The five scariest masks in cinema history
In the 1970s, the emergence of the slasher genre introduced audiences to many masked killers, several of whom have left an indelible mark on pop culture. These murderers, hiding their true identities behind uncanny or grotesque masks, have lingered in the minds of many horror lovers due to their sheer scariness.
Horror has given us many terrifying masks over the decades, from Michael Myers in Halloween to Ghostface from Scream, although some are distinctly more scary than others. In some instances, the most frightening masks aren’t even from horror films, and as a result, this makes them even more unforgettable.
Why are we so scared of masks? Just like clowns painting their faces with bright colours that conceal their true identities, there is something unsettling about not knowing who is wearing a disguise—can we trust them? Probably not. It’s even worse when the mask slightly resembles a human; this uncanniness is often too much to process.
So, from horror classics like Halloween to haunting erotic mysteries such as Eyes Wide Shut, here are five instances of movies containing some of the scariest masks cinema has to offer.
The five scariest movie masks:
Leatherface – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
One of the earliest slashers, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, certainly set the precedent for scary masks in cinema. Who can forget the various masks that Leatherface, the chainsaw-wielding, apron-wearing antagonist, sports throughout the movie? He is seen wearing three different ones, all made of human flesh. The first one is pretty simple, with stitches around the features, making it appear as though he has rather lazily created this terrifying mask.
However, we then see him in a more elaborately created mask, which features makeup smeared over it. Then, his third disguise, shown later on, takes on a sadder appearance. Tobe Hooper wanted these different faces to be comparable to Greek tragedy masks. They’re clever props, but they’re also simply terrifying, with Hooper taking inspiration from the real-life serial killer Ed Gein, who used to wear human skin.
Michael Myers – Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)
Another horror classic, Halloween, also makes our list because Michael Myers’ mask is pure nightmare fuel. The character lurks behind bushes and appears inside houses before inhabitants even have a chance to escape, and the fact that he shows up holding a massive knife with his identity obscured by a mask makes him even more horrifying. The cold, emotionless nature of the mask emphasises his unpredictable presence, and he remains one of horror’s most iconic villains.
Interestingly, a fact that not everyone knows is the mask’s peculiar origins. Believe it or not, the mask was made by taking a cheap William Shatner mask (of him as Captain Kirk in Star Trek) and making a few modifications. It was sprayed white, the eye holes were made bigger, and more hair was added to achieve the iconic killer’s look.
Masked orgy attendees – Eyes Wide Shut (Stanley Kubrick, 1999)
While Eyes Wide Shut isn’t a horror movie, there are many moments that are deeply unnerving, and none more than the masked orgy that Tom Cruise’s Bill finds himself at. Stanley Kubrick’s movie takes a look at the strange rituals that are practised by certain ‘higher-up’ members of society, and in this instance, we’re taken into a corrupt yet erotic world of danger. Whether masked orgies are your thing or not, you can’t deny how creepy the whole sequence is.
When Cruise enters the secret society’s mysterious location, he is greeted by a large group of people all wearing cloaks (apart from the women wearing nothing more than G-strings) accompanied by masks. The combination of the long monk-like robes paired with the expressionless yet extravagant masks makes it an unsettling watch. It’s made even worse by the haunting music and chanting.
Terrifying rabbit – Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly, 2001)
Again, while Donnie Darko is not a horror movie, its use of a masked character is rather terrifying. Jake Gyllenhaal’s titular character is visited by a man in a rabbit costume, although the mask is a strange interpretation of the animal’s face. It appears to be made of silver metal, with giant ears and teeth as well as vacant white eyes. Frank, played by James Duval, better known for starring in the work of Gregg Araki, tells Donnie that a disaster is going to occur, kicking the bizarre events of the film into gear.
He reappears throughout the film, encouraging Donnie to act in ways he wouldn’t have originally. While Frank isn’t a horrific slasher killer, his looming, threatening presence, part-human part-rabbit, makes him an unnerving figure that you certainly wouldn’t want to bump into while walking home alone at night.
Uncanny valley – The Purge (James DeMonaco, 2013)
In 2013, The Purge introduced a horrifying concept to the general public: the existence of an annual night where all crime is legal. Absolutely everything is allowed, including murder, and subsequently, we follow a family who are targeted by masked killers on the dreaded night. While the film received mixed reviews, with many critics highlighting the film’s sheer stupidity, it ended up becoming incredibly popular regardless.
One thing the film does have going for it, however, is an array of scary masks, many of which could vie for a place on this list. Arguably, the smiling masks, complete with white teeth and exaggerated features, such as a big mouth, prominent cheekbones, and soulless, dark cutouts for the wearer to see out of, are the creepiest. They look like a bad caricature brought to life, and the uncanniness of them is enough to make the biggest horror fan shudder.
