Movies Gallery 13 distinctive horror movie masks What to wear for a good scare? The creepy masks from “You're Next” and a dozen more examples will certainly do the trick. By Bronwyn Barnes and Lindzi Scharf Updated on August 18, 2022 10:38AM EDT Trending Videos Close this video player Michael Myers in 'Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers'; Jason in 'Friday the 13th: A New Beginning'; Ghostface in 'Scream'. Photo: Everett Collection (3) Nothing cements a horror movie's place in pop culture history like a good, scary mask. Just about every horror franchise worth its salt has one, from genre-defining classics like Halloween and Friday the 13th to more modern favorites like The Purge and You're Next. Some are contorted into ironic smiles (that certainly don't have us smiling in return) while others have such chilling expressions that they've taken up space in our nightmares for decades. Ahead, view our compilation of the 13 most distinctive horror movie masks that keep us up at night, and learn more about what inspired some of the artists behind them. 01 of 13 You're Next (2013) Corey Ransberg: The masked maniacs in 'You're Next' To conceal the killers in You're Next, director Adam Wingard took a tip from a horror classic. He told EW about the inspiration behind his film's creepy animal masks: ''In [1978's] Halloween, John Carpenter took a pre-existing mask and ghost-ified it.'' 02 of 13 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) Legendary Entertainment Fashioned from human flesh, Leatherface's disguise gave new meaning to the term ''man-made.'' Both the character and the costume were reportedly inspired by real-life serial killer Ed Gein. 03 of 13 Halloween (1978) Compass International Pictures Makeup artist David Ayres reshaped a mask of Star Trek's Captain Kirk into Michael Myers' facial camouflage for the low-budget hit. 04 of 13 Friday the 13th Part III (1982) Everett Collection Jason's signature guise — a Detroit Red Wings goalie mask — didn't make its debut until the third installment of the slasher series. 05 of 13 Scream (1996) Miramax The melting-face hood worn by Wes Craven's Ghostface was a Halloween mask inspired by Edvard Munch's famous painting, The Scream. 06 of 13 The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Orion Pictures Costume designer Colleen Atwood commissioned mask maker Ed Cubberly to create Hannibal Lecter's (Anthony Hopkins) muzzle. 07 of 13 Eyes Without a Face (1960) Everett Collection Following a car accident — and unsuccessful reconstructive surgery — Christiane Génessier (Edith Scob) was forced to wear a featureless mask to hide her disfigurement in this French-Italian horror film. Its design reportedly influenced Michael Myers' Halloween look. 08 of 13 The Strangers (2008) Glenn Watson Artist Helen Ward created the disguises worn by the Man in the Mask and his creepy accomplices, Dollface and Pin-Up Girl. 09 of 13 The Purge (2013) Universal Pictures The Polite Leader and his masked group of Purgers wear eerie smiley face masks in this thriller about an annual crime free-for-all. 10 of 13 Trick 'r Treat (2007) Warner Bros. Pictures This horror film anthology features four frightening stories and one tiny trick-or-treater named Sam (Quinn Lord), who sports a spooky scarecrow hood made from a burlap sack. 11 of 13 The Shining (1980) Warner Bros. Pictures Though this character made a brief appearance, he's certainly unforgettable. It's long been debated whether the animal glimpsed by Mrs. Torrance (Shelley Duvall) was a wolf, bear, or something else, but in the Stephen King novel on which the film is based, he's a dog. 12 of 13 The Wicker Man (1975) Everett Collection A procession of pagan cultists in animal masks led us to the shocking twist at the end of this cult classic. 13 of 13 Saw (2004) Everett Collection Sure, the sight of the Jigsaw Puppet Master was terrifying, but the rotting pig head worn by the killer's accomplices took the gross-out factor up a notch.