10 Best Horror Performances By Christina Ricci, Ranked
Mary Beth McAndrews
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Christina Ricci is an icon, period. Whether in a genre film like Sleepy Hollow or a subversive movie like Buffalo ’66, she always steals the show. But, right now, Ricci is having a horror resurgence. Between her performance in Showtime’s killer new series Yellowjackets and the upcoming aquatic horror Monstrous, Ricci is back on the genre scene. And we couldn’t be more excited.
In celebration of her great return to horror, we’re ranking her 10 best horror roles. It wasn’t easy, but we did it. Now we’re going to marathon all of her films and shows until Monstrous‘ release or when Yellowjackets comes back.
10. After.Life
In After.Life, Christina Ricci plays a school teacher who gets into a horrible car accident. She wakes up on an embalming table with Liam Neeson’s character Eliot telling her she’s dead. As a mortician, he says he can speak to the dead and ease her transition to the afterlife. But things don’t add up and Ricci believes she might still be alive.
9. The Lizzie Borden Chronicles
Christina Ricci has a thing for media about serial killers as you’ll see later on in the list. Here, she plays the titular Lizzie Borden in the eight-episode mini-series. She stars alongside Clea Duvall as Lizzie tries to pick up the pieces after the notorious murders. While the period-piece drama is uneven, Ricci still steals the show.
8. Cursed
First, justice for Wes Craven’s Cursed. Christina Ricci stars in this werewolf film as Ellie who finds herself at the center of a lycanthrope massacre. It may not be the best werewolf movie, but it’s an entertaining genre vehicle for Ricci.
7. “Natural Blues” music video
Yes, it may seem like a weird choice, but Christina Ricci’s performance in the music video for Moby’s “Natural Blues” deserves a spot on this list. She plays an angel of death, clad all in white, coming to take an old man rotting in a nursing home to the afterlife. Her face is both ethereal and terrifying. Plus, her long dark hair only adds to her uncanny beauty.
6. The Addams Family
The Addams Family was one of Christina Ricci’s first roles and put her on the proverbial map in terms of celebrity. She’s a pitch-perfect Wednesday Addams with her deadpan delivery and haunting stare. Ricci also apparently helped change the film’s original ending. So not only is she incredible in front of the camera, but she knows how to command a room even at 11 years old.
5. Casper
Christina Ricci has been killing the horror game since she was a teen in films like Casper. She plays Kat, a young girl who moves into a haunted house with her dad. There, she meets Casper (voiced by Devon Sawa), a friendly marshmallow-looking ghost who falls in love with her and manipulates her dad to move to Casper’s haunted domain. Casper is a bit of a creep if you think about it too hard. Regardless, the two form a sweet friendship as Kat helps him remember his past.
4. Sleepy Hollow
Beautiful girl in a beautiful gown, that’s the epitome of Christina Ricci in Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow. She plays Katrina Van Tassel, the love interest of the awkward Ichabod Crane and target of the Headless Horseman. Admittedly Burton doesn’t give her much to do because he doesn’t know how to write women or people of color, but I digress. She does an incredible job with the material and that’s what matters.
3. Yellowjackets
Christina Ricci as the absolutely unhinged Misty is delightful. Yes, Misty is horrible and downright diabolical, but Ricci plays her with such glee. You both detest her and want to see what she does next. Trapping a woman in her basement? Putting a hidden camera in Natalie’s hotel room? All perfectly normal behavior. We can’t wait to see what the next season holds for Misty and her trusty parrot, Caligula.
2. Addams Family Values
In a rare twist of events, the sequel to The Addams Family actually surpasses the original. Here, Christina Ricci is still perfect as Wednesday Addams but here she gets to show off jealousy for her new brother. Plus, she gives us the iconic summer camp moments.
1. Monster
Some may classify Monster as more of a true-crime thriller than strictly horror but here at Dread Central, it all beautifully blends together. Christina Ricci plays Selby, who falls in love with notorious serial killer Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron). Ricci’s Selby is meek, a wilting lily struggling with her sexuality and with finding acceptance. While it could be difficult to perform next to the incredible Theron, Ricci holds her own as a crucial piece to Wuornos’ story. Once again Ricci is able to be both sympathetic and a little bit unlikeable, which is always a treat to watch
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