With Father’s Day at this time of the year, I thought I’d take the time to appreciate the great dads within the horror genre. Dads, I feel, are genuinely underappreciated in this genre–moms get all the credit, and for good reason, I’m not saying they don’t deserve it! But, today, let us tip our hats to who I think are the greatest fathers/father figures within the horror genre. Sorry Freddie and Michael…maybe next year?

10. Lee Abbott – A Quiet Place (2020)

Lee Abbot is the patriarchal head of the Abbott family in A Quiet Place, and I can safely say that he was the best of all of us. He loved his kids and his wife and [spoilers] he died protecting them; he was always thinking of not just their survival, but their happiness and comfort in a post-apocalyptic world, especially after losing a child. Lee’s motivations were always noble in my opinion, and losing him made me feel like I lost my own dad. 

9. Hugh Crane — The Haunting of Hill House (2018)

I’m just gonna say it: Hugh Crain did the best he could for his children as a dad. During the first season of the hit Netflix show The Haunting of Hill House, the Crain family was torn by tragedy, secrets, and resentment that boiled to the surface over a 20-year period… but could have easily been reconciled if the Crain family, mainly Hugh, had communicated better and was just honest about what happened that fateful night in 1992. Not a perfect father, but still a good one as he clearly loved his children and tried to do right by them until the very end. 

8. Louis Creed — Pet Sematary (1989)

In another ‘A for Effort’ move, Louis Creed doesn’t make the best choices, but the intentions are good; he is a loyal husband and dad, and while in his grief he makes what can only be considered as one of the worst decisions to be made in a horror movie, he does do it out of the love of his family. They say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and well…that’s Louis’ situation.

7. Gabe Wilson — Us (2019)

He’s the king of Dad Jokes, but also killing his evil twin. Gabe, I feel, doesn’t get enough credit. The man can go from lovable dork to ‘I will literally rip you in half if you put a hand on my kids or my wife!,’ and he also knows when to step back and let said wife and/or kids handle it. He trusts his family and is with them always, even when this giant bear of a man is disabled after being stabbed in the leg. I wish there were more dads like Gabe in the horror genre, but I wouldn’t want to ruin a good thing. 

6. Steven Freeling — Poltergeist (1982)

Bravery is being scared shitless, but doing it anyway; and by-golly, Steven does just that! He’s the every dad we knew as a kid, thrown into a situation where most people would be like ‘screw this,’ pack up the car, and leave. He doesn’t, for obvious reasons, but it’s his persistence to keep at it until it’s over that I appreciate. He’s a dedicated husband and dad, and even in the face of some really weird things, he sticks with it.

5. Josh Lambert — Insidious (2010)

Any dad that goes to a creep, alternate, ‘other side’ dimension to get his kid is a-okay with me, even if they think it’s all absolutely ridiculous! Josh is the kind of dad who’s a bit of a realist, and it takes him some time to get behind the whole ‘Further’ idea–but deep down, he just wants what’s best for his kids…even if that means fighting a demon, who has a weird obsession with a Tiny Tim song.