Ethan Hawke has been a star in Hollywood for a long time, from the well-received Before trilogy to the Oscar-winning Training Day, but he’s carved out a strong niche in the horror genre. Although he didn’t star in a horror film until 2004, nearly two decades after his career began, Hawke established himself as a force in the genre.

To this date, Ethan Hawke has appeared in four major horror films (with a foray into thrillers, including The Purge franchise). Each subsequent film in the genre starring Hawke has seen the talented actor deliver performances that are more and more chilling.

In fact, Ethan Hawke landed a major starring role in his most recent horror film, which was released in 2021. It was so successful that it spawned an upcoming sequel starring Hawke again, making it a great time to look back on his career in the genre.

Taking Lives (2004)

The first horror film starring Ethan Hawke is 2004’s Taking Lives, a late entry into the string of serial killer thrillers that littered multiplexes in the wake of Se7en’s success. This is a horror movie that was based on a novel that had proven a hit upon publication.

Unfortunately, Taking Lives was an uninspired effort whose changes to the source material only served to make the story thinner and more predictable. Oddly enough, legendary critic Roger Ebert gave this one a solid review upon release, but Hawke himself was closer to the truth when he later deemed Taking Lives “terrible.”

Most of the critical reception about Taking Lives said that it got off to a strong start only to stumble along the way. That said, Ethan Hawke does well enough alongside Angelina Jolie, starting his career in the genre.

Daybreakers (2009)

Released in 2009, the futuristic vampire horror Daybreakers is an ambitious but flawed outing from future Predestination directors the Spierig brothers. In a future where vampires run the world, Hawke plays a conflicted vampire hematologist searching for a blood subsтιтute in a convoluted plot that the movie fails to find a reason for viewers to invest in.

Action star Kate Beckinsale’s Underworld series offers a pulpier mix of confusing vampire lore and blue-hued action-horror filmmaking and was around at the same time. That meant Daybreakers kind of flew under the radar and was forgotten upon its January 2009 release.

That said, Daybreakers does sit at a solid 69% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, showing that while it isn’t a great horror film, it is one worth checking out. Hawke shines alongside Willem Dafoe in this underrated flick.

The Black Phone (2021)

Before The Black Phone, Ethan Hawke’s most recent entries in the horror genre saw him play the hero or the protagonist. That changed dramatically with The Black Phone, where he portrays The Grabber, a serial killer who abducts children.

This is, far and away, the most haunting performance of Hawke’s career. He is completely unhinged and unsettling, from his chilling dialogue to his terrifying mask. Thanks in large part to Hawke’s work, The Grabber has already become one of the most iconic figures in modern horror.

The Black Phone was met with widespread acclaim and, as noted, Black Phone 2 is slated for an October 2025 release. On top of that, the film also spawned a spin-off of sorts as a short in the V/H/S franchise, further cementing it as horror royalty.

Sinister (2012)

About a decade before The Black Phone, Ethan Hawke partnered with director Scott Derrickson to make his and Derrickson’s best horror movie. Sinister stars Hawke as a true crime novelist with a drinking problem who can’t accept that fame has left him behind, prompting him to move his family to the site of some grisly murders, looking to regain notoriety.

Hawke’s antihero gets more than he bargained for and watching the demon Bughuul haunt the protagonist is almost as engaging as watching Hawke embody the character’s inner demons. This Blumhouse effort features a twist ending that stretches credulity, but the real appeal of Sinister is seeing Ethan Hawke commit to this character.

On top of the positive response the film got upon release, Sinister is viewed even more fondly by horror aficionados as time has gone on. In fact, Sinister has even been named the scariest movie ever by a handful of studies, earning its spot as Ethan Hawke’s greatest horror film.