22 Times People Ignored The R Rating On Horror Movies And Were Genuinely Traumatised As A Result

    "I used to sleep with a rosary on, and I kept holy water by my bed."

    Benjamin Dzialdowski
    by Benjamin Dzialdowski

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We all remember the first time we saw a horror movie, and for a lot of us, I bet it was faaar earlier than perhaps it should've been!

    Universal Pictures

    We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community about the horror movies they watched too early and how it has affected them. Here are the best responses!

    1. Pet Sematary

    The cat from "Per Sematary" looking scary
    Paramount Pictures

    "I was only eight years old when I watched it at my aunt and uncle's house. I was terrified of cats and dogs for years after that! My family had a dog, and I was sure that it would murder me at any moment."

    —postypost

    2. It (1990)

    Tim Curry as Pennywise pointing at the camera in "It"
    ABC

    "I was 6, and my sister and I were in front of the TV waiting for my parents to get ready. We found a nice little movie with kids and a clown. ... Well, I still have nightmares about that picture album bleeding, and I hate balloons now, too!"

    —luthy_one

    "I was very young, and my parents wouldn't let me watch it, so I faked being ill and curled up in my dad's lap, placing a blanket strategically so I could see the TV. I love horror movies now, but this is one I can barely get through! I can't even pass by a clown IRL."

    —tracyp1

    Here's that photo album scene in case you're curious:

    View this video on YouTube
    youtube.com

    3. Phantoms

    Ben Affleck as Sheriff Bryce Hammond and Rose McGowan as Lisa Pailey in "Phantoms"
    Miramax Films

    "I think I was 12 when I watched it first. There's a scene in which a bat-moth thing eats someone's face, and I've had a debilitating phobia of them ever since. I can't even be in the same room as a moth!"

    —yukioaqualinekirko

    If you're wondering what the bat-moth thing was like, here ya go:

    View this video on YouTube
    youtube.com

    4. Jaws

    The shark from "Jaws" attacking the boat
    Universal Pictures

    "I saw Jaws when I was 5. I'm now 44, and I'm terrified of the sea! I still won't set foot in the ocean — I panic and convince myself I'm about to be chomped."

    —kirstyr435f741a2

    "I was way too young, and it totally traumatised me! The music is enough to start the cold sweats, and even seeing the poster for it is terrifying to this day."

    —abatley11

    5. Sweeney Todd

    Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd and Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs Lovett in "Sweeney Todd"
    Paramount Pictures

    "I was about 8 or 9 years old when it came on the TV. As soon as he started killing people, I started to panic. Every night after that for weeks, I would sleep with my blankets covering my neck because I was CONVINCED that Sweeney Todd would slice my throat, and make me into a meat pie."

    —emmalacombe284

    6. What Lies Beneath

    Michelle Pfeiffer as Claire Spencer and Harrison Ford as Norman Spencer in "What Lies Beneath"
    DreamWorks Pictures

    "My grandma and her friend took me to see this when I was 8. I tried to hide from them how scared I was because I was afraid they wouldn't let me leave. I couldn't take a bath for, like, 10 years after that."

    —jojosopo

    Here's the infamous bathtub scene:

    View this video on YouTube
    youtube.com

    7. Scream

    The murderer with a bloody knife in the classic "Scream" mask in "Scream"
    Dimension Film

    "I couldn't go in a public bathroom alone for YEARS, and let’s be honest, I still have that fear in the back of my head 20+ years later!"

    —jessikagailx22

    8. The Grudge

    Kadee Strickland as Susan while one of the children is at the window of there door in "the Grudge"
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    "I watched The Grudge at a sleepover when I was 13, and it really scared me — especially all the crawling and the noises! I had to watch the DVD extras and the making of The Grudge to make myself feel better!"

    –sam_cleal

    "My friends and I saw it in theatres in 2004 when I was 14; I slept with my bedroom lights on for months."

    —monicasimpson

    "It traumatized me! I couldn't be alone at night well into my teens. I still can't watch it, and I actually love horror movies."

    —eibhlinnicsuibhne

    9. The Witches of Eastwick

    Michelle Pfeiffer as Sukie Ridgemont, Susan Sarandon as Jane Spofford, and Cher as Alexandra Medford in "The Witched of Eastwick"
    Warner Bros.

    "I saw it when I was 8 years old, and the scene where the wife starts spewing cherries while Jack Nicholson’s character is maniacally eating them scarred me for life. I am now 31 and only just started eating cherries again — 23 years, folks!"

    —jessicagriffin

    Here's THAT "have another cherry" scene:

    View this video on YouTube
    youtube.com

    10. The Ring

    Daveigh Chase as Samara in "The RIng"
    DreamWorks Pictures

    "I saw it with my older sister when I was 12. The TV in my bedroom had to have a towel covering it for two months afterwards, and my mum had to walk me up to bed every night to check Samara wasn’t waiting in the bedroom for me!"

    –gracehp

    "It was the first horror I ever saw, and I couldn't even pretend not to be scared. I'm 28 now, and I'm still terrified of anything even closely resembling that girl!"

    —somenortherner

    11. Twilight Zone: The Movie

    Warner Bros.

    "I snuck into the room my parents were watching it in and saw the gremlin on the plane wing when I was 5. For years afterwards, I was scared of storms, and imagined that the gremlin was outside tearing up the roof or something."

    — janes4c411b247

    Take a look at the gremlin on the wing:

    View this video on YouTube
    youtube.com

    12. Halloween

    A man with a knife in the Michael Myers mask from "Halloween"
    Compass International Pictures

    "I don't remember how old I was or which movie it was, but I remember watching one of the Halloween movies at my grandparents'. For years afterwards, I was convinced that Michael Myers was living in the attic at my house."

    —phoenixfeather1988

    13. A Clockwork Orange

    Malcom McDowell as Alex in "A Clockwork Orange"
    Warner Bros. Pictures

    "I saw it when I was around 13-14 years old. There were A LOT of disturbing scenes, but the part when Alex beats a woman to death with a giant penis is forever etched in my nightmares."

    —dmvandbeyond

    Here's the murder by giant phallus:

    View this video on YouTube
    youtube.com

    14. 1408

    Samuel L Jackson as Gerald Olin and John Cusack as Mike Enslin in "1408"
    Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

    "I once had a teenage babysitter who thought it'd be fun to have me and my bro watch it when we were 6. My parents had to cover all of the AC vents in my room for years because I was scared zombies would drag me into them. I also cried every time we went to a hotel because I was scared I'd get trapped in the room and zombies would get me."

    —meebz2173

    15. The Exorcist

    Linda Blaire as Regan Macneil lying in bed in "The Exorcist"
    Warner Bros.

    "I saw it as a child shortly after it came out, and I lived with the fear of being possessed for YEARS! I used to sleep with a rosary on, and I kept holy water by my bed."

    —mrrobinson23

    16. Leprechaun 3

    Warwick Davis as Leprechaun in "Leprechaun 3"
    Trimark Home Video

    "When I was 8, I had a friend who told me about the Leprechaun movies. In the first five minutes, the leprechaun bites off a guy's ear and then his toe. I was so terrified that I couldn't even get up to turn off the TV. I spent the rest of the night too scared to do anything."

    —sammachado

    Witness this Leprechaun ear-bite for yourself here:

    View this video on YouTube
    youtube.com

    17. Poltergeist

    Zelda Rubinstein as Tangina Barrons in "Poltergeist"
    United International Pictures

    "I saw it at my cousin's house in the mid '80s when I was around 10. It scared me so badly that I couldn't sleep in a bedroom with a visible TV until later on when they became flat screens. In hotels, I'd cover the TV with a towel!"

    —a4bf93d1e5

    "I was maybe 4 or 5 when I saw the original movie. There's a scene in which skeletons are coming out of the water, and I couldn't swim for months!"

    —jamesarthurwrites

    Have a look at the skeletons in the pool scene:

    View this video on YouTube
    youtube.com

    18. Arachnophobia

    Jeff Daniels as Ross Jennings surrounded by spiders in "Arachnophobia"
    Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

    "I watched it when I was little, and it messed me up! For the longest time, I was convinced (and terrified) that a spider was going to crawl up my nose while I was sleeping and bite my brain. Obviously, I no longer believe that, but my arachnophobia is still going strong!"

    —kdick32

    19. The Birds

    Tippi Hedren as Melanie Griffith being chased by birds in "The Birds"
    Universal-International Pictures

    "I watched it when I was about 9 or 10; I didn’t leave the house for days afterwards and cried every time I saw a bird! I also had nightmares about the guy with his eyes gouged out for years."

    —hailcthulhu

    "I refused to open my windows and shutters for years! I was terrified that birds would break the window and peck my eyes out. I’ll be 34 this year, and I’m still super wary of birds."

    —nadirp45fa1edca

    Said man with eyes pecked out scene:

    View this video on YouTube
    youtube.com

    20. Tremors

    A giant worm emerging from the sand in "Tremors"
    Universal Pictures

    "I was young, and my dad was flipping through the channels when he found this movie. For a while afterwards, I had nightmares that giant worms would come up through my bedroom floor and eat me. I still think about it every time I get out of bed!"

    —dylankillian357

    21. Requiem for a Dream

    Jared Leto as Harry Goldfarb in "Requiem for a Dream"
    Summit Entertainment

    "I saw this film when I was about 10. I'm 27 now, and still certain that I never want to see it again. I couldn't sleep for weeks, it was just so scary and disturbing!"

    —judy24

    22. A Nightmare on Elm Street

    Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger in "A Nightmare On Elm Street"
    New Line Cinema

    "I watched about 20 minutes of it when I was a kid, and that was enough to trigger a recurring nightmare in which I was introducing my dad to my friends and he turned into Freddie and slashed my face. I had that dream about a dozen times over about five years."

    —travisreinhart

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

    Don't forget to share the scary films YOU watched when you were way too young in the comments. Want to be featured in similar BuzzFeed posts? Make sure to follow the BuzzFeed Community on Facebook and Twitter.