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Daniel Boyer
Published 37 minutes ago
Daniel is a 27-year-old List Writer for Collider living in the south suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. As an avid film buff, he watches and analyzes many films and TV shows, especially in the horror genre, and regularly attends movie screenings.
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Horror has constantly been praised for its scares, thrills, and endless impact on cinema and pop culture, but not always for having the most compelling acting. Make no mistake, the genre has come a long way to shed its reputation as being jump scare-heavy and schlocky, as many critics noted, especially in recent years. Films like Get Out, The Shining, and the Best Picture-winning The Silence of the Lambs proved we can get great horror and riveting performances. However, it has to be addressed that there have been plenty of notable slip-ups and some really infamous acting over the years.
Whether due to poor casting, faulty dialogue, and lack of enthusiasm, the following are ten of arguably the worst performances in horror history. These stood out in the most unfortunate ways for delivering notoriously bad lines, showing they just weren't in the right place for the role, or took the part in the opposite direction. By no means will the purpose of this article be to mock or bash these performers, as most have gone on or continue to have remarkable acting careers, but to address the notable flaws in their performances and how most of the horror community generally agrees they're not the best.
10 Rooney Mara as Nancy Holbrook in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (2010)
Rooney Mara in a bath with Freddy's gloved hand in between her legs in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2010 RemakeImage via Warner Bros.
Included in many fans' least favorite installment in the franchise, 2010's A Nightmare on Elm Street is the dull, uninspired remake almost nobody asked for. A film that can't decide to either be its own thing or copy beat for beat from Wes Craven's 1984 original, this was a notable misfire that had a lackluster script, a generic soundtrack, and mostly stiff performances, with the only exception being Jackie Earle Haley, who was a surprisingly solid choice to play Freddy Krueger. The casting for the final girl, Nancy, however, was a different story.
Oscar-nominated actress Rooney Mara, as Nancy Holbrook, drew some criticism during release, as she notably stated that it was not a pleasant experience in production and really didn't want to be part of the project. This lack of enthusiasm shows on screen. Mara is a remarkably talented performer, able to convey a vast array of emotions, but here, her delivery is off and feels forced, showing a lot of interest, which greatly takes audiences out of the film. Mara would, of course, go on to greener pastures, but this is one performance that even she and the rest of the horror community would probably like to forget.
9 Paris Hilton as Paige in 'House of Wax' (2005)
Paris Hilton looking ahead with a nervous expression in House of Wax.Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
2005's House of Wax is a somewhat debated film these days. Though still considered mediocre by many, especially when compared to it's 1953 Vincent Price original, it's slowly developed somewhat of a following for its darker tone and spectacularly brutal kills. But one thing that can't be denied is that the performances are passable at best and frustrating at worst. But the infamous stand-out was media personality Paris Hilton as the supporting character Paige.
Four-time Razzie winner Paris Hilton received her first nomination for this performance. Though it didn't help that she had to deal with the admittedly painful dialogue, her criticism stems from her noticeable struggle to make the character seem genuine and believable. The rest of the cast doesn't fare much better either with what they were given, but Hilton's performance stood out in the most noticeable way, shining a bad spotlight that made House of Wax such a divisive film.
8 Eric Freeman as Ricky Caldwell in 'Silent Night, Deadly Night Part II' (1984)
A scene from 'Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2'Image via Silent Night Releasing Corporation
One of the most hilariously bad films in horror history, Silent Night, Deadly Night Part II is a wild, bizarre, unintentionally uproarious mess that can't help but make audiences laugh. It has almost nothing right going on with its plot, and is littered with absurd over-the-top mayhem, cringy dialogue, and, of course, the most hilariously odd performance by actor Eric Freeman as Rickey Caldwell, the unhinged little brother of the pervious killer from the first one.
He may not have given the subtle, believable, or scariest portrayal of a fictional serial killer, but Freeman sure played one of the most memorable. He looks like he's having a ball, delivering his terrible lines with his uniquely over-the-top facial expressions. He's responsible for the now legendary "Garbage Day!" quote, which has since become immortalized in internet memedom. Is it a good performance? Technically not, but Freeman's intense energy makes Silent Night, Deadly Night Part II such a recongizable so-bad-that-it's-good classic.
7 Bobby Campo as Nick in 'The Final Destination' (2009)
Image via New Line Cinema
The Final Destination franchise is steadily on the rise thanks to the smashing commercial and critical success of Final Destination: Bloodlines. But in its dark age, the series was almost completely derailed by the fourth installment, The Final Destination, a disappointingly dull, rushed, and poorly acted mess that could have relegated this series to mind-numbing schlock. At the center of its failure was the performances, as the poor actors were forced to play completely one-dimensional and annoying characters. And it didn't help that the lead character, Nick, played by Bobby Campo, was arguably the blandest and most forgettable protagonist of the franchise.
Bobby Campo is a competent actor who has done stellar work in other films and TV shows, but The Final Destination saw him in the leading role. He had some big shoes to fill as the focal main character, but sadly, his efforts came up short as a combination of the wooden dialogue, underdeveloped storytelling, and his bland line delivery couldn't make him or his character stack up against other protagonists in the franchise. Though the script is also much to blame, Campo's inability to lead and stand out contributed to The Final Destination coming dead on arrival.
6 Hilary Duff as Sharon Tate in 'The Haunting of Sharon Tate' (2019)
Image via Saban Capital Group
The Haunting of Sharon Tate tried and failed miserably to offer an intense and deep dramatization of the infamous Sharon Tate murder. Suffering a weak script, underwhelming scares, and a poor handling of the real-life tragedy, it flopped on arrival harder than most could have thought, becoming one of the worst horror films of this century so far. But at the heart of its major bashing, actress Hilary Duff took the brunt of criticism as she couldn't fully embody the character.
Duff has done fine work on other projects and made a considerable leap past her Disney Channel days, but playing Tate was an unfortunate misfire, as the performance did nothing to bolster her career. Critics and audiences felt her accent and line delivery made her miscast for the role. Although it looked like she was trying her best, her performance overall attracted the wrong kind of attention.
5 Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker in 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' (1992)
Francis Ford Coppola, the filmmaking genius behind Apocalypse Now and The Godfather trilogy, took Bram Stoker's novel Dracula back into the mainstream with a 1992 big-budget adaptation, simply titled Bram Stoker's Dracula. With lavish production values, gorgeous costume designs, elaborate make-up effects, and a star-studded A-List cast, this is debated to be one of the best versions of Stoker's iconic story. But one thing most people agree on about this film is that its weakest decision was having Keanu Reeves play Jonathan Harker,
Reeves, playing Harker, is one of the most infamous miscasts in movie history. His casting was largely due to him being a major heartthrob and in-demand actor, but his acting limits at the time truly showed on-screen as he could not perfect the English accent for the character. As a result, his delivery feels wooden and cringeworthy. He's a confident and capable actor with the right script and character type, but here, he unfortunately sticks out like a sore thumb.
4 Tara Reid as Aline Cedrac in 'Alone in the Dark' (2005)
Image via Lions Gate Films
Cited as one of the most atrocious and frustrating horror movies in history, Uwe Boll's Alone in the Dark is an unbelievable mess that somehow gets worse with each seen. This poor adaptation of the iconic video game has absurd action sequences, nonsensical storytelling, a baffling finale, and lackluster performances from a cast that all looked like they didn't want to be there. Arguably, the most obvious of the bunch was Tara Reid in her head-scratching performance as secondary protagonist Aline Cedrac.
Reid's shown that she can help elevate film with her likable party-girl charm, as evident in Van Wilder and American Pie, but here, she looks bored and comfortable with the role. At no point does her character act or seem like an archeologist, and that's certainly due to a combination of the awful dialogue and Reid's disinterest in the part. Granted, no one gives a decent performance in Alone in the Dark, but as Reid has shown considerable acting talent in the past and since, this film is easily not her best.
3 Mark Wahlberg as Elliot Moore in 'The Happening' (2008)
Elliot, played by Mark Wahlberg, looks concernedImage via 20th Century Studios
The genuinely talented M. Night Shyamalan struggled for much of the early 2000s, as his unique storytelling was slipping, and he struggled with crafting realistic dialogue and satisfying payoffs, which resulted in one critically panned flop after another. Arguably, his lowest point was The Happening, a 2008 disaster horror thriller, which has since become hailed as one of the most unintentionally hilarious horror films of all time. It's laughable at best, confusing and frustrating at worst, and icing on this messy cake is a delightfully bizarre Mark Wahlberg performance as main character Elliot Moore.
A lot of the unintentional comedy that comes from this performance admittedly comes from the poor dialogue, but it's his awkward line delivery and persistently confused facial expressions that make this so infamous. This culminated in a Razzie nomination for worst actor. And while Wahlberg is an exceptionally talented performer who can turn in a great performance with the script, playing Elliot is one of the biggest misfires of his career.
2 Darren Ewing as Arnold in 'Troll 2' (1990)
Darren Ewing in Troll 2Image via Epic Productions
Hail to the king of schlock, Troll 2, one of the most beloved bad movies ever made. This disasterpiece is infamously and hilariously terrible from start to finish, featuring mediocre effects, a convoluted plot, and a noticeable lack of any trolls despite the film's title. The performances are also on a whole other level as well, especially because most of the main actors went into the casting thinking they would be extras. But, taking this next spot goes to amateur actor Darren Ewing, whose portrayal of the unlikely character Arnold has become immortalized thanks to one incredible scene.
Even those who haven't seen the film have at least heard of or seen Ewing's epic delivery of "They're eating her... and then they're going to eat me... OH MY GOOOOOD!" It's cringy, it's awkward, and yet it's one of the most recognizable and funniest movie lines. It's one of the most iconic bad performances in cinema history, one that's just as celebrated as the film itself.
1 Nicolas Cage as Edward Malus in 'The Wicker Man' (2006)
Nicolas Cage with the bee mask in The Wicker Man tortured and in painImage via Warner Bros
Nicolas Cage is perhaps one of the most recognizable actors of his generation. A capable leading man with an Academy Award under his belt, he starred in countless remarkable films throughout the years and entertained audiences with his unique charm and ability to play wild, over-the-top characters. But, unfortunately, it was his penchant for going all out that earned him a place as having one of the worst acting performances ever in the 2006 remake of the folk horror film The Wicker Man.
His unique yelling and manic energy is on full display in the infamous deleted scene where CGI bees are poured all over his face, and it just comes across as more comedic than shocking. The '06 is plagued with a multitude of issues, but it is Cage's bizarre, borderline-crazy performance as police officer Edward Malus that is both the worst and, yet oddly, most memorable thing about this mess.
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The Wicker Man
PG-13
Horror
Mystery
Thriller
Release Date
August 31, 2006
Runtime
102 Minutes
Director
Neil LaBute
Writers
Neil LaBute
Cast
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Nicolas Cage
Sister Summersisle
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Ellen Burstyn
Edward Malus
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