Animals were harmed in these films
Based on real and seriously horrific crimes, this 2005 remake of the 1979 film of the same name received mostly negative reviews. No matter. Ryan Reynolds' star was in the ascent and he was soon spirited away to better things.
Trapped in a shark cage on the seabed with their oxygen supply running out and menacing great whites circling above looking for an easy lunch... '47 Meters Down' is all this and more. Mandy Moore and Clair Holt star. Moore surfaced soon afterwards to appear in the hit television drama series 'This is Us.'
Fresh from her appearances in the 'Transformer' franchises, Megan Fox opted to star as the titular character in the horror comedy 'Jennifer's Body.' Initially a flop at the box office, the movie has since become a feminist cult classic.
With appearances in 'X-Men: First Class' and 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' behind her, Jennifer Lawrence accepted the lead role in this psychological thriller. She plays teenager Elissa, who hooks up with the brother of a girl suspected of committing a double murder before disappearing. He lives in the house where the killings took place. Bad move, Jennifer.
Brad Pitt's first major movie role was as Dwight Ingalls in this black comedy slasher film. 'Cutting Class' didn't cut any ice with the critics, but that's not the point. Pitt's looks were to die for!
Chloë Grace Moretz was eight years old when she appeared as Chelsea Lutz in 'The Amityville Horror.' In 2013, she starred in 'Carrie,' another horror movie remake, as the titular character, Carrie White.
Bret Easton Ellis's 1991 novel 'American Psycho' delighted and disturbed in equal measure, depending on what side of the fence you stood. The film adaptation was toned down big time, but still has its moments. In it, Reese Witherspoon plays Evelyn Williams, serial killer Patrick Bateman's unknowing fiancée.
In 'Flatliners,' Julia Roberts portrays a medical student who along with her colleagues (Kevin Bacon and Kiefer Sutherland among them) conducts near-death experiments in attempt to find out what the afterlife is all about. And this is straight after her appearance in 'Pretty Woman.'
Destiny's Child member Kelly Roland is sliced and diced by Jason in this slasher romp that is nothing to make a song and dance about!
A 15-year-old Michelle Williams portrayed the younger version of Sil, the alien-human monster played in adulthood by Natasha Henstridge in this entertaining science fiction horror film.
Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) can talk to the dead. Child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) attempts to find out how. Eleven-year-old Osment's performance in M. Night Shyamalan's supernatural psychological thriller was lauded by critics.
His role as a psychologically troubled teenager in 'Donnie Darko' sees Jake Gyllenhaal manipulated into committing a series of crimes by a mysterious figure in a rabbit costume.
Kevin Bacon briefly worked on the television soap operas 'Search for Tomorrow' and 'Guiding Light' before landing the role of Jack in 'Friday the 13th.' Jack, however, is quickly dispatched by the diabolical Jason.
Jamie Lee Curtis made her film debut in John Carpenter's cult horror movie. Her stab at acting on the big screen established Curtis as a scream queen, and she reprised her role as Laurie Strode in several sequels.
Mark Wahlberg's first starring role was in this creepy psychological thriller where he plays a handsome but very mysterious guy who's got eyes for the teenage daughter (a young Reese Witherspoon) of a wealthy couple on vacation.
Prior to her performance in Wes Craven's 'Scream,' Drew Barrymore was a child actress, best known for her role in 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' (1982).
This adventure horror yarn is set in the Amazon rainforest where a documentary film crew are taken hostage by a demented snake hunter and all of them are stalked by a monstrous green anaconda. The movie was Jennifer Lopez's sixth big screen appearance and her first in a horror picture.
Before Frodo Baggins there was Casey Connor, the character Elijah Wood portrays in this science fiction horror picture. Wood was 17 years old and Middle-earth was just around the corner.
Singer-songwriter Brandy plays Karla Wilson, who miraculously survives the mayhem meted out in this slasher movie, the second installment in the 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' franchise. She's pictured with co-star Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Beyoncé co-starring in a psychological thriller? Stranger things have happened, but in fact the singer did herself proud and won the respect of cast and crew. Idris Elba and Ali Larter complete the trio.
A remake of the 1974 film of the same name, 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' stars Jessica Biel, who up until encountering Leatherface and his murderous family had been appearing in the television series '7th Heaven.'
From sitcom central to the neo-noir psychological horror film 'Angel Heart,' Lisa Bonet is remembered for several seconds of an explicit scene she shared with co-star Mickey Rourke. Her career since has been sporadic at best.
Sources: (Biography) (The Guardian) (Vox)
See also: 'And cut!' Movies that have been banned or censored
Aaliyah stars in the title role as the vampire queen Akasha in this slick gothic horror offering. Sadly it was Aaliyah's final film completed before her death on August 25, 2001 in an airplane crash.
A colony of spiders exposed to toxic waste mutate into monstrous, scary creatures and attack the residents of a sleepy mining town. Scarlett Johansson is among the cast of this goofy comedy horror film, and who probably wished she was somewhere else.
Snoop Dog's horror film credentials date back to 1999 and the poorly received 'Urban Menace.' The rapper redeemed himself somewhat as a murdered racketeer risen from the dead in 'Bones,' which despite a similar critical mauling and dismal box-office returns has since garnered a cult following.
Teen black comedy horror 'Idle Hands' includes in the cast an 18-year-old Jessica Alba as Molly. Her boyfriend, Anton (Devon Sawa), starts killing people after his hands become possessed. Yep, really!
Actually, 'House of Wax' is not the first horror movie Paris Hilton has appeared in. That was 2002's low budget 'Nine Lives.' The heiress returned to the genre with 'House of Wax.' It too melted from view very quickly.
Chris Hemsworth was already recognized for his role as superhero Thor when he appeared in this horror satire, the Australian actor's first foray into the slasher film genre.
In a double whammy, Johnny Depp made his feature film debut and Freddy Kruger his first killing in Wes Craven's cult supernatural slasher that put a whole new spin on the bad dream.
Comedian Steve Martin turns in a fine performance as a sadistic, nitrous oxide-addicted dentist in Frank Oz's movie about a Venus flytrap that has an appetite for human blood. This was Martin's first venture into the realm of horror, albeit a musical black comedy.
The horror film is one of Hollywood's most frightening and controversial movie genres, especially as it often overlaps with the supernatural, thriller, and psychological horror genres. And did you know that some of cinema's most famous faces got their big break acting in horror pictures? Some celebrities you'd least expect to appear in this type of movie have ventured into the realm of ghosts, maniacs, weirdos, and monsters.
Click through and find out if your favorite film star has appeared in a scary movie.
Do you remember these superstars in these scary movies?
Some of these stars have never returned to the horror genre
MOVIES Horror movies
The horror film is one of Hollywood's most frightening and controversial movie genres, especially as it often overlaps with the supernatural, thriller, and psychological horror genres. And did you know that some of cinema's most famous faces got their big break acting in horror pictures? Some celebrities you'd least expect to appear in this type of movie have ventured into the realm of ghosts, maniacs, weirdos, and monsters.
Click through and find out if your favorite film star has appeared in a scary movie.