22 Horror Movie Scenes That Disturbed People So Badly, They Still Haven't Forgotten Them
"Okay, but hear me out: Ew." —Me trying to reason with the directors of these films.
We recently asked members of our BuzzFeed Community, "What's the one horror movie scene that never fails to disturb you, no matter how many times you've seen it?" and their amazing answers sparked even more terrifying responses! Here are just a few of the most stomach-churning scenes listed:
WARNING: Due to the nature of this post, the following not only includes SPOILERS for these films, but also some graphic descriptions and depictions of violence. Please proceed with caution!
1. The ending scene, The Blair Witch Project (1999)
"I know that it is not gory or anything, but the end scene when Heather is frantically searching for her last friend and all of a sudden the camera she is holding finds him facing the corner and the camera falls. That scene has haunted me for so long. I still think about it 20 years later and haven't seen it since."
2. The bathtub scene, Martyrs (2008)
"When Anna found that secret door and she finds that woman with the metal on her head and her waist. When she puts her in the bathtub and starts pulling the bolts out of her head...it makes me cringe just imagining it."
3. The investigation scene, Poltergeist (1982)
"For me, it's the scene where the investigator tore his face off. It's the only movie scene I can never rewatch."
4. The ending scene, Sleepaway Camp (1983)
"I don't know if anyone has talked about this, but for me it was the final scene in this movie. That scene was so bizarre. The thing about that scene that ABSOLUTELY was disturbing was the sound Angela makes, like it's disturbingly inhuman and animalistic."
5. The OTHER head-loss scene, Hereditary (2018)
"Everyone always talks about the car accident scene, but for me it was the moment Toni Collette saws off her own head. I was done at that point and had to cover my eyes for the rest of the movie."
6. The cannibal scene, Green Inferno (2013)
"It's got to be the scene when that guy gets cut up and eaten while still alive."
7. The ghost brush, The Grudge 3 (2009)
"The scene when the older sister is brushing the younger sister's hair until she falls asleep, then, when she walks out of the room, you see a hand start brushing her hair again. It zooms out to show the little ghost boy in bed with her. Not even the worst part of the movie, but scared me enough to sleep with a pillow over my head for years."
8. The bed scene, Goodnight Mommy (2014)
"For me, the tied-to-the-bed scene in this one was pretty intense. The twin sons start demanding the woman posing as their mother (or is she?!) tell them where their real mother is."
9. The mirror scene, Mirrors (2008)
"The scene in the movie when the sister was enjoying a nice bath and her 'mirror self' straight-up ripped her jaw right off. TBH, it took me a week just to finish the movie after that and I skipped that part."
10. The barn scene, The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
"The scene when Emily is counting to six, six times. On the sixth, she starts naming the demons that are possessing her body. When she got to the last demon, I had to close my eyes and ears, because I assumed it was Lucifer, and I really did not want to hear his name. Anything with possession scares me, but that scene actually terrified me and I haven't watched that again."
11. The shower scene, Psycho (1960)
"Wait...no one even mentioned this one? Really?! It's the all-time scariest scene in a movie. People were scared to shower."
12. The lawn mower, Sinister (2012)
"How did this scene not show up on this list?! I swear that movie is messed up and truly sticks with you."
13. The breastfeeding scene, The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
"I think the breastfeeding/rape from the remake definitely belongs on this list! I am a huge horror fan and don't get shocked or grossed out easily...but I definitely didn't see it coming and it was super fucked up. I realize this isn't exactly a great advertisement for the movie, but it's actually a very good remake."
14. The bullet hole scene, The Amityville Horror (2005)
"The scene in the remake with Ryan Reynolds where the babysitter is FORCED TO STICK HER FINGER IN THE BULLET HOLE OF A DEAD GIRL’S FOREHEAD. I tried stomaching that movie at a seventh grade Halloween party to impress some boys, but I am now 25 fucking years old and it still gives me the creeps."
15. The "dream" scene, Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
"The entire 'dream' sequence, from the boat to the ticking clock, from the chanting to the eerie soundtrack, from the SUPER creepy (and nude) old people to Satan’s eyes at the very end. It’s masterfully done...but YIKES."
16. The torture scene, Audition (1999)
"Sooo...we’re just not going to talk about this at all?! The most messed up scene ever recorded."
17. The Nazi lab scene, Overlord (2018)
"When the soldier goes into the Nazi lab and hears a French woman pleading for help. He pulls back the curtain and it’s just a head and a spine, and there are artificial lungs to keep her alive. I think about spine lady most days."
18. The surprise murder scene, Nightbreed (1990)
"This is a random movie, but there is a scene that to this day I still think about. I saw it when I was maybe 10 years old. A woman goes to the kitchen and opens the freezer door. When she closes the door, there is a man in a creepy burlap mask standing there all of a sudden and he brutally kills the woman. Then her husband. It was terrifying to me and I never watched it again, but it got me hooked on horror movies."
19. The backseat scene, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
"The shot in the remake after the backseat suicide. At one point someone references her brains looking like lasagna...I haven't been able to eat lasagna since."
20. The kitchen scene, The Sixth Sense (1999)
"The scene when Toni Collette's character finds all of the drawers and cupboard doors open in the kitchen was SO unsettling to me. The look on her face and the way she asks Cole if he's looking for something was so disturbing and I don't know why."
21. The roach scene, Creepshow (1982)
"The roach infestation from this movie messed me up as a kid for a long time. I now have a serious fear of bugs."
22. And finally, the Achilles scene, Pet Sematary (1989)
"Everyone here is all wrong, the only right answer is the scene in this movie when the neighbor is on the stairs and the kid comes up and slashes his Achilles tendon with his dad's scalpel. This scene is the sole reason why I rush up the stairs in the dark."
Now it's your turn! What horror movie scene disturbed you the most? If it's not listed here, be sure to share yours in the comments below! And don't forget to follow the BuzzFeed Community for a chance to be featured in an upcoming post and/or video!
Some entries were edited for length and/or clarity.