'I never suspected a thing. He looked so … normal.' Ordinary people often make comments like that when they learn about a neighbor who has been revealed as a serial killer. It's so shocking! Who could ever imagine that the kindly gentleman next door has been hiding horrible terrible secrets, often for years?
Admittedly, horror movies do not often dare to build their stories around an ordinary-looking serial killer. The masked, hulking and silent Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th movies makes for a far more terrifying figure than a bespectacled summer camp counselor with a mustache. Still, when fright flicks have portrayed stone-cold killer as completely unexpected, it's all the more unnerving and unsettling, as the following examples demonstrate.
Wolf Creek 2 (2014)
Anyone who has ever visited a remote wilderness location will recognize the likes of Mick Taylor (John Jarratt). The type of people who live away from civilization and make their own way in a forbidding environment will never be mistaken for polished office managers. Mick may look rough and act in an uncouth manner, but inside he's probably a cuddly teddy bear, right? Wrong. In this clip, Mick exudes roguish charm before a misspoken word prompts him to reveal a hint of the menace to come.
Maniac (2012)
Mannequin shop owner Elijah Wood is shy and soft-spoken, yet he also exhibits great passion for his work and, let's face it, he's a good-looking guy. Those qualities help him attract women who are then caught off-guard when his true and quite horrible inclinations are unmasked in all their awful glory.
Sweeney Todd (2007)
In this clip, barber Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) sings! Sure, he looks dark and brooding, but he's singingl No doubt his troubled mood will pass and… wait a minute, what's he doing with that very sharp blade?
Scream (1996)
Don't worry, we won't spoil anything about the movie here, except to say that the ending is a total surprise -- at least, it was in 1996 -- and that it fits the theme of this article perfectly.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
No, no, not Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins); he's locked up tight in prison when the movie begins. Instead, we're thinking of the serial killer dubbed Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). When FBI trainee agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) knocks on his door, she has no idea who he really is, although the audience has long been clued into his evil nature. That makes this scene even more tense and terrifying.
