The pinnacle of any quality horror movie is a ghastly murder scene. Before you proceed, stay warned that the list is not for the faint of heart. Get ready to panic and be entrapped in fear as here are some of the most gruesome deaths in horror movies:
15. Glen Lantz (A Nightmare on Elm Street)
It was then-rookie Johnny Depp’s debut movie and he was gone too soon on-screen. Portraying Glen Lantz, was one of the many victims of horror icon Freddy Krueger. Unlike most of the murder scenes in horror movies, it was an off-screen death yet scary enough to traumatize the viewers.
As Glen is lying on his bed, he is unexpectedly sucked deep inside the mattress. Afterward, gallons of blood flush out of the hole of the mattress, signifying that Glen suffered an extremely painful death.
14. Paige Edwards (House of Wax)
While Paris Hilton is a far cry from someone who can be considered a talented actress, she is at least responsible for a memorable murder scene from an otherwise lackluster horror flick House of Wax.
While hiding behind the car to escape the wrath of Vincent Sinclair, she takes a peek out the window to see him. After immediately raising her head, he throws a long metallic pipe that pierces her forehead.
13. Sam Lawton & Molly Harper (Final Destination 5)
You will not believe how many people are afraid of flying in an airplane due to fear of engine malfunction. If anything, Final Destination 5 provides a terrifying preview of the unfortunate incident.
As the supernatural horror movie concludes, main characters Sam Lawton and Molly Harper die when the plane is destroyed. In an exceedingly clever plot twist, the viewers not only get frightened by the scene but also discover that the movie was a prequel to the very first installment of the franchise.
12. Frank Cotton (Hellraiser)
The death of Frank Cotton is one of the most uncomfortable scenes to watch from the Hellraiser franchise. The cenobites pierce his flesh with several hooks as his niece Kirsty distressingly looks on.
The hooks tear his flesh as they pierce him and just when they vigorously pull apart to kill him, Frank delivers the franchise’s most chilling dialogue that is open for interpretation – “Jesus wept.”
11. Jud Crandall (Pet Sematary)
Based on Stephen King’s horror novel of the same name, Pet Sematary revolves around an abandoned burial ground that brings back the dead, albeit as a deranged version of themselves.
When Louis Creed’s son Gage dies after being hit by a truck, he buries him in the same cemetery in the hopes of his son’s resurrection. Gage indeed comes back from the grave and slaughters his neighbor Jud Crandall with a scalpel.
10. Sgt. Jim Pembry (The Silence of the Lambs)
If anything, The Silence of the Lambs showed that not all monsters hide under the bed or wear masks to conceal their identities. Sometimes, they can be an ordinary citizen e.g. Hannibal Lecter the psychiatrist.
While escaping from his cage, Lecter brutally murders Sgt. Jim Pembry. While doing so, he mercilessly beats him with his baton, rips his face off, disembowels him, and hangs him in the cell as if he was crucified.
9. Casey Becker (Scream)
It was the opening scene in the first Scream flick, and it was a way to kick-start the acclaimed franchise. The masked killer, known as Ghostface not only viciously murders Casey Becker but proceeds to disembowel her.
The scene gets even more heartbreaking when her parents see her bloodied corpse hanging from the tree. On an interesting note, Casey’s death was the last thing the viewers would expect as she was portrayed by none other than Hollywood A-lister Drew Barrymore, and having such a big star killed off so early in the movie managed to bring the audience on the edge of their seats.
8. Adrienne Thomas (Jason X)
Showing no signs of slowing down, the multiple sequels to Friday the 13th had overstayed their welcome and the tenth installment set in space hinted that the writers were running out of ideas. Jason X was panned by critics but it did feature a unique kill.
When Jason Voorhees thaws out, he assaults Adrienne Thomas and freezes her face with liquid nitrogen. As terrifying as that may seem, he does not stop there and proceeds to smash her frozen face into tiny pieces.
7. Head Explosion (Scanners)
A scene in which a human head explodes is one of the most frequently used acts in the horror genre and Scanners arguably has the most prolific example. The 1981 science-fiction horror movie introduces humans known as “scanners” having telepathic and mind-control abilities.
In the most unforgettable scene of the movie, a person’s head explodes as a result of hydrostatic shock stemming from rapidly increased blood pressure due to the actions of a scanner. What makes the scene even more remarkable is the fact that it was accomplished by prosthetics instead of visual effects.
6. Timothy Young (Saw III)
The Jigsaw Killer can surely come up with the most creative and complex ways to kill someone. With eight installments of the franchise already released so far, the entire list could have easily been filled with murder scenes from Saw movies alone but if we have to narrow it down to the most gruesome kill, it would be Timothy Young.
With his body strapped into a machine, Timothy learns firsthand what the human anatomy is not meant to endure. As the clock is ticking, the machine kills him by twisting his arms, legs, and head.
5. Shower Scene (Psycho)
In an era when Hollywood still had an enormous potential to evolve in terms of film-making, Alfred Hitchcock employed his intellect to pioneer the genre of suspense and psychological thrillers. As hard as it is to believe, the acclaimed director was the mastermind behind one of the most tragic murder scenes in cinematic history with the aid of mere chocolate syrup.
In his 1960 psychological horror movie Psycho, Marion Crane is taking a shower while being stabbed by a shadowy figure wielding a kitchen knife. On paper, the scene might seem an exceedingly simple one but the addition of screeching violins as background music and chocolate syrup to demonstrate blood flowing in the shower made the scene an outstanding one.
4. Claire (Cult of Chucky)
As one of the most infamous horror movie icons, Chucky the killer doll feels no remorse for his actions. While the character has committed several murders, it was Cult of Chucky in which he killed Claire in the most creative way possible.
As she is tied to a hospital bed and sees Chucky alive and walking toward her, he uses a gas tank to break the large ceiling window above her. Shards of glass fall on Claire, her head decapitates and she instantaneously dies.
3. Jamie Lloyd (Halloween 6)
The unhinged serial killer Michael Myers never utters a word and lets his actions speak for themselves. When it comes to his most sinister murder, Jamie Lloyd easily tops the candidates.
Instead of using his signature butcher knife to get the job done, Myers uses a corn thresher to kill her. As she is on the verge of death, Jamie reminds him that he cannot have the baby. This only fuels his anger and Myers proceeds to turn on the corn thresher’s switch to blend her organs inside.
2. The Passengers (Ghost Ship)
While the movie itself received mediocre reviews, the opening scene magnificently managed to present a massacre that had never been seen before or since. Ghost Ship begins with dozens of passengers dancing on a ship.
The pleasant ambiance is unexpectedly halted when an unknown figure loosens a thin wire cord from a spool that whips a tight wire across the dancefloor. The swift motion of the wire snaps every passenger in half except a young girl who watches their bloodied corpses in shock.
1. Kane (Alien)
The first-ever installment of the Alien franchise scarred audiences and critics alike by featuring several kills due to the aggressive tendencies of the alien creature. Out of all the kill scenes, none of them matched the intensity of the chest-bursting scene.
When Kane is trembling in pain while being surrounded by his fellow crew members, an alien creature immediately bursts out of his chest. What makes the scene seem extremely authentic is the usage of real guts from a butcher shop and the actors’ legitimate reactions to the horrific alien creature as they were not informed about what would come out from Kane’s chest.
What are your favorite most gruesome deaths in horror movies? Let us know in the comments below!
You forgot City Of The Living Dead with the girl who pukes her guts out quite literally
Great content! Keep up the good work!