The time has come to acknowledge Dan Stevens for the scream king that he is. This year alone, his genre credits include Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Abigail, and director Tilman Singer’s new film Cuckoo, where he plays a mysterious and undeniably villainous resort owner named Herr König. In the same way that scream queens have helped shape and define the fabric of horror and its feminine roles, recurring scream kings like Stevens have similarly influenced the spectrum of masculinity represented in the genre.
After shocking Downton Abbey fans when he turned in his resignation nearly 12 years ago, it was unclear what Stevens’ career future would look like. Thankfully for us horror fans, his desire for diverse creative experiences quickly drew him towards genre fare. With his disarming good looks and willingness to get weird, wild, and downright drenched in blood, Stevens brings a palpable enthusiasm to every project he touches. Forever relishing the opportunity to play against type, execute a fight sequence, donne a distinct accent, or flex his comedy chops, no two Stevens’ performances are exactly alike.
This fact certainly holds for Stevens’ performance in Cuckoo. Bloody Disgusting’s own Meagan Navarro notes in her Cuckoo review that Stevens “gets to let loose in thrilling ways” when Herr König finds his nefarious plans at risk of being destroyed by the intelligent and moody teen Gretchen, played to perfection by Hunter Schafer. In celebration of the film’s release this weekend and Stevens’ newly official scream king status, here are some of his best horror performances so far.
David – The Guest (2014)
In Adam Wingard’s The Guest, Dan Stevens portrays a mysterious young soldier named David who literally runs into town to deliver a final message to the Peterson family from their son who died in action. Despite the family’s initial concerns, they ultimately welcome David and the chance for closure he brings. However, the more the family interacts with David, the more suspicious the Peterson’s daughter Anna (Maika Monroe) becomes of his motives and the series of alarming deaths that seem to occur when he’s around.
For many horror fans, The Guest was the first proper introduction to Stevens and what he could do on screen. As David, Stevens exudes an enchanting ambiguity that balances charm and danger on a razor’s edge. With little more than a look, a slightly raised voice or a well-placed towel, Stevens transforms David from an undeniable dreamboat to an unstable T-800 capable of terrible things. In a sneakily complex role, Stevens demonstrates his immense range and command of his physical presence while delivering a performance that still hits even ten years later.
Charlie – The Rental (2020)
Before Jeremy Allen White became the poster boy for “Rat Boy Summer” and hot chefs everywhere, he starred alongside Stevens as his brother in Dave Franco’s vacation horror film, The Rental. Charlie (Stevens), his wife Michelle (Alison Brie), Josh (Allen White), and Josh’s girlfriend Mina (Sheila Vand) all decide to rent a vacation home together to enjoy some much-needed time bonding and relaxing near the beach. But of course, relationships get tested, and nobody is as they seem, including the creepy vacation homeowner.
One of the more understated roles in his filmography, Stevens uses his natural charm and on-screen magnetism to carefully craft Charlie’s persona. Artfully manipulative and slyly sinister, Stevens sells a performance so conceivable that it unsettles due to sheer believability. Villainous conduct can present itself in many ways, and The Rental proves Stevens is a veritable expert in the field.
Thomas Richardson – Apostle (2018)
In Gareth Evans’ folk horror period piece Apostle, Stevens plays a young man named Thomas who is determined to save his sister from a mysterious religious cult that has kidnapped and held her hostage on a remote, isolated island. Set in 1905, the film’s period resembles much of Stevens’ previous work on various BBC productions. However, the comparisons end there.
As fans of Evans’ other film endeavors like “Safe Haven” from V/H/S 2 or The Raid: Redemption might suspect, Apostle starts simple enough but wastes no time rapidly descending into a deeply disturbing madness. Keeping pace with this narrative trajectory every step of the way is Stevens and his performance as Thomas. As an outsider breaching the walls of the island’s community, Thomas acts as the audience’s conduit into the unsettling religious atmosphere. Both physically and emotionally demanding, Stevens captivates with a genuinely commanding performance that proves he isn’t afraid to go dark and get his hands dirty.
Frank – Abigail (2024)
Born and raised in the South London area of England, Stevens is one of those English actors that many non-Downton Abbey fans often forget is actually English due to his ability to deliver a convincing range of accents. In the latest offering from Radio Silence directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, Stevens takes full advantage of this fact for his performance as the ex-New York cop, Frank, in Abigail. Sent to lead the 24-hour kidnapping mission of a rich and powerful man’s daughter, Frank soon finds his authority and plans derailed by the revelation that the young girl is, in fact, a vampire.
While Frank’s propensity for criminal behavior is on par with the rest of his team’s and disclosed in the film’s opening minutes, the reveal that he is a former cop adds an extra level of sleaze that Stevens embraces with open arms. Maximizing the opportunity, Stevens delivers a thick New York accent as perfectly cheesy as the gold chain Frank wears around his neck. As the night spirals into a frenzy of tulle and vampiric tropes, Stevens incrementally dials up his performance to make his final scenery-chewing moments a bloody delight.
Alo Glo Man – Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities: “The Outside” (2022)
Part of what endears Stevens to so many is his willingness to welcome the absurd and lean into comedy when the tone is right. This fact is on full display in director Ana Lily Amirpour’s episode of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities titled “The Outside.” In the episode, an awkward and quirky bank teller named Stacey (Kate Micucci) becomes obsessed with using a popular lotion called Alo Glo, even though it causes her to have a horrible allergic reaction. As the Alo Glo spokesman, Stevens speaks to Stacey through the television, encouraging her to continue using Alo Glo so that she can fit in and finally feel beautiful.
A scathing and hilarious indictment of beauty standards and the warped perspective many experience due to them, Stevens adopts a smarmy salesman persona, complete with an icy white wig, slick suit, and indiscriminate European accent. Physically embodying and portraying a manifested idea of the male gaze, Stevens’ performance clearly shows a self-awareness that perfectly matches the vibe Amirpour is going for. Even as a side character beaming in over an infomercial, Stevens shines with his effortlessly amusing flair for satire.
Killer Performance Honorable Mentions:
- Blithe Spirit (2020)
- Her Smell (2018)
- Legion (2019)
- Beauty and the Beast (2017)
- Vamps (2012)
Cuckoo, starring Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens, is now playing in theaters. Get tickets now!
In Cuckoo: “Reluctantly, 17-year-old Gretchen leaves her American home to live with her father, who has just moved into a resort in the German Alps with his new family. Arriving at their future residence, they are greeted by Mr. König, her father’s boss, who takes an inexplicable interest in Gretchen’s mute half-sister Alma. Something doesn’t seem right in this tranquil vacation paradise. Gretchen is plagued by strange noises and bloody visions until she discovers a shocking secret that also concerns her own family.”
Our own Meagan Navarro wrote in her review out of SXSW, “There’s inventive worldbuilding on display that sets this high-concept horror movie apart and a few intense horror cat-and-mouse scenes that deliver palpable tension. But Singer approaches it with a playful sense of humor that only further nudges Cuckoo into the realm of weird cinema. It’s so refreshingly unconventional and unpredictable in every way, right down to its raucous, entertainingly silly finale, that it’s hard to care about all of the plot that gets discarded along the way.”
