Horror is the most subjective thing there is. Something either frightens you or it doesn’t. Everyone has different fears, whether they be subtle or surreal, so deciding which type is the scariest is essentially a fools errand but luckily for you, I’m about as foolish as they come. This list will be dealing with the most iconic moments of these films so it goes without saying that every clip will be a massive spoiler. I tried to be as vague as possible in my description and write ups but there’s only so much I can do. From here on out, expect nothing but thrills, chills and tons of jumpscares.
These are the 100 Scariest Movie Moments of All Time.
100. Walking Home from School | The Appointment (1981)
The Appointment is a made for television movie that’s about as obscure as they come. Unless you’re a diehard fan of either Edward Woodward or BBC thrillers, odds are you’ve never even heard of this, much less seen it. Since it has no physical release outside of an old VHS, few have discovered it and the ones that have will never stop recommending it for one reason: it opens with one of the best jumpscares ever. A girl is walking home from a violin recital. Something in the bushes next to her is making noise. When she turns to see what it is, the noise stops. She keeps walking and the rustling starts again. She turns again and…
99. The Arrival of the Monster | The Host (2006)
The Host wastes no time introducing the monster. Usually there’s some sort of set up but Bong Joon-Ho ain’t having none of that. Monster havoc from the word go. You get a brief explanation behind the origin (it’s a shit ton of formaldehyde poured down the drains) and a couple of scenes setting up that there’s probably definitely a thing but within the first ten-ish minutes, you see the monster. Not only do you see the monster, you get a full on monster rampage. A rampage that has yet to be topped.
98. The Cave | The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)
Horror has had a long history of demonizing mental illness. It’s also had a problem with old people in that old = scary. The Taking of Deborah Logan deals with an older woman going through Alzheimer’s, which normally would be two automatic checks against it but the filmmaker’s wisely don’t pin the evil on “crazy” or make Deborah Logan creepy just because she’s old. The horror comes from her terrifying reality; that she’s slowly losing her mind and there’s nothing she can do about it. If you’ve ever dealt with a grandparent who’s had it, it’s a very real nightmare. As is a grandparent who is possessed by a demon and wants to eat their grandchildren. Both equally scary.
97. The Projector | IT (2017)
Topping the 1990 miniseries was going to be a Herculean feat, no matter who was at the helm. Few things are as blindingly nostalgic than that is. It’s one of the big gateway horror films and many saw it at a formative time. It’s just scary enough to fuck up an entire generation and just good enough to be remembered fondly. So when a remake was announced, many cried foul. Not because they were precious about the original but simply because they loved Tim Curry as Pennywise that much. They couldn’t fathom anyone matching his performance but Andy Muschietti and Bill Skarsgård proved them all wrong. They delivered one of the biggest hits of the 2010s and the lion’s share of that is due to Skarsgård. He’s creepy, he’s unsettling and as this scene proves, he’s everywhere.
96. The Swimming Pool | Let the Right One In (2008)
The original version of this film is Swedish, and most cinema fans agree that it outshines the later US remake. One of the creepiest scenes is when we find out that preteen Eli is capable of some very scary things. When main character Oskar is caught by bullies in the school swimming pool, she exacts a very bloody revenge. The scene is skillfully shot because all the audience sees is Oskar hiding and holding his breath underwater as limbs and other body parts fall in around him.
95. Large Marge | Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985)
Children’s films aren’t scary anymore. Disney used to give me just as many nightmares as Freddy, Jason or Chucky. The elephant dream sequence from Dumbo caused night terrors, the Child Snatcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang made me permanently afraid of people with candy and literally everything about Return of Oz is a big fat no. The biggest pants pisser award though, belongs to Large Marge. It’s clearly ripping off the same gag from Twilight Zone: The Movie but I have to say, I still think this is scarier.
94. The Door With Red Electrical Tape | Pulse (2001)
The dead coming back through electrical devices might be the scariest premise since A Nightmare on Elm Street and that’s a movie and a dream demon killing you in your sleep. That’s how dependant we are on electronics. I need my TV, phone, computer and whatnot as much as I need my beauty rest. It’s an apocalyptic level premise made all the more terrifying by the fact that the dead aren’t just coming back, they’re taking hosts.
93. Running For Your Life | 28 Weeks Later (2007)
28 Days Later reinvented the zombie genre by making them “Fuck Me, I’m Dead” fast. (I know there was fast zombies before this and I know they’re not technically zombies. Hush yo lips son) The sequel went the Aliens route by making it an action film but the first ten minutes are straight horror. Zombies have never been as frightening.
92. ‘One, Two, Three’ | The Orphanage (2007)
The Orphanage is an expertly made Spanish ghost story about the disappearance of a child and a mother desperately trying to deal with her grief all while turning her childhood home into an orphanage. It’s one of those stories where you can’t tell whether or not the supernatural elements are supposed to be malevolent or benevolent. Are the ghosts trying to help the mother cope with her depression, trying to help her find her son, lonely and wanting to play or are actually behind the disappearance. You won’t know till close to the third act but one thing is due certain, they’re creepy as shit. Especially the one wearing the mask…
91. The Pale Man | Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Nobody understands the appeal of fairy tales better than Guillermo Del Toro. The Tales of The Brothers Grimm haven’t lasted decades because they were strictly meant for children. Besides a morality tale, they all included something dark. The protagonist usually has a sinister obstacle to overcome. Whether it’s a big bad wolf or a witch wanting to eat you like candy. Pan’s Labyrinth is no different. This version of the story has The Pale Man and like the ones before him, he eats children.
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What do you think of the selection so far? What movie scenes have scared you the most? Maybe they will show up further on the list!
