You probably know her as the "Espresso" queen or the pop star who basically lived on the Billboard charts all through 2024 and 2025. But before she was selling out arenas and wearing vintage designer corsets, Sabrina Carpenter was a child actor trying to find her footing in some pretty dark places. Honestly, if you look back at her filmography, the most jarring entry is easily her appearance in the 2013 supernatural thriller Horns.
It’s weird.
People forget she was even in it. Most fans today associate her with the Disney Channel era of Girl Meets World, but she actually filmed her scenes for Horns before that show even premiered. It’s a gritty, R-rated Joe Hill adaptation starring Daniel Radcliffe. Not exactly the "Nonsense" outro vibes we're used to now.
The Sabrina Carpenter Horns Movie Connection You Probably Missed
In Horns, Sabrina Carpenter plays the younger version of Merrin Williams. The adult version of the character is played by Juno Temple. Merrin is the emotional core of the whole story—she’s the girlfriend of Ig Perrish (Radcliffe), and her mysterious death is what kicks off the entire plot.
She isn't on screen for a massive amount of time. It's a supporting role, mostly shown through flashbacks that establish the childhood romance between Ig and Merrin. But it’s a pivotal part. You have to believe these two characters have a deep, soul-shattering history for the rest of the movie to work.
The casting was actually pretty spot on. If you look at 13-year-old Sabrina in that film, she has that same ethereal, wide-eyed look that Juno Temple carries. It’s funny seeing her in 2013 fashion—or rather, the film's version of a nostalgic childhood—knowing she’d eventually become a global fashion icon.
Why this role was a massive departure from Disney
Most child stars have a very linear path. They do the commercial, they do the guest spot on a sitcom, and then they get the Disney or Nickelodeon lead. Sabrina followed that to an extent, but taking a role in a movie where the lead grows literal devil horns out of his head and forces people to confess their darkest, most disgusting sins? That’s a choice.
Director Alexandre Aja is known for some pretty intense horror (The Hills Have Eyes, Piranha 3D). Being on a set like that is a world away from the bright lights of a multi-cam sitcom. Even though her scenes are the "sweet" ones, they are colored by the tragedy that follows. It gave her a taste of prestige-adjacent horror before she became a household name.
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What actually happens to her character?
The movie is based on the novel by Joe Hill (who, fun fact, is Stephen King's son). It follows Ig, who wakes up one morning with horns that make people tell him their worst secrets. Everyone thinks he killed Merrin. He didn't.
Sabrina's scenes are the foundation. We see her as young Merrin in the 1990s-set flashbacks. There's a specific scene involving a cross necklace that becomes a major plot point later. It’s her performance that has to sell the idea that Merrin was "perfect" in the eyes of the town, which makes the mystery of her murder even heavier.
It's a dark movie. Really dark.
It deals with religious guilt, small-town hypocrisy, and some pretty visceral gore. Seeing a young Sabrina Carpenter in the middle of that is like finding a pre-fame photo of a rockstar at a choir recital. It fits, but it feels like a different lifetime.
The Daniel Radcliffe Factor
At the time, the big draw for Horns was Daniel Radcliffe trying to shed the Harry Potter image. For Sabrina, it was an opportunity to be in a production with massive names. Beside Radcliffe and Temple, the movie featured Max Minghella and David Morse.
She wasn't the star. She was a piece of a puzzle.
But looking back with 2026 eyes, her presence in the movie is one of those "wait, is that who I think it is?" moments that makes the film a frequent re-watch for pop culture nerds.
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Why nobody talks about Sabrina Carpenter in Horns anymore
Success has a way of burying the early stuff. When Girl Meets World took off in 2014, Disney’s PR machine didn't exactly want to highlight that their new teen star was just in a movie about devil horns, sexual deviancy, and murder. They wanted the "wholesome best friend" image.
Then the music career happened.
Once "Skin" and then the Emails I Can't Send era hit, Sabrina’s identity shifted completely. She became the "Short n' Sweet" pop star. The gritty indie horror past became a trivia fact rather than a career definer.
Also, let’s be real: Horns had a mixed reception.
It’s a cult classic now, but at the time, critics weren't sure what to make of its blend of dark comedy, romance, and horror. It didn't set the box office on fire. Because the movie stayed in that "cult" lane, Sabrina's role stayed tucked away in the archives of IMDb.
The lasting impact on her acting career
Does she still act? Sort of. She was in The Hate U Give and headlined Work It and Tall Girl on Netflix. But her music has clearly taken the driver's seat.
However, you can see the influence of those early dramatic roles in her music videos. Sabrina is one of the few modern pop stars who actually "acts" in her videos. Whether she's playing a murderous girlfriend in "Taste" or a runaway in "Please Please Please," she uses that dramatic training she picked up on sets like Horns.
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She knows how to play the "sweet girl with a dark secret" trope perfectly.
Digging deeper: The production of Horns
Filming took place mostly in British Columbia. It was wet, cold, and moody—the perfect setting for a Joe Hill story. Sabrina was just a kid, traveling to Canada to film scenes that would eventually be spliced between sequences of Daniel Radcliffe turning into a literal demon.
The contrast is wild.
If you go back and watch her scenes now, you can see the professional polish even then. She didn't have many lines compared to the leads, but her expressions carried the weight of a girl who knew she was the center of a tragedy.
How to watch it today
If you want to see the Sabrina Carpenter Horns movie performance for yourself, it’s usually floating around on various streaming platforms.
- Check Prime Video or Tubi: It frequently cycles through these.
- Look for the "Flashback" scenes: If you're only there for Sabrina, you'll want to pay attention to the first act and the mid-movie reveals.
- Content Warning: Again, this isn't Disney. It’s rated R for a reason. There’s violence, heavy language, and some pretty unsettling themes.
Beyond the Horns: What’s next?
Sabrina has basically conquered the music world. The "Horns" era is a distant memory, but it’s a testament to her longevity. She’s been working in the industry for over a decade. Most people think she’s an overnight success, but she was grinding in indie horror movies before she was even a teenager.
If you’re a fan, it’s worth a watch just to see the range. It’s easy to be a pop star when everything is pink and glittery. It’s much harder to hold your own in a dark, atmospheric thriller alongside seasoned actors.
Actionable insights for fans and collectors
- Check the Credits: If you own the physical Blu-ray, look at the behind-the-scenes features. You might catch glimpses of the younger cast during production.
- IMDb Deep Dive: Take a look at the other young actors in those flashback scenes. Mitchell Kummen (who played young Ig) and Sabrina had to create a believable chemistry in a very short amount of time.
- Appreciate the Transition: Use this as a lens to view her current music videos. The cinematic quality of her recent work isn't an accident; it's the result of years on professional film sets.
- Read the Book: If the movie is too much for you, Joe Hill’s novel is incredible. It gives even more depth to the Merrin character, helping you understand why Sabrina’s role was so vital to the story's emotional payoff.
She’s come a long way from the woods of British Columbia. From a tragic flashback character to a global superstar, the journey is honestly impressive. Just don't expect her to start growing horns on her next tour. Or maybe do—at this point, she could probably pull it off.
To get the full picture of her transition from child actor to pop icon, look at the release dates of her early singles like "Can't Blame a Girl for Trying" and compare them to the filming schedule of her early movies. You'll see a girl who was working two full-time careers before she was old enough to drive. That's the real secret to why she's dominating the industry now: she's been a pro since day one.