10 Most Underrated Slasher Movie Villains
2. The Killer - Urban Legend
1998's Urban Legend is one of the best rip-offs of the post-Scream period. A genuinely great slasher film on its own terms, director Jamie Blanks created a compelling murder mystery, rich with vibrant characters and fun performances (including cameos from the likes of Robert Englund and Brad Dourif). It also had a tremendous villain in its axe-wielding parka-wearing killer.
A masked (but not really) psychopath killing her victims using an urban legend theme, Brenda (Rebecca Gayheart) cuts a truly imposing figure. The unmasking moment at the end undercuts some of that menace, but she's still a chilling prospect, once the hood goes up.
The nature of the movie could have led to multiple killers and outings for the Parka Slasher but, sadly, this wasn't to be. The film's failed sequels went a little more literally with the 'urban legend' mythos, relegating its hooded slasher to the sidelines. A shame, as the franchise had something truly special, for a moment there.