Ranking Hayden Panettiere’s Top 4 Must-See Horror Films

The recent passing of actress Hayden Panettiere at just 36 years old is prompting fans to reflect on her diverse career, revisiting her performances in both film and television. While many recognize her from popular series like “Nashville” and “Heroes,” Panettiere also made her mark in the horror genre. Throughout her career, she starred in four horror films, each varying significantly in quality—a trait often found within this particular genre.

For those dedicated to experiencing all of Panettiere’s horror work, watching each film might be appealing. However, if you wish to highlight her standout performances, it’s helpful to know what each movie offers. To assist with this, we’ve examined her horror filmography and ranked each movie from least to most critically acclaimed, relying on their Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer ratings.

Sadly, Panettiere’s last movie, “Sleepwalker,” isn’t among her most celebrated efforts. Directed by Brandon Auman, the 2026 movie received a low 14% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Those who prefer to remember Panettiere at her peak might choose to pass up on this project, though for the curious, Looper’s sister site, /Film, provides a guide on how to watch “Sleepwalker.”

“Sleepwalker” holds a certain potential despite its poor reception. It tells the story of an artist named Sarah Pangborn, who experiences a heartbreaking loss—her daughter dies in a car crash that leaves her problematic husband in a coma. Adding to her turmoil, Sarah begins sleepwalking, facing increasingly terrifying dreams that might be more reality than imagination.

Panettiere, familiar with personal challenges, found herself drawn to her character’s struggles in the film. In an interview with Moviefone, she explained, “I’m really drawn to characters that have been through trauma. It’s something that I relate to.”

A remake (of sorts) of Wes Craven’s 2006 horror film “The Breed,” Griff and Nathan Furst’s “A Breed Apart” is more comedic in tone than the other entries on this list. The film has the intriguing premise of following a group of attention-seeking influencers finding themselves on a remote island. There’s just one minor hurdle between them and viral fame and fortune: The island is actually a death trap populated by monstrous dogs that are hungry for human flesh. 

“A group of fish-out-of-water types stuck in an isolated location with something terrible” is a great, classic premise for a horror film. Unfortunately, “A Breed Apart” doesn’t quite match its title, and only has an 18% Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating. Also, unfortunately for Hayden Panettiere fans, her role in the movie isn’t particularly big.

Better news for Panettiere fans, however, is that her moments are actually quite impressive. Panettiere plays fearless action star Hayden Hurst, who gets some fun fights against the killer dogs, and she generally comes across as the person who best understands the assignment. You can tell that Panettiere had a blast, and she said as much in an interview with Far Out Magazine. “I loved that character. [She’s] a character that I don’t think people have ever really seen me play,” she said. “I’d love to do more action films in the future. I love that combination of physicality and acting.”

The “Scream” franchise was always a touch meta, but “Scream 4” got an extra scoop. Standing at a solid 61% on Rotten Tomatoes, the Wes Craven-directer 2011 film brings habitual Ghostface survivor Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) back to Woodsboro for a promo tour of her book about trauma. Of course, the newest incarnation of the Ghostface killer is waiting in the shadows to provide plenty more for her therapist to unpack. If she survives. 

As old hands Sidney, Gale Weathers-Riley (Courteney Cox), and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) get drawn back into the latest series of murders, a new generation of youngsters is stalked by the slayer. Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby Reed is an integral part of this crowd as the horror-obsessed best friend of Sidney’s cousin Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts). Despite initial appearances, Kirby ends up being far more resilient than she seems, and lives on to fight another day in one more installment of the franchise.

During pre-production, “Scream VI” producer Kevin Williamson originally couldn’t find Hayden Panettiere to cast her for a reprisal of her role as Kirby Reed. It’s a good thing that he did, though, because Panettiere is great in her return to the screen franchise. The “Scream” film responds to her efforts in kind, giving Panettiere her far and away best-rated horror movie.

With a 77% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes, all bets are off in “Scream VI.” It’s a great horror flick that’s just as subversive as any of the franchise’s finest films, and it uses the previous installment’s gimmick of combining franchise veterans with newcomers like Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera — both on their second outing here — to great effect. 

As for Panettiere’s Kirby Reed, she’s now a law enforcement agent. Her role is far from a brief blink-and-you-miss-it cameo, too. She plays a pivotal role in revealing the identity of a Ghostface killer, and gets a wonderful punch-the-air moment at the film’s climax. “Scream VI” combines a great Hayden Panettiere performance in a great Hayden Panettiere horror film, and as a result, it’s a must-watch for fans of the star’s horror career.