Must-Watch Justin Long Horror Films: 5 Thrilling Picks for Every Fan

Tracing Long’s career, one discovers a treasure trove of remarkable performances in horror films. From voicing Dwayne in the obscure 2004 animated movie “Hair High” to portraying Ethan Hawkins in the 2025 vampire thriller “Night Patrol,” Long consistently delivers captivating performances. His dedication echoes the famous Stanislavski adage, “There are no small parts, only small actors,” as he immerses himself fully in every role, no matter its size.

Let’s revisit the horror films where Long has made his mark, whether as a lead or in a supporting role. This selection highlights some of his most unforgettable contributions, underscoring his status as one of the genre’s enduring icons.

In Sam Raimi’s 2009 thriller “Drag Me to Hell,” Long stars as Clay Dalton, the boyfriend of the main character, Christine Brown, played by Alison Lohman. The plot unfolds around Christine, a bank loan officer who incurs a curse after denying Sylvia Ganush (Lorna Raver) an additional extension on her mortgage. This curse ominously threatens to drag its victims to Hell, as the film’s title suggests.

In Sam Raimi’s 2009 film “Drag Me to Hell,” Justin Long takes a supporting role as Clay Dalton, the boyfriend of the film’s protagonist, Christine Brown (Alison Lohman). The story centers on Christine, a bank loan officer who is cursed after she rejects the elderly Sylvia Ganush’s (Lorna Raver) plea for a third extension to her mortgage. Christine tries to shake off this demonic curse that — as the title of the movie reveals — eventually drags its victims to Hell.

Clay, who is a college professor, believes in rational-based reasoning rather than the supernatural, but he still plays the role of a supportive partner as Christine unravels. In the end, Clay turns out to have an unwitting and pivotable role in Christine’s final fate. Without going into spoiler territory here, let’s say that it’s quite the ending, as Clay finally understands the gravity of Christine’s situation.

Since “Drag Me to Hell” is a Sam Raimi movie, there’s no shortage of heart-stopping jump scares and gross-out gore (especially in the unrated director’s cut). Long might be on the periphery of the madness as Lohman receives the full Raimi horror comedy experience, but his straight man portrayal as everything else falls apart around his costar adds another terrifying layer to Christine’s on-screen suffering.

Filmmaker Zach Cregger loves to surprise with his horror films. When everyone expects him to go right, he goes left. The same is true of 2022’s “Barbarian.” The movie introduces the viewer to Tess (Georgina Campbell), who rents an overnight stay at a house in Detroit for a job interview the next day. When she arrives, she discovers the home has been double-booked and meets the other renter, Keith (Bill Skarsgård). What follows is a wild ride as Tess and Keith discover they might not be alone in the home.

Justin Long plays a sleazy Hollywood actor named AJ, who owns the home that Tess and Keith rent. After his latest scandal, he visits the house to see the condition it’s in and to put it on the market. However, he also gets a taste — pardon the pun — of the occupant lurking in the tunnels below.

Long commits to the role as the highly unlikable AJ and probably draws influence from various other actors he’s encountered in the business. He plays the part so well that it’s impossible to imagine anyone else but him here, especially in the infamous breastfeeding scene. Justin Long believes that the true villain in “Barbarian” is his character, and he may have a point, because this is one dude who everyone wants to see get his comeuppance in the end.

Kevin Smith’s movies aren’t for everyone, because he possesses his own distinct style of filmmaking. It’s “snoochie boochies” if you get it; otherwise, it’s an hour and a half of “what the hell did I just watch?” In terms of 2014’s body horror “Tusk,” it’s in the eye of the beholder.

Justin Long plays snarky podcaster Wallace Bryton who travels to Manitoba to interview a subject for an episode. After a tragedy occurs, Wallace shifts focus to find a new interviewee. He comes into contact with ex-sailor Howard Howe (Michael Parks), who tells him a story about a walrus named Mr. Tusk who saved him once upon a time. Wallace passes out only to awaken to the horror that Howard is trying to turn him into Mr. Tusk.

Without question, Long’s character goes through the most in “Tusk,” learning a harsh lesson that chasing sensationalism at the expense of others will catch up with you in the end. However, he plays Wallace with a perfect balance of humor and horror, fitting the idiosyncratic tone of Smith’s gruesome movie. It’s not quite “The Human Centipede” in terms of how much it’ll make you want to retch, but “Tusk” may leave you feeling queasy after watching it.

“Coyotes” barks up the right tree and turns out to be a howling good time, though it does have a curious whiff of AI circling around its creature creations. Blending horror and comedy, the 2025 film sees Justin Long and his real-life wife, Kate Bosworth, play Scott and Liv Stewart, who live in Hollywood Hills with their daughter, Chloe (Mila Harris). After a storm hits and a wildfire breaks out, Scott and his family need to escape their home and find safety. There’s one problem, though: they’re surrounded by a pack of rabid coyotes.

Don’t go into “Coyotes” expecting an intelligent and deeply provocative story; it’s big, dumb fun that features an outlandish premise to put even dumber humans in peril. Yet, if someone is in the mood to laugh and knows that none of this should be taken too seriously, the enjoyment factor grows exponentially.

In terms of Long’s role, he portrays a family man trying to keep his wife, daughter, and himself alive in a totally weird situation. At the same time, there’s a meta undertone to Scott, who displays an acute understanding that all of this is entirely ludicrous.

Justin Long doesn’t have a major role in Zach Cregger’s “Weapons,” but much like the rest of the film’s ensemble, his moment matters when it arrives. As one of the best movies of 2025, “Weapons” keeps everyone guessing about what’s actually happening after 17 children from the same class disappear from their homes at the same time. There’s only one child, Alex Lilly (Cary Christopher), who appears to be unaffected by this event.

Long’s character, Gary, shows up during Archer’s (Josh Brolin) chapter. Archer arrives at Gary and his wife Erica’s (Sara Paxton) home, asking to see the footage of their home camera on the night in which their child disappeared. Erica rejects Archer’s request, but Gary folds when Archer approaches him with the same ask.

Again, Long’s part isn’t major here, and he comes across as someone who’s afraid of his own shadow, but his actions prove to be important in the overall context of the story. Due to Gary letting Archer see the footage, Archer is able to develop his map to figure out the direction in which the children ran toward.