Kevin Bacon is arguably one of the most recognizable and connected stars in Hollywood, spawning the famous "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" equation. But, is Kevin Bacon in a lot of horror movies? A question commonly asked by those not familiar with some of the actor's biggest roles that don't involve dancing or going to space. Looking at horror movie history, Kevin Bacon has actually had a fairly profound impact on the genre, appearing in a couple of the biggest horror movies in history. While some of his horror performances have unfortunately been victims of overall failure by the film itself, his appearance nevertheless adds credibility to the film, and his performances when isolated, tend to be some of the most redeeming qualities of these films. Let's take a look at Kevin Bacon's best horror roles, ranked!

7 The Darkness (2016)

KB The Darkness
High Top Releasing 

Two of our entries are going to feel very similar to one another, with one slightly edging out the other for not being the worst Kevin Bacon horror role. Unfortunately for The Darkness, it claims the number 7 spot on the countdown. The Darkness was universally panned by critics and fans alike for its lackluster scares and forgettable plot. In a film of mostly unknown actors aside from Bacon and a few others, it is his performance that is a silver lining to this movie, as it at the very least lends an air of star power to an otherwise forgettable movie.

Related: The Toxic Avenger Reboot: Plot, Cast, and Everything Else We Know

6 Flatliners (1990)

Kevin Bacon FL
Columbia Pictures 

Flatliners is the perfect movie to have been made in 1990 and looked back on fondly, even being dubbed a modern mythological quest. From the premise, to the aesthetic of the film, as well as featuring two of the biggest stars of the '80s and early '90s, Kiefer Sutherland and of course, Kevin Bacon. Flatliners tells the story of five medical students who begin to willingly put themselves in near-death experiences to try and discover what lies beyond death. The experiments quickly become nightmares as the group begins to face the consequences of tragedies from their past. Bacon plays David, who after flat lining, begins to face visions of a kid he used to bully when they were younger. Bacon plays the cocky and bully character very well in a lot of his performances, but gets to experiment with that in the role of David, a reformed bully, and does so to great effect.

5 You Should Have Left (2020)

Kevin Bacon You Should Have Left
Universal Pictures 

Remember The Darkness? Welcome to You Should Have Left, the 2020 direct-to-streaming film that lands as Kevin Bacon's fifth-best horror role. A film that a lot of people did not get to experience because of its streaming release due to COVID-19, sees Bacon as Theo, along with his wife Susanna, who book a trip to a vacation home in the Welsh countryside and begin to experience paranormal events. We have seen Bacon in a handful of horror roles, but never as the protective husband and father. While providing few scares as well as a story that falls flat, these flaws are made up for by performances from Amanda Seyfried and of course, the leading man of the movie and this article, Kevin Bacon.

4 Stir of Echoes (1999)

Kevin Bacon in Stir of Echoes
Artisan Entertainment

Stir of Echoes follows the character of Tom, played by Bacon, who, after being hypnotized by his sister-in-law to "be more open-minded", begins to see visions of violence involving a missing girl from the neighborhood, Samantha. As the visions continue, Tom begins to unravel the mystery of Samantha's disappearance. After finding Samantha's remains in the basement of his home, we quickly learn that Samantha had been killed by Kurt and Harry McCarthy, sons of the landlord of Tom's home, and buried in the basement. Later, after attempting to kill Tom, Kurt and Harry are shot dead by their own father, allowing Samantha to finally rest in peace and bringing closure to her family. Bacon's displays a worthy performance through the intensity and insanity he provides to the role of Tom.

3 Hollow Man (2000)

Kevin Bacon Hollow Man
Sony Pictures Releasing 

A modern take on The Invisible Man, 2000's Hollow Man tells the tale of Dr. Sebastian Caine, who develops a serum that can render the subject invisible. After successfully turning himself invisible, the true evil within Caine begins to show itself with his newfound invisibility. Bacon's portrayal as a truly evil villain is a nice change of pace from his other performances on this list.

2 Friday the 13th (1980)

Kevin Bacon 13th
Paramount Pictures 

While Bacon's performance as Jack in Friday the 13th doesn't go much further than a horny, teenage camp counselor, the fact that he is involved in the introductory entry into one of the most iconic and highly sequel-bearing horror franchises ever is enough to warrant a top-two spot on this list. Bacon is certainly part of the most memorable kills in the film, outside of Mrs. Voorhees' beheading, as Jack is pierced through the neck with an arrow from beneath his bunk bed. Bacon heads back to his summer camp roots in the Blumhouse film They/Them.

Related: Jason Lives Director Discloses Ideas for a Pamela Voorhees Friday the 13th Prequel

1 Tremors (1990)

Kevin Bacon Tremors
Universal Pictures 

This 1990 horror comedy has a divine cult following, and spawned six sequels, for better or worse, and still is one of Bacon's favorite roles, which he is determined to return to one day. Where Tremors edges our Friday the 13th on this list is the overall size of the role that Bacon plays in the film. Not only is Bacon a central character of the movie, but he gets to show off great comedic timing and participate in memorable action sequences while taking down massive Graboids.