21 Movie Scenes So Stressful, They May Be The Most Intense Ever Filmed

    "The 'We traced the call, it's coming from inside the house' scene still makes the hair on my arms stand up after 40 years!"

    Recently, we asked members of our BuzzFeed Community, "What is the single most stressful movie scene of all time? A movie moment so intense, so anxiety-inducing, you could physically feel yourself tensing up with discomfort?" and their A+ answers inspired even more great responses!

    So with that in mind, here are EVEN MORE scenes to stress you out:

    Also, another WARNING: This post does contain spoilers for various films. We've placed the film title first so you can decide which you'd like to read!

    1. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

    Two men sit at a table staring at each other

    "The opening scene! It slowly builds up to reveal just how dangerous Hans Landa is."

    sockcucker

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    The Weinstein Co. / Via youtube.com

    2. Annihilation (2018)

    A terrifying bear mutant screams at a woman

    "The 'Scream Bear' scene was so tense!"

    splootingtil

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com

    3. Flight (2012)

    A man attempts to fly a crashing plane

    "Watching everything get progressively worse, while Denzel Washington's character is calm and collected, until the plane crash is intense."

    pazini90

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com

    4. Fatal Attraction (1987)

    A woman takes a child to the fair

    "The scene when Alex takes little Ellen on the roller coaster. OMG, I was so scared for her."

    Patrick Keown

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com

    5. Boogie Nights (1997)

    A man holds a gun, looking crazed

    "The scene near the end when they’re making a bad drug deal. Alfred Molina's character being creepy, the young man throwing fire crackers aimlessly, listening to Night Ranger’s 'Sister Christian,' which just kept building up — it’s unsettling."

    RachelE99

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    New Line Cinema / Via youtube.com

    6. When a Stranger Calls (1979)

    A woman answers the phone, looking terrified

    "In the original, the 'We traced the call, it's coming from inside the house' scene still makes the hair on my arms stand up after 40 years!"

    fruitloop1863

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

    7. The Black Phone (2021)

    A man in a mask is asleep in a chair

    "When the kid is trying to escape from the basement and makes it upstairs, but his captor is sleeping in a chair in the kitchen facing the basement door. The kid is trembling and trying to be so quiet as he creeps by him. I won't spoil anything, but that is a pretty damn intense scene."

    deftonesforlife

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

    8. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

    A young boy sits tied up on a couch

    "The ending scenes made me literally stop breathing."

    joy_joy_joy

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

    9. The Pianist (2002)

    A man stands in the rubble of a room

    "There are lots of intense scenes in this one that could qualify, but one of the scariest is when the main character is in the apartment that he is hiding in, where his friends have put him for safety, and there is a battle being fought in the street outside, with guns, flamethrowers, and other weapons, and he can't escape."

    jomariem

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    BAC Films / Via youtube.com

    10. Whiplash (2014)

    A bloodied man plays the drums

    "The performance scene after he was late and covered in blood, only to be sabotaged."

    soplizmoss

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    Sony Pictures Classics / Via youtube.com

    11. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

    A woman lies on a slowly breaking glass window

    "That movie was so bad in so many ways, but the scene when the trailer is going over the edge of the cliff and Julianne Moore’s character is lying on the glass as it is just starting to crack. It’s amazing how intense that scene is for such an awful movie!"

    Beanzie

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

    12. Interstellar (2014)

    A space station attempts to dock

    "When they're trying to dock onto the spinning station before it falls into the planet's atmosphere. The music, the stars, the knowledge that all of humanity is doomed if they can't save the station — so tense!"

    adriennec

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com

    13. Prisoners (2013)

    A car races in the rain down a busy street

    "When Detective Loki finds Anna, but she’s been drugged, so he’s racing her to the hospital, it’s raining, and he has blood dripping in his eyes. He’s going 100 mph and can barely see — I was literally holding my breath and on the edge of my seat in the theater."

    Jaylasal

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    Warner Bros. Pictures / Via youtube.com

    14. Apollo 13 (1995)

    A NASA control room cheers

    "You know a movie is good when you find yourself stressed over whether a character will make it or not, even if it’s based on a true story and you know they will. In Apollo 13, you know they’re going to make it (because they did in real life), but you still find yourself cheering along with ground control when Tom Hanks’s voice comes through."

    Gaelicmaiden

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

    15. Nope (2022)

    A young boy and a monkey shake hands

    "I just saw it, and all of the lead-up to the Gordy incident was terrifying."

    deadzy

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

    16. Children of Men (2006)

    A bus enters a refugee campsite

    "The entire refugee camp scene is tense, but the uprising and military response freezes you in place."

    reginaldcartwright

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

    17. Sicario (2015)

    A man aims a gun at a family eating dinner around their table

    "The border crossing scene, as well as the dinner scene at the end. I've seen it multiple times, and I hold my breath every time."

    whatever1977

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    Lionsgate / Via youtube.com

    18. A Quiet Place (2018)

    A woman gives birth in a bathtub

    "How about the scene when she's giving birth but can't make a sound? Or when she steps on the nail?"

    rnd13001

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com

    19. Midsommar (2019)

    A stunned woman covering her mouth with her hand

    "The cliff scene had me tense and curled up in terrified anticipation."

    jameyedmonds

    You can watch the tense scene here:

    View this video on YouTube

    A24 / Via youtube.com

    20. No Escape (2015)

    A woman embraces her children

    "That was such an intense movie from beginning to end, but the scene when Owen Wilson's character threw his kids from one building to another…wow. I literally stopped breathing for the entire scene."

    michellecox1

    You can watch the tense scene here:

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    The Weinstein Co. / Via youtube.com

    And finally:

    21. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

    A distraught woman covered in blood sits in a truck bed

    "I never get scared watching movies except for chase scenes, like the ending of the original, when Sally is running away and finally gets saved by a passing truck. It always gets me. There’s just something very visceral about someone trying to get away from something."

    Nathan

    You can watch the tense scene here:

    View this video on YouTube

    Bryanston Distributing Co. / Via youtube.com

    You've read their picks, but now it's your turn! What is the single tensest, most stressful movie scene of all time? Share in the comments below! Oh! And be sure to check out the first list to see if your pick is on there!

    Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.