Showdown

The Hidden

Best unseen villains in horror

Add a list or tag with showdown:unseen

There’s a ghost in this machine—it comes at night and it possesses us to celebrate the best unseen villains in horror-movie history. It surrounds us with the mist, it follows us to our final destination, where we live under the shadow of invisible threats. It is time to let the bird outta the box and list the ten films with the most memorable, malignant, largely non-physical threats. It might pass from person to person, smile at you in a mirror, or leave footprints in the snow, but it cannot be largely visible for most of the film.

Most mentioned

  • The Thing
  • The Blair Witch Project
  • The Witch
  • It Follows
  • Hereditary
  • Rosemary's Baby
  • The Shining
  • Jaws
  • The Haunting
  • The Invisible Man
  • Alien
  • Nope
  • The Mist
  • Final Destination
  • Cat People
  • It Comes at Night
  • Evil Dead II
  • The Invisible Man
  • The Lighthouse
  • Rebecca

Lists

Sort by
  • Phone Booth
  • I Am Legend
  • Buried
  • The Shallows
  • Friend of the World
Daniel N. Butler

Daniel N. Butler 10 films

  • Poltergeist
  • The Fly
  • The Thing
  • Friday the 13th
  • Sinister
thelasterden

thelasterden 16 films

  • The Evil Dead
  • The Thing
  • Hereditary
  • The Exorcist
  • The Invisible Man
Nairn Peters

Nairn Peters 10 films

  • The Haunting
  • The Invisible Man
  • Hereditary
  • The Invisible Man
  • The Innocents
John Chadwick

John Chadwick 11 films

  • Ghostwatch
  • The Invisible Man
  • The Evil Dead
  • The Invisible Man
  • Black Christmas
Robert Berlin

Robert Berlin 10 films

  • The Legend of Hell House
  • Burnt Offerings
  • The Haunting
  • Rosemary's Baby
  • The Stepford Wives
mooveefan

mooveefan 10 films

  • Memories of Murder
  • Barton Fink
  • Twin Peaks: The Return
  • Saloum
  • Nope
Jamie Ragins

Jamie Ragins 10 films

  • It Follows
  • Rosemary's Baby
  • Saloum
  • It Comes at Night
  • Take Shelter
Denis Ciobotaru

Denis Ciobotaru 10 films

  • Short Night of Glass Dolls
  • Rebecca
  • Suspiria
  • The Bloody Exorcism of Coffin Joe
  • The Feather Pillow
Guilherme Simões Reis

Guilherme Simões Reis 14 films

  • Annihilation
  • The Blair Witch Project
  • It Follows
  • Rosemary's Baby
  • Cloverfield
vavu95

vavu95 21 films

  • The Witch
  • The Fog
  • Nope
  • It Follows
  • Evil Dead II
JamesDaggs

JamesDaggs 10 films

  • The Tenant
  • It Comes at Night
  • The Entity
  • The White Ribbon
  • Caché
Kabir

Kabir 13 films

  • Forbidden Planet
  • The Invisible Man
  • The Mist
  • Lady in the Water
  • A Quiet Place
Flicks With Friends

Flicks With Friends 10 films

  • The Invisible Man
  • Rosemary's Baby
  • Final Destination 5
  • 21 Days
  • Found Footage 3D
John Quinn

John Quinn 10 films

  • Jaws
  • The Andromeda Strain
  • Forbidden Planet
  • Invasion of the Body Snatchers
  • Alien
J_NC

J_NC 10 films

  • Memories of Murder
  • The Thing
  • The Blair Witch Project
  • The Shining
  • The Cabin in the Woods
nathan

nathan 10 films

  • Rosemary's Baby
  • The Thing
  • Fallen
  • Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
  • 10 Cloverfield Lane
Travis LaBrucherie

Travis LaBrucherie 10 films

  • The Thing
  • Fallen
  • Nope
  • Take Shelter
  • It Follows
Ryan

Ryan 10 films

  • The Blair Witch Project
  • The Changeling
  • The Endless
  • The Entity
  • Final Destination
Troy Cornett

Troy Cornett 10 films

  • The Shining
  • Inferno
  • Suspiria
  • Rosemary's Baby
  • Night of the Demon
MPo

MPo 10 films

  • Cat People
  • The Innocents
  • The Stone Tape
  • The Fog
  • The Changeling
Adam T

Adam T 10 films

  • Cat People
  • The Leopard Man
  • Invasion of the Body Snatchers
  • Fiend Without a Face
  • The Innocents
Travis D. Johnson

Travis D. Johnson 10 films

  • The Thing from Another World
  • The Haunting
  • The Invisible Man
  • Jaws
  • Alien
Kent Graham

Kent Graham 10 films

  • Barbarian
  • Jaws
  • Nope
  • The Thing
  • The Shining
Andrew Franklin

Andrew Franklin 10 films

  • Cat People
  • The Haunting
  • Night of the Demon
  • Diary of a Madman
  • The Thing
Lowbacca

Lowbacca 10 films

  • Nope
  • Coraline
  • Get Out
  • The Cabin in the Woods
  • Don't Worry Darling
Boone

Boone 11 films

  • The Blair Witch Project
  • Under the Shadow
  • It Follows
  • Hereditary
  • Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Michael Atlan

Michael Atlan 15 films

  • Terrified
  • Lake Mungo
  • Pontypool
  • Lovely Molly
  • Baskin
Wesley

Wesley 10 films

  • Alucarda
  • Don't Deliver Us from Evil
  • Pin
  • The Pit
  • Bad Ronald
Trashcandan

Trashcandan 64 films

  • The Shining
  • Jaws
  • Rosemary's Baby
  • The Innocents
  • The Thing
Danny Fain

Danny Fain 10 films

  • The Blair Witch Project
  • Demon
  • Lake Mungo
  • It Comes at Night
  • The Witch
FilmiesNick

FilmiesNick 10 films

  • The Thing
  • The Descent
  • Pontypool
  • The Mist
  • The Witch
BigMonsterTeeth

BigMonsterTeeth 10 films

  • The Thing
  • Gravity
  • Jaws
  • It Follows
  • Hereditary
Robert Speewack Bojorquez

Robert Speewack Bojorquez 10 films

  • The Others
  • Zodiac
  • 10 Cloverfield Lane
  • Fallen
  • Final Destination 2
filmplanet

filmplanet 15 films

  • Eyes Wide Shut
  • In the Mouth of Madness
  • The Thing
  • Don't Look Now
  • Cure
Louis IV

Louis IV 10 films

  • Cat People
  • The Haunting
  • Diabolique
  • The Babadook
  • Jaws
Tucker

Tucker 11 films

  • The Thing
  • The Shining
  • Zodiac
  • Alien
  • Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
Ethan

Ethan 10 films

  • Alien
  • The Thing
  • Rosemary's Baby
  • They Live
  • The Lighthouse
Yinali

Yinali 10 films

  • The Blair Witch Project
  • Paranormal Activity
  • The Invisible Man
  • Cloverfield
  • The Mist
Adrián

Adrián 19 films

  • The Empty Man
  • Session 9
  • Host
  • The Babadook
  • After Midnight
Kenneth_C

Kenneth_C 10 films

  • The Empty Man
  • The Borderlands
  • His House
  • Resolution
  • Under the Shadow
RJMacReady

RJMacReady 15 films

  • Nope
  • Sputnik
  • Midsommar
  • The Witch
  • Jennifer's Body
longosteph

longosteph 10 films

  • The Blair Witch Project
  • The Exorcist
  • Final Destination
  • The Fog
  • Hollow Man
Germano Dutra Jr

Germano Dutra Jr 15 films

  • Alien
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  • The Invisible Man
  • It Follows
  • Beetlejuice
Tomasz Jankiewicz

Tomasz Jankiewicz 8 films

  • Jaws
  • Halloween
  • The Thing
  • Evil Dead II
  • The Silence of the Lambs
SacherTortoise

SacherTortoise 10 films

  • The Blair Witch Project
  • Final Destination
  • Evil Dead II
  • Drag Me to Hell
  • Final Destination 5
Daniel

Daniel 10 films

  • The Haunting
  • It Follows
  • The Blair Witch Project
  • Night of the Demon
  • Fallen
dadgumblah

dadgumblah 10 films

  • Don't Look Now
  • The Babadook
  • Rebecca
  • Get Out
  • Invasion of the Body Snatchers
openroad

openroad 6 films

  • Eyes Wide Shut
  • Annihilation
  • Nope
  • The Witch
  • The Shining
Niall Hassett

Niall Hassett 10 films

  • Black Christmas
  • The Silence of the Lambs
  • The Cabin in the Woods
  • Hereditary
  • Evil Dead II
Wallace007

Wallace007 10 films

  • The Thing
  • The Thing from Another World
  • Perfect Blue
  • Nope
  • It Follows
twinkpeaks

twinkpeaks 9 films

  • Twin Peaks
  • Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
  • Rosemary's Baby
  • Rebecca
  • The Witch
Thom Robinson

Thom Robinson 10 films

  • Rebecca
  • The Shining
  • Sunshine
  • The Abyss
  • Alien
Clarissa Thorne

Clarissa Thorne 24 films

  • Rosemary's Baby
  • Bird Box
  • Black Swan
  • Circle
  • Saint Maud
nance 🗡

nance 🗡 10 films

  • Don't Look Now
  • The Tenant
  • The Shining
  • The Thing
  • Event Horizon
Lewis Harris

Lewis Harris 10 films

  • It Follows
  • The Babadook
  • I'm Thinking of Ending Things
  • Se7en
  • Hereditary
Gareth Quinn

Gareth Quinn 10 films

  • The Thing
  • Alien
  • The Evil Dead
  • Evil Dead
  • Evil Dead II
David Wells

David Wells 10 films

  • Altered States
  • The Quiet Earth
  • The Empty Man
  • Murder Death Koreatown
  • The Stone Tape
Stallings

Stallings 10 films

  • Ouija: Origin of Evil
  • The Rental
  • Tremors
  • Bird Box
  • The Haunting of Hill House
Typical_Ange

Typical_Ange 9 films

  • The Invisible Man
  • Hereditary
  • The Others
  • The Exorcist
  • The Blair Witch Project
sarah

sarah 10 films

  • Ju-on: The Grudge
  • The Blair Witch Project
  • Ring
  • The Shining
  • The Others
Matthew Oliver

Matthew Oliver 31 films

  • Get Out
  • Jaws
  • A Quiet Place
  • The Thing
  • Alien
Isha 🦕

Isha 🦕 10 films

  • The Conjuring
  • The Haunting
  • The Babadook
  • The Invisible Man
  • The Lighthouse
Rhomega

Rhomega 10 films

  • Jaws
  • Evil Dead II
  • The Thing
  • Bug
  • The Mist
_Kaitlin_

_Kaitlin_ 13 films

  • The Shining
  • The Lighthouse
  • Diabolique
  • The Thing
  • Coherence
MathisApparicio

MathisApparicio 10 films

  • The Thing
  • The Mist
  • The Blair Witch Project
  • Black Christmas
  • Friday the 13th
PF4Eva

PF4Eva 10 films

  • The Thing
  • Suspiria
  • The Beyond
  • The Keep
  • Galaxy of Terror
Brendan O'Keeffe

Brendan O'Keeffe 15 films

  • Black Swan
  • Saint Maud
  • Picnic at Hanging Rock
  • The Haunting
  • Stalker
Mer

Mer 10 films

  • Rebecca
  • The Thing
  • Alien
  • Eyes Wide Shut
  • The Haunting
Mariana Simas

Mariana Simas 10 films

  • Jacob's Ladder
  • The Lighthouse
  • The Shining
  • Bird Box
  • Final Destination
Nina Uhl

Nina Uhl 10 films

  • The Blair Witch Project
  • The Exorcist
  • The Thing
  • The Witch
  • Jaws
Adam William

Adam William 10 films

  • Knocking
  • Hypochondriac
  • No Trace
  • Teddy
  • The Witch
Simon

Simon 21 films

  • Nope
  • His House
  • It Comes at Night
  • The Witch
  • It Follows
alexwoods311

alexwoods311 6 films

  • The Thing
  • Jaws
  • The Invisible Man
  • His House
  • Nope
JACK$ON

JACK$ON 10 films

  • Jacob's Ladder
  • A Ghost Story
  • It Comes at Night
  • Vertigo
  • The Fog
ActionPainting

ActionPainting 15 films

  • Bird Box
  • His House
  • Paranormal Activity
  • The Witch
  • Under the Shadow
eunan nwachukwu

eunan nwachukwu 21 films

  • The Witch
  • Bodies Bodies Bodies
  • Safe
  • Get Out
  • It Follows
michelle grondine

michelle grondine 39 films

  • The Haunting
  • Host
  • Tag
  • Final Destination 2
  • The Blair Witch Project
DonJohn80

DonJohn80 10 films

  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
  • Fallen
  • The Witch
Chris Coke

Chris Coke 10 films

  • The Shining
  • The Thing
  • Forbidden Planet
  • Zodiac
  • Perfect Blue
AronDanburg

AronDanburg 10 films

  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
  • The Thing
  • Alien
Ben Butler

Ben Butler 10 films

  • Forbidden Planet
  • The Haunting
  • Night of the Demon
  • The Dunwich Horror
  • Fiend Without a Face
Francis Lalonde

Francis Lalonde 10 films

  • The Blair Witch Project
  • The Thing
  • The Haunting
  • Cure
  • Rebecca
Angelo Cordeiro

Angelo Cordeiro 10 films

  • Alien
  • The Blair Witch Project
  • 10 Cloverfield Lane
  • As Above, So Below
  • Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
marina

marina 13 films

  • Pulse
  • Ring
  • The Mist
  • It Follows
  • Final Destination
Stanley

Stanley 29 films

  • Suspiria
  • It Follows
  • The Thing
  • They Look Like People
  • Black Christmas
FarmerJoe

FarmerJoe 11 films

  • Cat People
  • The Haunting
  • The Witch
  • The Fog
  • Invasion of the Body Snatchers
scott marvel

scott marvel 10 films

  • The Execution
  • The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
  • Don't Look Now
  • Black Christmas
  • Picnic at Hanging Rock
Gilbert Hedegaard

Gilbert Hedegaard 16 films

  • The Killing of a Sacred Deer
  • Cure
  • Picnic at Hanging Rock
  • We're All Going to the World's Fair
  • The Lighthouse
matthewcutchen

matthewcutchen 10 films

  • Jaws
  • The Thing
  • Hereditary
  • Sinister
  • Insidious
Daniel N. Butler

Daniel N. Butler 8 films

Still from His House (2020)