Ryan Morrissey Smith inflicts psychological pain with this look at some of the best/worst bits in horror movies – things that make you go “ow”…
As much as horror films deal with gruesome moments, there are some scenes that just stick with you, they invade your head for days, sometimes years and we all know what is seen cannot be unseen. The following list are just some of the most painful moments in horror films – if we have missed your… favourite…err…most memorable moment, hit us up in the comments or on twitter…
The Evil Dead (1980)
Pencil + Ankle = Pain. Sometimes it’s the little things. In a film that features dismemberment, biting through hands and rapey trees, a static camera trained on a simple pencil stabbed into an ankle and then the vicious jerking of the pencil makes this is a truly memorable and painful moment.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Effective and with no blood what so ever the infamous meat hook scene in Texas Chainsaw Massacre, is one of the craziest moments in an insane film. It is simply shot and the mechanics of it are basic but it works purely on the suggestion of the act and that alone makes it memorable.
Audition (1999)
Never trust a girl in black vinyl gloves. Which atrocity to pick? Takashi Miike doesn’t pull any punches and whether it is the needles in the tongue, stomach or eye all done with accompanying deeper, deeper, deeper mantra or the wire saw foot amputation, both done with a smile that is terrifying and gleeful, I’ll let you decide – either way it’s unforgettably painful to watch.
Inside (À l’intérieur) (2007)
In a film with so, so many atrocities Inside is both an easy and tough choice to have on the list. The scissors in through the hand, the knitting needle tracheotomy or the scissor C-section on the stairs, they are all wince worthy moments.
Misery (1990)
Oh the horror. The hobbling scene in Misery just makes me feel bad, even writing about it makes my ankles involuntarily ache. The worst part is you know it is going to happen. The sight of Kathy Bates swinging a sledge is the stuff of nightmares. I guess we can be thankful we were spared the how the scene played out in King’s book!
Hostel (2005)
Regardless of what you think of the Hostel series or the bunch of films it seemingly inspired, there were some very raw moments in Hostel but the one that has always got me was the Achilles tendon injury. The moment you see the ankle separate from the heel it always elicits a groan…
Wolf Creek (2005)
Plenty of pain is inflicted by outback killer Mick Taylor but none are more infamous than ‘head on a stick’. The thought of it, the sound of it and the resulting look of shock on the poor victims face make this a shocking and memorable moment.
Follow Ryan @TigersMS78 on Twitter
Images from
Great article! Why is it always feet… my toe curling favourite scene (I know it's not really a horror) is in Flatliners when they draw a scalpel down the sole of a body's foot. A tiny moment that makes me shudder every time.