Skip to main content
  • TotalFilm
  • Edge
  • Newsarama
  • Retrogamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
Black Panther, Iron Man, Vision, War Machine, and Black Widow at the Berlin airport in Captain America: Civil War - part of our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order
Superhero Movies How to watch the Marvel movies in order (release and chronological order)
Atmosphere at the 98th Oscars Governors Ball preview held at The Ray Dolby Ballroom on March 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Streaming Services How to watch The Oscars for free, your guide to live streaming the Academy Awards around the world
Michael B. Jordan in Ryan Coogler's vampire horror Sinners
Drama Movies Oscars 2026 live coverage: All the winners, red carpet, and the 97th Academy Awards' biggest moments – as it happens
Tim Roth as Beckett reading with his feet on a desk in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Crime Movies Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man villain Tim Roth starred in The Incredible Hulk to "embarrass" his kids
Dune 2
Movies Upcoming movies: The most exciting new movies coming in 2026 and beyond
Dune
Movies Movie release dates 2026: Every major film coming to cinemas and streaming
One Piece
Netflix The 25 best shows on Netflix to watch in 2026
Cillian Murphy as Tommy in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Movies The 25 best movies on Netflix to watch right now
The Lion King is undoubtedly one of the best movies on Disney Plus
Movies The 30 best movies on Disney Plus to watch right now
Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather.
Streaming Services The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
(L to R) Steven Yeun as Detective Mike Ro, Matt Damon as Lieutenant Dane Dumars, Ben Affleck as Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne, and Kyle Chandler as DEA Agent Mateo 'Matty' Nix in The Rip.
Action Movies The 25 best Netflix action movies to watch right now
Billie Roy in Lee Cronin's The Mummy
Horror Movies Upcoming horror movies coming in 2026 and beyond
Ghostface in Scream 7
Horror Movies Scream 7 ending explained: who dies, who is Ghostface and will there be a Scream 8?
Walton Goggins as the Ghoul in Fallout season 2
TV The 25 best shows on Amazon Prime Video to watch right now
A close-up of Leon, frowning in a big black coat, in Resident Evil Requiem
Horror Games The 25 best horror games worth playing in 2026
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

50 Magnificent Movie Masks

Features
By Joshua Winning published 2 July 2013

Eyes without a face…

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Burlap Bag - The Orphanage (2007)

The Mask: A sack worn by Tomás (Óscar Casas), a child whom Simón (Roger Príncep) befriends at the orphanage run by his adopted father.

But why is Tomás wearing it?

Why It's Magnificent: Like Jason Voorhees before him, Tomás' use of the sack as a mask is both simple and effectively chilling - a sign of desperation.

Sound Of The Mountain (1954)

The Mask: A theatrical mask of a child which is sent as a gift in this Japanese drama about the growing relationship between Kikuko (Setsuko Hara) and her father-in-law, Shingo (So Yamamura).

Why It's Magnificent: Sure, it's a mask, but it's also a metaphor for how the characters like to either hide their own feelings, or dramatically unmask them in a torrent of emotion.

Sarah & The Goblin King - Labyrinth (1986)

The Masks: Ornate creations worn by Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) and the Goblin King (David Bowie) during a delirious ballroom dream sequence.

Why They're Magnificent: 'Fabulous' is probably a more apt word here.

Particularly Bowie's demon-head-on-a-stick, which looks like his mask is being held up by a skeletal hand.

You may like
  • Superman kisses Lois Lane in James Gunn's Superman The 20 best movies on HBO Max to watch right now
  • Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather. The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
  • Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in Sonic 3 The 25 best movies on Prime Video to watch right now

Alex - A Clockwork Orange (1971)

The Mask: A long-nosed mask worn by Alex (Malcolm McDowell) when he and his droogs break into a house and assault a woman.

Why It's Magnificent: The mask acts as both, well a mask, and foreboding - its unavoidably phallic, which makes it the perfectly horrible thing for Alex to wear while carrying out his violent acts.

Mask of Satan - Black Sunday (1960)

The Mask: A spike-lined metal mask that's used by an executioner to kill Princess Asa, who's been accused of being a witch.

Weirdly, when she's unearthed 200 years later and the mask's removed, she's still quite fetching…

Why It's Magnificent: It really doesn't get more grisly than this; this is the kind of macabre mask that'll give you sleepless nights for weeks.

Pig Mask - Saw (2004)

The Mask: Basically a pig mask worn by killer Jigsaw and his accomplices.

It's meant to be a tribute to the Year of the Pig, which is when Jigsaw began his grisly work.

Most chilling: the pig has hair.

Why It's Magnificent: It's the last thing you're expecting in this first Saw film - a film full of unexpected surprises - and genuinely disturbing.

Dollface, Man In The Mask, Pin-Up Girl - The Strangers (2008)

The Mask: A trio of chill-inducing masks all worn by the faceless assailants who break into the holiday home of Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman).

Why They're Magnificent: The Man In The Mask sort of looks like a scarecrow, while Dollface resembles exactly that - a doll come to malevolent life.

If these three broke into our house at night, we couldn't be held responsible for the reactions of our bladders.

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Buttonface - Nightbreed (1990)

The Mask: Worn by David Cronenberg as the creepy Dr Decker, this mask comes with buttons for eyes and a zip to make breathing a little easier.

Why It's Magnificent: It's really difficult to figure out exactly what it is - is it human flesh, or a sack, or some kind of pencil case gone wrong?

Also, how on earth can he see with buttons covering his eyes?

Mrs Tredoni - Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)

The Mask: A weird, vaguely translucent mask that sort of looks like a frozen-faced Betty Boop.

When paired with a bright yellow rain coat, it's uncanny and unsettling in equal measure.

Why It's Magnificent:
It's not often that slasher movies feature killers who wear a female mask, making this both unique and scary as hell.

Pig-bear - The Shining (1980)

The Mask: Blink and you'll miss it.

With things going a bit crazy in the Overlook Hotel, Wendy (Shelley Duvall) stumbles upon a room where a man is being serviced by somebody in a disturbing pig-bear suit and mask.

Why It's Magnificent: It's weird, horrible, unexpected and - brilliantly - unexplained.

Afterwards, you're not even sure if you saw it at all…

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Current page: Page 3

Prev Page Page 2 Next Page Page 4
Joshua Winning
Social Links Navigation

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.  

Read more
Superman kisses Lois Lane in James Gunn's Superman
Movies The 20 best movies on HBO Max to watch right now
 
 
Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather.
Streaming Services The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
 
 
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in Sonic 3
Amazon Prime Video The 25 best movies on Prime Video to watch right now
 
 
Cillian Murphy as Tommy in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Movies The 25 best movies on Netflix to watch right now
 
 
Jacob Elordi as the Creature in Frankenstein
Horror Movies The 25 best Netflix horror movies to watch right now
 
 
David Bowie as Jareth, the Goblin King
Fantasy Movies 40 years later, Jim Henson's Labyrinth is still teaching kids to overcome their fears as it returns to the big screen
 
 
Latest in Movies
Mortal Kombat movie
Action Movies Mortal Kombat 2 star Lewis Tan responds to new dig from Street Fighter's Cody Rhodes: "Almost spilled my drink laughing"
 
 
Halloween Kills
Horror Movies Halloween star Jamie Lee Curtis says she wouldn't have returned for the Blumhouse sequel if she'd known it was a trilogy
 
 
Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin unmasked in The Mandalorian and Grogu
Star Wars Movies The Mandalorian and Grogu runtime may have been revealed by a UK theater chain listing, but take it with a pinch of salt
 
 
Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps in Zootopia 2
Film Festivals & Awards After missing out KPop Demon Hunters, Disney has made surprising Oscars history with its unlikely losing streak
 
 
Leon frowns in the care center in Resident Evil Requiem
Horror Movies Resident Evil director Zach Cregger proves he's the right person for the job after beating Requiem twice already
 
 
Tim Roth as Beckett reading with his feet on a desk in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Crime Movies Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man villain Tim Roth starred in The Incredible Hulk to "embarrass" his kids
 
 
Latest in Features
Future Games Show
Games Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2026
 
 
Artwork showing Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, a remake of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, with protagonist Edward Kenway looking out from the side of ship
Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced – Everything you need to know about the Assassin's Creed Black Flag remake
 
 
The Talking Flower toy sitting next to its box.
Toys & Collectibles The Super Mario Talking Flower told me the "ocean tastes like tears" but I like this Nintendo toy
 
 
Resident Evil accessories and merch on a forest background
Toys & Collectibles It's been 30 years since we first entered the Spencer Mansion, so I'm building the ultimate Resident Evil starter kit
 
 
A still from Kiki's Delivery Service featuring Kiki and her feline familiar Jiji flying on a broom with some seagulls, with a Big Screen Spotlight logo ini the corner
Anime Movies Kiki's Delivery Service's return to theaters proves we need hand-drawn animation now more than ever
 
 
In Collector's Cove, the collector protagonist who has short brown hair and wears a jumper with cherries on it hugs the Fable Fin companion who wears a witch hat. GamesRadar+'s Indie Spotlight series logo can be seen in the top right-hand corner
Adventure Games If you're feeling Pokemon Pokopia FOMO, this farming adventure lets you explore on the back of a Lapras-like companion
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Nvidia DLSS 5 version of Grace from Resident Evil Requiem
    1
    Bethesda says Nvidia's new DLSS 5 AI filter "will all be under our artists' control, and totally optional for players"
  2. 2
    Daredevil: Born Again season 2 star Matthew Lillard says there's "Cheshire Cat" energy to his new villain
  3. 3
    GTA Wiki splits from Fandom citing "a reportedly pro-AI CEO," "terrible" ads, and censorship
  4. 4
    Bethesda fans are petitioning for The Elder Scrolls 6 to add an NPC honoring a late TES lore legend
  5. 5
    The Last of Us season 3 adds Lanterns and The Conjuring stars to cast

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...