7 Best Underrated Tony Todd Horror Movies You Haven't Seen, Including The Hatchet Movies

Tony Todd remains one of horror’s greatest, most prolific actors. We all know him as Candyman in Bernard Rose’s 1992 seminal classic, Candyman, and Ben in Tom Savini’s 1990 Night of the Living Dead remake, but he was so much more than that. He transcended genre and always performed with the weight of Shakespeare. There wasn’t a role he wouldn’t kill (perhaps literally), even when no one else did. Todd also left an indelible mark as death seer William Bludworth in the Final Destination franchise, in addition to Tony Todd’s many TV roles in such series as The X-Files, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Scream: Resurrection.

Todd rarely passed up a role, even for shoestring budget indie movies. His art never suffered because of his fame. While his name certainly drew in audiences, he always found value in his work. For every one of his most well-known roles, there are countless others that have either been forgotten or flown under the radar. But they still carry that remarkable presence that he infused into each and every onscreen appearance. He could eat up the scenery with just a wink. Give him some meaty dialogue, and he’d devour the roles he inhabited.

On the independent circuit, many of his best films never get the recognition or awareness they deserve. Tony Todd’s death in 2024 left a canyon-sized hole which can never be filled, and his absence will be felt for years and decades to come.

Hell Fest

Tony Todd emerges as an almost omniscient presence in Gregory Plotkin’s 2018 Halloween haunt, Hell Fest. When a group of friends attends a nearby haunted attraction, they get more than they bargained for when a masked serial killer stalks and murders them in terribly gruesome ways. Before one of the most nail-biting scenes, involving a guillotine, Todd saunters across the stage as The Barker—a bedeviling, consummate host for the evening’s festivities. His signature sly, seductive rasp extends over the crowd.

Despite a limited role, Todd casts a very long shadow over the film, as though he’s a menacing force that can never be contained. Hell Fest proves to be a perfectly polished vehicle for Todd’s brand of charm. His gold-bedazzled top hat frames his wicked, wry smile. The film arrived around the same time as another Halloween haunt film, Haunt, and was seemingly buried from online conversation. From the mystery surrounding the unknown killer to numerous inventive set pieces, it goes straight for the jugular in more ways than one.

West Of Hell

Michael Steves’ 2018 horror/western brings together Tony Todd, Lance Henriksen (the Alien franchise), and Michael Eklund (Wynonna Earp, Bates Motel) for an iconic, cosmic collision. Todd plays a newly freed man aboard a train barreling for Atlanta. The train also includes a bounty hunter tasked with transporting a young woman to safety, but the group finds themselves at the mercy of a demonic force that makes them confront their sins. The film’s super low budget works to its advantage for a one-location journey into the bowels of hell.

A solitary location does not always work, but this character-driven piece sets in motion a tremendous commentary on accountability, redemption, and learning morality. Todd drives the story lurching ahead with a powerful performance and one of the best of his career. For their parts, Henriksen and Eklund meet him beat-for-beat with equally emotive turns that create sparks onscreen.

The Final Wish

Any film that stars both Todd and another horror iconic Lin Shaye is worth at least a few viewings. Michael Welch (the Twilight franchise) plays Aaron Hammond who returns home after an unimaginable tragedy. While going through his late father’s belongings, he finds an urn that leads him to unleash a wish-granting spirit. After whispering one of his wishes aloud, his mother Kate (Shaye) becomes the victim of a memory-washing spell that seeks to destroy them both. Todd portrays an associate of Aaron’s father, guiding The Final Wish along to its explosive finale.

Shaye and Todd make an incredible, story-shifting duo. They could perform the phone book to each other and still give each syllable considerable strength and nuance. As the stakes tighten, their performances appropriately turn up the air pressure to a suffocating level. They command attention but also deliver complex characters that feel grounded and real.

Horror Noire

Released on Shudder, the anthology film stars a who’s who of horror royalty. Alongside Tony Todd, you’ll find Rachel True (The Craft), Sean Patrick Thomas (Halloween Resurrection, The Curse of La Llorona), and Tyriq Withers (I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot, Him), among others. Six interconnected stories focus on performative liberalism, weaponized Black art, and religious extremism. Its two and a half hour runtime feels much shorter with brisk, potent tales of the macabre. The standout segments are “The Lake,” “Bride Before You,” “Fugue State,” and “Sundown.”

Todd stars as a cult leader in “Fugue State,” a story about brainwashing in modern religion and how no one is ultimately safe. With a disturbing, maniacal performance, he tears through the script and delivers such a raw understanding of the material that feels both authentic to today and eerily timely.

Writer/director Michael Leavy enlists a slew of horror icons in his slasher flick, Stream. Tony Todd, Felissa Rose, Tim Curry, Danielle Harris, David Howard Thorton, Dee Wallace, and Bill Moseley count among the cast. Considering the marquee roster, you’d expect their inclusion to be distracting, but it’s quite the opposite. Todd and company are legends for a reason, known for sculpting distinct characters.

When several killers wearing glowing neon masks crash a hotel, the guests are in for a rude awakening when the assailants are part of a much bigger puzzle. They’re simply small pieces that, when fitted together, create a world built around the brutal voyeurism of culture. Todd plays one of several men named Lockwood, the trickster behind the midnight bloodbath. Stream brings back the fun found in countless ’80s slashers, and it also helps to have true ’80s performers guiding the ship.

From Jennifer

In Frank Merle’s found footage film From Jennifer, Tony Todd plays a high-profile Hollywood manager who frequently urges his clients to chase viral fame as a gateway into the acting business. One of his clients, Jennifer Peterson (Danielle Taddei), struggles to get work and finds herself often overlooked in favor of more famous internet talent. When pushed to the edge, she takes matters into her own hands and enlists Butch Valentine (Derek Mears, Friday the 13th remake) for some well-deserved revenge. The film works perfectly as a predecessor to I Blame Society, also featuring a young woman making her own work to buck the rigged system.

Todd’s performance wonderfully demonstrates the sleaziness of the Hollywood machine, churning out actors at an alarming rate for not playing by the so-called rules. He is a textbook gatekeeper who delights in others’ suffering and actually applauds when another burgeoning actor proves worthy of using tragedy for likes. From Jennifer exposes the rotten underbelly, but it also serves as an empowering story about how to make what you want to happen.

Tony Todd as the Reverend Zombie in the Hatchet series (Hatchet, Hatchet II, and Victor Crowley) is genius casting. The backwoods slasher films (think: Wrong Turn) showcase Todd at his most terrifying and explores the darkness lurking in the woods. It leans into tropes and clichés as an outlet to mine deeper themes about strict religion, sinful punishment, and unchecked brutality. Through such a lens, the Hatchet films wrap around campiness percolating just below the surface.

Hatchet also works well for fans of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre franchise (particularly The Next Generation starring Matthew McConaughey), The Hills Have Eyes, and Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon.