It’s time to recognize Dan Stevens as the scream king he is. This year alone, his genre credits include Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Abigailand the new film by director Tilman Singer Cuckoo, There, he plays a mysterious and undeniably evil resort owner named Mr. King. Just as scream queens have shaped and defined the fabric of horror and its female roles, recurring scream kings like Stevens have similarly influenced the spectrum of masculinity represented in the genre.
After the shock Downton Abbey When Stevens submitted his resignation nearly 12 years ago, it was unclear what Stevens’ professional future would hold. Luckily for us horror fans, his desire for diverse creative experiences quickly drew him toward genre fare. With his disarming looks and willingness to get weird, wild, and downright blood-soaked, Stevens brings a palpable enthusiasm to every project he tackles. He always relishes the opportunity to play against type, introduce a fight scene, put on a distinctive accent, or show off his comedic talents, and no two of Stevens’ performances are exactly the same.
This certainly applies to Stevens’ performance in cuckoo. Damn disgustingMeagan Navarro notes in her cuckoo Review that Stevens “gets off to a thrilling start” as Mr. Koenig sees his nefarious plans destroyed by the intelligent and moody teenager Gretchen, played to perfection by Hunter Schafer. To celebrate the film’s release this weekend and Stevens’ new official status as Scream King, here are some of his best horror performances to date.
David – The guest (2014)
In Adam Wingard’s The guestDan Stevens plays a mysterious young soldier named David who literally runs into town to deliver a final message to the Peterson family from their son who was killed in battle. Despite the family’s initial misgivings, they ultimately welcome David and the chance for closure he brings. However, the more the family deals with David, the more suspicious the Petersons’ daughter, Anna (Maika Monroe), becomes of his motives and the series of alarming deaths that seem to be occurring in his presence.
For many horror fans The guest was the first real introduction to Stevens and what he could do on screen. As David, Stevens exudes a charming ambiguity that balances charm and danger on a knife edge. With little more than a glance, a slightly raised voice, or a well-placed towel, Stevens transforms David from an undeniable dream guy into an unstable T-800 capable of terrible things. In a deviously complex role, Stevens demonstrates his enormous range and command of his physical presence, delivering a performance that still impresses ten years later.
Charlie – The rental (2020)
Before Jeremy Allen White became the poster boy for Rat Boy Summer and hot chefs around the world, he played his brother alongside Stevens in Dave Franco’s holiday horror film. The rental. Charlie (Stevens), his wife Michelle (Alison Brie), Josh (Allen White), and Josh’s girlfriend Mina (Sheila Vand) decide to rent a vacation home together to spend some much-needed beach time and relax. But of course, relationships are tested and no one is what they seem, including the sinister vacation home owner.
In one of the more understated roles of his filmography, Stevens uses his natural charm and on-screen magnetism to carefully craft Charlie’s personality. Artfully manipulative and slyly sinister, Stevens delivers a performance so catchy that it is unsettling by its believability alone. Villainous behavior can manifest itself in many ways, and The rental proves that Stevens is a true expert in this field.
Thomas Richardson – apostle (2018)
In Gareth Evans’ folk horror historical play apostleStevens plays a young man named Thomas who is determined to save his sister from a mysterious religious cult that has kidnapped her and imprisoned her on a remote, isolated island. Set in 1905, the film is similar to Stevens’ previous work in various BBC productions, but that’s where the comparisons end.
Fans of Evans’ other film projects such as “Safe Haven” from V/H/S 2 or The Raid: Redemption could suspect apostle starts off simple enough but wastes no time in quickly descending into a deeply disturbing madness. Stevens and his portrayal of Thomas keep up with this narrative trajectory. As an outsider breaking through the walls of the island community, Thomas acts as the audience’s mediator into the unsettling religious atmosphere. Demanding both physically and emotionally, Stevens captivates with a truly impressive performance that proves he is not afraid to explore dark sides and get his hands dirty.
Frank- Abigail (2024)
Born and raised in South London, Stevens is one of those English actors who has inspired many non-Downton Abbey Fans often forget that he is actually English, as he can pull off a convincing range of accents. In the latest work from Radio Silence directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, Stevens takes full advantage of this fact in his portrayal of former New York police officer Frank in Abigail. Frank is tasked with leading a 24-hour kidnapping mission to capture the daughter of a rich and powerful man. But his authority and plans are soon thwarted when it turns out that the young girl is actually a vampire.
Frank’s penchant for criminal behavior is on par with the rest of his team, and is laid bare in the film’s opening minutes. The revelation that he’s a former cop adds an extra layer of depravity that Stevens welcomes with open arms. Stevens takes advantage, delivering a thick New York accent that’s just as cheesy as the gold chain Frank wears around his neck. As the night descends into a frenzy of tulle and vampire cliches, Stevens gradually ramps up his performance to make his final, scenery-devouring moments a bloody delight.
Alo Glo Man – Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities: “The Exterior” (2022)
Part of what makes Stevens popular with so many is his willingness to embrace the absurd and lean into comedy when the tone is right, a fact that is on full display in director Ana Lily Amirpour’s episode. Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities titled “The Outside”. In the episode, an awkward and quirky bank clerk named Stacey (Kate Micucci) is obsessed with using a popular lotion called Alo Glo, even though she gets a terrible allergic reaction to it. As the voice of Alo Glo, Stevens speaks to Stacey through the television, encouraging her to keep using Alo Glo so she can fit in and finally feel beautiful.
Stevens is a scathing and hilarious indictment of beauty ideals and the distorted view that many experience as a result. He takes on the role of a sleazy salesman, complete with ice-white wig, sharp suit and random European accent. Stevens physically embodies and portrays a manifested notion of the male gaze, displaying a confidence that perfectly matches the mood Amirpour wants to create. Even as a supporting character beaming in over a commercial, Stevens shines with his effortlessly amusing flair for satire.
Killer Performance Honorable Mentions:
- Happy spirit (2020)
- Your smell (2018)
- legion (2019)
- Beauty and the Beast (2017)
- Vampires (2012)
cuckoostarring Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens, is now in cinemas. Get your tickets now!
In cuckoo: “17-year-old Gretchen reluctantly leaves her American home to live with her father, who has just moved to a resort in the German Alps with his new family. When they arrive at their future residence, they are greeted by Mr. Koenig, her father’s boss, who shows an inexplicable interest in Gretchen’s mute half-sister, Alma. Something seems amiss in this tranquil vacation paradise. Gretchen is plagued by strange noises and bloody visions until she discovers a shocking secret that also involves her own family.”
Our own Meagan Navarro wrote in her review of SXSW: “There is inventive world-building that sets this high-concept horror film apart, and a few intense horror cat-and-mouse scenes that create palpable tension. But Singer approaches it all with a playful sense of humor that only further entices cuckoo into the realm of offbeat cinema. It’s so refreshingly offbeat and unpredictable in every way, right down to its wild, entertainingly silly finale, that it’s hard not to care about all the plot that gets dropped throughout the story.”
