Screen veteran Clint Eastwood may be better known for his Western outings than his horror efforts, but how do the star’s slasher movies rank in comparison to each other? Since starring as The Man With No Name in director Sergio Leone’s iconic Dollars Trilogy, Eastwood’s name has been synonymous with the Western genre. The actor may have done plenty of work in comedy, dramas, and most notably cop thrillers as the hard-edged antihero of the Dirty Harry movies, but Westerns remain the genre most associated with Eastwood to this day.
Despite this, though, Clint Eastwood has a somewhat surprising soft spot for slasher movies. Now, the actor is no secret genre fan like Idris Elba, and horror movies do not make up a large percent of Eastwood’s credits. However, the popularity of the slasher sub-genre during the ‘80s means that two Eastwood cop thrillers adopted the formula, while another earlier Eastwood effort was a surprisingly influential proto-slasher released before the genre became popular.
Play Misty for Me was Eastwood’s directorial debut and a far cry from the somber dramas or revisionist westerns he later helmed. The taut psychological thriller was a hit upon release and, while not as directly influential on the sub-genre’s formation as the likes of 1974’s Black Christmas, prefigured the slasher setup in its story of an obsessive villain stalking and killing a string of characters while hunting down the protagonist. Eastwood’s other slasher movies, meanwhile, were less risky projects as they were released during the height of the genre’s popularity. However, both Tightrope and The Dead Pool have their fans, prompting Eastwood obsessives to ponder how his slasher works rank.
The Dead Pool (1988)
Comfortably the weakest Eastwood slasher, The Dead Pool is not quite the worst of the Dirty Harry movies but is nonetheless not a franchise installment many remember fondly. Despite featuring early appearances by future A-listers like Liam Neeson and Jim Carrey, the overly-familiar plot of this outing sees the antihero investigate a string of killings centered around the titular betting game leaves The Dead Pool feeling oddly lifeless. The straightforward cop action of the series and this sequel’s horror elements don’t gel as well as the chilling character of Scorpio from the original Dirty Harry and Eastwood is not at his most engaged, but this is still a solid outing for the actor and a fun if insubstantial mystery.
Tightrope (1984)
Starring Eastwood as a misogynistic cop on the trail of a killer targeting prostitutes, Tightrope is a dark, unrelenting, and surprisingly thoughtful examination of masculinity that doubles as an effective chiller. Eastwood’s amoral detective Wes Block must confront his own hatred of women to track down the killer, making the cat and mouse antics of this Neo-noir more compelling than most. Tightrope won’t be for everyone but for horror aficionados with strong stomachs, it’s not to be missed.
Play Misty for Me (1971)
Eastwood’s directorial debut, Play Misty for Me is the only outright horror movie on this ranking and it’s a stronger effort for that. Buoyed by an extraordinary central turn from the late Jessica Walter, this potentially silly potboiler sees Eastwood’s radio DJ stalked by an obsessive fan after an ill-advised one-night stand. Walter is superb in her screen debut, Eastwood mixes charisma, sleaze, and real desperation to great effect as the man attempting to escape her desire, and as a whole Play Misty for Me mines a tense, undeniably effective Giallo-inspired horror out of what could have been an absurd premise. Scary and original, Play Misty for Me beats tough competition from Tightrope for its status as Clint Eastwood’s best slasher.
