Here's every Brendan Fraser horror movie, ranked worst to best. Fraser began his career in the early '90s, but while many actors spend years playing small roles in movies and TV before earning a break, Fraser was soon leading movies like Encino Man. It was Tarzan parody George of the Jungle that established Fraser's leading man credentials, which combined movie star good looks with a talent for physical comedy.
Those traits served him well with The Mummy - which needs Fraser for a reboot - but despite the success of that film and its sequels, several of the actor's follow-ups like Bedazzled and Looney Tunes: Back in Action failed to land with audiences. 2008's third Mummy and Journey to the Center of the Earth were his last major hits as a leading man, with the actor subsequently revealing that several issues - including injuries gained from his action movie roles and an alleged sexual assault by the then-president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association - caused his career to decline.
The star has made a major comeback in recent years, thanks to miniseries Trust and Doom Patrol. He will next be seen in DCEU movie Batgirl as villain Firefly and Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon.
Brendan Fraser's Horror Movies From Worst To Best
While he doesn't have many horror credits to his name, Brendan Fraser's horror movie roles are certainly intriguing. Here's how they rank.
5. The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (2008)
The Mummy franchise was a curious mix of action and horror, and while the focus was always squarely on the former, the first two movies didn't mind adding some jump scares or gooey monster action either. However, by the time The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor arrived, there was little horror or suspense to be found. This flat finale saw Fraser and co-star Maria Bello gamely trying to prop up a lame script that didn't even manage to top the setpieces of its predecessor. The film also shamefully wastes Jet Li as the titular villain and Michelle Yeoh as his nemesis, and while their fight should be an action highlight, it's another forgettable bout.
4. Child Of Darkness, Child Of Light (1991)
Child Of Darkness, Child Of Light is, in one sense, the purest example of a Brendan Fraser horror movie. It's a tale inspired by The Omen movies and based on a novel by James Patterson, involving a priest investigating a supposed case of divine pregnancies in teenage girls; one who will birth the new Jesus, and the other the spawn of Satan. Sadly, the movie is a tedious bore where little happens, and despite a cast that features Brad Davis (Midnight Express) and a young Josh Lucas, there's little to recommend it. The TV movie was also one of Fraser's first roles, though he's basically a featured extra.
3. The Mummy Returns (2001)
A sequel that was rushed to cash in on the original's surprise success, The Mummy Returns reassembled the key cast and crew for another CG-heavy action-adventure. The horror elements creep in occasionally, such as the "cannibal pygmy" attack, but the sequel's main focus is action. Unfortunately, the CGI badly dates The Mummy Returns now - especially in the infamous CG effect of The Rock as the Scorpion King - and it's bizarrely committed to xeroxing the formula of the first movie. Thankfully, Fraser's Rick is as likable as ever.
2. The Passion Of Darkly Noon (1995)
Brendan Fraser's next horror movie is The Passion Of Darkly Noon, where he plays the titular character. Noon is a member of a Chrisitan cult who is taken in by a couple played by Ashley Judd and Viggo Mortensen, but after falling in love with the former, Noon's desires turn murderous. A dreamlike psychological horror with a creepy, against-type turn from Fraser, The Passion Of Darkly Noon was underseen upon release - and sadly remains so.
1. The Mummy (1999)
The Mummy was developed as a horror movie for most of the '90s by filmmakers like Clive Barker and George Romero, but it was Stephen Sommer's blending of action and horror that got it greenlit. The Mummy's - which may share a universe with Jungle Book - unique mix of pulp adventure and horror has still never quite been recaptured, with Brendan Fraser and co-star Rachel Weisz making for charismatic leads. It's easily the most horror focused of the series too, with the title monster ripping out tongues and eyes, in addition to the unpleasant opening mummification. The Mummy isn't very sophisticated entertainment, but it remains a lot of fun.