Warner Bros. is going the creepy viral route to promote Weapons, the new child horror film from Barbarian writer-director Zack Cregger: A new two-hour, unlisted video features two hours of supposed surveillance video, mostly of children running through the night.
The innocuously jarring title is simply “2025_░_░_06:17AM.mov.”
It’s a wonderful bit of mystery, sure to raise interest in what’s already one of the most-anticipated horror films of the summer. The new poster for the film explains its concept: “Last night at 2:17 am, every child from Mrs. Gandy’s class woke up, got out of bed, went downstairs, opened the front door, walked into the dark… and never came back.”
That summary raises a lot of questions: Does every single kid in Mrs, Gandy’s house have at least a two-story house? But we guess the more important question, which we hope the film will answer, is where all those children went. Also: What or who are the weapons in Weapons?
Spend a while watching the Weapons video — sorry, we mean “2025_░_░_06:17AM.mov” — and you start to notice some extremely jarring things (or cool things, if you love horror.) Among them is the fact that one of the monitors we’re seeing appears to feature the reflected, emotionless face of a middle-aged man. Who is he? Why is he watching? What does he want?
Weapons stars Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, June Diane Raphael, Toby Huss, and Benedict Wong, among others. We don’t think any of them appear in “2025_░_░_06:17AM.mov,” but who knows? (The middle aged man just might be Huss.)
Additional marketing materials for the film note that 17 children run away in all. And while the poster says it happens at 2:17 am — and time stamps on some of the assembled surveillance footage say 2:17 — the title of the video includes the time stamp 6:17 am. So maybe something is happening with the number 17?
We already love this movie.
Zack Cregger and the Campaigns for Weapons and Barbarian
The Weapons unlisted video continues a long run of cool viral Warner Bros. immersive marketing campaigns: 2008’s Christopher Nolan Batman film The Dark Knight, for example, fascinated fans with an interactive website, not clearly identified as promotional, to drop hints about Heath Ledger’s bold take on The Joker. Such campaigns have since become a frequent part of the rollout for hotly anticipated films.
Cregger’s Barbarian, released in 2022 by 20th Century Fox, benefitted from a similarly jolting campaign. A trailer for the film promoted it pleasantly as “Justin Long’s New Movie,” and featured Long’s character driving along Pacific Coast Highway in a convertible, as cheery music plays.
“From the Producers of the Lego Movie,” the trailer brightly misdirects, before adding more bona fides: “The studio that brought you Alvin and the Chipmunks.”
But around the one-minute mark, things take a dark turn. Long’s character realizes one of his Michigan properties has an unwanted visitor. There’s a thud. The cheery music drops out. And the trailer drops a hammer: “From the Producer of It.”
With Weapons, the scares are right up front: two hours of creepy images, accompanied by static-y, disorienting sound. What’s discombobulating this time is the medium: As with The Dark Knight campaign, we don’t even know what we’re seeing has anything to do with a movie. If you missed the name Warner Bros., you might think you were just seeing some very alarming footage, from Ring cameras, dash cams, and whatever else is surveilling the suburban streets.
Barbarian went on to be one of the most unexpected breakthroughs of 2022, earning more than $45 million against a low production budget of just $4.5 million. Hopes are even higher for Weapons.
Weapons arrives in theaters on August 8, from Warner Bros. Pictures.
Main image: Children running in the night in 2025_░_░_06:17AM.mov to promote Weapons. Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Little White Lies was established in 2005 as a bi-monthly print magazine committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them. Combining cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism, we’ve been described as being “at the vanguard of the independent publishing movement.” Our reviews feature a unique tripartite ranking system that captures the different aspects of the movie-going experience. We believe in Truth & Movies.
Filmora – A free editing software with a lot of great presets. This program is perfect for new editors but even a savvy editor can have fun and elevated projects with this software. There is a text, animation and sound package included and an option to upgrade.
iMovie – A free editing software available on iphones and Mac computers. Great for beginners and for making simple quick edits. There is a text, animation and sound package included.
WeVideo – A free editing app available on phones, PC and Mac computers. This program is cloud based. You shoot video on your phone and upload the footage into your WeVideo App. When you open the project on your computer it is there waiting for you. Does not have reverse or a proper cropping tool. Upgrade option available.
CapCut – A free editing app available on phones, PC and Mac computers. Great for editing on the run. If you like fan edits this program is loaded with great animated text and powerful preset transitions making beginners look like pros.
Final Cut Pro – Is NOT a free editing software but has nearly all of the capabilities as pro editing software. The interface is very user friendly and as easy to use as a basic editing program.
Premiere Pro – Is NOT a free editing program. This is a professional level program. Premiere is a part of the Adobe Suite and works via “Dynamic Link” with other programs like After Effects. The user interface is complicated and you will need a teacher and tutorials to navigate the program.
DaVinci Resolve – Is a free editing program. This is a professional level program. The cool part is the option to make the interface look like Final Cut or Premiere. There is a learning curve to the program but it is free. Also known for its color grading capabilities.
Film and Television Lessons
After Effects – Is NOT a free editing program. This is a professional level program. It can work with Premiere Pro via “Dynamic Link” as well as with other Adobe programs. The user interface is extremely complicated and you will need tutorials to navigate the program. Also, you should go in with a plan of what effect you would like to try, then practice executing that effect.
Scripts, Storyboards, Writing, Camera, Shots, Lessons, Editing Exercises and Film Projects.
Screengoat builds your skills as a filmmaker with tools and resources to help you become a GOAT.
Animoto – Is a free editing program but is more like an animated PowerPoint program. This is what we love about it. You can create animated title graphics over chroma key green or animated backgrounds for titles or bumpers in seconds. Super easy to use. The program leaves a watermark but it is easy to crop out. The program also has a lot of public domain images and music. Kicks Presentation up a knotch.
Here are all 6 Joker actors ranked, from worst to best.
Also, we’re only counting film Jokers, and not animated ones.
Disagree? Great, that’s what the comments are for. Here we go.
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix in Joker. Warner Bros. – Credit: Joaquin Phoenix in Joker, Warner Bros.
The emperor has no clothes. We know: Joaquin Phoenix’s take on The Joker in Joker was a spectacular success, bringing in a billion dollars and winning Phoenix an Oscar for Best Actor.
Well, everyone was wrong. It was painful to watch Phoenix’s Joker ham it up through some nonsensical psychological condition cobbled together from superior movies like Taxi Driver and Fight Club.
Phoenix’s Joker was cool visually — his emaciated body was more resonant than any of his dialogue — but his knockoff Travis Bickle felt so disconnected from any real human being that he and his movie had no stakes. He was the last thing the Joker should be: boring.
Jared Leto
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Jared Leto as The Joker in Suicide Squad. Warner Bros.
What if The Joker were hot? That seems to be the odd approach to Jared Leto’s Joker of Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League. He came off like one of those sexy influencers constantly insisting that they’re “deep” and “complex.” Not one for subtlety — he’s The Joker — he even had the word “Damaged” tattooed on his forehead.
This is a matter of personal taste, but we prefer the idea of The Joker as a miscreant who could never survive in polite society, no matter how hard he might try, who turns to The Joker persona out of desperation. Leto’s Joker could have just quit crime to go into modeling.
There were some cool things about Jared Leto’s Joker, for sure. He had the best clothes of any Joker, and we liked how he took fashion and tattoo inspiration from East L.A. gangsters. But maybe he should have just been a new character, not The Joker.
Barry Keoghan
Barry Keoghan as The Joker in The Batman. Warner Bros.
2022’s The Batman went in the opposite direction from Jared Leto’s sexy Joker, portraying The Joker as having some kind of complicated skin condition that looks like a cross between burns and syphilis, in addition to his demented grin.
We think Barry Keoghan is one of the best actors around, but we can’t abide by the decision to give him glorified cameo status as an fellow Arkham resident who cheerleads Paul Dano’s (terrific) Riddler. Keoghan gets more to do in a deleted scene that really should have been in the movie.
Many versions of The Joker seems to use a pretense of comedy to mask profound despair and depression, but Keoghan’s seems to be just depressed and low energy. He doesn’t have the undeniable presence of the best Jokers.
He’ll reportedly return in the next Batman film, and will hopefully have more to do.
Jack Nicholson
Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale and Jack Nicholson as The Joker in Batman. Warner Bros.
It was great to see Jack Nicholson pop up at the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary show on Sunday, reminding everyone of what a cool screen presence he’s always had.
Speaking of cool: He seemed a little above Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman — he didn’t phone it in, exactly, but he also avoided exploring any real pain or messiness in his version of the Clown Prince of Crime. He just seemed like he was having fun.
One thing we especially like about Nicholson’s Joker is that unlike all the others, he really did have pale skin and green hair, a consequence of a long dip in a huge vat at Axis Chemicals. We weren’t as sold on his interest in art, which seemed like too many things, or the notion that he killed Bruce’s parents, which felt a little on the nose.
Cesar Romero
Cesar Romero as The Joker and Phyllis Douglas as Josie Miller in Batman. ABC
Some people would deduct points for Cesar Romero’s refusal to shave his mustache to play The Joker in the 1966 Batman film and the 1966-68 TV series. But we love it: It’s the most Joker thing he could possibly do. It’s a completely anarchic, middle-finger-to-the-world level of commitment — or refusal to commit — that is as Joker as you can get.
We also find Romero’s Joker effortlessly creepy in a way no other Joker is. He’s kind of suave and dashing, which makes him somehow even more grotesque. His voice, alternately sinewy and gravelly, is compelling. And his laugh is the best of any Joker’s. He also had the best hair, especially when it bounced as he shook with rage.
You got the sense that he thought his whole ensemble — the purple suit, the green hair — looked good. Rather than seeming ashamed of his appearance, he seemed vain, which gave him an unnerving element of narcissism. You can say his Joker was too broad, but come on: He’s a criminal who dresses like a clown to play to the cheap seats. He set the standard for all future Jokers.
Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight. Warner Bros – Credit: Warner Bros.
Only one actor has gotten The Joker exactly right, honoring the comic-book legacy of The Joker while grounding him completely in reality. In Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger delivered a Gen X Joker, pragmatic and detached — so detached that he seems meta.
He refuses to disclose an origin story, instead offering several — one of many ways he maintains a jittery sense of perpetual menace. But the real pleasure of The Dark Knight is realizing that despite his disheveled appearance and chaotic appearance, the war-painted misanthrope is the most meticulous planner in Gotham, whether robbing a bank of staging a moral showdown between ferry passengers.
“His Joker was deeply, deeply warped and damaged, though you never find out exactly why, or what he’s really looking for,” Ledger’s Dark Knight co-star, Michael Caine, observes in his recent memoir. “Looking back, I think Heath’s excellence made all of us raise our game. The psychological battle between The Joker and Batman is completely riveting. Are they in any way the same? What nudges one man to do good, and the other to do evil? The Joker wants to torment Bruce by convincing him that they’re two of a kind.”
Ledger earned a posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film. Sadly, he died before its release.
Liked This List of All 6 Joker Actors, Ranked?
Michael Keaton as Batman and Jack Nicholson as The Joker in Batman. Warner Bros. – Credit: Warner Bros.
When it comes to maintaining the basement waterproofing of your New York City home, you might hear numerous myths related to it. This can lead you to make wrong decisions, and the already implemented waterproofing strategies might become bleak. Thus, it is essential to address these myths and understand the reality instead of unquestioningly trusting an unscientific opinion.
Myth 1: Basement Waterproofing Is Only Necessary for Older Homes
It is often said that waterproofing is only essential for old homes. However, this is partially true, as older homes require more strategic basement waterproofingBrooklynNY, due to its outdated system. However, new homes also need proper immunity against water issues. Various reasons can lead to water seepage into the basement, such as soil movement, poor drainage, heavy rainfall, etc. So, irrespective of the age of the house, the owner must implement proper strategies to prevent water intrusion and keep the basement dry.
Myth 2: A Sump Pump Alone Is Sufficient to Keep the Basement Dry
You might find it advised that after installing a sump pump, you do not have to worry about keeping the basement dry. However, this is not a foolproof solution to prevent basement flooding. You also have to include other drainage solutions, proper grading, or repairing the foundation from time to time as part of a strategic plan. Thus, to create a defense against water intrusion, you have to create a proper combination of all the strategies.
Myth 3: Waterproofing Paint Will Solve All Basement Leaks
You can use waterproofing paints to cover minor dampness, but if the issue is quite severe, these won’t be helpful. So, if you find cracks in the foundation or poor drainage, you have to consult with professionals who can address the issue. You can use waterproofing paints as a supplementary measure, but they cannot be a primary solution to prevent leakage.
Myth 4: All Basement Waterproofing Solutions Are the Same
Every basement in New York City is not exactly the same, so the problems won’t be the same either. Based on the problem, you have to find the right solution that can be mitigated. Similarly, every basement waterproofing solution can not apply to any house. You might have to deal with numerous conditions, such as mold growth, water pooling, or cracks on the wall, and a one-size-fits-all approach will not work in these cases. Only an experienced contractor can assess the situation and provide the right combination of services that would keep the basement dry.
Myth 5: Once You Waterproof a Basement, It Remains Forever
When waterproofing the basement is a long-term investment, you must maintain it; otherwise, the system might become non-functional due to wear and tear. For example, if you have installed a sump pump to keep the basement dry, then you have to check whether it is functioning regularly and address the issues at the right time.
Conclusion
You might also find many people advising that waterproofing will not be worth it. However, with technological development and advancement, many strategies can provide a long-term solution for water damage or flooding. You have to consult with an experienced professional from zicklincontracting.comwho has the expertise to solve even the trickiest basement problem. Thus, you can prevent issues on multiple fronts with the comprehensive waterproofing solution.
For many of us, spring isn’t just a season of warmer weather, but a great time of year for selling a property. The extended daylight hours and higher temperatures increase buyer optimism and activity, and help you showcase your home and its immediate surroundings.
Research the ‘ceiling price’ for your area – i.e. the highest price at which you’re likely to sell it. Would-be purchasers respond well to space and light, so try not to overcrowd your property. And you could enhance both with an open-plan layout. Where could use a fresh lick of paint? When it comes to wall colours, you’re better off going for neutral shades, making it easier for potential new owners to imagine themselves in place.
Get the basics right – from windows, brickwork, front door and lighting to tidying your garden and garage. You could also overhaul the kitchen or bathroom; viewers always take a keen interest in these spaces.
Here are some other things you could do to enhance your home’s value and make it stand out:
** 1.)Convert the loft
**
Whether you fit a loft conversion Abingdon or elsewhere, these adaptations potentially add up to 20% to a property’s value. (Equally, the extra living space could make the difference between the upheaval and expense of moving and being able to stay in a home you love.)
Cost-effective, versatile and energy efficient, smart-looking loft conversions are quicker to complete and less disruptive than you may have thought. Additionally, you can typically look forward to better views from the higher vantage point. Converting this space also allows you to choose a design that’s all your own, e.g. with features including dormer windows, skylights or en suite bathrooms you have chosen yourself.
Use your conversion as a bedroom, playroom, creative space, gym or study, among other ideas.
** 2.)Add a teak tree bench
**
A tree bench heightens your garden’s natural appeal. This unique seating model is usually circular or semi-circular and goes around a tree trunk, with or without backrests, to create a comfortable, shaded spot where you can sit and enjoy your garden. In some cases, a space-efficient bench like this can help protect a special tree from damage.
Your tree bench, already a distinctive outdoor piece, will make a superb focal point if you use elegant teak. Teak tree benches offer the added advantages of incredible durability and longevity in all weathers. And because of this tropical hardwood’s ability to regulate its own temperature, your bench will always be comfortable to sit on.
What’s more, it’ll stay looking its glorious best for years, if not decades, thanks to teak’s naturally high oil content, allowing it to shrug off all the elements and making this wood water-resistant.
Finally, you can enjoy your teak tree bench with little-to-no maintenance needed.
** 3.)Fit an open-air gym
**
You may not have previously considered this, but if you install a few pieces of outdoor gym equipment, you create another distinctive focus and unique selling point which prospective purchasers should love. Build your own open-air gym and enjoy the ideal blend of convenience and privacy, alongside numerous benefits for your mental and physical health. (And increase the value of your property at the same time.)
Avoid the crowds, fees and limited opening hours of regular gyms. And where could be nearer to exercise than your front garden? You can use this equipment for a full cardio and strength workout whatever your age and ability, while looking forward to all the advantages of al fresco exercise, from improved sleep and vitamin D intake to reduced stress, enhanced mood and fitness for your whole household.
These horror movie villains don’t pack much of a punch. Honestly, we’re surprised they can even hurt a fly, let alone people. Here are the 13 weakest, most pathetic horror movie villains we can think of. Spoilers follow.
The Snowman in Jack Frost (1997)
A still from Jack Frost, A-Pix Entertainment – Credit: C/O
In this 1997 straight-to-video slasher comedy, a serial killer on the way to his execution is exposed to chemicals that cause him to disintegrate and fuse with snow, turning him into a killer snowman.
Although Jack Frost commits very brutal killings — like shoving an axe down one guy’s throat — his looks make him one of the least scary villains ever. Basically, the only difference between him and the beloved children’s character Frosty the Snowman are his arched eyebrows made of sticks and the fact that he’s missing a top hat.
Plus, how easy would it be to kill Jack Frost? All you’d need is a hair dryer or something else hot to melt him away. He’s mostly able to pull off his crimes because he has the element of surprise, since people assume he’s a regular snowman and don’t suspect that he’ll kill them while their back is turned.
The Old Woman in Devil (2010)
Jenny O’Hara in Devil, Universal Pictures – Credit: C/O
This 2010 horror movie was based on a story by M. Night Shyamalan. Directed by John Erick Dowdle, it revolves around everyone’s worst nightmare: getting stuck in an elevator. But it has a sickening twist — one of the elevator’s passengers is secretly the devil.
Spoiler alert! The devil turns out to be the one you’d least expected: an old lady played by Jenny O’Hara.
However, even though her voice gets super deep and demonic and her eyes turn black, there isn’t much really scary about her appearance. All of her heinous killings are done in the dark. And she’s ultimately foiled because her main target — the guy whose soul she wants to claim — confesses his sins, rendering her powerless. She vanishes, just like that.
It’s obvious to point out, but something else worth noting here is that it would be super easy to overtake this character, known only as Old Woman. Her only power is the element of surprise and the fact that she’s possessed by the devil himself. Otherwise, she’s pretty toothless, and she’s not very scary looking at all. This is not the type of devil that would give anyone nightmares, making her a rather pathetic horror movie villain.
Chucky in Child’s Play (1988)
Chucky in Child’s Play, United Artists – Credit: C/O
While the idea of a children’s doll possessed by the soul of a serial killer is pretty unsettling, there’s an argument to be made that Chucky himself is not that scary. He’s arguably one of the more pathetic horror movie villains.
He’s just a doll. And honestly, in the decades since the original Child’s Play was released in 1988, horror movie dolls have gotten a lot scarier (just look at Annabelle from The Conjuring universe). The scariest thing about Chucky is his piercing blue eyes that are frozen in a permanent stare.
But although it takes multiple gun shots to finally take him down in the original film, it doesn’t seem that hard to subdue a little doll the size of a toddler. Just disarm him by taking his knife away and throw him in an incinerator or something. He doesn’t have any crazy abilities other than bleeding like a real human, which makes him relatively easy to kill.
In the grand scheme of horror villains, Chucky is pretty gentle.
Pearl and Howard in X (2022)
Mia Goth as Pearl in X, A24 – Credit: C/O
Nevermind that you could knock them both over with a feather — Pearl and Howard are both more creepy than they are actually scary in X, the first installment in Ti West’s trilogy starring Mia Goth.
Sure, Pearl is deranged. She’s a vengeful old woman hell-bent on killing the porn actors who are renting out she and her husband Howard’s cabin. But she could easily be overpowered by anyone with an ounce of muscle. Same goes for Howard. He’s pretty much just Pearl’s minion anyway. Pearl obviously wears the pants in that relationship.
Although Pearl is pretty dastardly and we wouldn’t want to encounter her in a dimly lit barn, the odds are good that most people could take her in a fight.
The Rabbits in Night of the Lepus (1972)
A still from Night of the Lepus, MGM – Credit: C/O
They’re literally just rabbits. No special effects to be seen here — the terrifying creatures that taunt a small town and kill people are just actual bunny rabbits.
This film is infamous for its failure to make these little guys seem scary. To shoot scenes like the one pictured above, they just let some bunnies lose on a miniature set to make them look giant. But even with the perspective, it’s pretty obvious that they’re just regular bunnies.
For attack scenes, they had actors dress up in bunny costumes, which makes the whole thing even funnier. You can watch one bunny attack scene here — in the shots of the real bunnies, they’re actually really cute, even when their little bunny faces are smeared with blood.
The Cookie in The GingerDead Man (2005)
A still from The GingerDead Man, Full Moon Entertainment – Credit: C/O
This one requires little explanation as to why the GingerDead Man is a pretty pathetic horror movie villain. He’s just a cookie! He would literally crumble in a glass of milk.
Look at his face in the picture above. Sure, it’s a face only a mother could love. But is it particularly scary? Not really.
The weakness of this cookie villain is similar to the aforementioned Jack Frost above. It’s hard to believe why the protagonists of the film didn’t figure out a way to kill him faster. This particular cookie is, like Jack Frost, possessed by the spirit of a serial killer — but this time it’s because his ashes were mixed in with blood and cookie ingredients. A witch’s curse allows him to come back to life. But does he really have that much strength or power? We doubt it.
The scariest thing about him is that the serial killer who the cookie embodies is played by Gary Busey.
Karen in Honeydew (2020)
Barbara Kingsley in Honeydew, Dark Star Pictures – Credit: C/O
We won’t try to argue that the plot of this 2020 horror film is one of the most messed up and psychologically disturbing ones we’ve witnessed in a while. But we will argue that the main villain, an old woman named Karen (Barbra Kingsley), shouldn’t be so hard to conquer.
With the help of an old man named Eulis, Karen lures a young couple into her home through deception. From there, she tricks them into eating her food and later drugs them in various ways, including with gas masks. From there, she lobotomizes her victims and eats their flesh, cannibal style… yeah.
But Karen herself is arguably physically weak and could be overcome if everyone teamed up on her.
The problem is that Karen does her work while her victims are knocked out, which is ultimately how she overcomes otherwise healthy adversaries like the protagonists Sam and Rylie. But if they had taken her out when they had a chance, before she drugged them, they could have easily gotten away. Fun fact, this movie also features Lena Dunham!
Brahms in The Boy (2016)
Brahms in The Boy, STX Entertainment – Credit: C/O
In 2016’s The Boy, the villain is a porcelain doll named Brahms. His creepy parents are convinced that the doll is actually their late son. At first, he seems inanimate, but then it’s revealed that he’s actually alive, possessed by the spirit of their murderous little boy.
But honestly, Brahms isn’t that scary. He somehow has the ability to overpower a grown man, but then when he tries to overpower his nanny, Greta (Lauren Cohan), she uses his own trick against him — invoking the rules by which he lives.
So if Brahms can be subdued that easily, couldn’t Greta just smash him with a hammer or something? He’s just a little doll, much like Chucky. He doesn’t seem like he would realistically be that hard to kill.
The Goblins in Troll 2 (1990)
A still from Troll 2, Epic Productions – Credit: C/O
In this hilariously bad movie, Troll 2, the villains are a pack of vegetarian goblins who turn people into vegetables so they can eat them.
That premise is already pretty goofy. Why not have the goblins be carnivores? That would be scarier. Nope — these goblins eat vegetables only, please. But instead of eating veggies and calling it a day, they decide to trick people into drinking a potion that dissolves them into vegetables.
Although they look pretty unsavory, their masks are so misshapen that they look like something you’d find for your hard in Spirit Halloween. They’re also tiny. And, again, they survive on vegetables. How hard could it be to kill them? Case in point (and spoiler ahead): simply eating a bologna sandwich renders a person’s body poisonous to the goblins. The fact that the goblins win out in the end is honestly so disappointing.
The Clowns in Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)
A still from Killer Klowns From Outer Space, Trans World Entertainment – Credit: C/O
The clowns from this 1988 B-movie cult-classic are more funny looking than they are scary.
True, one punch from an extraterrestrial clown’s boxing glove can knock a man’s head clean off. But still, these strange little alien men look more like demented fun house animatronics than horror villains.
We must admire the artistry that went into the practical effects — the details of their lifelike, weird little clown faces are something to be admired. But these aren’t the kind of horror movie characters that inspire nightmares, unless you’re six years old. But to be fair, horror movie characters have gotten a LOT more sinister and disturbing since 1988, so maybe in their day, these clowns were a bit scarier in context.
The Leprechaun in Leprechaun (1993)
A still from Leprechaun, Trimark Pictures – Credit: C/O
Jennifer Aniston looks plenty scared in the 1993 horror film about an evil leprechaun who hunts down a family he believes has stolen his pot of gold. But in reality, this little Irish man has very few scares in him.
We’d argue that the titular leprechaun is actually a pretty pathetic horror movie villain. Again, we admire the artistry of the practical effects — it’s actually a real actor in this little leprechaun suit, played by Warwick Davis. But he doesn’t really send shivers down our spine. Also, his Irish accent is not very Irish sounding.
If you want a real scare, listen to some stories about the culturally-authentic supernatural folk of Ireland — the fairies. Leprechauns are mostly an American concept. In Ireland, the superstition around faeries, also called “the good people,” is no joke.
The Bunnyman in Bunnyman (2011)
Bunnyman still, Osiris Entertainment – Credit: C/O
This 2011 horror film is based on Virginia’s urban legend of the Bunny Man — a man in a bunny suit who threatens people with an axe. In the movie, the Bunnyman in question wields a chainsaw instead.
But really, he’s just a guy in a bunny suit. And the suit itself isn’t scary at all. It’s just a regular bunny costume not unlike one you might find at the mall when little kids take pictures with the Easter bunny.
We’d actually argue that the bunny suit in Donnie Darko is much scarier in appearance. However, this Bunnyman eats people’s flesh after murdering and dismembering them, so that is pretty scary. He just doesn’t look like much.
Macaulay Culkin in The Good Son (1993)
Macaulay Culkin in The Good Son, 20th Century Studios – Credit: C/O
In this 1993 horror movie, Macaulay Culkin plays a sort of real-life version of Brahms from The Boy. He’s a nasty little boy who likes to hurt people on purpose.
But he doesn’t have any supernatural abilities. He’s just a sociopathic, or perhaps psychopathic, little kid. He could easily be stopped if someone put him in a time-out — they just might have to keep an eye on him, because he’s really good at outsmarting adults who underestimate him.
Overall, he’s got to be one of the all-time least intimidating horror movie characters. He’s basically just a little guy who really needs therapy.
Like This List of 13 Pathetic Horror Movie Villains Who Really Aren’t That Scary?
Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti in The Sopranos, HBO – Credit: C/O
Pretty Woman is among the many movies about the world’s oldest profession that make it seem kind of glamorous. These movies don’t.
Klute (1971)
Warner Bros.
The first film in Alan J. Pakula’s Paranoia Trilogy — which also includes The Parallex View and All the President’s Men — this dark thriller stars Jane Fonda as Bree Daniels, who believes she’s being stalked by a deadly john. She works with a detective played by Donald Sutherland who of course thinks he can save her, in every sense.
Fonda (above) won her first Best Actress Oscar for playing Daniels, a complex character who initially seems to enjoy her job — except for the part of being stalked, of course.
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Credit: C/O
The first and only film with an X rating ever to win Best Picture, Midnight Cowboy tells the seedy story of Joe Buck, a Texas boy who moves to the big city and dresses up as a cowboy to sell his wares. He falls under the shaky wing of Rico “Ratso” Rizzo, played by Dustin Hoffman, who gets to deliver the often-imitated line “I’m walkin’ here!”
Directed by John Schlesinger and written by Waldo Salt, the film is notable for its empathetic portrayal — especially by 1960s standards — of low-level street hustlers, and its willingness to just spend time with its characters without judgement or false moralizing.
There’s a long story behind the film’s rating, which was later changed to an R.
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
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At first, it seems like Mike Figgis’ drama is going to go along with the heart-of-gold trope as Elisabeth Shue’s Las Vegas sex worker, Sera (above), tries to save Hollywood washout Ben (Nicolas Cage) from his plan to drink himself to death. But then things get darker and darker, especially in a horrific scene in which Sera takes on multiple awful young clients.
Leaving Las Vegas is a sad, sad movie, but Shue imbues Sera with dignity and supreme likability throughout, even as her plans collapse — and she still holds onto her dreams.
Cage won a Best Actor Oscar, and Shue was nominated for Best Actress but lost to Susan Sarandon for her role in Dead Man Walking. Sarandon is great but Shue absolutely deserved to win for a harrowing, tough performance in one of the most bluntly sad movies about the oldest profession.
Monster (2003)
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Charlize Theron played hard against type as she de-glammed for this searing, uncompromising Patty Jenkins film inspired by the story of real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos.
Suggesting that Wuornos first descended into murder out of desperation, mental illness and self-defense, Monster makes you kind of sympathize with a serial killer — until you definitely don’t. Wuornos’ claims of self defense soon turn into empty justifications.
Theron deservedly won a Best Actress Oscar for the role.
Taxi Driver (1976)
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The young Jodie Foster is heartbreaking as a child so caught up in street life that she doesn’t comprehend how horribly she’s being exploited by the smooth-talking Sport (Harvey Keitel) in this masterful collaboration between director Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader.
With Mean Streets, Taxi Driver is one of the best and most-imitated time capsules of 1970s New York City grime, and it’s a testament to the film’s narrative virtuosity that by the end we’re rooting hard for obvious psychopath Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) to do what needs to be done.
De Niro and Foster were both nominated for Oscars in this, one of the most enduring and harrowing movies about sex trafficking.
My Own Private Idaho (1991)
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A highlight of 1990s indie filmmaking, this Gus Van Sant drama follows narcoleptic hustler Mike (River Phoenix in one of the best roles of his too-short life) in a journey from Portland to Idaho to Rome with fellow hustler Scott Favor (Keanu Reeves).
The film is a very loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, and Reeves believed in Van Sant’s script so much that he rode over 1,300 miles by motorcycle to convince Phoenix to make the movie with him. Its one of the most even-handed movies about sex work to focus on men.
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
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If you want to convince people not to do heroin, show them Requiem for a Dream, Darren Aronofsky’s brilliant but painful adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr.’s novel about people who turn to drugs to escape reality — and end up in a much worse place than they started.
Things turn out especially horribly for Marion Silver (Jennifer Connelly, above), whose despair culminates in a party scene you’ll wish you could forget.
Sin City (2005)
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This early mostly black-and-white masterpiece, directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller based on Miller’s graphic novels, does nothing to minimize the struggles of the hardworking women of Old Town.
But it also stresses that pretty much all of them — including the very blue-eyed Becky (Alexis Bledel, above) — can very much hold their own.
When one would-be john Jackie Boy (Benicio Del Toro) pulls a gun on Becky, she intones: “Oh sugar. You just gone and done the dumbest thing in your whole life.” Then her reinforcements arrive and things go very badly for Jackie Boy and his boys.
Vivre Sa Vie (1962)
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In 12 vignettes, Jean-Luc Godard directs his then-wife and muse Anna Karina in this tough drama about a struggling woman who works in a record shop, mourning her collapsing marriage and dreaming of stardom.
Instead, she descends into the world’s oldest profession, and things only get worse from there.
The film’s bittersweet title translates to “My Life to Live.”
Tangerine (2015)
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Director and co-writer Sean Baker may be the greatest chronicler of modern-day hustlers, and Tangerine, shot on iPhones, is one of the best films of our relatively young century. It follows to transgender sex workers (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor) who stage a donut-shop confrontation with a cheating boyfriend.
Comic, tragic, totally empathetic and gorgeous throughout — especially the drive-thru carwash scene — Tangerine is also, according to Rotten Tomatoes, it’s No. 4 on the list of the best Christmas movies ever made.
The Florida Project (2017)
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Sean Baker’s followup to Tangerine is another wild, brutally honest look at the life of a woman selling herself — one in perhaps even more desperate straits than the protagonists of Tangerine.
The film stars first-time actress Bria Vinaite as Halley, who works out of a cheap motel on the outskirts of Orlando’s magic kingdom as she tries to shield her daughter (Brooklyn Prince) from the hardship of her life and make their sad surroundings feel like the happiest place on earth.
Willem Dafoe (above, with Vinaite) earned an Oscar nomination for his role as motel manager Bobby, who doesn’t need money to have endless generosity. This is a real faith-in-humanity movie, even when things seem impossibly bleak.
Almsot every Sean Baker film is in some sense about the world’s oldest profession, including the next one on our list…
Anora (2024)
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Baker’s 2024 story about a dancer and escort who finds herself in a relationship with a Russian oligarch’s son seems like a Pretty Woman fantasy — at first.
But then Ani, aka Anora, discovers some grim realities about her new beau’s life. The movie is somehow frank, suspenseful, very funny and deeply sad, all at once.
Anora cleaned up at the Oscars, winning Best Picture, Best Director for Sean Baker, Best Actress for lead Mikey Madison, and more. It also won the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
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If you’ve never heard of this film, you’re not alone — but film cognoscenti who took part in last year’s prestigious Sight and Sound poll declared it the greatest film of all time. You can decide for yourself next time you have three hours and twenty-one minutes to spare, because that’s the runtime of this French film, made by Chantal Akerman when she was just 25, about a widowed single mother who supports her son by entertaining male clients in her humble apartment.
Whether its the best movie ever made is up for debate (among those who’ve actually seen it, at least) but it’s one of the most remarkable movies about the oldest profession in the way it presents it, nearly 50 years ago, as just another job.
Liked This List of Movies About the World’s Oldest Profession That Don’t Sugarcoat Anything?
