Before you even ask, the nurse murder scene from The Exorcist III will not appear in this list. Neither will the pool scene from The Cat People or the Brazilian birthday party in Signs. What we’re listing here are 8 scenes you probably haven’t thought about as being scary or as memorable as others. But give them another watch — really watch — and decide if jumpscares are really the most memorable pieces in your favorite horror films. Warning, there might be spoilers!
Godzilla (2014), Halo Jump
Your world has changed drastically in the last few days and everything you know and love might come to an end as a giant, radioactive lizard fights a giant, radioactive insect in the middle of downtown San Francisco. As an elite military person, you are chosen to complete one of the most badass moves, a Halo Jump… directly into the fight. The world is counting on you.
Few scenes scream “Americaaaa, FUCK YEAH!” like this one, but it’s only awesome until they actually start descending through the air. We hear what they would hear: muted chaos through their helmets. Halo jumps are done from extreme altitudes, so you fly past and into enormous cumulonimbus clouds, rife with lightning and smoke. And through that smoke, you see them — Godzilla and the MUTOs battling it out. Fire. Destruction. A nightmare. And you’re landing right next to it. You literally have to fall to what could be your death, maybe before you even reach the ground. This scene is definitely awesome, yes, but it’s sobering to think you might not actually make a difference against these ancient powers. Sometimes we forget how small we are.
Ju-on: The Grudge (2002), Ghost in the Bed
This whole series is filled with spooky atmosphere that can’t really be recreated for the American audience (based on cultural interpretations of ghosts and preferences in filmmaking). But that’s OK, because there are still scenes that will send chills up anyone’s spine.
We follow Hitomi, an office worker, who has seen Kayako’s grudge-ghost at her workplace and hastily runs home to safety. Except no one can escape a grudge. Hitomi’s safety net (her apartment) is only that for so long, as Kayako manifests outside of her door, on the phone, and in her TV. When Hitomi hides under her bedsheets, she finds a keychain — the one Kayako had ripped off at her office. Hitomi realizes her last effort of staying alive has been thwarted. Wide-eyed, she awaits her fate just seconds later.
Here, Hitomi’s trembling gaze is what is scary. Realization can be a killer.
Nosferatu (1922), From the Bowels of the Ship
Nosferatu may not be scary to audiences nearly 100 years after it’s debut, but there are things we instinctively sense as “bad.” Take, for instance, Nosferatu exiting the bowels of the ship he is trying to take over.
It’s more a product of old-timey filmmaking than it is actual acting (probably), but if you look closely at Nosferatu’s hand, it twitchs. Like an insect. Nosferatu is not human, he’s not even a monster. He’s unnatural in every sense of the word, and with that slight glitch in the filmstrip, we’re instantly put on high alert… not that all the killing and bloodsucking didn’t already do that.
Independence Day (1996), Alien-Scientist Puppet
Independence Day is not a horror movie, and for us, it’s just barely sci-fi. But no matter the genre, there’s always room for a scare. The military and scientists in Independence Day have gotten their hands on an alien, and they do what seems reasonable: try to dissect it and learn how it functions. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite dead yet.
The head scientist, Dr. Okun, becomes a human puppet for the now-conscious alien, inhabiting his vocal cords and speaking directly to the President of the United States. It can seem a little funny at first, but this tells us that the aliens aren’t just technologically superior to humans, they’re psychic, incredibly strong, and extremely dangerous.
Hereditary (2018), Running
Hereditary is one of my favorite movies, and a top contender for 2018. The ending is especially wild, and I wholly suggest watching it if you haven’t already. Most scenes people are talking about are the “crowning of Paimon,” the séance, and the decapitation. But one scene in particular got our blood pumping. It’s the end of the movie and Annie has become possessed, getting ready to pounce on her son Peter. She hunts him through the house like a tiger, preying on him without his noticing. The moment he does, he runs and she follows.
But Annie is not just running after Peter, she is sprinting. Usually chase scenes have characters at least a few feet apart from each other. But here Annie is literally on Peter’s heels, close enough to grab him (a few times she actually does). Never have I seen anyone run that fast to chase a person, and never do I want to experience that in real life. Ever.
The Ring 2 (2005), Haunted Bathtub
How do you top Samara coming out of the well in the first Ring? Show how powerful she really is. The Ring 2 follows Rachel and her son Aidan as they try to regain some normalcy with a new life in a new city. Too bad Rachel is such a good mom that Samara decides to follow her.
Aidan is the target, as Samara has to possess Aidan so she can “be alive” again. At first she doesn’t notice, but Rachel soon is on to Samara’s tricks and finds a now-possessed Aidan in the bathtub surrounded by water. Floating water. Like, it’s scared to touch him, water. Samara is stronger than ever, and Rachel has more reason than ever to put Samara back in the grave. No one messes with mother’s child!
The Shining (1980), After Room 237
I can see why The Shining didn’t get great reviews at first; it doesn’t follow the book as closely as it probably should, and it’s a little slow with little payoff. Now as a cult classic, The Shining has as many fans as it does Kubrick conspiracy theories. Even if you haven’t seen it, everyone remembers “Here’s Johnny!” and the bathtub lady, but this scene tends to pass by without another thought.
Jack has just left the bathtub lady in Room 237, obviously shaken up a bit. He exits, quickly locks the door, and walks backward down the hall as she cackles from inside the room. There’s something off about that hallway though. It’s dark, which is weird because usually all the lights would be on, especially in halls near the main lounge. The doors look flimsy, meaning she can escape if she damn-well pleased. And Jack is shaken but not too shaken; he calmly walks away not to say a word to anyone. Couldn’t be us.
Midsommar (2019), A Little Too Calm
Midsommar is brilliant, beautiful, and probably the most unsettling daytime film we’ve ever seen. Of course there are times when we’re supposed to be scared, but the calm moments that fill in the spaces are just as weird.
Nothing screams “something feels wrong” more than the way the townsfolk act, not only towards the visitors, but towards each other. Everyone is calm. Everyone is smiling. The sun is on a little too bright. Why is that person standing and staring at us? Why are you so happy? What are you feeding us? This is not normal! You don’t have to wait for the Ättestupa ceremony to feel scared, it’s already in the air, and has been since they left the airport.
What are your favorite scary moments? Leave a comment and let us know!
