Before Eternals or House of Gucci, Salma Hayek appeared in a quartet of horror films from The Faculty to From Dusk Till Dawn, but which is better?
Screen veteran Salma hayek recently returned to the cinema with Gucci House and Eternals, but it had been a long time since there had been a Salma Hayek horror movie. Despite her debut as an action heroine, Salma Hayek hasn’t directed as many horror films as some readers might guess. The veteran star has popped up in a multitude of sci-fi endeavors, but over the decades of her career, Hayek has only appeared in four horror films.
Hayek’s first horror film came shortly after his starring role in Desperado and reunited with the director of that film, Robert Rodriguez. After the 1996 vampire western From dusk to dawn, Hayek avoided the genre for two years before Rodriguez tempted her to return to the dark side with the 1998s. Faculty. Written by Scream franchise co-creator Kevin Williamson, this 1998 sci-fi horror gave Hayek a minor role. She played a bigger role in her next horror, that of 2009 Freak show, before his last horror film to date, 2015 Fairy tale, relegated her again to a smaller role.
However, while Hayek may not share Kevin Bacon’s love for horror, some of his releases in the genre have received critical acclaim. That said, some of Salma Hayek’s last horror films haven’t had so much luck with the reviews. The failure of Hayek’s more recent horror films may have even played into his decision to move away from the genre. Here are Salma Hayek’s horror movies ranked from worst to best.
Freak show
Released in 2009, Freak show was a big budget adaptation of Darren Shan’s bestselling YA. Unfortunately for Hayek and the talented cast, Freak show was one of the least Harry potter imitations, fearless, with minimal benefits and a misreading of John C. Reilly wasted in a predictable plot. Hayek is fun as bearded lady Madame Truska but, like Dead end‘s Ana De Armas, the star is unable to raise the material on her own.
Fairy tale
While 2015 Tales of Tales itself is as uneven as most anthology efforts, the inventive fusion of horror, fantasy, and fairy tale shines over the course of Hayek’s Chilling Story and Vincent Cassel’s remarkable segment. A collection of European folk tales reinvented by director Matteo Garrone, Tales of Tales sometimes meanders, but the central story of Hayek’s Mad Queen eating a dragon’s heart in hopes of conceiving an heir is gripping and surreal. Fairy tale may not keep that level of artistry throughout its long runtime but, at its best, this is the best horror movie Guillermo Del Toro has ever made.
Faculty
Underrated since its release, the film by director Robert Rodriguez Faculty is an effort scripted by Kevin Williamson that aimed to do for sci-fi snatch what Scream made for teen slashers. The self-aware humor isn’t quite as sharp this time around, but the cast is uniformly superb. Hayek only landed a small role playing the guy as a wacky school nurse, but she fits into the solid lineup and has as much fun as campy co-stars Robert Patrick, Famke Janssen and Jon. Stewart.
From dusk till dawn
1996 Vampire Pursuit / Western Movie From dusk till dawn is a wild-type hybrid that by all rights shouldn’t have worked. Initially a tense abduction thriller, From dusk till dawn pull a switch halfway when the anti-heroes lurk in a vampire infested bar. contrary to Midnight Mass‘Stephen King-influenced vampire story, in this quicker, dumber effort the leeches appear suddenly and without an explanation, but the movie is still a blast although it doesn’t make much sense. From dusk till dawn also gave Salma hayek one of his most iconic roles to date, making it the star’s best horror and one of director Robert Rodriguez’s best films.
About the Author
