Scary twins appear in many horror movies, but it’s only thebest horror movies with twins inthat manage to make identical siblings unforgettably terrifying. Society has always had a fascination with twins, and they’ve been integral to the plots of many comedies, dramas, and twist-filled action movies over the years. However, it’s creepy twins in horror movies that are often the most memorable for audiences - whether they’re identical or not.
Horror movies with twins use a variety of different types of siblings who shared a womb. Some use identical twins, some conjoined. Others have mixed-gender twins, and some even focus on the spirits and ghosts of a twin that didn’t survive. The best horror movies with twins also include some incredible directors including the like of James Wan, David Cronenberg, George A. Romero, and Stanley Kubrick, ensuring the niche subgenre contains plenty ofhighly-regarded horror movies.
Let Her Out
Cast
Let Her Out follows Helen, who, after a traumatic accident, discovers a brain tumor triggering hallucinations and disturbing experiences. As her mental state deteriorates, she confronts unsettling visions and behaviors, blurring the line between reality and her inner turmoil. This psychological horror explores themes of identity and self-control.
2016’sLet Her Outis relatively unique among great horror movies with twins in. Rather than featuring a creepy set of identical twins,director Cody Callahan’s body horrorhas only one twin being the source of the fear and danger, with the other being the victim.Let Her Outfollows many tropes of demonic possession movies, and is about a twin killed in utero reaching out to take control of the body of its surviving sibling.
Alanna LeVierge stars as Helen inLet Her Out,a courier experiencing strange borderline paranormal phenomena after an accident. She learns that the presence invading her mind isn’t a demonic entity, but the twin sister who died pre-birth due to Helen’s mom stabbing herself in the stomach while pregnant.Let Her Outfeatures some great gruesome body transformation sequences, plenty of slasher flick-like kills, and some unsettling moments between Helen and her reflection (reminiscent of directorAlexandre Anje’s 2008 horrorMirrors).
Flowers in the Attic
Flowers in the Attic is a 1987 adaptation of V.C. Andrews' novel, directed by Jeffrey Bloom. The film chronicles the harrowing ordeal of four siblings who are confined to an attic by their mother and grandmother after the death of their father. As they struggle to survive, they uncover dark family secrets. The cast includes Louise Fletcher, Victoria Tennant, and Kristy Swanson.
Director Jeffrey Bloom’sFlowers in the Atticis the 1987 adaptation of author V.C. Andrew’s novel of the same name. The psychological thriller is a harrowing tale of abuse, inbreeding, and mistreatment of children. Two of the four siblings are also twins, the young Cory and Carrie Dollanganger, played by Ben Ganger and Lindsay Parker, respectively.
While the twins aren’t necessarily the source of the creepy horror inFlowers in the Attic,they’re still at the center of many disturbing goings on.WhileFlowers in the Atticmight not utilize twins in quite the same way as many other films in the subgenre, it still stands out as an incredibly solid movie. It has more than its fair share of unsettling moments throughout, and though it may not be the most visceral or jump-scare-filled horror movie with twins in,Flowers in the Atticis undeniably one of the most memorable.
The Dark Half
The Dark Half is a psychological horror film directed by George A. Romero, based on Stephen King’s novel. The story follows Thad Beaumont, a successful author who decides to kill off his pseudonym, George Stark, only to find his darker half coming to life and committing a series of brutal murders. Timothy Hutton stars in the dual roles of Thad Beaumont and George Stark. Released in 1993, the film explores themes of identity and the duality of human nature.
The Dark Halfmay be alesser-known Stephen King adaptation, but the 1993 horror from legendary zombie movie director George A. Romero features an incredibly creepy set of twins. Based on Stephen King’s 1989 novel of the same name,The Dark Halffocuses on Thad Beaumont and George Stark (both played by Timothy Hutton). It’s an interesting take on many tropes in the best horror movies with twins, as Thad and George aren’t siblings. Rather, George is a dark alter-ego of Thad, one who develops his own body to cause carnage in the real world.
Thad Beaumont is a novelist inThe Dark Half,and it’s through his depictions of George Stark in his books that his sinister psychic twin is able to manifest outside the page.It’s one of the most philosophical and thematically deep horror movies about twins, and Timothy Hutton’s performance as both Thad and Beaumont ensures there’s no doubt about Thad and George being distinct characters.
The Forest
The Forest is a 2016 horror film centering on a woman’s search for her sister after she disappears in Aokigahara in Japan, also known as the Suicide Forest. Natalie Dormer and Stephanie Vogt star as the two sisters, with Jason Zada directing the film. Upon release, the film saw controversy and was criticized for trivializing the tragedy that has taken place in the real-life forest for decades.
Director Jason Zada’sThe ForestseesGame of Thronesstar Natalie Dormer playing identical twins Sara and Jess. The plot focuses on Japan’s Aokighara forest, known for being a popular place to commit suicide. Jess has gone missing in the forest, so Sara travels to Japan to track down her missing twin sister.AsThe Forestprogresses, it becomes clear the pair share a psychic link, and it’s here that the twins inThe Forestbecome one of the best sets of identical siblings in modern horror movies.
While Sara and Jess aren’t necessarily creepy in their own behavior, the way that the spirits in the 2016 ghost horror movie manipulate the twins and plays off of the fact they’re identical definitely is. As far as pace is concerned,The Forestis a slow burner among the best horror movies with twins in go, and it leans more into building a slow dread than jump cares. Director Jason Zada’s cinematography skills deserve mention too, asThe Forestfeatures some incredible location shots of the Aokighara landscape.
Twins of Evil
Twins of Evil is a 1971 Hammer Horror film centered on Count Karstein’s vampiric initiation by resurrecting Mircalla Karnstein. As deaths plague the village, Puritan leader Gustav hunts the occult threat, entangling his twin nieces, Maria and Frieda, in the battle between innocence and malevolent forces.
The films fromBritish studio Hammer Horrorare incredibly influential, and dominated the horror movie market in the mid 20th century. One of the great horror movies with twins in from the studio was 1971’sTwins of Evil,which starred sisters Mary and Madeline Collinson as Maria and Frieda Gellhorn. The fact thatTwins of Evilwas also known asTwins of Draculagives away the plot and tone. Vampires feature heavily, and the twins are central to the story.
As far as the tone goes,Twins of Evilcontains everything viewers would expect from a 1970s horror film. There are some incredible sequences, and the nostalgia factor is, like almost every release from Hammer Horror, incredibly strong. The best evil twin moments come when Frieda begins giving into the temptations of vampirism, andthe performances of the Collinson sisters and Peter Cushing ofStar Warsfame more than make this underrated gem worth visiting.
Sinister 2
Sinister 2 is a supernatural horror thriller by director Ciaran Foy and follows a mother and her twin sons who have recently moved to the country to escape her husband’s abuse. When one of the twins begins to receive visits from ghostly children that show him prior families murdered in the home, the family becomes marked for death. To survive, the family will lean on a former deputy familiar with the curse of the demonic entity.
Director Ciaran Foy’sSinister 2is the 2015 sequelto 2012’s Sinister,and both are considered highly underrated supernatural horrors by the franchise’s fanbase. Both are filled with well-timed jump scares.The visuals that come with the hauntings are also highly regarded by many horror movie fans, and there are plenty of memorable moments that come with the malevolent curse haunting the Collins family.While the 2012 original is a solid horror film in its own right, it’sSinister 2that will interest those looking for films with creepy twins.
When it comes to creepy horror movie twins, it’sSinister 2that ranks among the best in the subgenre. Robert Daniel Sloan and Dartanian Sloan play identical twin brothers Zach and Dylan Collins. The 2015 film pits the twins against one another, with Zach becoming possessed and actively trying to kill his sibling as well as their parents. The real-life twins deliver an incredibly solid performance as Zach and Dylan, thoughSinister 2overall wasn’t well received by critics when it was released.
American Mary
American Mary, directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska, follows Mary Mason, a medical student drawn into the world of underground surgeries and body modification. As her career advances, she becomes increasingly entangled in a subculture where her skills are in high demand but ethics and morality are questioned. Starring Katharine Isabelle, the film explores themes of ambition, vengeance, and the desire for control.
2012’sAmerican Maryis a great body-horror movie, though its creepy twins aren’t central to the plot. However, they are both incredibly memorable and unsettlingly scary. Directors Jen and Sylvia Soska cameo in the movie as two demonic twins from Berlin.The twins inAmerican Maryare incredibly creepy, especially with their obsessive fascination with both body modification and with one another.
American Maryis extreme, and much of the content is incredibly disturbing, though depicted so well with prosthetic effects that the response from critics was, by and large, positive. It’s definitely not a horror movie with twins in for the faint of heart, but those who appreciate gore and adult themes will findAmerican Maryan incredible ride. It’s the definition of gross-out body horror, and it has some interesting commentary on society’s obsession with body image too.
Seconds Apart
Seconds Apart is a psychological horror film featuring twins Seth and Jonah, who possess telekinetic powers. As mysterious deaths plague their school, the brothers' bond deteriorates under the strain of jealousy and mistrust, culminating in a fateful confrontation. The film explores themes of power, sibling rivalry, and moral ambiguity.
Telepathy is a feature of many horror movies with twins in, as the idea of identical siblings sharing a psychic link is unnerving in and of itself. However, few manage to make twins who can read one another’s thoughts quite as harrowing as seconds apart. Directed by Antonia Negret, 2011’sSeconds Apartfeatures Edmund and Gary Entin as Jonah and Seth Trimble. Throughout the movie, Jonah and Seth go on a violent rampage, torturing and killing multiple members of their town.
Their murder spree takes an even darker turn when it emerges that Jonah and Seth have psychic powers. It adds an extra supernatural layer to the already gory horror movie, and it works incredibly well.While it wasn’t received incredibly well by critics (many of whom pointed out similarities to David Cronenberg’sScanners),Seconds Apartstill contains one of the most creepy sets of evil twins of any horror movie.
Alone
Alone is a Thai horror film directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom. The film centers around Pim, who is tormented by the ghost of her conjoined twin sister, Ploy, after moving to South Korea. As Pim’s life unravels, the sinister presence of her deceased sister grows stronger, leading to a confrontation with her haunting past.
There are manygreat Thai horror movies, and one of them also stands as one of the best evil twin movies. 2007’sAlonecomes from directors Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom, with the movie winning the pair awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing at the LA Screamfest Horror Film Festival. It’s an incredibly effective horror film that blends elements from several different subgenres. It’s also one of the few movies about identical siblings that focuses on conjoined twins.
Pim and Ploy (both played by Marsha Vadhanapanich inAlone)are conjoined siblings who become surgically separated. The procedure goes horribly wrong, only Pim survives. Once she reaches adulthood, she finds herself haunted by the spirit of her dead sister.The plot is filled with plenty of disturbing twists, andAlonealso some of the best ghost horror movie moments of 2010s cinema.
Tin & Tina
Tin & Tina follows the story of Lola and Adolfo, a couple grappling with the aftermath of a traumatic miscarriage. They adopt Tin and Tina, an albino brother and sister whose strict ultra-Catholic upbringing leads them to interpret the Bible literally, creating unforeseen challenges for the family.
2023’sTin & Tinaisa religious horror moviefrom director Rubin Stein, and it’s laced with many disturbing psychological elements that work incredibly well for building up slow, atmospheric dread. The creepy twins inTin & Tinaare played by child actors Carlos Gonzales Morollon and Anastasia Russo, and as Tin and Tina they are incredibly unsettling.
The plot ofTin & Tinasees the titular twins adopted by Lola (Milena Smit) and Adolfo (Jaimes Lorente). The siblings are incredibly religiously devout, but as Lola indulges in her foster children’s passion for their faith, she notices their beliefs and practices become increasingly harrowing and violent.It’s a film that makes a lot of comments on the nature of religion, though this doesn’t stop the many moments that the titular evil twins inTin & Tinaterrorize Lola and Adolfo any less terrifying.
