Horror films are riddled with hair-raising jump scares, graphic imagery and disturbing aesthetics. There’s usually a singular moment, whether it be the climactic battle between good and evil or the moment where the final girl confronts the sadistic killer. When done properly, they stick in audiences’ minds and cement the film in the horror Hall of Fame. There’s countless examples of stand-out moments in horror, such as a murder-spree montage, a spine-chilling exorcism or the turning point in the narrative that reveals the origins of the ominous Big Bad.
There’s some vivid imagery in horror films. Saw has grotesquely dismembered bodies, The Conjuring has disfigured and otherworldly demons, and Friday the 13th has its camp counselor massacre, to name a few. There’s some more modern examples, such as the memorable decapitation scene from Ari Aster’s Hereditary, and the symbolic communion of the oppressed Tethered in Jordan Peele’s Us. Under the horror subreddit, fans have chimed in to list some particularly prominent moments in horror that made our hearts skip a beat, goosebumps flare up, and adrenaline pump faster.
These moments are often tasteful, boast a keen attention to detail and latch themselves to our brains for weeks after the initial viewing. Right out the gate, one Reddit user named Hellraiser‘s “Jesus Wept” scene, which refers to Jesus’ reaction to Lazarus’ family and their grief at the death of their beloved family member. Interestingly, Hellraiser’s ending was actually ad-libbed on the spot by actor Andrew Robinson. In the context of the scene, Ashely Laurence’s Kirsty is mocked by Sean Chapman’s Frank as he utters the line sarcastically, accepting his own demise. After that, Frank suffers a violent and gory death, the execution of which parallels the sadism of Saw.
Gladly stepping up to the task, another Reddit user sounds off with three examples, Society, Possession and Hereditary. For the uninitiated, Society is a biological horror (body horror) about a socially elitist cult obsessed with body modifications. Without spoiling too much, Society‘s final act sees several individuals sucking the nutrients out of one character while another is killed by being turned inside-out. Possession is a wild ride, the mystery of which lies in its ambiguity, so that’s not to be spoiled. Hereditary, for anyone that’s seen it, induced nightmares for a week straight. That’s all that needs to be said. “Toni Collette slamming her head against the attic” is enough description to get a clear mental picture.
For a complete dark horse, Saint Maud has garnered a cult following despite performing mediocrely at the box office. Rose Glass’ disturbing religion-based horror sees Morfydd Clark in the lead role as Maud, a live-in caregiver whose devotion to God leads her down a dark and dangerous path. Spoiler alert! In the last few moments, Maud lights herself on fire on a beach in front of several onlookers, envisioning herself as a martyr, but the scene abruptly cuts to a juxtaposed clip of reality, with Maud screaming in agony. It’s masterfully done and completely unexpected, and that’s what makes it ingenious.
The same Reddit user that mentions Saint Maud also crosses off the ending of folk horror Apostle, out-there horror series Brand New Cherry Flavor, the Florence Pugh-led flick, Midsommar, and a brief mention of South African ecological horror, Gaia.
There’s so many more examples to choose from, and Reddit also mentions Re-Animator, Halloween, Alien, The Blob and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, plus many more. What defining moment in horror kept you up at night?