Even Today, I Still Get The Ick Over These 10 Creepy Movie Characters

There are certain characters in film that are designed to create a visceral reaction. Their behavior can range from slightly unsettling to full-on disturbing in a matter of scenes, leaving the audience with an overwhelming feeling of disgust. It’s a testament to the writing as well as the acting if the character is able to impact the viewers in such a big way, making the films they star in even more memorable on a sensory level.

Many may feel at least unpleasant when they reminisce about the time they saw the twist in Psycho for the first time, or realized what was going on in Fresh. Others might want to forget the whole ordeal altogether, only to immediately get the ick once they accidentally come across the movie on TV. It takes a lot of skill to imbue a character with so many emotion-evoking traits, so while it might not be the best idea to have a tray of snacks while watching them, they certainly deserve a level of respect for creating such an icky atmosphere.

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10

Thin Man

From Charlie’s Angels (2000)

The new-millennium reboot of the classic ’70s series was a big success and introduced a whole new generation to the high-kicking trio of undercover agents. Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, and Cameron Diaz play this new iteration in Charlie’s Angels, as they rely more on hand-to-hand combat and their impressive martial arts skills rather than firearms. It was a refreshing take that created many memorable fight scenes between the three leads and various villains.

The creepiest of them all is Thin Man, played with conviction by Crispin Glover. Not only is his demeanor very unsettling throughout, but he gets progressively worse as the film goes on. From smelling Dylan’s hair to producing some extremely unpleasant noises, he was one of the most ick-inducing bad guys of the 2000s. Anyone who has seen the film will remember how strange his behavior felt, and the Angels’ reactions said it all at the time.

9

Steve

From Fresh (2022)

Fresh ruined modern dating for many viewers. People often wonder what the worst thing that could happen would be if they went out with someone they have just met, and being kidnapped and sold for meat is probably somewhere near the top of the list. Yet, that is exactly what happens in this clever yet highly alarming horror film. What starts off as a witty romantic comedy, with some great chemistry between Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan, takes a sudden turn.

After a few seemingly successful dates, Noa wakes up bound in a sparse room only to find out the charming man she met at the grocery store wants to cultivate her body to sell on the cannibal black market. The worst thing is, that was his first red flag up until that moment. Before that, he had been caring, attentive, and endearing, making what lurked beneath that much more gut-wrenching. To watch a film where a beloved Marvel heartthrob turns out to be a human flesh chef feels undeniably sickening.

8

Peter Pettigrew

From Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

The Harry Potter franchise grew darker in tone with each new release. The first installment feels much more like a children’s film that perfectly suits the directing skill set of Chris Columbus, but as the Hogwarts students grow up and the danger they face gets even more dangerous, the films become much scarier and more disturbing. As a character, Peter Pettigrew does not show up until the third movie of the series, as Ron’s pet rat, Scabbers, turns out to be an Animagus. Timothy Spall’s transformation from rodent to human is very realistic and deeply unsettling.

But, perhaps the creepiest thing about this situation is the fact that Wormtail had been posing as a Weasley pet for years. To put it in context, Ron Weasley had been petting him, feeding him, and clearing his droppings, for years, and all the while he was a grown man. Not only a grown man but a dangerous Death Eater who was responsible for inflicting a lot of damage on the Wizarding World. Ick.

7

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Annie Wilkes

Misery (1990)

This Misery character’s descent into darkness is a relatively slow burn; although, even in the first scene where she “saves” Paul Sheldon, there is already a feeling of something being off. As time goes by, this seemingly good Samaritan turns out to be an obsessive fan with mental health problems that come out at disturbing intervals. It starts with a subtle lie, then a shift in tone with a glazy-eyed look, and before the audience knows it, she is wielding a jackhammer ready to “hobble” Paul so he cannot run away.

It is incredible to think that this was Kathy Bates’ first starring role in a film of such magnitude, having honed her craft mostly in theater. But, she does an incredible job at portraying this deeply disturbed woman who has a history of killing both babies and elderly people. Her completely skewed morals might make sense in her mind, but in practice, they end in disaster. Stephen King is skilled at creating terrifying characters who live on in memory long after the credits roll.

6

Anton Chigurh

From No Country For Old Men (2007)

Anyone who has either seen No Country for Old Men or at least any promotional clips shown during Javier Bardem’s successful awards show season will be painfully aware of his deeply unpleasant haircut. But, that is still probably the least problematic of his problematic characteristics. His empty and cold eyes are somehow able to draw viewers in, despite there being no emotion behind them. That is certainly what adds to the sense of dread whenever he appears on the screen.

He seems to have a singular goal in mind and unrelentingly sticks to it as he completes his killings. Human life is nothing to him, though he does not seem to take any pleasure in murdering multiple people. Instead, he feels like someone completely at peace with being the cold-blooded assassin that he is, showing no remorse or empathy at any point. As if it were a chore. Bardem’s performance is haunting, as he limps into every scene as if in a deadly trance.

5

Reverend Henry Kane

From Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)

This predatory manipulator of Poltergeist II is a doomsday cult leader. Add to that his tendency to lurk and skulk, and a character is created who has some of the worst vibes imaginable. Targeting the most vulnerable and helpless individuals shows just how much he enjoys preying on those who are weaker and easy to steer. His manner of speaking, which feels much too slow and eerily friendly, evokes someone who finds it difficult to talk to people in a natural way and forces himself to sound sympathetic and enticing.

Then there is his shudder-inducing appearance. The sunken features and wide toothy grin look disturbing in stills, so seeing Julian Beck bring him to afterlife in all of his creepy glory is quite the experience. It also feels like his stare lingers for far too long, which, when imagined in real life, is an absolute nightmare situation. This is a character who will continue to haunt those viewers who have experienced that preachy, whispering voice that is filled to the brim with saccharine menace.

4

Kevin

From Sin City (2005)

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Elijah Wood is predominantly known for playing heroic protagonists in films like The Lord of the Rings or The Faculty, but the talented actor has also challenged himself in more subversive roles. And, a stark film noir adaptation of a famed graphic novel seen through the eyes of not only Frank Miller, but also Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, is the perfect opportunity to subvert expectations. Wood’s role as a cannibalistic murderer in Sin City is one of his most memorable and unexpected.

Without words, he can induce the most chilling feelings in the whole film. Though seemingly stationary and calm throughout, when he does move to commit his many atrocities, it’s with an unsettling speed and predatory precision. At his core, he is a ritualistic serial killer of women, who enjoys eating his victims after he brutally murders them, and does so with an unspoken pleasure that just adds to the horror. A dead-eyed sadist who will haunt nightmares for years to come.

3

Norman Bates

From Psycho (1960)

One of the earliest movie creeps, Norman Bates is a name that has long been associated with the ick factor. Alfred Hitchcock was known for creating disturbing scenarios and being able to scare his captive audience in ways that not many others could at the time. But, the twist he supplied in Pyscho was on another level. There had always been a set of rules that allowed viewers to settle into a scary movie, and it did not involve killing off the main protagonist in the first half of the film.

Anthony Perkins ensured that his version of Bates felt wrong from the start. He can be seen lurking and stalking, and his body language is always awkward. However, when it turns out that he has actually been living with his dead mother’s corpse for many years, and communicating with it as if she were still alive, jaws would promptly fall to the floor. It was incredibly bold to showcase such horrors in mainstream media in 1960, and the film became one of the most iconic examples of the genre for that very reason.

2

Frank Booth

From Blue Velvet (1986)

David Lynch was also known for creating some of the most disturbing characters and scenes in cinematic history, but Frank Booth from Blue Velvet is in a league of his own. Unpredictable and sadistic, his violence can come out in full force when the audience least expects it. This emotional volatility creates a sense of tension whenever he appears in a scene, and Dennis Hopper’s portrayal adds even more levels of trauma to his personality.

The actor shifts his voice from hard-to-distinguish mumbles to full-on shouting in that tone that Hopper was very well known for. Then there is the gas mask. The hissing noises and even the way he looks in it are all on another level of creepiness. The way he treats Dorothy is barbaric, and his sexual perversions are deeply disturbing. The “baby wants blue velvet” scene perfectly encapsulates everything that is wrong with this revolting character.

1

Jame Gumb aka Buffalo Bill

From The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

This brilliant psychological thriller is packed with many unforgettable moments. It is one of the few horror-influenced films to receive high recognition at the Academy Awards, and it is for good reason. While it may seem that Hannibal Lecter is the main villain of the story, he actually serves as more of an anti-hero, who helps find the far creepier Jame Gumb. A serial killer who collects skin pieces from his victims, the very thought of him is frightening before viewers are even introduced to him as a character.

Once he finally appears, he does so with aplomb. Living in a grim old house with an even more grim old cellar, he spends his time stalking his prey and then carrying out his plans to create a skin suit made out of human women. The abduction scene when he pretends to be injured and lures Catherine into the van is terrifying. His dress-up scene as his victim screams in the background is unnerving. And his iconic line “it puts the lotion on the skin” is filled with so many terrifying undertones, that it induces shudders at the mere thought.

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Category: Entertainment