To be the victimized or to be the victimizer?

That is the question posed to any famous face who decides to grace — curse? — the horror genre.

As the horrified, they can lend their Serious Acting Chops — usually in a lead role — to a genre commonly associated with the opposite, perhaps in hopes of deepening the real-world psychological resonance; can you say trauma?

But when cast as the horrifier — like Lizzy Caplan in the new movie Cobweb — they get to yuck it the fuck up, savoring the over-the-top deliciousness that’s generally scarce in the more conventionally-prestigious fare upon which they built their clout. The performance hallmarks of the horror genre — can you say scarfing down the scenery? — allow them to let their freakiest flags fly, similar to Adèle Exarchopoulos’ collaborations with Quentin Dupieux.