When a horror movie villain is good, they can make even the worst movies watchable if not enjoyable. When they're great, they can become some of the biggest entertainment icons in film history. But when they're bad? Oh, bother...

From cliched ghost children to cheap cash-grab-creatures using intellectual property in the public domain, the last few decades have introduced some truly horrific (in the bad way) additions to the genre that prove not every ghoul is cut out for the silver scream. We braved popular blockbusters, maligned remakes, and indie cult classics, scrutinizing the headlining monsters and murderers of each to assess their originality, design, and how they support their respective stories overall. We found a few truly terrible films were nearly rescued by an antagonist that met these standards with flying colors (our compliments to young Brahms).

On the other hand, when they failed to do so, the film couldn't be totally saved,...