Summary

• Hanks' acting career began in horror with "He Knows You're Alone" but hasn't properly revisited the genre since.
• Hanks has embraced horror comedy with characters like David S. Pumpkins, but fans await a truly scary performance from him.
• Returning to horror could showcase Hanks' versatility, challenging his typecasting as the lovable father figure.

Tom Hanks has an impressive career as an actor, covering different genres, but I’m still waiting for him to return to the surprising genre that launched his movie career. Tom Hanks has earned the love and respect of his colleagues and the audience thanks to his persona on and off the screen. Hanks’ acting career began in the 1980s, with his big break being Ron Howard’s rom-com fantasy Splash. After that, Hanks became an icon in the 1980s and 1990s, switching to drama in the latter, a genre where he has found great success.

Some of Tom Hanks’ most notable projects are Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can, Forrest Gump, and Philadelphia, the latter two earning him two consecutive Academy Awards for Best Actor. Hanks continues to be active as an actor, with some of his recent works being Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, the comedy-drama A Man Named Otto, and Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City. At the time of writing, Hanks has a couple of projects coming up in 2024 and beyond, but none of them are from the genre that launched his career, which I’m still waiting for him to return to.

Tom Hanks' Movie Career Started With A Slasher Movie In 1980

Tom Hanks Had A Surprising Acting Debut

Tom Hanks is now best known for his roles in rom-coms, drama, and comedy movies, but his career started in the horror genre, specifically in the area of slashers. Hanks’ first film role was Elliot in the 1980 psychological slasher movie He Knows You’re Alone, directed by Armand Mastroianni. He Knows You’re Alone follows Amy (Caitlin O’Heaney), a young bride-to-be who becomes the target of serial killer Ray Carlton (Tom Rolfing), whose victims are young brides. Amy and her friends are stalked by Carlton on the weekend before her wedding, and in the process, she reconnects with her ex-boyfriend, Marvin (Don Scardino).

Hanks didn’t have much screen time in He Knows You’re Alone or an actual story.

At one point in He Knows You’re Alone, Amy and her friend Nancy (Elizabeth Kemp) meet Elliot (Hanks), a college psychology major. They meet at the park after Nancy thinks he’s cute, and Elliot later s the girls at an amusement park. Hanks didn’t have much screen time in He Knows You’re Alone or an actual story, as Elliot isn’t seen again after the scene at the amusement park (and Nancy is later killed).

Despite Hanks’ natural charm and likability shining through in his brief appearance, He Knows You’re Alone has a 30% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and it’s a pretty forgettable movie. Many critics called He Knows You’re Alone flawed, unoriginal, and unnecessary, as it was clearly inspired by the formula of John Carpenter’s Halloween.

Tom Hanks Has Proven He Can Embrace Horror

Tom Hanks Has Done A Couple Of Horror Projects

In 1989, he starred in Joe Dante’s horror comedy The ‘Burbs as Ray Peterson, and in 1992, he appeared in Tales from the Crypt’s episode “None but the Lonely Heart”.

He Knows You’re Alone was Tom Hanks’ first movie role and first horror movie, but it wasn’t his only visit to this genre. In 1989, he starred in Joe Dante’s horror comedy The ‘Burbs as Ray Peterson, who suspects his new and reclusive neighbors are hiding a dark secret. In 1992, he appeared in Tales from the Crypt’s episode “None but the Lonely Heart”, and while some other projects of his have had some horror hints, like The Green Mile, he hasn’t been part of a proper horror movie since The ‘Burbs.

However, on TV, Hanks proved he can embrace horror in his unique way when he played David S. Pumpkins on Saturday Night Live in 2016. Pumpkins’ first appearance in the skit “Haunted Elevator” was a big hit with viewers, showing him in his signature pumpkin-themed suit with two dancing skeletons next to him. Since then, Hanks has played Pumpkins a couple more times on SNL, the most recent one in 2022, and in 2017, the character got his own, animated Halloween special.

Why Tom Hanks Needs To Return To The Horror Genre

It’s Time For Tom Hanks To Return To His Roots

As much as I enjoy seeing him mix his comedic chops with horror, I would love to see him in a truly scary horror movie.

David S. Pumpkins has sporadically brought Tom Hanks back to the horror genre, but he hasn’t properly starred in a horror project since Tales from the Crypt. Taking into all of his David S. Pumpkins appearances, Hanks has done more horror comedy than any other horror subgenre, and as much as I enjoy seeing him mix his comedic chops with horror, I would love to see him in a truly scary horror movie.

Hanks’ role in He Knows You’re Alone was so brief that it didn’t allow the audience to see what he can bring to the genre, but now that he’s a more mature and experienced actor, I think it’s time for him to revisit the genre that launched his career. The horror genre could even help break the common typecasting of Tom Hanks as a lovable father figure and let him show a different side of his acting skills, maybe even giving him the chance to be the villain. The horror genre has many exciting opportunities, and it’s the one genre Tom Hanks hasn’t fully conquered yet.