15 Movie Scenes That I, A Fully-Grown Adult, Still Have To Look Away From Whenever I Watch Them

I will avoid this scene at all costs and if that means never watching this movie again, then that's what I'll have to do.

We all have those scenes that, for one reason or another, we just can't face. Whether they're gross, scary, or just super uncomfortable, there are certain moments in movies we always look away from.

BBC Three

Here are 15 scenes that I conveniently close my eyes for when they come around...

Content Warning: This post contains descriptions of distressing and disturbing scenes. 

1. The transformation in The Witches

Warner Bros.

MY WORD this scene has haunted me for almost two decades. I have no idea if it's a good film, I will avoid this scene at all costs, and if that means never watching this movie again then that's what I'll have to do. 

Have a look here:

youtube.com

2. The face melt in Raiders of the Lost Ark

Paramount Pictures

Yes, special effects have come a long way since the release of this film, but the trauma I endured over this as a kid always makes me look away more than I would for any horror movie. Whatever the reason, I have to instantly look away when this scene occurs, which is annoying because I actually love this film. 

Watch here:

youtube.com

3. The curb stomp in American History X

New Line Cinema

This is undoubtedly a horrible scene. The worst thing is that even if I close my eyes or look away, I can still hear the horrible sound of the teeth against the curb. That sound will forever send shivers down my spine! It's a film full of pretty disturbing and uncomfortable moments, but this is the one that makes my shut my eyes and ears.

You can see it here:

youtube.com

4. The baby scene in Trainspotting

PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

Every time I watch Trainspotting I'm looking out for two scenes – this one and the toilet scene. The toilet scene is grim, but also relatively silly. This one, however, is just so horrible and tragic. The reality of the situation, the way it's shot, the reaction from Susan Vidler as Allison... It all adds up to a pretty disturbing watch.

This is the scene here:

youtube.com

5. The octopus scene in Oldboy

Show East

I'm not thaaat great with people eating things grotesquely – the Matilda chocolate cake also fills me with dread – but this scene is just nasty. If you haven't seen it, a fresh out of jail Dae-su Oh devours a live octopus at a restaurant. It's not a scene to watch on an empty stomach, or a full one for that matter. 

Here's the scene:

youtube.com

6. Severing the nerve in 127 Hours

Warner Bros.

I knew what I was getting into when I watched this film: man's arm gets stuck in a rock... What do I think was going to happen? Still, I remember getting to the scene when he was cutting through the nerve and struggling to keep my eyes on the action. 

Watch the scene here:

youtube.com

7. Bilbo's reaction in The Lord of the Rings

New Line Cinema

This may be due to me being burned by this scene as a kid, but during my bi-annual rewatch of LoTR, I will still conveniently look at something else in the room just before Bilbo goes all Gollum-y. It's a perfectly executed jump-scare, but myself and many others were maybe a bit too young to fully appreciate that, and perhaps I never will. 

You can watch it here:

youtube.com

8. The face-smashing in Pan's Labyrinth

Warner Bros. Pictures

I won't lie, Pan's Labyrinth terrified me as a kid; I can confidently say that nine is too young to watch this movie. There was one scene that stuck with me though, and one that I still find hard to watch. It's the scene where the captain is smashing the bottle into that boy's face. The brutality is just so vivid and it's just too hard to watch.  

This is the scene:

youtube.com

9. The sledge hammer in Midsommar

A24

It's a horror movie, there were going to be some horrible scenes, but for some reason, this one was just so raw that I had to look away. Maybe it's because you can kind of tell what's going to happen in the moments leading up to it, but damnnnnn. This was brutal. 

This is the scene:

youtube.com

10. The model village death in Hot Fuzz

Universal Pictures

Of all the gruesome deaths in Hot Fuzz – a film I continue to watch whenever I'm sick – the model village death is the only one I can't stomach. I've seen the movie over 10 times and still haven't actually watched that bit since the first time I saw it. I don't know why I find it so much worse than the others, but I can't be alone in looking away as Simon Skinner is flying towards that church spire...

Have a look here:

youtube.com

11. The dog scene in I Am Legend

Warner Bros. Pictures

I know there are a lot of 'Does the Dog Die' users out there, so you'll understand this one. I can do Marley & Me, I can do Hachi, I can even do Old Yeller, but the scene in I Am Legend where Will Smith's character has to put his infected dog down? That's something I cannot watch. 

Here's the scene:

youtube.com

12. The botched execution in The Green Mile

Warner Bros.

Obviously, this is a harrowing movie that is packed with moments that will make anyone cry, but the scene that's arguably hardest to watch is the botched execution one when the guard doesn't wet the sponge. It's just so vivid and intense, it's certainly one that turns my stomach.

Have a look here:

youtube.com

13. The knife scene in Saving Private Ryan

DreamWorks Pictures

Yes, the beach scene is harrowing, but for me, the worst sequence is when Private Mellish and the SS soldier are tussling over the knife trying to overpower one another. The pleading of Mellish, particularly with Upham frozen and unable to help before the stabbing, is truly horrible. 

This is the scene:

youtube.com

14. The sexual humiliation scene Requiem for a Dream

Summit Entertainment

There are a number of scenes I could've chosen from this movie, but the one that I can't bring myself to watch again is when Marion, so desperate from withdrawal goes to Big Tim's apartment. There, she and another woman are the subject of horrible sexual humiliation. There's really not much further explanation needed as to why one would find this scene unbearable.

Here's the trailer:

youtube.com

15. Finally, the Achilles tendon scene in Hostel

Lionsgate

This whole film is abjectly gross, but this one scene has stuck with me. For context, I had bad growing pains as a kid, and whenever I ran, I got this searing pain all the way down my Achilles. Did this contribute to the visceral reaction I had to this scene? Maybe. Or perhaps it's just a horrible, hard-to-watch scene irrespective of any Achilles-related squeamishness. Either way, catch me looking away when this bit happens. Oh, and the eye bit. And the train bit.

Check it out here:

youtube.com

But enough about me, I want to know the scenes YOU can barely watch, and why... Let us know in the comments below!