The 5 Creepiest Horror Movie Mothers Ranked
It’s no surprise that there are many memorable horror movie mothers. Moms have been playing key roles in horror stories since long before films were invented. For example, the legendary Latin American La Llorona folk tale has been told for centuries.
“A boy’s best friend is his mother.” – Norman Bates
Sometimes moms are the inspiration for their children’s evil actions. In other cases, it’s the mothers themselves who are the culprits. Here are the five creepiest horror movie moms ranked.
Careful for spoilers if you haven’t seen the movies below
5. Erica Sayers from Black Swan
Erica is a controlling and coldblooded narcissist. She treats her adult daughter, Nina (Natalie Portman), like she’s a child. Erica’s relentless pressure for Nina to succeed leads to her daughter suffering a harrowing mental breakdown.
Nina becomes violent and dangerous as she spirals into a terrifying nightmare. Erica’s attempts to live through her daughter’s success lead to nothing but chaos and destruction. Her willingness to destroy her daughter’s sanity earns Erica a spot on my horror movie mothers list.
4. Norma Bates from Psycho
Norma is the original owner of the Bates Motel and the domineering, overbearing mother of Norman Bates. Norman is utterly cowed by his strong willed mom. One day, he murders her in a rage. Even after her death, Norman hears her voice berating him and the “whores” that he is attracted to. He becomes convinced that his mother is still alive and responsible for the murders.
The first three Psycho films depict her as a corpse or as a voice that only Norman can hear. She is played by Olivia Hussey in Psycho IV: The Beginning. Norma was given substantial character development in the TV series Bates Motel, in which she is portrayed by Vera Farmiga.
3. Mother from Mother’s Day
Beware the New Jersey Pine Barrens! You never know who or what you’ll encounter in these deep, dark woods. It could be the New Jersey Devil or, even worse, the deranged hillbilly family depicted in this brutal backwoods slasher from 1980.
Mother (she’s never given a real name) is the proud momma of two demented adult sons. Her boys are perverted sadists, and she gleefully enjoys every minute of it. She isn’t above participating herself from time to time.
A trio of camping female college students encounter the family, and things go pretty much as you’d expect. Like I Spit on Your Grave, which was released around the same time, Mother’s Day is notorious for its tasteless and graphic depiction of sexual assault.
At least Mother genuinely loves her boys! That’s got to count for something, right?
2. Pamela Voorhees from Friday the 13th
Everyone knows Pamela’s story. It’s been covered extensively on this site and countless other places. Her motivation is simple. She wants revenge for her son’s death. The camp counselors weren’t paying attention, you see, and they let poor Jason drown.
Pamela’s violent rage, and her undying grief for her “dead” son Jason, earns her the #2 spot in my list. She is the main antagonist of the original Friday the 13th and has occasionally appeared as a vision in further installments. She will be portrayed by Linda Cardinelli in the upcoming Crystal Lake series.
1. Margaret White from Carrie
Margaret White is my pick as the most evil of the horror movie mothers. Laurie Piper’s terrifying performance earned her an Oscar nomination and made Carrie one of the best evil mother movies. Margaret emotionally suffocates her teen daughter, Carrie. She fills her head with extreme religious views and teaches her to be ashamed of her body.
This horror movie mom caps the film off with an unsuccessful attempt to stab her daughter to death, which results in Carrie using her powers to kill Margaret in self defense. Margaret is the only one of these horror movie mothers to try to kill her own child. I’d say that’s plenty reason to put her in the top spot.
