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From relentless pursuers to ancient evils, this collection highlights horror's most memorable characters who communicate terror through actions and unsettling quietude alone.
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00:00The horror genre is full of iconic characters bursting with as much personality as they do
00:05violence. However, not every horror character talks. And it's not just the villains who have
00:10remained silent either. There's also a handful of protagonists who never utter a word during
00:15their horrifying ordeals. Whether they choose not to talk or simply cannot speak, these horror
00:21movie characters didn't need to say a word to leave a huge impression on audiences.
00:25So with that in mind, I'm Ellie with WhatCulture here with Horror Movie Characters,
00:30who don't say anything. Krampus in Krampus
00:33When the Engel family come together to celebrate Christmas one year in horror comedy Krampus,
00:39their constant squabbling results in bright-eyed youngster Max losing their festive spirit.
00:44He tears up his letter to Santa and tosses it out of the window, a move which soon spells disaster.
00:51Instead of the perpetually jolly Santa dropping off presents for them that night,
00:55Max's actions lead to something far more terrifying visiting the family when a
00:59mysterious storm sweeps in. That visitor is Krampus, a demonic creature from German folklore who punishes
01:06misbehaving children each Christmas. The evening descends into a fight for survival when Krampus
01:11sends his horde of malicious minions to torment and capture each of the family.
01:16While it takes some time for this villain to get their grand reveal,
01:19the horned demon remains deathly quiet throughout the remainder of this holiday horror.
01:24The only time he makes a sound, when he's not grunting commands at his helpers,
01:28is when he cruelly laughs in the face of Max as he desperately pleads for his family to be spared.
01:34One look at this abominable being is all it takes to know that they're pure evil.
01:39Words are not needed for that.
01:43From writer-director David Robert Mitchell, critical gem It Follows is a phantasmagoric slice of indie
01:49cinema which blends its pulpy 80s-inspired synth score with a dreamlike world to create an endlessly
01:55enthralling atmosphere that hooks viewers from its intense opening scene.
02:00The plot sees teenager Jay become stort by a supernatural entity after she has sex while on a date.
02:06This entity, she's told, will continue to hunt her unless she's able to pass the curse onto someone
02:11else by sleeping with them. Although the creature is only ever able to move at a slow pace,
02:16always heading towards its target, it can shapeshift into anyone. When anyone in the
02:21background walking towards the protagonist could be the monster, viewers will be on a constant
02:26lookout for the creature. The entity remains an unknowable and unstoppable force throughout the
02:31film, whose presence is felt lurking within the shadows of every frame. Adding to the sense
02:35of unease is the creature's almost utter silence. Aside from letting out a shrill cry in one
02:41scene, the monster's pursuit is done in silent determination. There's no understanding what this
02:47entity is. It's a walking nightmare, and that's what makes it so terrifying.
02:52Reuben in Midsommar
02:53After Dani is left traumatised after losing her family in a tragic event, she's given the opportunity
02:59to travel to the Swedish countryside with her emotionally distant boyfriend Christian and his
03:04friends to attend a cult's rare Midsommar festivities. Despite the idyllic summer setting
03:10in Ariasta's phenomenal Midsommar, things take a dark turn when the group discover the violent
03:16nature of the cult's traditions, with hallucinogenic drugs, bizarre mating rituals and human sacrifice
03:22becoming part of their terrifying experience. During their stay, the visitors likewise encounter
03:28Reuben, the cult's silent oracle, a severely disabled child who was the product of inbreeding.
03:34It's Reuben's task to add to the cult's sacred texts through drawings which the cult's elders
03:39then interpret. While the film has been criticised for its depictions of disability, Reuben nevertheless
03:46holds a key role within Midsommar thematically despite never speaking. Alongside representing the
03:52manipulative and cruel practices of the cult, the character likewise lives up to his status as an
03:58oracle as his handful of appearances throughout the film foreshadow violence.
04:02Even without dialogue or much screen time, Reuben is a striking presence within this critical gem.
04:09Troglodytes in Bone Tomahawk
04:11Whether it's The Hills Have Eyes, Wrong Turn or Cannibal Holocaust, Cannibal movies offer some of
04:17the grisliest and most depraved gore that's ever been put to screen. One of the newest films to join
04:22this list is western horror Bone Tomahawk. Written and directed by cinematographer turned filmmaker
04:29S. Craig Zala in his feature debut, the picture follows the sheriff of a small town lead a band of
04:35men on a rescue mission to save the local doctor when she's kidnapped by a tribe of vicious cannibals
04:40known as troglodytes. With wild animals, bandits and one of the men suffering from a nasty injury,
04:46the journey to the tribe's cave is already a perilous endeavour. But nothing can prepare them
04:52for what happens when they encounter the kidnappers face to face. Unflinchingly ruthless in their
04:57cruelty, with one graphic kill being seriously stomach churning, the troglodytes are an
05:02unforgettably terrifying presence. What makes them more imposing than their violence though is how
05:08they communicate. Instead of speech, they unleash guttural howls made possible by having bone fragments
05:14sewn into their throats. By having these villains sound as inhuman as possible, their lack of dialogue
05:20only underscores the threat they pose to anyone who crosses them. Maddie in Hush
05:26Released on Netflix without much fanfare, home invasion horror Hush seemed to be like any other
05:32generic genre outing on first appearance. Directed and co-written by horror icon Mike Flanagan though,
05:38this underrated flick is a taut, edge-of-your-seat thriller which subverted genre conventions in
05:43unexpected ways. Set within an isolated house in the woods, the plot sees deaf-mute author Maddie
05:49settle in for the night to finish her latest novel. However, it's not long before things take a sinister
05:55turn when the writer becomes terrorised by a masked man trying to break into her home.
06:00A tense game of cat and mouse ensues as Maddie attempts to stay one step ahead of the intruder.
06:06Although her disability means she's unable to hear the stranger, Maddie is smart and resourceful
06:11enough to fight back, if only just. It's this clever writing which keeps viewers invested in
06:17her plight while continuing to wind the suspense. While Maddie's internal thoughts are expressed
06:21audibly at certain points, the character herself never speaks a word throughout the film, instead
06:27communicating through sign language and writing. A sharp twist on a familiar formula, Hush never fails
06:33to thrill and surprise. The janitor in Willy's Wonderland. Starring in Vampire's Kiss, Mandy,
06:40Color Out of Space, and Mum and Dad, Nicolas Cage is no stranger to the wackier side of horror.
06:46Known for his endearingly over-the-top performances, there's no greater joy than watching the actor
06:51unleash a tirade of expletives at high volume. In low-budget horror at Willy's Wonderland, however,
06:57Cage switched things up by playing a character who never says a single word.
07:01That character is known simply as The Janitor. He's a lone drifter who, after running into
07:06some car trouble in a small town, is given the job of cleaning up the titular-themed restaurant
07:11to work off the repair bill. What he doesn't know, though, is that the restaurant's animatronics
07:16spring to life each night and kill whoever wanders into their lair. When he's not fighting for his life
07:21against the murderous machines, this silent protagonist spends his time cleaning, playing pinball,
07:26and drinking beer. If anything, the killer animatronics are more of an inconvenience
07:31he must contend with. Originally, The Janitor was supposed to have some dialogue, until Cage
07:36insisted he remain completely silent. This proved to be the right call. Willy's Wonderland is a
07:41fantastically fun time that's become a cult sensation. Art the Clown in Terrifier.
07:48From House of a Thousand Corpses murderous Captain Spaulding to the wise-cracking Pennywise from
07:53It, clowns have been terrifying audiences for decades, ensuring that horror fans stay as far
07:58away from circuses as possible. However, none of these sadistic clowns are as diabolically depraved
08:04as Art the Clown from Damien Leone's Terrifier films. Throughout the course of each of these grimy
08:10grindhouse excursions, viewers watch on helplessly, as Art enacts increasingly gnarly acts of cruelty upon
08:16his victims. There's no limit to his repulsive actions, with each kill depicted in excessively
08:22graphic detail. Regardless of what he does, though, this clown remains completely silent.
08:28Played with a feverish glee by David Howard Thornton, Art's movements and expressions are
08:33carried with all the comedic exaggeration of a pantomime artist. Whether he's staring menacingly
08:38across a deserted restaurant at his next victims, or slowly sneaking up behind someone like a cartoon
08:43character, Thornton's skill in physical comedy will have audiences laughing whenever they're not
08:49covering their eyes in disgust. Putting his years as a children's theatre performer to effective use,
08:54Thornton combines the silent comedy of Charlie Chaplin with the debauchery of Freddy Krueger to
09:00create the most hilariously evil horror villain of all time, Mahogany in The Midnight Meat Train.
09:06Whether it's Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers, the silent killer is an effective trope within the
09:12slasher genre. One such villain who doesn't get enough attention, though, is Mahogany from splatterflick
09:17The Midnight Meat Train. Based on the short story by Clive Barker, the film sees a street
09:22photographer named Leon, a then-unknown Bradley Cooper, become obsessed with capturing the
09:28macabre side of life when he's encouraged to challenge his sense of morality by a gallery
09:32owner. This newfound obsession centres itself around Mahogany, a towering behemoth of a butcher
09:38who boards the same subway train every night and proceeds to mercilessly slaughter each passenger.
09:44The kills are visceral and excessive, with the killer expertly utilising a meat hammer to get
09:49the job done. While his talent for murder rivals that of the most iconic slasher villains,
09:55it's Vinnie Jones' steely silence which gives the character an unwaveringly menacing presence.
10:00The actor's sheer physicality reinforces that this character is someone who's not to be messed with.
10:06However, as the film goes on, his nuanced performance conveys that there's something more
10:11emotionally complexing going on under the surface. Carried by an entirely physical performance,
10:17Mahogany is the most frightening killer you've never seen.
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