23 Seriously Violent And Shocking TV And Movie Scenes That Took Us Completely Off Guard

"I was shoving my hands in my pockets because I was worried I’d bite off my nails."

Violence can be pretty shocking in a movie or TV show. Whether it's out of the blue, or just so graphic – there are certain scenes that will catch us off guard.

NBC

Well, recently we asked the BuzzFeed Community for the violent scenes that shocked them. Here are 23 of the best responses:

🚨Spoiler and violent content warning🚨 – This post contains spoilers for the shows and movies mentioned, so skip any points you don't want spoilt! It also includes depictions and images of violent scenes. 

1. Invincible

Amazon Prime Video

"When Omni-Man murdered every member of the Guardians of the Globe in Invincible. Just completely out of nowhere."

—jmacxjr

2. Saw X

Lionsgate

"I think it is genuinely the only horror film that has left me speechless. During the film, I was shoving my hands in my pockets because I was worried I’d bite off my nails!"

—alib435c016ae

3. Ghost Ship

Warner Bros.

"The opening scene remains one of the most shocking and surprising scenes in a horror movie I've ever seen because of how abruptly it went from jovial and merry to literal blood, gore and guts everywhere.

It was so jarring, it had my mouth agape. The opening scene was so cheery that my friend and I thought we'd entered the wrong hall by mistake. Five minutes later, we knew we were in the right place."

—ravenbard

4. The Boys

Amazon Prime Video

"The penis sneeze scene on the boys!"

—re89245

5. 13 Reasons Why

Netflix

"Episode 13, season two of 13 Reasons Why. That assault was haunting for a show supposedly aimed at teens."

—ajc1987

6. The Dark Knight

Warner Bros. Pictures

"The Heath Ledger Batman scene with the pencil. It’s been years and nothing has surprised me as much as that!"

—astrommen31

7. Apostle

Warning This image is graphic Tap to reveal Click to reveal

Netflix

"The scene in the movie Apostle on Netflix where they use the crank saw thing into the guy's head. I watch a lot of gory movies and for whatever reason this took me by surprise. The slow turn of the machine and the noise it made just did not sit right with me. I can never watch it again."

—paitay21

8. The Walking Dead

Warning This image is graphic Tap to reveal Click to reveal

AMC

"Glenn's brutal death. I was so shocked that I was shaking for hours. It made me sick and angry with the producers on how they could write something this horrible and disgusting. I never watched a second of that show again."

—lblanc86

"Glenn, hands down. It was so horrendous I quit the series. I'm a nurse; I've seen some stuff, but that was on another level."

—l4c53cc61d

9. Crimson Peak

Universal Pictures

"The part when Edith’s father is killed. The movie is horror-adjacent, but not something I would consider as truly scary, but man was that scene brutal. It took me right out of the movie, it just felt out of place to me."

—cgallaghernovember

10. Mr. Robot

USA Network

"Ernesto Santiago's death in Mr. Robot. My god that scene was brutal especially the sound of the axe cutting deep into his chest."

—tanyam44ab2253d

11. The Departed

Warner Bros. Pictures

"I don't want to spoil it (you know if you know)... When Leonardo DiCaprio was about to step out of the elevator in The Departed. I taught film for 18 years and used to joke, 'Movies never surprise me anymore. When you truly know film syntax and semantics, it's hard to be surprised.' That movie stopped me from ever saying that again."

—filmteach

12. Daredevil

Netflix

"The scene in Daredevil where Fisk relentlessly slams the car door into that poor guys face and head until there is nothing left but a pulpy mess. I felt sick."

—katerumtruffle

13. The Green Mile

Universal Pictures

"Del's execution scene. It was so horrific the rest of the film felt different as a result. It's not violence in the traditional sense, but electrocuting someone to death outside of the prison setting would be considered an act of extreme violence, so it is certainly violent by its own terms."

—leverocosta

14. Shameless (US)

Showtime

"The episode where Mickey's dad finds him with Ian and beats the crap out of him. I know the show deals with hard topics but this one felt unexpected and very brutal."

—bookcrazy1234

15. Promising Young Woman

Focus Features

"My boyfriend and I just watched it for the first time. We're still reeling from the ending."

—xjessisaurusx

16. Black Rain

Paramount Pictures

"I watched it without knowing anything about it and was completely completely shocked and pretty disturbed when [SPOILER] Andy Garcia's head is cut off. I suspected he might die, but it was so fast and so brutal. 

Decapitations in films always feel shocking and disturbing to me because of how dehumanising it is to cut off a person's head. I really really wasn't expecting it in a film that is basically a cop film/thriller."

—spaghettigoose

17. Breaking Bad

AMC

"When the methhead lady crushed her husband’s head with the ATM."

—aj2023

18. Game of Thrones

HBO

"When the mountain crushes Oberyn's head. it's very graphic and it took a long time to stop seeing that image every time I closed my eyes."

—madds2016

19. The Boys (again)

Amazon Prime Video

"Pretty much the entirety of The Boys. A man running *through* a woman is… quite the introduction to a show."

—hanaskye

20. Midsommar

A24

"This one wasn’t really ‘unexpected’ but more just so graphic. The cliff-jumping sacrifice scene. We all knew it was coming, yet it was still so shocking."

—luckyscissors50

21. American History X

New Line Cinema

"Amazing movie but I have to mute the TV and turn away during that curb stomping scene every time I re-watch it."

—avavance

22. Better Call Saul

AMC

"When Lalo shot Howard in Jimmy and Kim's apartment."

—da23v8id34

23. The Talented Mr. Ripley

Paramount Pictures

"When Matt Damon just goes absolutely berserk on Jude Law on the boat. Did not see that coming. I still can’t watch that film because of it."

—addiparkinson

When has a violent scene shocked you? Let us know in the comments below!