for one of the most entertaining films of the year.
8) Mārama
New Zealand filmmaker Taratoa Stappard’s gothic tale begins in familiar fashion, with Mary Stevens (Ariāna Osborne) arriving in Yorkshire upon invitation to learn more about her parents, only to find the remote manor haunted. Just when Stappard’s period horror story feels doomed to succumb to familiar gothic trappings and jump scares, though, its true horror emerges. The more Mary uncovers about her heritage and her Māori culture, the clearer it becomes that this grim home is built on violence and exploitation. Stappard’s vision comes into its own when it leaves behind its gothic influences and embraces its Māori identity; few scenes are as powerful as when Osborne’s Mary performs a haka in response to her vile oppressors, heralding in a righteous bloodbath.
7) Touch Me
Writer/Director Addison Heimann draws from retro Japanese horror, exploitation cinema, and perhaps even hentai for his campy, psychosexual sophomore feature. A toxic friendship plagued by trauma, codependency, and addiction gets tested to the extreme when Brian (Lou Taylor Pucci), a hip-hop-loving, tracksuit-sporting alien, gets between them. Olivia Taylor Dudley and Jordan Gavaris have an easy rapport and play off each other well as directionless, depressed Millennial besties prone to ignoring their problems until they become insurmountable. But it’s Pucci’s inspired, childlike take on the chicken nugget-loving extraterrestrial with tentacled secrets of his own that steals the show. Heimann has a lot on his mind with his sophomore feature and neatly condenses it all into a quirky, eccentric psychosexual camp odyssey that leans heavily into humor.
6) Backrooms
Director Kane Parsons translates the vast liminal labyrinth of his web series to the big screen in his feature debut, one that instills existential dread with its atmospheric horror and narrative. The ‘ 90s-set horror movie introduces a protagonist with a serious chip on his shoulder over life’s many disappointments, who then discovers his furniture store harbors a hidden door that leads to an endless labyrinth. It’s not just the incredible production design that instills a disorienting sense of doom and terror, but the lead characters’ palpable and profound sense of loneliness and isolation. Parsons exudes impressive confidence and control as he methodically entrusts his quiet worldbuilding and talented leads to carry the dramatic weight. While Backrooms does deflate by the film’s cryptic, cliffhanger-y end, it’s arguably the most effective and scariest yet at capturing the uncanny valley of generative AI.
5) Leviticus
Writer/Director Adrian Chiarella uses an It Follows-like supernatural entity that relentlessly stalks its prey as a launchpad to immerse audiences in the horror of constantly living in fear for simply existing. A conversion therapy ritual among a deeply conservative community plunges a pair of erstwhile lovers into a nightmarish bid for survival when it summons a force that takes the shape of those whom the afflicted desires most. Chiarella refines the horror mechanics and metaphor with much sharper precision, ensuring that the scares and emotional gravity of the young couple’s terrifying predicament reach their intended impact. It’s the central layered performances by Joe Bird (Talk to Me) and Stacy Clausen (Thrash) that clinch emotional investment in their heartbreaking plight, ensuring that the social horror cuts deep.
4) Redux Redux
The McManus Brothers, writer/director duo Matthew and Kevin McManus (The Block Island Sound), dials up the intensity of a classic revenge story by setting it within a multiverse, where Irene Kelly (Michaela McManus) seeks to snuff out every single iteration of her daughter’s murderer, Neville (Jeremy Holm). The more she stalks and slays every world’s Neville, the more she risks losing her humanity entirely. Through a narrative foil in Mia (Stella Marcus), Redux Redux smartly bypasses repetition as it explores the moral complexities and vulnerabilities of Irene’s extremely violent quest. Holm becomes utterly terrifying in the climax, ensuring that no matter whether Irene loses herself to vengeance for good or not, it’s justified if it means ridding the world of this sick maniac.
3) 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Director Nia DaCosta takes the reins in the second entry in writer Alex Garland and original director Danny Boyle’s trilogy, picking up from the previous conclusion that saw Spike (Alfie Williams) fleeing from the infected straight into the welcoming arms of Sir Jimmy Crystal (Sinners’ Jack O’Connell). From here, DaCosta presents a stark contrast between humanity’s best and worst. The former sees the tender studies of Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) make poignant strides toward humankind’s future, while the latter unleashes more pain and bloodshed courtesy of the Jimmies. The dual paths of light and dark collide in one epic conclusion, an inspired confrontation between good and evil on a stunning set piece of heavy metal insanity. Yet it’s DaCosta’s handling of both extremes that impresses most, teeing up one epic conclusion to this trilogy.
2) Obsession
Sketch comedian turned horror filmmaker Curry Barker (Milk & Serial) wrings blood-curdling terror from a classic Monkey’s Paw wish fulfillment scenario in a way that no one could have ever anticipated. To say that it’s taken the box office by storm would be a massive understatement; Obsession is the top horror movie of the year in terms of gross. It’s not hard to see why, either. While Monkey’s Paw scenarios often yield predictable outcomes, and this outcome is practically telegraphed from the start, Barker manages to surprise with the journey itself. And it’s one insane journey paved with blood-soaked violence and no shortage of nightmare fuel. What truly sets it apart, though, is leads Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette as the central pair undone by one vicious wish. Expect to see a lot more from breakout Navarette.
1) Hokum
A surly, traumatized writer must break free from his self-imposed shackles of guilt when confronted by a wicked witch haunting a quaint Irish inn in the latest by writer/director Damian McCarthy (Oddity). Adam Scott’s Ohm makes for an atypical but rewarding protagonist, and his complicated emotional journey gives way to a deeply moving story of a man so thoroughly broken by personal trauma that he constantly dwells in darkness. In true McCarthy style, expect the creepy as hell witch to dole out some supernatural retribution for crimes committed, but never in the way you’d expect. The filmmaker has a way of making whimsy pure nightmare fuel; Hokum distorts a kids’ show into eerie, uncanny valley-induced terror in its torment of Ohm. Channeling Stephen King, this creeper plays like a traditional campfire tale in mood and style, infusing genuine scares with a sense of magic and heart.
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