Top 13 Horror Performances of the Last Decade

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These actors know how to give us the chills! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the quintessential performances from the last ten years of horror cinema.

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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the quintessential performances

00:08from the last 10 years of horror cinema.

00:1413.

00:18John Goodman

00:1910.

00:20Cloverfield Lane

00:21It's hard to surprise audiences with a resume like John Goodman's.

00:29Given his long history across nearly every genre in the book, staying fresh is quite

00:34the feat.

00:35And that's exactly where this thriller finds its secret sauce, by playing off of his familiarity.

00:40As Howard Stambler, the screen legend exudes a far more sinister presence than ever before.

00:57With his mix of caustic paranoia and volatile rage, the character is a ticking bomb, but

01:02Goodman is also able to convey the fear underneath it all.

01:05It's the desperation of a fragile man, grasping to exert control over everything around him.

01:22Add in the perfect rival in Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and you have yet another highlight

01:26for a veteran career full of them.

01:2912.

01:30Emily Blunt

01:31A Quiet Place

01:32After establishing herself as a bonafide action hero in the early 2010s, Emily Blunt somehow

01:37found even more levels of badassery in this box office smash.

01:41And although she's no stranger to a tense situation, her time as Evelyn Abbott is stressful,

01:46to put it mildly.

01:58But the movie's compact runtime and breakneck pace couldn't stop her from leading a number

02:03of its most iconic moments, whether it's the nail-biting bathtub sequence, or with some

02:08gruesome nail-stepping.

02:10Blunt carries us through.

02:16Her performance grounds the film's fantasy elements, and is key to its heart.

02:25She would later return in the sequel.

02:26There, she helps pass the torch to the series' other star hero, Millicent Simmons.

02:3111.

02:32James McAvoy

02:33Split

02:34It would be easy for a flashy performer to overdo it in this role.

02:37Instead, James McAvoy is brilliant in this cinematic juggling act.

02:41Slipping between multiple distinct personas, he showcases stunning attention to detail.

02:57From mannerisms and postures, to vocal tone and cadence, precision was his game.

03:02His level of skill becomes even more haunting in the film's final act.

03:15Although the character himself shouldn't be considered representative of any real mental

03:19health conditions, McAvoy's work remains acclaimed.

03:22He later reprises the role in Glass, where he gets a chance to further humanize Kevin

03:28Wendell Crumb.

03:3610.

03:39Anya Taylor-Joy

03:40The Witch

03:41Few modern stars have exploded onto the scene quite as loudly as Anya Taylor-Joy.

03:56A huge part of that ascension is her debut in this unforgettable period piece.

04:02She is our anchor throughout this film.

04:04As a piece from Robert Eggers, the movie naturally treats us to some pretty disturbing imagery

04:08and difficult themes.

04:17As Thomasin is harshly vilified by those who should love her, we see the real evil present

04:22in stories like hers.

04:24She is both heartbroken and enraged by the portrayal, with Taylor-Joy portraying this

04:29masterfully.

04:329.

04:34Ewan McGregor – Doctor Sleep

04:46Faced with a daunting franchise legacy, McGregor had his work cut out for him in this ambitious

04:51film.

04:52Director Dan Torrance called for a deft balance between broad horror fantasy and intimate

04:56character drama.

04:57Luckily, McGregor was more than up to the task, painting a striking portrait of trauma

05:02and repression.

05:03As he finds new purpose in defending young Abra from Rebecca Ferguson's startling villain,

05:08we find even more layers to him.

05:18Through these cracks, he gives us glimpses of his compassion.

05:22This success marked another win for Mike Flanagan in adapting Stephen King.

05:26Previously, he also directed a superb Carla Gugino in 2017's Gerald's Game.

05:368.

05:41Florence Pugh – Midsommar

05:42In the same year she got awards love for Little Women, Florence Pugh became an icon in an

05:47entirely opposite genre.

05:49This sunny nightmare set the stage for a juggernaut performance.

06:00From the jump, we feel Dani's emotional turmoil as she strains to hold it all together.

06:04This tension makes her ultimate fate that much more impactful.

06:08In all of its terror, irony, and wicked tragedy, Pugh is so sympathetic that even as she falls

06:24further into the arms of the horger, we understand what she's going through.

06:27It's a display that fully immerses us with the character's POV, rendering the chaos

06:32around her even more baffling, and even scarier.

06:467.

06:47Daniel Kaluuya – Get Out

06:49Packed with amazing supporting talent like Catherine Keener and Lakeith Stanfield, you'd

06:54think this classic couldn't ask for much more.

07:07But as one of the most compelling and intelligent films of the decade, it needed a convincing

07:12lead.

07:13Enter Daniel Kaluuya.

07:25He commands each scene without overdoing it, as you can see in the first Sunken Place sequence.

07:30Kaluuya scored an Oscar nomination for his work.

07:33It's a rare feat, given the Academy's history of snubbing horror.

07:45As it turns out, it was only a peek at what has since been a remarkable career, with an

07:49Oscar win and another terrific Jordan Peele collab already in the books.

07:556.

07:56Elizabeth Moss – The Invisible Man

07:57The last decade has seen superb work come out of sci-fi horror, and Elizabeth Moss sets

08:02a new standard in this gritty, yet operatic spine-chiller.

08:15As Cecilia Kass, her journey is tormented by a cruel, abusive partner.

08:19We watch as she's pushed into the depths of despair and paranoia.

08:30Moss gives a sheer tour de force in this role, at times single-handedly carrying entire

08:35scenes.

08:36Her captivating blend of naturalism and melodrama helps the world feel fully realized, and when

08:50you pair that with director Leigh Whannell's incredible stunt choreography, you get a performance

08:55that fires on all cylinders.

08:585.

08:59Mia Goth – Pearl

09:11After debuting this role in X, Goth returns as the titular serial killer in this blood-soaked

09:15prequel.

09:16The movie leans hard on her loud and brashly animated bursts of passion and ultra-violence.

09:21But alongside these moments, Goth also plays Pearl with calm and sensitivity.

09:26This duety can be seen in an incredible final act.

09:30It kicks off with a surreal audition, before Pearl has an infamous breakdown.

09:34Hitting rock bottom, she then gives an intimate monologue that runs for over five minutes.

09:47It all culminates in one of the most memorable and unsettling end credits in recent canon.

09:53Her attempt to just smile through the pain cements the character as horror royalty.

10:024.

10:11Willem Dafoe – The Lighthouse

10:12Willem Dafoe does the impossible in this amazing A24 showpiece.

10:16He takes one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood and makes it completely disappear

10:21into the role of Thomas Wake.

10:34With a look and voice that genuinely feel like something from another time and place,

10:38he is vital to the film's atmosphere.

10:40Even a long speech about lobsters is totally immersive.

10:54Next to his partner in crime, Robert Pattinson, the pair are only our guides through this

10:59suffocating tale.

11:00They play off each other beautifully.

11:02Captured in shadow and grime, their downward spiral is totally enthralling to watch.

11:173.

11:18Lupita Nyong'o – Us

11:20Dual roles for one performer is a big gamble.

11:23They're not always going to work out, but what Lupita Nyong'o does here might just

11:28be their pinnacle.

11:40She simultaneously crafts one of the genre's most petrifying villains and one of its most

11:45endearing heroes.

11:46Witnessing them interact creates an uncanny, disquieting effect, and Nyong'o's voice

11:51for her tethered self is utterly hair-raising.

12:04Their dynamic defines the entire story, with a final reveal that cashes in on the tension

12:09between them.

12:10It's no surprise that Nyong'o took home a slew of awards and nominations for her performance.

12:252.

12:32Bill Skarsgård – It

12:34Any adaptation of Stephen King's It would be dead on arrival without a good Pennywise.

12:39As Tim Curry demonstrated, it's a core aspect of the story.

12:53Luckily for director Andy Muschietti, he got to work with the pitch-perfect Bill Skarsgård.

12:58For most performers, it would be difficult to be impactful without knowing much at all

13:02about your character, but he took the role to its absolute ceiling.

13:17Somehow he stays expressive underneath the makeup, prosthetics, and visual effects.

13:22And above all, the physicality he brings is imposing, unpredictable, and outright creepy.

13:28Skarsgård's legacy as a genre heavyweight is only set to grow from here.

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13:581.

14:00Toni Collette – Hereditary

14:02Nearly 20 years after her first Oscar nomination for a genre classic, horror fans everywhere

14:07thought she was a shoo-in for another.

14:09Although her work in this frightful family saga was overlooked by the Academy, it will

14:13still go down in the horror history books as one of the all-time best.

14:30Annie Graham is a mother consumed by grief and generational trauma.

14:34Collette is simply a force of nature in the role.

14:37Her anguish and despair are tangible.

14:49Ari Aster's harrowing debut feature was a phenomenon for many reasons, but its lead

14:54performance may just be its greatest achievement.

15:08Which performances blew you away?

15:09Let us know in the comments.

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