Top 10 Movie Boogeymen
You better hide under the covers, or they're gonna get you. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Movie Boogeymen. For this list, we're focusing on intimidating figures in film that terrorize other characters, particularly children.
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Script written by William Regot
#10: Oogie Boogie
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993)
Unlike the other boogeymen on this list, this one walks with swagger and loves jazz. Despite just being a burlap sack full of bugs and a snake, Oogie Boogie is the most feared resident of Halloween Town. He’s so evil that he holds Santa Claus hostage and tortures him with elaborate machines. Cruel and sadistic, Oogie Boogie lets a roll of the dice decide whether his captors live or die, and he always plays to win, even if he has to cheat.
#9: Pumpkinhead
“Pumpkinhead” (1988)
In a somewhat twisted version of the Peanuts’ Great Pumpkin, this supernatural horror flick sees grieving father Ed Harley summon the titular demon by digging up a corpse and enlisting the help of a witch. Once Pumpkinhead is conjured, he locates those marked for death by the summoner and kills them one by one. If you find yourself the target of this creature, there’s nothing you can do except hope that the person who summoned him dies before you. Does Pumpkinhead remind you of a certain “Alien”? Then you might find it interesting to know that it is director Stan Winston, who won an Oscar for his visual effects work in “Aliens”, who masterfully brought the demonic monster to life.
#8: Jason Voorhees
“Friday the 13th” franchise (1980-)
Top 20 Jason Voorhees Kills
Whether he’s wearing his iconic hockey mask or a sack over his head, this legendary killer is one of the biggest names in the slasher genre. Though it was believed that he had drowned in Crystal Lake as a little boy, it turns out Jason survived the incident, and now he stalks those who dare step into his neck of the woods. The strong, silent type, he disposes of his victims with relative ease. If you find Jason coming toward you, start running, because you do NOT want him to catch up.
#7: Trantor
“Ernest Scared Stupid” (1991)
Back in the 1990s, Touchstone Pictures thought nothing of scarring little kids for life by putting this evil troll on the big screen. In the horror comedy, Trantor was imprisoned underneath an oak tree for two hundred years until Ernest accidentally sets him free. The demonic Trantor uses his magic to turn children into wooden dolls so he can consume their energy. Among his other skills, Trantor can sneak up on his victims and mimic other people’s voices. In his original form, before gaining strength, he could be harmed by milk, but trying to use “miak” isn’t advised…
#6: Krampus
“Krampus” (2015)
In this horror comedy, Krampus is an ancient spirit who takes glee in wreaking havoc during the holidays. He breaks into the home of a dysfunctional family and dispenses a collection of toys and gingerbread men, which come to life and attack them. Those who Krampus finds worthy of punishment are put in a sack and taken by him. With horns protruding from his forehead and scary-as-hell teeth, Krampus’ physical characteristics perfectly match his grim persona.
#5: Pale Man
“Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006)
This hideous monster with eyes centered in his hands is only in one scene of this dark fantasy, but it’s a terrifying and memorable one. The Pale Man sits in a room surrounded by paintings of himself eating children, and next to his table, upon which there is an extravagant feast, he keeps a pile of children’s clothes. When young Ofelia enters the Pale Man’s lair and makes the ill-fated mistake of eating two grapes off of his table, the monster is awoken. What happens next is an intense and unforgettable chase sequence between the creature and the child.
#4: The Babadook
“The Babadook” (2014)
Top 20 Scariest Movie Monsters of All Time
Also known as Mr. Babadook, this spooky figure introduces itself to a young widow named Amelia and her six-year-old boy after they read its story in a strange pop-up book. The viewer never gets a good look at the titular monster, but its presence is felt throughout the film, whether it’s hiding in the background or crawling on the ceiling. The Babadook feeds on Amelia’s feelings of grief and resentment, and it eventually takes possession of her, forcing her to attack her son. With its top hat and sharp claws, the Babadook serves as a menacing foe in this disturbing psychological horror film.
#3: Michael Myers
“Halloween” franchise (1978-)
Top 10 Signs You're Watching a Michael Bay Movie
Constantly referred to as the boogeyman in the first film, Michael is a cold, remorseless serial killer. His childhood psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis, once said that Myers has the devil’s eyes – though it’s unlikely that you’ll ever get close enough to see them as a result of the modified William Shatner mask he wears. Sleek in his movements, Michael is able to blend into the shadows and emerge unexpectedly, and when he’s knocked down, he’s always able to get back up. His favorite targets are babysitters and children, which is shown in his relentless pursuits of his sister, Laurie Strode, and his niece, Jamie Lloyd.
#2: Pennywise
“It” (1990)
Freddy Krueger vs Pennywise
This creep is the reason your mother warned you not to talk to strangers… or clowns. A powerful inter-dimensional life-form that inhabits the town of Derry, Maine, Pennywise lures little kids to their doom with promises of balloons and never having to grow up. Little do they know that he is simultaneously sharpening his teeth for the kill. Having several mental powers, the shape-shifting monster can manipulate photographs and pop up anywhere at any time to torment whomever it wants. As Pennywise, Tim Curry gives a performance that alternates between dark humor and pure terror, and is completely unforgettable.
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
The Tall Man
“Phantasm” (1979)
Randall Boggs
“Monsters, Inc.” (2001)
Boogeyman
“Boogeyman” (2005)
Matilda Dixon [aka ‘Tooth Fairy’]
“Darkness Falls” (2003)
#1: Freddy Krueger
“A Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise (1984-)
Top 10 Greatest Freddy Krueger Scenes
A child killer in his former life, this “Bastard Son of One Hundred Maniacs” haunts the dreams of teenagers whose parents burned him alive several years before. Every time Freddy kills one of his victims, he gains more strength from the soul. In order to murder his intended targets, Krueger gets inside his victims’ heads and uses their anxieties and phobias against them. On top of that, he can stretch out his arms and take any shape he wants. So if the razor claws don’t get you, Freddy’s got a million other tricks that will.
Do you agree with our list? Which boogeyman do you consider the most frightening? For more entertaining top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
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