Every Drew Barrymore horror movie and TV show, ranked

Drew Barrymore has found its way into a wide variety of horror movies and TV shows, ranging from abysmal bad to hall-of-fame pictures. The latest in a long line of famous Barrymore actors, since Drew Barrymore’s film debut at the tender age of 5 years old in Changed statesShe was a staple character in a variety of horror movies. While her filmography expanded to include family-friendly adventures like et the extra-terrestrial And romantic comedies like 50 first datesShe would regularly return to horror films and shows throughout her career.

Although many of Drew Barrymore’s best films in general are horror films, not every scary movie in her was a success. Several dads followed her early career, in particular, typically dark, low-budget horror movies that were able to get away with casting Barrymore before her Truly became a household name. With such a gulf in quality between her best and worst projects, it’s fascinating to look back at the spine-chilling entries in Drew Barrymore’s expansive List of films and TV shows.

10

No place to hide

1993

Far and away the most hated horror movie of Drew Barrymore’s most lauded career, No place to hide Got little love from even the actress’ most die-hard fans. The early 90s were quite a rough year for Drew Barrymore’s career, and No place to hide Simply piled on her issues in getting cast in memorable movies. Another mystery thriller, the film stars Kris Kristofferson as a hard-boiled detective tracking the frenzy cult that killed his wife, only for his younger sister, played by Barrymore, to be the next woman in their sights.

No place to hide Is so bad it barely registers as a Drew Barrymore film. here, Barrymore is stuck posing as a petulant teenage girl who reads her diary out loud for no other reason than to expose to the audience information that the filmmakers are not smart enough to otherwise dispense. The antagonist cult is not even interesting enough to register a drop of excitement from the few who have seen it. Topped off with an actual cameo appearance from OJ Simpson, it’s safe to say that Nowhere to hide should remain hidden in Barrymore’s horror filmography.

9

Doppelgänger

1993

Long before Jordan Peele’s tethered us Repopularized the concept of vicious body doubles, Doppelgänger Given an honest attempt. The 90s thriller follows George Newburn’s Patrick, a writer who moves in with his partner, Holly, played by Barrymore, only to discover she’s on the run from a murderous evil clone. While DoppelgängerThe actual status of a horror movie is somewhat debatable, the corny mystery has the absolute minimum of gore and suspense to technically qualify.

Doppelgänger was reviled at the time of its release by critics and audiences alike, and little of this opinion has changed in the following decades. The script in particular makes for a shocking foundation for the film to build on, setting up a trajectory for a disappointing ending. Coated with a healthy layer of cheesy over-acting and terrible special effects, and DoppelgängerThe only legacy is to have a promising premise and be good for an occasional ironic laugh.

8

Waxwork II: Lost in Time

1992

The original Waxwork was a modestly successful horror comedy that mostly relied on the cheap thrills of its gore to drum up an audience, presenting a paper-thin plot about a mystical wax figure museum to string alone a series of terrifying setpieces. This did not leave the best setup for a sequel, however Waxwork II: Lost in Time Anyway, with only a direct-to-video release in the United States. In the sequel, the sequel picks up where the first film left off, with the surviving characters drifting through dimensions that mimic better horror films, including The haunting or these Alien Movies.

A great unnecessary sequel, Waxwork II: Lost in Time Over-relies on the parody of stronger franchises, lame humor, and gimmicky additions to the first film’s already confusing lore. Drew Barrymore only technically appears in the film, interestingly enough, with a brief role as the victim of a vampire. Despite strong spooky movie icons like Barrymore, Bruce Campbell and Alexander Godunov attached, Waxwork II: Lost in Time Completely squandered its potential. Still, it at least has a few visually interesting scenes and an ambitious concept.

7

Far from home

1989

One of the earliest horror movies in Drew Barrymore’s post-child acting career, Far from home is about as standard of a slasher film plot as they come. Barrymroe stars alongside Matt Frewer as a father-daughter duo attempting an ambitious cross-country roadtrip through the American Southwest. When they run out of gas in a creepy small town in rural Nevada, they have to find a new way to escape as a depraved serial killer plaguing the town begins to haunt them.

The 14-year-old Drew Barrymore gives quite a commendable performance in Far from homeListening to the shining star she became as her career continued to flourish. Admittedly, the plot can be as dry and predictable as the deserts of Nevada itself, however Far from home Is at least a tale competently told, even if it does not repeat the wheel like Waxwork II: Lost in Time Tried to. A solid, if not immensely memorable entry in Barrymore’s horror career, Far from home is the first droplet of quality in the gradient of her scary movie filmography.

6

Cat’s eye

1985

As a child, Drew Barrymore was already able to quickly make a name for herself as a scream queen, as evidenced by films like Cat’s eye. One of the great horror anthology films, Cat’s eye is loosely based on two Stephen King short stories, as well as an entirely original script, interwoven with the presence of the titular feline. A ten-year-old Barrymore shines here as the star of the third story, which features the cat most prominently.

Hot off the back of et the extra-terrestrialBarrymore’s next major outing is only subtly spooky, being more of a loose collection of Twilight Zone-Style episodes like a true thriller. Even if the three separate stories don’t connect in the most organic way, they’re all worth watching on their own, with Barrymore’s performance immediately identifying her natural talent as an actress from such a young age. Not the best Stephen King adaptation or the best Drew Barrymore horror movie, Cat’s eye is far from the worst entry in every category.

5

Changed states

1980

Even younger than her appearance in Cat’s eyeBarrymore is still able to impress at the tender age of five years old. Changed states See a five-year-old Barrymore play the daughter of a psychologist, portrayed by William Hurt. Trapped in a series of experiments combining hallucinogenic drugs with sensory deprivation experiences, Barrymore’s in-film father tries to reach a higher plane of existence, using himself as a test subject.

Such a premise could mean a strong use of psychedelic visuals, and Changed states Certainly does not disappoint in this regard. Drew Barrymore’s pleading saucer eyes make the perfect anchor in reality to contrast with Hurt’s voyage to the outer limits of human experience, his grip on reality crumbling through his fingers much to the protests of his horrified family. A unique brand of emotional and hallucinogenic horror, Changed states Truly catapulted Barrymore’s early career forwards for good reason.

4

Firestarter

1984

By far the superior Stephen King adaptation of Drew Barrymore’s Hollywood career, Firestarter Allowing the prepubescent Barrymore to truly build on one of her past performances for the first time, to brilliant results. here, Barrymore plays a pyrokinetic girl named Charlie, whose latent ability to light fires with her mind sees her come into the crosshairs of the mysterious government Organization known as “The Shop”. Firestarterlike Cat’s eyeIt may not be the most fondly-remembered King adaptation of the ’80s, but it was undeniably important to Barrymore’s career.

At 9 years old, Barrymore does a fantastic job as the film’s emotional heart, making Charlie a memorable addition to the long line of creepy kids in Stephen King stories. Although the special effects and mature performances of Firestarter Could be more constrained, this overlooked film deserves more credit as a tragic tale of a child’s trust taken for granted. at least, 1984s Firestarter is leagues ahead of the terrible remake in 2022 with Zac Efron.

3

Santa Clarita Diet

2017

It is not only great horror movies that Drew Barrymore has managed to be a part of, with the streaming series Santa Clarita Diet Easily one of the highlights of her blood-soaked accolades. The Netflix series stars Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as a real estate power couple whose lives are turned upside down when Barrymore’s Sheila becomes an undead zombie with a ferocious appetite for human flesh. In order to curb her cravings, the family is forced to find people that no one would miss while unraveling the mysteries of Shiela’s condition.

Hilariously cruel and cuttingly funny, Santa Clarita Diet is one of the highest peaks of Barrymore’s horror career. The series is sleek, fast-paced and amazingly well cast, with every staple and guest performer taking the show’s macabre world as seriously as it should. The only drawback of the series is the fact that it was cruelly canceled much too soon, never getting a chance to properly pay the questions, jokes and murders that it was set up for the future.

2

Donnie Darko

2001

One of the strangest and most thought-provoking horror films of all time, Donnie Darko is one of the crowning achievements of Barrymore’s career. The film popularized Jake Gyllenhaal as a troubled teen boy trapped in a witless suburb who, after surviving a near-death experience, begins to see visions of a mysterious entity in a monstrous rabbit suit named Frank. Frank tells Gyllenhaal’s Donnie that the world will end in less than a month, and the meandering, philosophically-dense narrative expands from there, eventually arriving at a puzzling vision of time travel.

Barrymore continues her role as Danny’s English teacher Mrs. Pomeroy, who calmly reflects on the themes of the film through her lessons, as movie English teachers are used to doing. More notably, Barrymore helped produce Donnie Darko Through her production company Flower Films, which helped fund the ambitious dark comedy-thriller. Although it is not for everyone, Donnie Darko Has become a cult classic for those who can appreciate the vision of doom, horror and human nature, the film is uniquely able to conjure.

1

scream

1996

A revolutionary horror film for so many reasons, Drew Barrymore is still iconic in scream Despite appearing in it so briefly. The film follows teenage girl Sydney Prescott, the latest target of a mysterious knife-wielding killer dressed in the intimidating “Ghostface” Halloween costume. As the Ghostface killer picks off Sydney’s friends one by one, she must prepare for a final showdown against him, unmasking the slasher villain once and for all.

Famously, Barrymore stars in the film’s intro as the first victim of the Ghostface Killer, who flirtatiously flirts with him on the phone before realizing his sinister intentions. Having a prominent star like Barrymore appear early in the film only to be unceremoniously killed off was a stroke of genius on the part of director Wes Craven, and scream Continues to similarly subvert horror movie expectations throughout the rest of its runtime, with smart, genre-savvy characters doing their best to survive. Easily the best horror project of Drew Barrymores filmography, screamIts popularity needs little explanation.