Rather than living in the shadows, most horror characters seem to prefer spending time in the limelight. Give them a sliver of attention and before you know it, youve got a franchise on your hands. Take Dr Hannibal Lecter who, after 4 books, 5 movies and 3 seasons of a TV show, is starting to look more shop-worn than terrifying. He doesnt need a reboot, just a retirement party. The same goes for Jason, Leatherface, Freddy and all the other characters that, several decades after their respective debuts, exist only to prove that familiarity breeds contempt. Nothing personal, guys, but once youve done a movie for Michael Bay, youre off the artistic roll call forever. Besides, there are plenty of other psychos out there, some of them unsung, most with credits you can count on one hand. They understand that less is more, and realize that when youre appearing on magazine covers, in music videos and on childrens lunch boxes your days of being sinister are well and truly behind you. A good horror villain should be able to mingle with their prey, to gain their trust and build up camaraderie. When their mask finally slips, they dont need to shout or resort to threats in order to intimidate. The best villains can dominate a room just by entering it.
20. Robert Rusk (Barry Foster) - Frenzy (1972)
Robert Rusk is a far more brutal character than Norman Bates, Alfred Hitchcocks previous psychopathic killer. Known as The Neck Tie Murderer, he doesnt switch personalities (and genders) at the drop of a hat, he just allows his mask of sanity to fall away as his victim watches. Needless to say, the films most disturbing moment comes early on when Rusk reveals his true identity to a female character and, instead of cutting away, Hitchcocks camera keeps rolling. Its a scene unlike anything else in the Hitchcock canon stark, unstylized and powerful enough to offend the unwary. Unlike Norman, he even lines up the perfect fall guy for his crimes, a down on his luck barman whose girlfriend (Anna Massey, who was in the similarly disturbing Peeping Tom) also becomes a victim. In a blackly comic moment, Rusk attempts to prise a clue to his identity from her dead hand, but rigor mortis causes him to struggle with her corpse.