10 Best Brother and Sister Duos in Thrillers And Horror

Some people are blessed with having brothers and sisters, while others are happy to have no families at all. Whatever the case may be, you can live out family moments vicariously through characters in horror… that is until they’re killed off, as is usually the case. On that note, let’s look at some of the best Brother and Sister Duos in thrillers and horror, shall we?

(A standard warning: Some of the trailers below may give away plot details. That’s just what happens sometimes, you know? In other words, watch them with caution.)

1. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

In a sense, Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a bit of a family movie. It features Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) and her brother, Franklin (Paul A. Partain), who cross paths with a decidedly more dysfunctional family (later known as the Sawyers). Basically, Sally, Franklin and their pals travel to Texas to visit their grandfather’s grave and homestead after reports of grave robbing and grotesque vandalism. In a sense, this crop of possible victims were summoned by the sadistic Sawyer family, like a hideous clan inadvertently planting some news-bait trap!

On their journey, Sally and crew pick up a demented hitchhiker (Edwin Neal) who romanticizes the good old days of his family at the ol’ slaughterhouse, all apparently out of work now. When Franklin compares the hitchhiker to a Dracula, he’s actually not far off. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre gets pretty morbid as things progress, and we realize some families are a little more messed up than others. This Brother and Sister Duo don’t get along the best, and Franklin’s annoying as hell. However, there are definitely worse things than obnoxious siblings. Some of them desecrate graves, beat people over the head with hammers, suck blood from fingertips like vampires and chase after us with chainsaws. Woo!

2. The Evil Dead (1981)

Before he was a butt-kicking, wisecracking, confident demon killer with a boomstick and a chainsaw hand, Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) was just a guy on a trip with his sister, Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss), and their pals. They end up staying at the worst cabin ever, where they inadvertently summon demons who wreak havoc on them. Long story short, they don’t have the best time — especially poor Cheryl. While The Evil Dead doesn’t quite explore the full nature of Ash’s relationship with his sister, they make a pretty great Brother and Sister Duo. It definitely makes the demons seem like real a-holes when they appear.

Still, The Evil Dead manages to be a fun movie, and a viewer may find themselves alternating between rooting for Ash and cheering for the demons. Sorry, Ash, but demons kick ass, both literally and figuratively. They don’t play nice! That being said, it’s a good things demons don’t actually exist, because it would be tempting to summon them as the ultimate messed up prank for a summer cabin retreat.

3. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

Just about everyone knows F13 Part 4 wouldn’t be the last hurrah for Jason Voorhees (Ted White). In fact, it wasn’t even the last appearance of Tommy Jarvis (though perhaps the best one, as he was played by Corey Feldman). Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter was maligned by critics, but it does an adequate job making us care about the Brother and Sister Duo, Tommy and his sister, Trish (Kimberly Beck). In fact, the two ultimately end up taking on the hockey-masked miscreant, being the most literal brother and sister action duo in this list so far.

Here’s the thing: If you can successfully take on Jason, you’re doing a pretty impressive job. Here they definitely do some damage to him, to the point where it really seemed like the final Friday. Of course, money has a certain allure, so they brought Jason back again and again. Still, in most of the sequels, Tommy and Trish’s lasting damage to him is made visibly clear. Although we never saw Trish in sequels, Feldman briefly played Jarvis in the sequel, though the character would also be played by John Shepherd and Thom Mathews in parts 5 and 6.

4. Pet Sematary (1989)

It’s a bit iffy including Ellie (Blaze Berdahl) and Gage Creed (Miko Hughes) on this list. It’s not that Mary Lambert’s Pet Sematary is a bad movie or anything, but the characters don’t really have loads of chemistry. Still, there seems to a strange, cosmic connection between them. Why is the Creed family destined to dance with death? Even Stephen King probably couldn’t answer that. Obviously, this film was remade in 2019 (read our review here), with some actually preferring that version over the original. Still, it’s hard to top Hughes’ portrayal of Gage, and Berdahl definitely comes across as a kid grappling with the sadness of death.

5. Addams Family Values (1993)

If you’re seeking weird, horror-themed families, you’d be foolish to leave out the Addams family. While they’ve had many incarnations over the years, some of the best moments were actually captured in Barry Sonnenfeld’s Addams Family Values. Let’s face it, some of the best scenes were carried by Brother and Sister Duo Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley Addams (Jimmy Workman).

Ricci fights back against all the cheerful kids at summer camp, especially when they make her watch cute Disney films and star as Pocahontas in a stupid Thanksgiving play that she hates. It instigates her to launch a coup, which is one of the most memorable Addams Family moments for sure. Basically, you don’t want to get on Wednesday’s bad side. Wednesday and Pugsley also get a baby brother in Addams Family Values, which thickens (and darkens) the plot, as you can see in the trailer.

6. Jurassic Park (1993)

Jurassic Park has a lot going for it, but some of the biggest scares and action moments come from the teamwork of Tim and Lex Murphy (Joseph Mazzello, Ariana Richards). Of course, their most memorable scene is when they’re averting raptor attacks, but the T-Rex has it in for them as well. On top of that, they have some poignant moments, such as hanging our with Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) in the tree and the big brachiosaurus sneeze. The movie is more memorable because of these two, and they obviously have some raptor-dodging skills.

7. The Crow (1994)

In some ways, The Crow‘s Top Dollar (Michael Wincott) and Myca (Bai Ling) are the freakiest Brother and Sister Duo on this list. Why? The two are incestuous, or so it is heavily implied. On the bright side, they are said to only be half-brother and sister, but it’s still behavior that’s generally frowned upon outside of porn. They are devious in other ways, of course, and accordingly face the wrath of the vengeful Eric Draven (Brandon Lee), AKA The Crow.

We don’t quite know what motivates these two, but they are definitely nihilistic, appear interested in the spirit realm, and also crave chaos. Interestingly, the two also come off as wise somehow, perhaps as a way of justifying their behavior. Myca is notable for being attracted to a dead woman’s eyes, with it being implied that she just has to have them. So, if you’ve watched Addams Family Values, you’ll notice there are now two different movies listed featuring unusual behavior with eyeballs.

8. Natural Born Killers (1994)

Oliver Stone loves being a controversial filmmaker. So, when he tackled Quentin Tarantino’s script for Natural Born Killers, it was a given that he wouldn’t hold back and would probably even add his own freaky factors. However, on their terror rampage, the murderous Mickey and Mallory Knox (Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis) spare Mallory’s little brother, Kevin (Sean Stone). Why the mercy? It’s likely the first instance of their rule of leaving one survivor behind to the tell the tale.

Still, there’s a limited sense that Mallory liked her brother, who had a spark of a rebellious attitude against their abusive father (Rodney Dangerfield) or overly compliant mom (Edie McClurg). In any case, killing her parents just wasn’t enough. They had to go on an epic mass murder spree, helping cement Natural Born Killers as a controversial and explosive film — one of the best of the ’90s.

9. Dexter TV series

Oddly enough, a lot of people prefer blood spatter analyst/serial killer Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) over his foster sister, the foul-mouthed cop, Debra (Jennifer Carpenter). It’s not a moral thing. Dexter’s a serial killer who, despite having some strict standards, still has questionable morals. Deb is more of a do-gooder, especially at first, being a police officer who tries to do the right thing. However, Deb is overly emotional, seemingly crying in nearly every episode, whereas Dexter is considerably less emotive.

Still, Deb is a believable character who comes up with some pretty funny swear word combos (“Holy Frankenfuck!”). These two are one of television’s best Brother and Sister Duos. Though they support each other, Deb often gets in the way of Dexter’s vigilante murders — because it’s kind of her job. Whether dealing with departmental politics, their strange and violent family history, or merely addressing maniacs like season 4’s Arthur Mitchell (John Lithgow), Deb and Dexter always have something crazy going on. In fact, Arthur Mitchell and his sister are another notable Brother and Sister Duo relationship in the series, albeit in an even weirder way.

10. Friday the 13th (2009)

Although it has mixed critical reception, Marcus Nispel’s Friday the 13th remake nevertheless has many fans. Part of that may be for its story, wherein Clay Miller (Jared Padalecki) sets out to find his missing sister, Whitney (Amanda Righetti). Unfortunately, she has crossed paths with the malevolent Jason Voorhees (Derek Mears), who has kidnapped her for looking like his decapitated mother (Nana Visitor). While that similarity helps keep her alive, it’s also what places her and Clay in danger.

Basically, this remake fairly successfully pulls off a character who cares much about his sister, to the point where he’s almost singular in purpose. Unlike some characters in the Friday the 13th franchise, this Brother and Sister Duo have a bit more depth. It actually does improve the movie overall, even adding tension between Clay and Trent (Travis Van Winkle), the rich jerk guy who gets laid. Even if you don’t like this movie, you simply have to admit it fits on this list. Clay is one half of the best Brothers and Sister Duo anyone could ask for, and this movie is an unexpectedly touching tribute to the power of family.

BONUS: The People Under the Stairs (1991)

Wes Craven’s The People Under the Stairs deserves a mention here, as there’s a surprise revelation about two of its main characters. We’ll leave you to guess what that is, if you haven’t watched this fine film yet.

What are your thoughts on these brother and sister horror characters? Did we miss anything crucial? Let us know in the comments!