In 2013, he appeared as the title character in the psychological thriller "The Employer", for which he won Best Actor at the Los Angeles Movie Awards. In 2013, McDowell also ventured into the Steampunk genre, starring in the short film "Cowboys & Engines" alongside Richard Hatch and Walter Koenig. In 2013, he starred as King Henry II in the film "Richard the Lionheart", with Gregory Chandler as the title character. He portrayed Father Murder in the 2016 Rob Zombie film "31". McDowell also played Boogeyman in "Abnormal Attraction" (2018) co-starring Gilbert Gottfried, Bruce Davison, Tyler Mane and Leslie Easterbrook.