50 Magnificent Movie Masks

Killer - Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000)

The Mask: A fencing mask, as worn by the murderous slasher in this silly but watchable sequel.

By this point, slasher flicks were running out of ideas for masks, but this is a neat and simple approach.

Why It's Magnificent: There are nice touches, like the killer's breath steaming through the grill - plus a great little montage moment where suspects' faces are super-imposed over that dark oval.

Revellers - The Purge (2013)

The Mask: Grinning, almost wooden masks that are worn by a group of youngsters who have wholeheartedly embraced the 'purge' - the one night of the year that it's legal to kill somebody.

Why It's Magnificent: They look so happy and innocent, you're pretty certain that these kids don't mean our protagonists any harm.

But a smile can hide something deadly…

David Aames - Vanilla Sky (2001)

The Mask: A latex replacement for what David Aames (Tom Cruise) has lost; this pale and emotionless mask is given to Aames after a car crash leaves him horrifically scarred.

He enjoys wearing it just a little too much.

Why It's Magnificent: It sort of looks like the mask worn by Michael Myers, which can only ever be a good thing.

Smiley (2012)

The Mask: A butchered and bloody corruption of the infamous yellow smiley that was first created in 1948.

Naturally, it's apparently the face of a serial killer who hacked at his face to copy the emoticon.

Why It's Magnificent: We just can't stop staring at it - it's both grim and disturbing.

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970)

The Mask: A weird, rabbit-like monstrosity that's worn by a demon thing in order to make him slightly less unattractive.

Why It's Magnificent: Frankly, anything that covers that terrifying mug is nothing but good in our books.

Illuminati - Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

The Masks: Venetian masks as worn by the Illuminati members during their promiscuous get-togethers.

According to writer Carolin Ruwe, masks are the prime symbol of Eyes Wide Shut.

Why They're Magnificent: They're ornate, obviously really expensive, great-looking, but also really creepy.

Who wants to have sex with somebody who's wearing a mask, anyway?

Scarecrow - Batman Begins (2005)

The Mask: Scarecrows are meant to be scary, right?

Well, this one definitely gets the job done, looking every bit like a sack as hacked to pieces by a total mentalist. Cillian Murphy wears it well.

Why It's Magnificent: Not only is this mask scary generally, it gets even scarier when you've inhaled the Scarecrow's fear toxin - cue creepy-crawlies and bat-chomping galore. Nightmares for us, then…

Maximus - Gladiator (2000)

The Mask: More of a helmet, if we're getting technical, but it also covers Maximus' face, so in our view that counts.

This helmet-mask is donned by the one-time warrior as he goes into battle in a coliseum.

Why It's Magnificent: It's exactly the kind of helmet you'd want to wear if you'd been forced to become a gladiator - not only does it do the job of protecting your noggin, it also makes you look like a total badass.

Nuns - The Town (2010)

The Mask: A mournful-looking nun mask (replete with habit), as donned by Ben Affleck and his band of merry bank robbers.

Why It's Magnificent: Well, they're worn during bank heists.

There's a perverse pleasure in watching nuns do naughty things (hence nunspoiltation), and this is no exception.

Miner - My Bloody Valentine (2009)

The Mask: Now here's a canny notion for what a serial killer should wear while carrying out his horrific crimes - how about a miner's breathing apparatus?

Functional AND fashionable.

Why It's Magnificent: It turns something boringly practical into something that we should all be terrified of.

Plus the glass plates covering the eyes are spooky, particularly when they catch the light.