Imagine the perfect prom date. Now, imagine the exact opposite of that person. The high school prom is supposed to be a night where anything can happen and you’d least expect that outcome to be anything less than perfect unless you wind up with the wrong person. Looking through the horror genre’s incredible range of diabolical characters, there are a few you could imagine walking beside through the school gym. Many seem to be charming, appealing, and reciprocate the sentiment, but for many it is all part of their hellish plans. They may be attractive to the eyes, but they are fatal to the heart (and body), so it’s important to tighten up your rubric when selecting a prom date. Asking one of these 10 Horror Prom Dates From Hell will leave you either damned, doubtful, or dead… or a combination of the three.
10. Cameron Elam in Halloween (2018)
You would never expect to catch your prom date all over another girl, but that is what you would get with Cameron Elam from David Gordon Green’s (Pineapple Express) continuation of the legendary slasher, Halloween. Played by the talented Dylan Arnold (After), Cameron may be attractive and funny, but he has no regard for his significant other which makes him a Grade A prom date from hell. Usually that kind of conduct sees him at the end of a butcher’s knife in the third act, but he manages to make it through Halloween unscathed… for now.
9. Marybeth Louise Hutchinson in The Faculty (1998)
Marybeth Louise Hutchinson of Atlanta comes off as sweet and innocent in the beginning as she navigates her way through a new school in Robert Rodriguez’s (From Dusk till Dawn) teen sci-fi alien invasion, The Faculty. Marybeth, played by Laura Harris (Dead Like Me), only plays the naivety game so she can pull off a parasitic plague starting with her high school peers. She can trick even the most savvy teen into thinking she is pure, but beneath the skin she is purely alien. Taking her to prom would not only be a risk to the entire student body, but it might end up with you succumbing to her alien takeover. Marybeth should move back to Atlanta, where she came from…. oh, wait.
8. Billy Loomis in Scream (1996)
Going to prom with your high school sweetheart might be a dream come true for some, but for anyone who accompanies Billy Loomis, it could be a bloody nightmare. Billy comes off like the bad boy boyfriend and that’s because he is exactly that in Wes Craven’s (A Nightmare On Elm Street) hip modern horror, Scream. Played by Skeet Ulrich (Riverdale), Billy’s murderous motives are hidden beneath a layer of devious vulnerability and smoldering good looks. If he wants to cause years of lifelong damage for you and your friends, he’s more than capable of being the villain. Don’t take Billy to the prom, leave him to stay at home with The Exorcist.
7. Rachel Lang in The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999)
Rachel Lang carries on the legacy of hellish prom dates in Katt Shea’s (Poison Ivy) sequel to Carrie, in The Rage: Carrie 2. Played by Emily Bergi (Shameless), Rachel is an outsider at her school, despite her outer beauty, giving her a unique appeal. Now, most of her vengeful acts may very well be supported by the nasty missteps of others, but Rachel is an angry powerful force. One wrong move could have you blinded by glass, set on fire, and even having important body organs shot off. It’s a right of passage for her to be a true prom date from hell, even if we are rooting for her the whole way through.
6. Terry Stankus in All Cheerleaders Die (2013)
Lucky McKee (May) has a way of presenting modern villains in a rare, mod way. His supernatural coed dark comedy, All Cheerleaders Die has one in particular that may seem like the guy you want to escort you to prom, but the results would be nothing short of tragic… and gross. Terry Stankus, played by Tom Williamson (VFW), possesses a hunky high school pedigree, but his violence towards women is simply barbaric. As he grows in power, literally, his hatred for cheerleaders shows in a big way. He is an all-consuming jock on the outside and the inside. Terry is an all star football player best left on the sidelines.
5. Lola in The Loved Ones (2009)
This might be a reverse situation. Lola’s crush finds himself in a seriously terrifying and painful dance set in brutality simply because he let Lola down when she asked him to the school dance in Sean Byrne’s (The Devil’s Candy) Australian horror, The Loved Ones. With a brilliantly charming and demented performance by Robin McLeavy (Hell On Wheels), Lola could be the epitome of prom nightmares. She’ll dress for the event and knows the sequence every step of the way, but there is no promise of a happy ending if you find yourself with her hanging on your arm. If she sets her sights on you, you’re pretty much damned if you do and screwed if you don’t (there’s an intended pun on there).
4. Kim Ki-woo in Parasite (2019)
Bong Joon-ho’s (Snowpiercer) Oscar winning thriller, Parasite, charmed audiences with fantastic elements with the characters taking center stage. Played by Choi Woo-shik (Train To Busan), Kim Ki-woo is intelligent, handsome, and understanding, but you can almost bet on his every action being part of a scheme leaving you with the short end of the stick in the end. Taking him to prom as your date will more than likely result in each member of his family infiltrating your life and the lives of your own family members. Should you go to prom with someone you can’t trust? No. Would you know any better when it comes to Kim Ki-woo? Nope.
3. Jennifer Check in Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Jennifer Check is drop-dead-gorgeous even on her worst of days as you can see in Karyn Kusama’s (The Invitation) witty teen horror, Jennifer’s Body. She is a lot faster than the other girls of her senior class and she was the Snowflake Queen for goodness sake. She would make a killer prom date, no doubt, but that’s just it: Jennifer is a killer. There is something horrifying controlling her mind and body leaving pieces of boys to pile up behind every step she takes. Played by Megan Fox (Transformers), Jennifer is described as “high school evil” at best and the demon possessing her is thirsty for blood. Everyone may be tempted to have try their hand with her, but they usually end up losing it. Even though Jennifer is notorious for eating boys, no one is safe. She goes both ways.
2. Mary Lou in Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987)
This one might be an obvious choice, but the titular villainess in Bruce Pittman’s (Where The Spirit Lives) bizarre Prom Night sequel, Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II, would be one of the most outrageous prom dates. After a prank gone wrong caused the beautiful and popular Mary Lou to burst into flames at her own high school prom, she possesses the body of another young woman and things get weird. Really weird. Played by Lisa Schrage (China White), Vicki turned Mary Lou becomes a hyper-sexualized menace tormenting and destroying everyone in her path. Since she’s seeking vengeance against her past prom date, you might want to steer clear of becoming her next beau. This prom queen is not just after a crown…
1. Christian from Midsommar (2019)
There are a lot of bad boyfriends in the horror genre, but since the release of Ari Aster’s (Hereditary) emotionally-charged pagan trip, Midsommar, Christian easily earns a spot as one of the worst significant others in cinema. Played by Jack Reynor (What Richard Did), Christian seems like an average college student with good looks and semi-supportive feelings, but his undermining demeanor and neglectful personality fits him comfortably into a bear suit. You don’t want to experience his passive aggressive emotional abuse during your prom and you certainly wouldn’t want to find him in the unsavory act that finally dooms him. He definitely loses the vote of prom king. The only crown Christian should wear is one made of flowers.
Don’t be fooled by the allure of these guys and girls. While it may be daunting to go stag to your high school prom, it’s a lot better than getting stuck with any of these horror characters. These guys and girls are built on treachery, deception, and bad intentions. Prom is a night meant to enchant, create memories, and celebrate the end of one’s high school career with gusto. It’s not a time to be drenched in carnage and poor decisions, most of the time, which is what you would get with a date from hell.
Which of these horror prom dates from hell would you definitely say no to? Which would you give a chance? Who would make the worst prom date? Let us know your thoughts over on Twitter, Reddit, or in the Horror Movie Fiend Club on Facebook!
