Ethan Hawke has been in Hollywood for exactly 40 years now, an incredible milestone, considering he is only 54. During this period, the two-time Oscar nominee has tried his hand in just about every genre. He made his debut in 1985 with the science-fiction fantasy film Explorers, before landing a breakthrough role in the 1989 coming-of-age drama film Dead Poets Society opposite Robin Williams. His star would rise even higher in the early 2000s when he starred alongside Denzel Washington in Training Day.
Interestingly, Hawke avoided the horror genre for much of his early career, only venturing into it after the turn of the century. Thankfully, he hasn’t regretted the choice. The actor has become somewhat of a horror icon, thanks to recent hits like The Purge and The Black Phone. So far, he has starred in 7 horror movies, and we hope there’ll be more. Here’s how his scary flicks rank against each other, inlcuding his latest, Black Phone 2.
7
‘Regression’ (2015)
It’s the year 1990 in Regression. We are in Hoyer, Minnesota, where Detective Bruce Kenner (Ethan Hawke) is investigating the case of a man whose 17-year-old daughter has accused him of sexual abuse, but he has no recollection of the events. Detectives soon link the crime to a satanic cult, and as Bruce digs deeper, he starts experiencing demonic nightmares. What’s really happening?
It Eventually Goes Nowhere
Alejandro Amenábar’s third English-language film could have been a timeless classic, just like The Others, but it’s let down by a poor third act. Drawing from the tabloids, the filmmaker serves a lyrical, poignant tale of occultism and injustice, but fails to nail a proper conclusion. There are also very few genuine scares, with the film mostly relying on disturbing dreams and an eerie atmosphere to keep itself standing. Still, Hawke does a wonderful job of portraying a frustrated cop who wishes he had a different career.
6
‘Taking Lives’ (2004)
The serial killer in Taking Lives does indeed take lives… literally. Here, FBI profiler Illeana Scott (Angelina Jolie) looks into the activities of a notorious murderer who assumes each victim’s identity, confidentially living as them until he grows tired and strikes again. James Costa (Ethan Hawke), an art dealer who allegedly witnessed one of the murders, becomes a key witness and falls for Scott.
Hawke and Jolie Unsuccessfully Try To Save the Movie
With a sharper script, Taking Lives would have not only helped change the face of horror cinema — especially with its procedural-like tropes and documentary-like feel for street life — it would also have become the gold standard for all films that feature Dexter-like villains. Unfortunately, there is nothing to be impressed by other than Hawke and Jolie’s performance. The killer is made to sound menacing at first, but he comes off as pretty tame later on. Typical style over substance movie.
5
‘Daybreakers’ (2009)
Set in 2019, Daybreakers presents a world where a plague turned most people into vampires, resulting in a shortage of blood. Edward Dalton (Hawke), a well-meaning vampire hematologist working for a major corporation that farms humans for blood that the demented vampire society can feed on. Fed up, he soon joins human survivors to try and reverse vampirism.
Time To End the Madness
Daybreakers is a great choice for anyone looking for a quick, entertaining sci-fi horror movie. The wildly imaginative, feverishly kooky, and gory film captures the fun, off-kilter spirit of vampire trademarks while riding on an element of humanity. Many over-the-top horror set pieces are showcased in saturated color, so you feel like the blood-sucking creatures are right there with you. But the endless jump scares feel wasted because none of the cast members give outstanding performances, not even Hawke.
4
‘The Purge’ (2013)
In this fictional world, the unemployment rate has dropped to 1% and crime is at record lows. However, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour “Purge” during which all crimes with small weapons are legal and emergency services are suspended. Salesman James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) and his family feel fairly safe, since only the poor tend to be targeted, but the situation turns for the worse for them in The Purge when their son Charlie lets in a stranger who was being chased.
No Police, No Courts
The Purge is sure-fire adult-only entertainment, perfect for those who are used to such kinds of gore. Hawke is great as the dad, Lena Headey is refreshingly understated as the mom, and Max Burkholder is focused as the son who caused all the trouble. We meet both the obsessive and the obnoxious, with events often taking wild turns. So good was the movie that it spawned a franchise, with five movies and a TV show. In July 2025, director James DeMonaco revealed that the script for a sixth film was complete and that production would begin later in the year.
3
‘Sinister’ (2012)
True crime writer Ellison Oswalt (Hawke) moves his family into a home in the town of Chatford. He hasn’t had a bestseller in a while, so finances are low. Unknown to his wife, the new home is the site of the gruesome murder of the previous owners – the Stevenson family. Ellison just happens to be secretly writing about them, and intends to use the home as inspiration. When a demonic entity pops up in the attic, the plot thickens. Who survives in Sinister?
The Research Doesn’t Go as Planned
Sam Raimi must be sad he never made this movie, given the high number of creative jump scares. No matter how tough you are, Sinister will have you ducking under the table and shaking like Courage the Cowardly Dog. Modest, creepy, and downbeat, the horror film has a lot that film school students can learn from. Shadows play a huge role, especially in some ominous corridor scenes, and so does sound. The rest is the standard fare. And it works.
2
‘The Black Phone’ (2021)
Based on a short story of the same name in Joe Hill’s anthology book, 20th Century Ghosts, The Black Phone takes us back to the late 1970s, where 13-year-old Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) is abducted by a sadistic masked killer known as The Grabber (Ethan Hawke). Held in a basement, Finney discovers a disconnected black phone that (strangely enough) allows him to communicate with The Grabber’s past victims. Will this help him?
What Does the Grabber Want?
Hawke and director Scott Derrickson (known for Doctor Strange) elevate this supernatural horror with their respective talents. The premise seems simple, yet the narrative is dense, with an occasional chiaroscuro mood made possible with great camerawork. Thames gives a luminous performance while Hawke, who rarely plays villains, shines so much you’d think this is the only thing he has been doing his entire career. The Black Phone won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Screenwriting and was nominated for several other accolades at the Saturn Awards.
1
‘Black Phone 2’ (2025)
It’s 1982 in Black Phone 2, four years after Finney Blake (Mason Thames) escaped from The Grabber. He is still dealing with the trauma, and things only get worse when his psychic sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) starts having terrifying nightmares of mutilated boys at a winter camp, accompanied by the ringing of the black phone.
The Graph Line Keeps Going Up
Black Phone 2 premiered in America on October 17, and critics have had nothing but great things to say about it, describing it as slightly superior to the first installment, though both are close to perfect. Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw have been singled out for praise, with Hawke also appreciated for conveying the usual menace. The cinematography has been praised too, and so has the pacing and tone, with commentators noting that it effectively balances tension and scares.
- Release Date
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October 17, 2025
- Runtime
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114 Minutes
- Director
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Scott Derrickson