5 Horror Villain Deaths That Were Overkill and 5 That Weren't Gruesome Enough

5 Horror Villain Deaths That Were Overkill and 5 That Weren’t Gruesome Enough

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the horror villains whose deaths went a little overboard, and some who should’ve gotten worse.

#5: Overkill: Le Domas Family

“Ready or Not” (2019)

After landing on the wrong side of her in-laws’ family curse, Grace spends her wedding night fighting for her life. Despite her efforts, the Le Domas clan manages to subdue her. However, they fumble the sacrifice by dragging it past the sunrise. And so, we watch as every member of the family meets their doom. After everything they put the heroine through, it’s incredibly satisfying to see the villains get their just desserts. But if the sight of red creeps you out, this scene might be hard to stomach. One by one, every character – young and old – bursts out of the movie, ending the film with an absolute massacre.

#5: Not Enough: The Fisherman

“I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997)

Anybody who’s seen this teen slasher knows just how much carnage Ben Willis leaves in his wake. Considering the number of bodies that pile up, you’d imagine the villain gets an equally brutal downfall. But not only is it a surprisingly tame defeat, we don’t even see him bite it. In the final showdown, Ray uses the boat’s rigging to dump Willis overboard, sending him splashing into the water. And that’s it. Apart from an unintentionally hilarious Wilhelm scream, the bad guy gets no real moment of reckoning. For a murderer with such a significant kill count, this send-off was disappointingly merciful.

#4: Overkill: Christian Hughes

“Midsommar” (2019)

Yes, we can all agree: this guy totally sucks. That said, does it really warrant him being set on fire? Christian spends the entire film belittling, ignoring, and gaslighting Dani. Unfortunately for him, she snaps at the worst possible time. Given the choice between her emotionally manipulative boyfriend and a willing cult member, she chooses the former. Unable to move and stuffed into a bear carcass, Christian spends his last moments in fiery agony. Although his fate is narratively symbolic, it doesn’t exactly justify an execution. But judging by the chilling smile on her face, Dani seems to have no regrets. Honestly, though, a simple breakup might have been the healthier option.

#4: Not Enough: Mark Hoffman

“Saw 3D” (2010)

Unlike previous installments that combined horror with social commentary, “Saw 3D” is all about the gore. On a roaring rampage of revenge, Jigsaw’s failed successor Mark Hoffman targets his former mentor’s ex-wife, Jill. Along the way, he eradicates the entire police force before claiming Jill’s life. However, his plans to flee are quickly derailed. Ambushed by Dr. Gordon, Jigsaw’s secret accomplice, Hoffman is left chained up in the iconic bathroom trap. While this works as a way to bookend the series, it feels too low-key after all of Hoffman’s ruthless murders. The clichéd sealed-in-a-room ending doesn’t land all that well – not when some much-needed poetic justice would’ve been far more satisfying.

#3: Overkill: Chucky

“Child’s Play” (1988)

After four decades, and a franchise spanning multiple films and a TV series, it’s clear that nothing can keep this killer doll down for good. But it’s not like putting him away in the original was a walk in the park either. No matter how many times he “dies”, Chucky just gets back up – not even after he’s roasted in the fireplace. Despite being burned to a crisp, the antagonist stalks Andy and his mom until the latter shoots him into pieces. But is that it? Nope. The doll rises once again, like it’s business as usual, even without his limbs. By the time a shot through the heart finally claims him, the shock value has long since expired on this needlessly drawn-out climax.

#3: Mrs. Carmody

“The Mist” (2007)

Even with horrifying creatures tearing people apart, Mrs. Carmody ends up as the film’s scariest character. Armed with a fanatical mind and powers of persuasion, she quickly turns the group of survivors into a bloodthirsty cult, even sacrificing some of them to appease the monsters. As expected, something has to give, and the villain is shut down for good when tensions reach their peak. But her simple demise is oddly underwhelming. Two quick gunshots, and Mrs. Carmody’s done; a death that barely even registers. Sure, the threat she posed is gone, but the execution is so blink-and-miss that it robs audiences of their moment of catharsis.

#2: Overkill: Jason Voorhees

“Jason X” (2001)

“Jason X” pushes the franchise to its wackiest extreme, launching the machete-wielding killer all the way to space…in the future. If you thought he didn’t stay dead before, try killing him when he’s enhanced by futuristic nanotechnology. So, whether he’s frozen in stasis, blown apart by an android, or incinerated in Earth’s atmosphere, it comes across as more absurd than terrifying. The filmmakers clearly wanted to raise the stakes with one over-the-top death after another. But when a villain racks up so many demises in the same movie, it’s hard not to roll our eyes. At some point, even the most diehard horror fans have to say: “Enough is enough!”

#2: Not Enough: Chop Top

“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2” (1986)

When it comes to pure brutality, few franchises can compete with “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” The second entry injects the series with a satirical flavor, playing most of Leatherface’s family’s kills for laughs. By the end, Leatherface’s brother, Chop Top, and protagonist Stretch are the last ones standing. But rather than living up to the series’ billing, Chop Top’s defeat qualifies more as a Disney villain death. Chasing Stretch up a tower, the bad guy is knocked off and tumbles down a pipe. Compared to the twisted kills that came before, the film draws the line on Chop Top of all people, for some reason. After all the terrible things he’d done, he deserved an end far worse than the cartoonish fall he got.

#1: Overkill: Freddy Krueger

“A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master” (1988)

“Elm Street” films always get creative every time Freddy Krueger faces defeat, but this one goes way off the rails. Faced with his own reflection, the antagonist’s countless victims revolt from within. And right before our eyes, Krueger’s body starts falling apart, tearing him piece by piece. Kudos to the makeup team, but the sheer revulsion from the scene is only reserved for the most hardcore fans of gore. While it gives the villain a taste of his own medicine, the freaky visuals drag on much longer than necessary – especially since Freddy was back at it again in the sequel. All things considered, one word perfectly sums up this death: Eww!

#1: Not Enough: Carter Burke

“Aliens” (1986)

No one likes a corporate sleaze, and Carter Burke is arguably the poster boy for selfish ambition. Initially presenting himself as a friendly and empathetic figure, Burke reveals his true colors by selling Ripley out for profit. Watching him stranded with a Xenomorph seems like the perfect setup for a satisfying comeuppance, only for the film to cut away just as he screams. His doom is clear but deliberately ambiguous, leaving us to make up our own minds. With so much death and destruction already onscreen, it’s baffling why the film couldn’t dedicate just a minute to Burke’s downfall. Of course, fans did catch it in a deleted scene years later, but by then, it was too little too late.

Which villain deaths gave you the heebie-jeebies? Let us know in the comments.