An artful kill scene is a staple in the horror genre. Whether a viewer’s frightful response is elicited by use of tactical sound design, masterful special effects, or unexpected shock value, we all have those scenes that stick with us. Did your favorite make the list?
Editors note: this will contain spoilers. Proceed with caution
[accordion title=’Creep‘]
Typically-comedic Mark Duplass stars as Josef, the film’s sadistic, mask-wearing antagonist (Peachfuzz- you the real MVP). The sound effects when Josef slams his ax into good samaritan everyman Aaron’s cranium, paired with the voyeuristic suspense of the impending death make this particular scene highly nerve racking. While the kill itself is unsettling itself, what follows is even more so. Lesson to filmmakers: don’t answer Craigslist ads.[/accordion]
[accordion title=’The Descent‘]
The Descent starts off with a bang, or rather a slew of metal rods through a windshield impaling the protagonist Sarah’s husband and child. This scene plays a bigger role in the film than to give viewers an initial jump scare, but it also reminds us that vehicles carrying loose cargo are terrifying and we encounter them all too frequently.[/accordion]
[accordion title=’American Psycho‘]
While not a horror flick per se, this film has enough carnage to warrant its recognition on this list. “Christie” flees from room to room, discovering more and more bodies within Patrick Bateman’s apartment before escaping and banging on the neighbor’s doors. She makes it all the way down several flights of a loose spiral staircase before Patrick Bateman catches up and hurls his chainsaw over the railing. This impeccably timed toss impales Christie and leaves her body surrounded in a pool of blood. Bateman yells maniacally over the stairs and the film goes silent. Whadda weirdo.[/accordion]
[accordion title=’ABCs of Death‘]
The most unsettling segment in this compilation was “X is for XXL.” This is a nontraditional kill, as it is technically a evident suicide, but the sheer gore and plotline forced me to include it. An overweight woman encounters many hecklers on her way home, making fun of her weight. When she gets home and turns on the TV to mentally escape the bullying, an infomercial for dieting is playing. She proceeds to gorge herself with the contents of her refrigerator before venturing off to her bathroom where the real task begins. Hacking away at her body with knives and other devices, the woman reshapes her body into her preferred appearance before falling to the ground, dying of blood loss.[/accordion]
[accordion title=’The Birds‘]
I’ve never been much afraid of birds despite the fact that they are weird feathered evolved-lizard things. Chaos ensues in the town of Bodega Bay, where birds orchestrate some horrific events. They attack a man refueling his vehicle, causing him to drop the pump. Gas spills towards another individual filling his tank, and let’s just say my heart rate skyrockets everytime I see someone light up a bit to close to a gas station.[/accordion]
[accordion title=’Evil Dead (2013)‘]
The Evil Dead remake has it all. Torrential downpour of blood? Check. Loss of limb that somehow doesn’t make the protagonist pass out or go into shock? Check. Super intense chainsaw kill that sends a demon back to hell? You know it.[/accordion]
[accordion title=’Eraserhead‘]
Jack Nance (RIP) finds himself questioning his life choices in David Lynch’s black and white mindfuck. His baby, a creature that looks like a human and a dinosaur procreated, is swaddled in a mass of bandages for the entirety of the movie. Nance removes the coverings and stabs the infant in the chest. Its exposed organs secrete a substance that looks like a combination of cottage cheese and oatmeal. Didn’t realize grayscale could make me queasy.[/accordion]
[accordion title=’A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)‘]
Freddy claims a young Johnny Depp in this over-the-top kill. Nancy and Glen (Depp) are forced to spend a night apart due to parental intervention, so Mr. Krueger takes advantage of their time of weakness. When Glen falls asleep in his room, he is pulled through the bed and spat back up in what can be called a “blood-cano.” I doubt there’s that much blood in a human body, but it’s the thought that counts.[/accordion]
[accordion title=’Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer‘]
The entire scene in the storage unit when Henry and Otis are trying to buy a TV set from a sketchy, balding character is bizarre. The level of dark humor within the dialogue, considering the impending death, is certainly comical. The very ’80s soundtrack throughout the attack adds to the sheer oddity of the exchange. I’m giving them bonus points to kill creativity: let’s just say I’m glad we’ve switched to flatscreens.[/accordion]
[accordion title=’Halloween (1978)‘]
Bob and Lynda just boned in this infamous John Carpenter film, so you know what that means: impending death. Viewers are forced to yell at Lynda through their televisions, asking how she could possibly not be alarmed by her “boyfriend” returning to the room speechless with a sheet over his head. While she does get a little annoyed, she still tries to entice him and eventually punished for her lack of common sense. All she wanted was her post-coitus beer.[/accordion]
[accordion title=’Scream‘]
Back in the time of landlines, Drew Barrymore is taunted by a mysterious caller in her yard. This lengthy intro gives us the first glimpse at the notorious “Scream mask” and what the person behind it will do to wreak havoc on Woodsboro’s local teenagers. To be honest, this movie made me want to learn everything there is to know about horror movies so I could save myself and my football player boyfriend if I was ever in this situation. Remember, Jason didn’t start his reign of terror until the Friday the 13th sequel.[/accordion]
[accordion title=’Psycho‘]
Perhaps the most famous kill scene of all time, Marion Crane meets her untimely demise in the shower. Playing off effective shadows and deceptive camera angles, Hitchcock created a sequence that made viewers in 1960, as well as today, fearful of a location where we are most vulnerable. The blood going down the drain was a nice touch too.[/accordion]
[accordion title=’Alien‘]
This movie is set in outerspace with terrifying alien parasites; I’m not in space, and I’m on the fence about the hostility of extra terrestrials. However, I’m still afraid every time my stomach growls because I had too many energy drinks without eating that this little dude is going to bust out of my skin. You can’t unsee the chestburster destroying Kane’s body, and likely neither can the cast members–they had a general idea of what would happen, but weren’t aware of how much blood would be used in the scene. I will confess that I do think the weird critter is kind of cute as it scurries away after completing its deed.[/accordion]
[customfont1]What are some of your favorite kills? Leave them in the comments below.[/customfont1]