The 13 Scariest Shots In Film

Boo!

Oct 31, 2021

And so we’ve made it to Halloween.

Like most people, I spent October binging Squid Game, buying pumpkin spice-flavored drinks and watching scary movies in the wee hours of the night for maximum effect. I also wrote a lot. Having recently published an essay on the eeriness of classic and mid-century horror has had me thinking about why we enjoy the genre and what exactly gets under our skin.

We all scare differently, but some of the most famous scenes in popular horror (and horror-adjacent) films are nearly universal in their ability to frighten. Scenes like the Red-Faced Man appearing over Josh’s shoulder in Insidious. Or Peter sitting on the edge of his bed in Hereditary, unaware of the outline of his mother’s silhouette in the top-left corner of his room. Often, it’s the buildup to these moments that makes them so scary. Occasionally though, the composition of a single shot is enough to make anybody squirm.

For those who enjoy a good thrill, I’ve compiled a list of the 13 scariest moments in film — according to my own personal tastes. Like everything, this list is completely subjective, but I tried my best to pick stuff that seems to have a widespread effect on people. Because although the Great White in Finding Nemo scares me more than most things, I know I’m alone in that.

Without further ado, I present to you the 13 scariest shots and sequences that this writer has ever encountered. As they say in the movies, viewer discretion is advised.