Entertainment
The 5 Best Horror Performances Since Toni Collette in ‘Hereditary’
While a lot of different elements have helped make the modern era of horror so strikingly memorable compared to eras of the past, one of the most prominent and distinct ways that this has been reflected is through the myriad of masterful performances. Among these titans of horror acting, one of the absolute icons of strength has been Toni Collette‘s perfect performance as mother Annie Graham in Hereditary. In the relatively short time since the film’s release, it’s grown to be considered one of the all-time greatest horror performances and massively influential in the horror genre as a whole.
However, there have been a lot of exceptional horror movies that have come out since Hereditary was released in 2018, many of which also sport exceptionally well-crafted performances at their center. While very few horror performances can live up to the weight and emotional depth of Collette’s iconic role, these horror performances stand out as the very best that the genre has provided in the time since this legendary performance.
5
Mia Goth in ‘Pearl’ (2022)
Mia Goth had already delivered a great duo of performances in Ti West‘s X, portraying not only the young and ambitious Maxine Minx, but the elderly, touch-starved soul Pearl, the latter of which proved to be so rife with potential as a character that an entire prequel film, Pearl, was made immediately after X‘s production. It’s in this deeper look into a young Pearl’s life, feeling held back and stuck on her farm in 1918, where Goth truly goes all out and makes the character into a truly iconic villain of 2020s horror. The combination of youthful naivety with ruthless and outright psychopathic tendencies makes Goth both compelling and terrifying as a horror character. The film and the performance paint a greater picture of how Pearl, as a character, could go from such an innocent farm girl into the hardened, isolated woman capable of murder that we see in X.
Her performance is the film’s primary selling point, drawing on key dynamics of both Maxine and Pearl’s characters in X to create a distinct portrait of fleeting youth and the fight for a spot atop the mountain of glory. It’s the type of performance that continues to stick in the mind of the audience long after it has ended, single-handedly amplifying the appeal and impact of the film itself. It certainly helps that the film gives Goth a lot of opportunities to shine and show off as a rising star actress, most notably with a legendary monologue and that haunting ending where she smiles directly into the camera. Goth was certainly an appreciated actress before this film, but it’s her brilliant performance in Pearl that truly catapulted her career and made many truly appreciate her as a genuine force of emotional talent.
4
Rebecca Hall in ‘The Night House’ (2021)
Rebecca Hall is an actress who has certainly played a part in several highly acclaimed and successful films, yet is often playing in the background or not given an opportunity to truly show off her talents. The Night House places the actor center stage and brings an arguable career-best performance out of her, as she plays a scorned and emotionally distraught widow still struggling as she attempts to live in the aftermath of her husband’s suicide. While the film itself is much more unknown and underrated compared to every other film and performance on this list, those who have experienced the film will be quick to praise the masterful performance by Hall at its center that elevates the entire film around her.
It’s one thing to simply hit the mark and react well as events grow more disturbing and haunting in a supernatural horror film, yet it’s this overwhelming aura of grief, anger, and continued pain following such a shocking loss that drives Hall’s performance into all-time great status. There is an essence of humanity that is ingrained within each moment of Hall’s performance, with one of the more realistic and emotionally layered depictions of loss and grief that is seen in a modern film, especially a horror film at that. Her portrayal of a broken character reeling with loss makes her emotional responses to the shocking events of the film all the more impactful and felt, amplifying the horror and stakes to make the film one of the best psychological horror thrillers of the 2020s so far.
3
Michael B. Jordan in ‘Sinners’ (2025)
It’s always impressive when an actor is able to provide not just one performance within a film, but a layered dual performance where they portray multiple distinct characters that feel entirely different from one another. The prominent example of recent memory comes from the most recent Academy Award-winning performance for Best Actor, Michael B. Jordan‘s role as both Smoke and Stack in Sinners. There are distinct similarities and differences between the twins that make them such compelling characters, with Jordan’s exceptional performance making all the differences in terms of making both of them fluid and memorable characters. Both long before the horror elements arise in Sinners and long after, both Smoke and Stack are exceptionally entertaining to watch on-screen, whether they’re setting the stage for their big break or fighting for their lives against one another.
This intelligence and subtle differences in their characters, combined with Jordan’s electrifying screen presence as either character, have made them some of the best movie characters of the last 10 years. The very fact that Jordan was able to make both of these characters so impactful and striking within a single film makes the performance all the more memorable and well-crafted. It’s also worth mentioning that a part of the brilliance of this performance can be credited to Percy Bell, Jordan’s body double, who would stand as the other twin during the scenes where both Smoke and Stack were on-screen. Bell’s own talent allowed Jordan to go all out as both Smoke and Stack in a given scene, creating a dynamic on-screen performance that really feels like he’s reacting and building off of his own performance. Considering that the last horror performance to win the Academy Award for Best Actor was Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs, this performance is certainly in highly acclaimed territory.
2
Demi Moore in ‘The Substance’ (2024)
Horror as a genre doesn’t always have to adhere to the same rules as many other genres, as while a strong performance in a drama can be ingrained within the subtleties and small mannerisms, horror is allowed to go all out with its brazen lack of subtletly but still be emotionally gripping and impactful. No singular horror film of recent memory exemplifies this like The Substance, which is wild and in-your-face every second with its overwhelming messaging of beauty standards and destructive bodily identity. Demi Moore‘s powerhouse central performance as Elizabeth Sparkle is what holds the film’s emotional core and impact together, amplifying the energy and themes of the film for this wild, unrestrained, and undeniable career-best performance.
It’s a performance that builds upon the legacy and perception that Moore has had throughout her entire career as an icon of beauty, delving into the often overlooked pains of age in an industry that is quick to throw away its most successful stars when they no longer adhere to the maximum standards of beauty. The pain that Elizabeth feels over her rejection from the industry and the ingrained hatred for her own looks defines Moore’s legendary performance, creating an emotional pull and electrifying screen presence throughout the entire film. There’s also a vast range of tones in her performance, from more restrained and simmering with anger early on to a more manic and desperate plea once the adverse effects of the substance begin impacting her. The performance managed to earn Moore her first Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination, as well as revitalizing her career and placing her center stage once again thanks to her genuine talent.
1
Lupita Nyong’o in ‘Us’ (2019)
Similarly to Michael B. Jordan’s iconic and highly memorable dual performance, the iconic dual performance provided by Lupita Nyong’o by Us takes command and elevates the entire film around it, terrifying and touching audiences with two characters who couldn’t feel more different from one another. In an entire film defined and elevated by its usage of dual performances through its core premise of deadly alternate versions of people coming to kill the original, the central performance by Nyong’o exemplifies the potential and craft of this exceptionally terrifying premise. She finds a great striking ground and balance between the two characters, showing the stark differences and unlikely similarities between the calm, determined mother Adelaide and the sinister, coarse throaty voice of Red.
The dynamic between these two characters and the shocking variety of her own performances bouncing off of each other makes Us such a striking and exceptionally layered piece of contemporary horror cinema. While the film as a whole may not be as celebrated as a complete package compared to Jordan Peele’s other films, it feels widely accepted that Nyong’o’s performance is the absolute best performance in any of his films. Thanks to the film’s shocking twist ending, it’s the type of performance that has distinctly different meanings on rewatch, with context of the overarching story completely changing the perception and dynamic of these characters and their interactions with one another. Ironically, just like Toni Collette’s performance before her, many people were absolutely shocked that this groundbreaking performance was completely passed over by the Academy Awards, with this massively impressive feat of acting sadly being overlooked due to being a part of the horror genre.
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