The world of horror is full of so many demented and murderous villains that it's sometimes hard to remember that these sadistic characters come from a family. Their families are somewhat loving, in their own ways, but there are also endless patterns of bloodlines curses, abuse, and a lick of the supernatural.
When it comes to terrible families, the horror genre contains some of the strangest and most disturbing. For good reason though – using entire families as a way to shock and stalk is one of the most satisfying ways to terrify. In a way, the only difference between you and Leatherface's brood is that the Sawyer family is filled with the desire to mutilate and maim.
The Sawyer Family, 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (1974)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre's Sawyer family is one of the most iconic families in horror and some of the least friendly horror locals that you could ever run into in Texas. The movie follows Sally and her friends as they set off to investigate her grandfather's grave. After a detour to her family's old farmhouse, they discover a group of deranged and murderous outcasts hellbent on killing them.
While some horror fans feel sorry for Leatherface and the environment he was forced to grow up in, it's hard to find sympathy for the mute brute who doesn't think twice about killing the strangers he finds. The entire family is disturbed beyond recognition due to their reclusiveness and eventually resorted to eating their kills.
The Firefly Family, 'House of 1000 Corpses' (2003)
In Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses, the Firefly family isn't connected through their blood in the classic sense, but instead by their shared insatiable bloodlust. The group of twisted social outcasts runs an offbeat roadside attraction where they attack and murder strangers simply for fun.
With House of 1000 Corpses, Zombie created one of the best serial killer movies ever made and vividly brought the Firefly family's delighted tormenting to life. Whether it's Baby Firefly's chasing and stabbing sprees, or Otis and Bill mutilating unsuspecting tourists for their “art,” the Firefly family is certainly known more for their sins than their family vacations.
The Jupiter Family, 'The Hills Have Eyes' (1977)
The Jupiter family is the mutant, cannibalistic clan living in the unforgiving desert in Wes Craven's classic, The Hills Have Eyes. It's difficult to find another horror family that is more sadistically terrifying, as they find immense pleasure in kidnapping, torturing, and eating tourists.
The Hill People are deformed through radiation poisoning and live as a reclusive off-shoot of humans in the desert hills. They're able to get away with their form of living until they come into contact with the Carter family. The latter manages to kill almost every member of the Mutant clan after being tricked into traveling through the Hill People's domain.
The Parker Family, 'We Are What We Are' (2013)
Jim Mickle's incredible remake of the Mexican film of the same name puts family first. The movie focuses on a household left with the problem of finding their next meal after their father dies. They take up any means necessary to survive, which is incredibly admirable until you find out what it is that they're eating: humans.
The family is cannibalistic and they set out to kidnap people from the local town to quench their hunger pains. The film is especially disturbing because of its realism. There are no mutants or over-the-top slasher villains involved – just a seemingly ordinary group of individuals who look every bit the normal, loving family.
The Bates Family, 'Psycho' (1960)
Norman Bates is one of the most recognized names in the world of horror. The emotionally abused man grew up to be one of the most terrifying serial killers in film thanks to an over-possessive and controlling mother. His mother, Norma, filled his mind with lascivious things as a child and kept him away from anyone in the outside world, leading to him developing a split personality.
The Bates family is disturbing in every way. The novel of the same name suggests that Norman's relationship with his mother was incestuous, and after Norman kills her, he takes on her personality as a way to cope and relieve himself of the awareness of her death.
The Graham Family, 'Hereditary' (2018)
Ari Aster's Hereditary stunned horror fans in 2018 with the grim story of the Graham family and their inherited curse. Passed down through generations, Annie's mother is part of a cult that has manipulated every part of her family members' lives. The Graham bloodline had been cursed by the demon, Paimon, many years ago, and the brood's continuous misfortunes are a much bigger story than just an unlucky family.
Hereditary is one of A24's best horror movies, and for good reason. The ominous and ever-present anxiety throughout the film is a perfect courtship for the Graham family's isolation from each other. Endless rage and hatred are boiling within each of the family member's veins and when it's finally released, there is no coming back from its horrors.
Bae Su-mi's Family, 'A Tale of Two Sisters' (2003)
After being institutionalized in a mental hospital following her mother's death, teenage Su-mi reunites with her beloved sister, Su-yeon. They return to their country home where the girls' widower father has remarried. The sisters are immediately resentful of his new wife though, and as the girls try to resume their normal lives, strange events begin to plague the house.
A Tale of Two Sisters is one of the most complex psychological horror movies of the 21st century. The girls' new stepmother acts out against them the longer these strange events take place in the house, even locking Su-mi up in a closet. In its intense ending, it is revealed that Su-mi might not be as innocent as she thinks she is in the demise of her family.
The White Family, 'Carrie' (1976)
Any young girl growing up under the wings of Margaret White would be in for a lot of trouble. Being raised under a tyrannical religious mother sets no groundwork for any sense of normalcy. In 1976's Carrie, the titular character is left to fend for herself as her mother believes the Devil is out to corrupt her sweet daughter.
The girl turns into a withdrawn and sensitive teen because of her mother's behaviors and faces endless taunting from all aspects of her life, including bullies at her school. It's a good thing then that strange occurrences start happening around Carrie, and she comes into her full self with telekinetic powers and a thirst for revenge.
The Mantle Family, 'Dead Ringers' (1988)
David Cronenberg is known for a few things: body horror, bugs, and psychosexual energy. Something he is also a master of though is his sickly twisted characters and families. Working with family members can be a bit of a buzzkill, but not in Cronenberg's Dead Ringers.
The movie follows twins, Elliot and Beverly Mantle, gynecologists who use their different personalities and identical appearances to seduce their patients. While Elliot gets bored of these women easily, Beverly ends up falling for one of them. When she deceives him though, he slips into a state of madness and death.
The Robeson Family, 'The People Under the Stairs' (1991)
Wes Craven is famed for creating some of the most iconic horror movies and villains in his lifetime. From Scream and Ghostface to A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Last House on the Left, Craven was a master of the horror genre. One of his most disturbing families though remains the Robesons in The People Under the Stairs.
Laced with social commentary and satire, the film follows a twisted family – comprised of an unhinged mother and father duo that are parents to a group of cannibalistic children locked up in their basement. Despite a slew of hostages in their home, they have their daughter, Alice, who is the apple of their eye. Unfortunately, even Alice turns out to be twisted, as the Robesons stole the inbred girl as a baby.