6 Moments that Terrified Me

By Alex Beighton

There have been a lot of moments in films that have terrified, petrified and horrified me, however, these six moments hold a special place in my heart and in my film history for being my top six scariest moments. Enjoy and proceed with caution.

*WARNING, THIS LIST IS LITTERED WITH SPOILERS, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM, SKIP IT*

*CONTAINS CONTENT OF A VIOLENT/SEXUAL/THREATENING NATURE, IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY THESE THINGS, DO NOT PROCEED*

6. Clown in the Showers - It (1990)

Shower/bath scenes in films are already often used as a source for dramatic and usually unlikely invasions of privacy to happen (Pyscho, The Big Lebowski, American History X). However the scene that epitomizes and is the route source for the reason that I refuse to look down the bathtub hole just in case is the scene in It where Pennywise decides to make a terrifying and haunting appearance. I can’t say I’ve ever had a time where I’ve wanted someone to walk in on me in the shower however in my list of the worst people or “things” to walk in would definitely be Pennywise in the reigning number one spot. I may be wrong but I can’t imagine a nightmarish homicidal clown with bad dental hygiene would be the best shower companion.  

5. I like an older woman - The Shining (1980)

When people are told “imagine a beautiful woman leaving the bath tub naked” most people don’t associate that image with sheer horror and disgust. However after my (numerous) viewings of Kubrick’s The Shining, safe to say, I am scarred (and not just by Jack Nicholson’s facial expressions of sheer and creepy delight in the first 30 seconds, although that in its own right is traumatic enough). I can’t say I’ve ever been lucky enough to be midway through kissing someone, only to find out that their skin is rotting and that they’re a ghost but hey, we can all dream. 

  

4. Chestburster - Alien (1979)

FUN FACT: Ridley Scott never actually told any of the actors other than Kane (John Hurt) what was to happen in that scene so the look of shock and horror as the Alien bursts through his chest are completely genuine and safe to say, the actors and I have one thing in common which was I never saw that coming. When having chest pains during dinner, you don’t often anticipate an alien baby creature bursting through your ribcage and causing havoc to the other passengers of the flight crew but there’s a first for everything as Sigourney Weaver soon found out and then proceeded to find out for three more films. It’s got to the point where if anyone around me starts complaining of chest ache, my heart skips a beat because I refuse to deal with that alien, it’s the exoskeleton that freaks me out. 

3. Sloth - Se7en (1995) 

I am a 17 year old, therefore I am often prone to sleeping in, however I personally think Kevin Spacey takes it a tad too far with this unfortunate victim in this scene. In my opinion, this scene is one of the most terrifying jump scares in my eyes, regardless of the fact not much actually happens, other than the fact that a man has been strapped to a bed for so long that he doesn’t even look human anymore but you know, whatever. I suppose it does give a whole new meaning to “whisper sweet nothings into my ear whilst we’re in bed” but personally, I think I prefer this version, is that weird?

 

2. We're gonna get you! - The Evil Dead/Evil Dead (1981/2013)

Teenage girls can often be terrifying creatures in their own right however ones that have been possessed by evil spirits are arguably more terrifying than the Regina Georges of the world, but that’s debatable. I’m not usually a fan of remakes however I felt it was necessary to include both versions seeing as both versions sent chills down my spine. I couldn’t decide between the white eyes or the hands crawling out from under the trap door. I think the one thing that we can all agree on however is that The Evil Dead would be the perfect advert for a cozy outdoor cabin retreat with your buddies. 

1. Shark Attack - Jaws (1975) 

As the daughter of a scuba diving instructor who has been shoved in the deep water with a tank strapped to her back for as long as she can remember, this scene particularly hits close to home in ones that terrify me. I’ve never been afraid of sharks however I am petrified of giant great white sharks with a thirst for blood and an innate ability to know exactly where to attack a boat to cause the most damage. When Jaws was first shown at the cinema, people literally ran out of the cinema in fear and although it may not have that impact now because of the generation of horrors and thrillers we’ve subsequently been raised on, I will always count Jaws to be one of my greatest fears. Also, no one allow Spielberg to be on a beach, with that kind of direction given to the shark it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

What did you think of this list? Do you agree or disagree with any of my picks? Leave a comment or tweet me your opinion @girls0nfilm.