By Luke Kelly on 04.11.2026 | Monsters and villains

The draw of the dark side

They say that to be a truly great hero, you need a villain to match; Batman has Joker, Sherlock has Moriarty, Bond has Blofeld, and He-Man has Skeletor. And it's often the case that the villains transcend the heroes and become the true stars of their series.

Scream’s Ghostface is a prime example of this. Yes, Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott is the thread that ties the series together (mostly), but it’s the iconic halloween mask that has become the true star of the slasher series, making original masks from the films incredibly desirable to film fans.

A screen-matched Ghostface mask is the true holy grail for horror fans, and the one in our latest auction has been matched to the unforgettable opening scene with Drew Barrymore from Wes Craven’s 1996 original film. Masks from later films are just as sought-after, and examples from the productions of Scream 2 and Scream 3 and just as eye-catching.

When it came to bringing Ghostface to life on screen, Craven already knew a thing or two about creating iconic screen villains having written and directed 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street, which introduced cinemagoers to the dream demon himself: Freddy Krueger.

From his scarred face and fedora to his striped jumper and razor-finger glove, Freddy quickly became a pop culture icon in his own right, and remains one of the most merchandised movie characters ever – not bad for a serial killer. A screen-matched glove, one of his hats, and even a Freddy marionette from A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors are up for grabs in the auction.

Another well-dressed 1980s icon in the catalogue this winter is Kiefer Sutherland’s David from Joel Schumacher’s vampire classic The Lost Boys. His long black coat, black leather trousers, with wig and earring are presented on an imposing custom mannequin which – like David – will never grow old and never die. Simply put, evil has never been cooler, and it shows how important costuming is for villains and monsters.

It’s not just the human villains that fans latch onto either. The Alien series, which started with Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning 1979 film and continues to the present day in FX’s Alien: Earth, has given film fans some of the most memorable movie monsters ever committed to screen. From the classic xenomorph and Alien Queen to Facehuggers and Engineers, these are deadly creatures that we fear, but love at the same time.

And the Predator – also known as the Yautja – has even crossed the rubicon in recent years. It began life as a deadly human (and occasional xenomorph) hunter but is now the hero of its franchise thanks to a sympathetic turn in Predator: Badlands.

But what is exactly that we love about screen evil?

While heroes offer us someone on the side of good to root for, villains and monsters offer something even more alluring: they aren’t constrained by rules, regulations, or even polite behaviour. They’re unpredictable, dangerous, and dominant – they give us a glimpse into a life unfettered by convention that we can enjoy vicariously. They also present an opportunity for filmmakers and craftspeople to explore the dark side too.