23 Horror Movie Moments So Terrifying, They Changed People

"I slept with the AC off for weeks because I was too afraid to use a blanket."

We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to name a horror movie moment that was SO scary, it scarred them for life and changed the way they did things. Here are some of the ~most terrifying~ responses:

1. The pool, Poltergeist

MGM

That scene terrified me to my core and I wouldn’t swim in a pool for a year after I watched it...then I wouldn’t swim in ANY body of water where I couldn’t see the bottom for almost three years.

—jseig96

2. The shower, Gothika

Warner Bros. Pictures

In the movie, a character cuts up Halle Berry's arm with a razor in the institution's shower, and I was so scared that I didn't shower for a week until, I'm not kidding, my DOG led me into the bathroom one day. Even he was like, “Girl, this is getting out of hand.” He laid down beside the shower the whole time, so I finally felt safe, but I still think of this movie whenever I drive at night (because of the scene where she comes across a ghost girl standing alone in the middle of the road).

—allim4da20c0a6

3. The static, The Ring

DreamWorks Pictures

I saw this when I was in middle school with a group of friends — there were like 12 of us — and I HATED (still do) scary movies, but went anyways because it was cool. I, unfortunately, had to babysit three rowdy kids the next night, and when they went to bed and the house was FINALLY quiet, I turned the TV on and guess what? I was greeted with a snowy screen.

—francescac454166af2

4. The mask, Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Universal Pictures

The moment when the kid put on the mask, and the song started playing on TV, and then he collapses and insects started coming out of it. Ever since I saw that, my go-to option for any costumes involve make-up only. NO MASKS!

—robertomarinh

5. The "home movies," Sinister

Summit Entertainment

This might seem lame, but it honestly creeped me TF out. Seeing Bughuul in all of the films honestly made me stay away from movies in general for a while, and watching old home movies makes me nervous to this day.

—j463e065e6

6. The bed cover, The Grudge

Lions Gate Films

That particular scene made me sleep with the AC off for two weeks, because I was so afraid of using my blanket.

—adindasyafri

7. The birthday party, Signs

Buena Vista Pictures

When I was about 10, my dad let me watch this with him. When the alien comes out from behind the bush during the birthday party...whew, I wouldn't go upstairs alone for months after that.

—maddiec4dbdcafdc

8. The tanning bed, Final Destination 3

New Line Cinema

I walked in on my dad and brother watching it when I was younger and it scared me for YEARS. Now that I'm older and realize how ridiculous those movies are, I can watch it and laugh...but I'm still never using a tanning bed.

—megb4198177ee

9. The location, The Exorcist

Warner Bros.

I watched it on Halloween my freshman year at Georgetown (where the movie was filmed) and I actually CRIED. I still can't go past the house where the movie was filmed or the famous "Exorcist steps" alone.

—angelikao4df613ae4

10. The troll, Ernest Scared Stupid

Buena Vista Pictures

This is literally a children’s movie, but I took a running JUMP to get into my bed for years because I thought the evil troll was going to be under my bed waiting to grab me. I wasn’t about to take any chances.

—katieg4d5b159a4

11. The dog's transformation, The Thing

Universal Pictures

I maintain that this is one of the best (and scariest) horror movies of all time. The fact that you have no idea who's infected and who isn't makes the suspense unrelenting. The scene when the dog transforms in its kennel and starts assimilating the other dogs wrecked DOGS for me.

—caitlinm18

12. The birds (of course), The Birds

Universal Pictures

I watched this alone late at night when I was 10. I still don't like seagulls (especially the ones with the red beaks) and crows. I have to walk through a park to get to work and there's always a bunch of crows there. Combined with the morning mist, I run every time (I'm 25 now) because it looks like they are plotting my death.

—nadine5678

13. The bear attack, Backcountry

IFC Midnight

Horror movies are, typically, advertised as "scary," so I am mentally prepared when watching them. However, I was NOT mentally prepared for this movie. I thought it was the story of a couple being lost in the woods, nothing too crazy. Next thing I know a man is literally being torn apart limb from limb. In short, I no longer find bears cute, and I had nightmares for days.

—somers

14. The unmasking, Hush

Netflix

When the man terrorizing the lead actor took his mask off, it really bothered me because he looked like a totally normal man. It reminded me that murderers look just like average people. Also, there were a lot of windows in that movie and he would just appear in them, so at night I AVOID looking out windows.

—thefashionista1012

15. The woods chase, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Bryanston Distributing Company

I wasn’t that scared watching it, but I guess it triggered something in my subconscious because afterwards I had nightmares for WEEKS where it was ME being chased instead. Not a huge fan of the woods now.

—mangoforpresident

16. The torture scene, The Hills Have Eyes

Vanguard

I go camping a lot and often drive around the desert searching for cool sights. My biggest fear since seeing this film is running into a lost town of mutants. My boyfriend will mention the movie in passing to me and I STILL get scared when we're out exploring.

—jessi27gg

17. The Cotton Candy, Killer Klowns from Outer Space

Trans World Entertainment

When they put dead people in the cotton candy...so scary. To do this day still dislike clowns AND don't eat cotton candy.

—kdm333

18. Lust, Se7en

New Line Cinema

While not a "traditional" horror movie, that scene did me in. Holy crap, I was so disturbed, I slept on the floor of my parents’ room for two weeks and I was a teenager at the time.

—sarahc48880d19c

19. Any scene Chucky's in, Child's Play

MGM

My brother was watching it on TV and 11-year-old me thought it was was terrified. I even wrote a letter to our local video store to do something about the Child's Play videos that they sold because the VHS COVERS ALONE gave me nightmares! No dolls for me, ever.

—lynzeea

20. The abduction, Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County

Paramount Home Entertainment

This was literally a made for TV movie and, as an adult, I can see the horrible production value of it, but it came out before the Blair Witch Project and the found footage genre wasn't well-known. As far as I understood as a kid, I was witnessing a REAL alien abduction. This movie is responsible for my irrational lifelong fear of aliens.

—amandak23

21. The opening scene, Jaws

Universal Pictures

I watched this on TV as a five-year-old, which was (in)conveniently the age I was taking swimming lessons. NOPE. I never got back in the pool after that. I thought the lines at the bottom of the pool were where a shark would jump out to get me. I'm 30 now and still shudder!

—j4f72275a6

22. The leg grab, Paranormal Activity

Paramount Pictures

I already had an irrational fear of something grabbing my foot in the middle on the night, so this scene just amplified that fear and made sure I'd cover up with a blanket forever.

—nickh41015a50d

23. And finally, the whole darn movie, The Descent

Pathé Distribution

I hate small spaces, so the thought of being stuck in a tiny space with those terrifying monster creatures and the awful noises they make ensured that I would NEVER go spelunking. EVER.

—angerine

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Some entries have been edited for length or clarity.