100 Most Iconic Scary Movie Images
100 + Most Iconic Scary Movie Images
100
+ Most Iconic Scary Movie Images, Moments or Scenes:
In the entire history of cinema, these are 100 + of the most iconic
or defining scary moments, scenes, or images. There are
almost 200 images in total when the Honorable Mentions are added
to the initial list.
They comprehensively bring together the most memorable
and defining scary film moments, images, and scenes, and come
from some of the all-time best frightening movies (mostly in
the horror or suspense-thriller genres but elsewhere too). They
are a tribute to the creative minds of filmmakers that have made
an indelible imprint upon our memories and collective visual
consciousness with their unique creations. Many of the movies
that the images come from have become emblematic, and have taken
on a life of their own.
Most of the
films are easily recognizable - from just one screenshot, but
there are others that may be unfamiliar and inspire further movie-watching!
Choices for the two lists are obviously subjective, and there
will be differing opinions about what is included or missing.
Let Filmsite know your thoughts.
Scary is only one word used to define
these images, scenes or moments - others include horrifying,
fearsome, frightening, petrifying, creepy, alarming, ghastly,
startling, eerie, spine-tingling, distressing, stunning, terrifying,
shocking, etc. etc.
See also Scariest
Film Scenes of All-Time.
Additionally
Recommended:
100 + Most Iconic Scary Movie Images
(chronological)
Somnambulist Cesare's Threatening Abduction of Francis'
Sleeping 'Fiancee' Jane in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920,
Germ.)
The Revived Blood-Lusting Count Orlok Approaching
Curved Pointed Doorway in Nosferatu (1922, Germ.)
The Shocking Unmasking of the Hideous Phantom's
Misshapen Face in The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Slicing of Eyeball with Straight-Edged Razor in Un Chien Andalou (1929, Fr.)
Dr. Jekyll's Metamorphosis Into Beastly Mr. Hyde After Drinking Potion in Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
The Result of Vengeful Freaks Who Disfigured Wicked Lover Cleopatra into a Squawking
Chicken in a Carnival in
Freaks (1932)
Alice's Central Park Stalking - and a Jump-Scare - the Hissing Airbrakes of a
Bus Abruptly Pulling into Screen in
Cat People (1942)
Fry's Tense Moments Dangling From the Statue of Liberty in Saboteur
(1942)
The Frightening Black Leopard's Night Stalking of Teresa
and Her Blood-Curtling Screams During Lethal Attack (Off-Screen)
in The
Leopard Man (1943)
The Serial Killer's Menacing, Predatory Eyeball in The Spiral Staircase (1946)
The Unmasking of Professor Jarrod by Art Student
Sue in House of Wax (1953)
Young Girl Intensely Screaming After Smelling Formic Acid: "THEM! THEM!
THEM!" - Referring to Killer Ants in Them! (1954)
Michel's Fully-Clothed, Zombie-Like Emergence From a Bathtub in Les Diaboliques
(1955, Fr.)
Satanic Cult Leader Dr. Julian Karswell Pursued Down Train Tracks by Monstrous
Fire Demon in Night of the Demon (1957, UK) (aka Curse of the Demon)
Sudden Jumpscare Appearance of Female Hag-Ghoul in Cellar, Frightening Nora Manning
in House
on Haunted Hill (1959)
"The Mask of Satan" With Inner Spikes Bloodily Hammered onto Face
of Convicted Vampiric Witch in Black Sunday (1960, It.)
Radical Face Surgery to Remove Edna's Face and Transplant it Onto Christiane
in Eyes Without a Face (1960, Fr./It.)
The Spiked Camera Tripod Leg Murder of Actress-Dancer
Vivian by Photographer Mark Lewis in Peeping Tom (1960, UK)
Marion's Brutal Shower Stabbing Scene With Screeching
Violin Score in
Psycho (1960)
Arbogast's Upper Stairway Knifing Murder and Backwards
Fall in
Psycho (1960)
Norman Bates' Mummified 'Mother' in Fruit Cellar
Discovered by Lila - Before Norman's Knife Attack and Unveiling
in
Psycho (1960)
Miss Giddens' Chilling View of the Apparition of Miss Jessel by Lake in The
Innocents (1961, UK)
The Discovery of Elizabeth's Ghastly Live-Burial and 'Death' in Pit
and the Pendulum (1961, UK)
Lydia's Discovery of Bird Attack at the Fawcett's
Farm House and Dan's Bloody Death in
The
Birds (1963)
Colorfully Bloody Hacking Murder of Pat in Bathtub
by Knife-Wielding, Wild-Eyed Maniac in Blood Feast (1963)
Nell's Realization that Her Hand Had Been Gripped by a Supernatural Spirit, Not
by Theo's Hand in The Haunting (1963, UK)
Insane Carol Alone in Apartment - Brief Delusionary Reflection of Intruder in
Closing Wardrobe Door in
Repulsion (1965)
Jump-Scare Leap in the Dark by Crazed and Villainous Roat During Showdown with
Blind Susy Hendrix in Wait Until Dark (1967)
Dave Bowman Desperate and At the Mercy of the HAL 9000 Computer To Reenter Spaceship: "Open
the pod bay doors, HAL" in
2001: A Space Odyssey
(1968)
Anguished Bobby's Pig-Squealing Molestation-Rape
by a Mountain Man Redneck in
Deliverance
(1972)
The Stabbing and Disembowelment of Phyllis in the Woods in The Last House
on the Left (1972)
The First Full Reveal of Venice's Red-Hooded Murderous Dwarf
to Grieving John Baxter in
Don't
Look Now (1973)
Regan's Cursing of Obscenities and Vomit-Spewing
During Attempted Exorcism in
The Exorcist
(1973)
The Wicker Man Human Sacrifice of Scottish Sgt. Neil Howie in The Wicker Man
(1973)
Multiple Stabbing Death of Barb in Bed by Sorority-House Slasher While Xmas Carolers
Sang Outside in Black Christmas (1974)
The Slamming of a Sliding Door After Leatherface's Sledgehammer Bludgeoning Murder
of Kirk in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Dreaded Obvious Impending Fate for Skinny-Dipping Chrissie in
Jaws
(1975)
Jump Scare of The Floating Sunken Head of Fisherman
Ben Gardner in His Crushed Boat in
Jaws
(1975)
Sue's Nightmarish Jump-Scare at Carrie's Grave With Her Hand Reaching Out From
The Ground to Grab Her in Carrie (1976)
Struggling-to-Breathe, Quivering, Dying Deformed Mutant Baby With Exposed Organs
in Eraserhead (1977)
The Bloodied, Heart-Stabbed Hanging Ballerina School
Victim Pat in a Double Murder Scene in Suspiria (1977, It./W.Germ.)
The Stalking of Babysitter Nancy When Masked Michael Myers (Presumed Dead) Unexpectedly
Sat Up Behind Her in
Halloween (1978)
Alien Creature Chestburster from Kane's Abdomen
During a Meal in
Alien (1979)
Nola's External 'Birth' Scene - Birthing and Eating
Her Own Creature-Baby's Afterbirth in The Brood (1979)
Teenaged Baby Sitter Jill's Frantic Opening of Chain-Locked Front Door (with
Jumpscare Zoom Shot) - She Came Face to Face With a Detective in When a Stranger
Calls (1979)
Jason Voorhees Still Alive at Crystal Lake - Jumpscare Ending - The Haunting
Dream of "Final Girl" Alice in
Friday
the 13th (1980)
Jack with Bathing Beauty/Corpse in Haunted Overlook Hotel's Room 237
Bathroom in
The
Shining (1980)
Deranged Thana's Crazed Bloodbath Massacre of Males at a Halloween Party, Wearing
a Nun's Outfit in Ms. 45 (1981)
Rogue Scanner Darryl Revok Competing Against ConSec Scanner Resulting in His
Head Explosion in Scanners (1981)
Doctor's Arms Amputated During DeFibrillation
Attempt and the Thing's Metamorphosis in The
Thing (1982)
Murderous Angela-Peter's Shocking Unveiling and Ronnie's Reaction to Angela's
Maleness: "My
God, she's a boy!" in Sleepaway Camp (1983)
Seth's Painful Attack with Acidic Digestive Vomit onto the Left Hand of Stathis
in The Fly (1986)
Henry and Otis' Disturbing Viewing of Their Own Video Recording of Murderous
Suburban Home Invasion in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
The Entire Sequence Leading Up to Family Pet Whitey
Boiling in Water on the Stove in Fatal Attraction (1987)
Frank Cotton's Second Death with Hooks Attached to Chains by Cenobite Creatures
in Hellraiser (1987)
Murderous Chucky Doll (Without Batteries) Swearing
at and Biting Karen's Arm in Child's Play (1988)
Claustrophobic Live Burial of Rex, A Revelation of What Happened
to Saskia in The Vanishing (1988)
Terminally-Ill, Disfigured and Crippled "Dirty Secret" Zelda Goldman,
Rachel's Deceased Sister (Seen in Flashbacks) in Pet Sematary (1989)
The "Gotcha" Scene - Garden Shears Decapitation
Attack on Nurse in Psychiatric Ward in The Exorcist III (1990)
Annie Wilkes' Squirm-Inducing Sledgehammer Hobbling Scene of Captive Author Paul
("God, I love you") in Misery (1990)
Psychopath Max Cady's Unexpected Assault on Law Clerk in Cape Fear (1991)
The Stunning Jump-Scare Discovery of the Still-Alive "SLOTH" Victim
Restrained on a Bed After One Year of Torture in Se7en (1995)
Ghostface Threatening Phone Calls and Stabbing
Attack and Murder of Casey in Scream (1996)
Deceased Sadako's Terrifying, Single Misshapen Eyeball Under Her Long Dark Hair
in Ringu (1998, Jp.)
Asami
Using Acupuncture Needles to Inflict Pain, and Piano Wire to Amputate
and Saw Off Aoyama's Left Foot in Audition (1999)
Close-Up of Heather's Teary Confessional in The
Blair Witch Project (1999)
Cole's Unnerving Confession: "I see dead people"
in The Sixth Sense (1999)
Patrick Bateman's Grisly Apartment Axe Murder of Paul Allen ("Hip to Be
Square") in American Psycho (2000)
A Point-of-View Jump-Scare Glimpse of The Dumpster
Vagrant Behind Winkie's Diner in Mulholland Dr. (2001)
Grace's Confrontation with a Decrepit Veiled Old
Woman Claiming: "I am your daughter" in The Others
(2001)
The Lengthy Real-Time, 9-minute Beating and Rape
Sequence of "Alex" (with a Reversed Chronology) in a
Tunnel in Irreversible (2002, Fr.)
Decomposed Long-Haired Samara Crawling Out of the
Well and TV - To Give A Lethal Stare to Noah in The Ring (2002)
Dae-su's Extremely-Painful Tongue Self-Excisement
With a Pair of Rusty Scissors in Oldboy (2003, S.Kor.)
Caregiver Susan Haunted and Cursed in Her Apartment
by Murdered Wife Kayako Under Her Bedsheets in The Grudge (2004)
Desperate Dr. Lawrence Gordon Imprisoned in Bathroom "Sawing" Off
His Own Foot in Saw (2004)
Jumpscare: Night Vision Video Camera Revealing Ghoulish, Pale-Faced Cave-Dwelling
Creatures in The Descent (2005)
Young 10 Year-Old Ofelia's Awakening of the Pale Man Creature Who Chewed Off
the Head of a Fairy and Pursued Her in Pan's Labyrinth (2006, Sp./Mex./US)
David's Murder of Four People Moments Before Their Rescue in The Mist (2007)
Brutal Sociopathic Hitman Anton Chigurh's Confrontational
and Threatening Coin-Toss with Texas Gas Station Manager in No Country For
Old Men (2007)
Night-Vision View of Reporter Angela in Dark Penthouse of Barcelona Apartment
Building Dragged Away by Rabid, Emaciated and Aggressive Tristana Medeiros in REC
(2007)
The Sudden Blood-Chilling Nighttime Murder of Darlene and Mike In a Parked Car
in Zodiac (2007)
Outcast 12 Year Old Oskar's Head Held Underwater for 3 Minutes
by Bully Jimmy in a W. Stockholm Swimming Pool - With the Sounds of the Bullies
Massacred and Dismembered by Eli Above the Water in Let the Right One In (2008)
Anna's Tortured Martyrdom By Having Her Skin Flayed From Her Body - to Seek the
Revelatory Secrets of the Afterlife in Martyrs (2008)
Cursed Christine Falling Through Train Tracks and Literally Dragged into Hell
in Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Lorraine's Jumpscare Nightmare Vision of a Blood-Red
and Black Faced Demon Suddenly Emerging Behind Son Josh in Insidious
(2010)
Oswalt's Viewing of Super 8 Home Movie Footage of a Moving Red Lawnmower on a
Grassy Area Rolling Over a Family Member's Head - Jumpscare in Sinister (2012)
Scary Attack of Witch Bathsheba Atop Bedroom Wardrobe in The Conjuring (2013)
The Nighttime Bedroom Attack in The Babadook (2014)
Jump-Scare of Tall Man Appearing Outside Cursed Jay's Bedroom After She Was Told
by Yara: "Everything's OK" in It Follows (2014)
While Being Strangled, Teenaged Daughter Thomasin's Self-Defensive Murder of
Her Deranged Mother Katherine With a Pruning Knife in The VVitch (2015)
Nick's Stripping, Scalping, and Sliced-Up Murder by Cannibalistic Tribal Savages
in a Cave in Bone Tomahawk (2015)
Solitary, Deaf-Mute Horror Writer Maddie's First
Realization of a Mask-Wearing Killer's Presence in Hush (2016)
Jessie's Disturbing 'Degloving' Sequence of Her Hand to Free Herself from Handcuffs in Gerald's Game (2017)
Sped-Up Projected Slide Show Carousel in Bill's Garage Revealing Evil Pennywise
the Clown Bursting Through Screen in It (2017)
Desperate NYC Illegal Alien Worker Luciana's Risky and Naked Encounter in a Glass
Coffin with a Chilean Venomous Recluse-Spider in Most Beautiful Island (2017)
Severed Head of Peter's Younger Sister Charlie After an Horrific Car Accident
in Hereditary
(2018)
Peter's View of Mother Annie's Self-Decapitation with Piano Wire in Candle-lit
Attic in Hereditary (2018)
The Shape-Shifting Supernatural Creatures in The Haunted Castle (1896, Fr.)
(aka The House of the Devil)
The Devil Figure in Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922)
Count Orlok's Approach Up Stairs to Victim Ellen
Hutter in Her Bedroom With His Vampire's Silhouette on Wall
in Nosferatu (1922, Germ.)
A Shadowy Hand Appearing Over Sleeping Annabelle in The Cat and the Canary
(1927)
Permanently Disfigured, Grinning Gwynplaine in The Man Who Laughs (1928)
First View of Count Dracula in Castle Dracula Before
His Introduction: ("I ... am... Dracula. I bid you welcome")
in
Dracula (1931)
Dramatic Awakening of Millennia-Old Egyptian Mummy in His Sarcophagus in The
Mummy (1932)
First View of Stiffly-Walking, Catatonic Sugar Mill Plantation Slaves - Zombies
- in White Zombie (1932)
Countess Zaleska - the Vampire's Lustful Daughter - Seductively Murdering (Off-Screen)
Young Streetwalker Lili in Dracula's Daughter (1936)
Insane Ventriloquist Maxwell's Voice Taken Over by His Malevolent Dummy Hugo
in Dead of Night (1945)
Godzilla (With 'Atomic Breath') During a Rampaging Attack on Tokyo in Gojira
(1954, Jp.) (aka Godzilla)
Dracula's Final Death Throes After a Climactic Battle
Against Van Helsing in Horror of Dracula (1958)
The Squirming, Lobster-like Centipede Tingler Extracted
from Martha's Body During Autopsy in The Tingler (1959)
The Blurry, Disfigured Face of Christiane Viewed
by Surgery Transplant Victim Edna in Eyes Without a Face (1960,
Fr./It.)
Insane Norman Bates ("Why, She Wouldn't Even
Harm a Fly") in
Psycho (1960)
The Glowing Eyed, Staring, Mind-Reading Mutant Children, Causing a Suicidal Gun
Blast in Village of the Damned (1960, UK)
The Ghoulish Spectral Man Dancing in Pavilion in Climax of Carnival
of Souls (1962)
Monstrous, Hulking Closet Creature in The Brain That Wouldn't
Die (1962)
Unseen Supernatural Force Causing a Wooden Door
to Bow or Breathe Inward and Outward in The Haunting (1963,
UK)
A Madman's Murder of Nicole Including Gouged-Out
Eyes with a Medieval Spiked Armored Glove in Blood
and Black Lace (1964, It./Fr./Monaco)
Los Angeles Morgue Attendant Sam Attacked (in Slo-Mo) by Dead Cabbie Juanita
Jones, Risen Up as an Undead Vampire in Blacula (1972)
Backwoods "Leatherface" (Wearing Skin of Victims Composing His Mask)
in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Leatherface Wielding a Chainsaw in the Final Chase Sequence in The Texas Chain
Saw Massacre (1974)
First Full View of Great White Shark Behind Police
Chief Brody: "You're
gonna need a bigger boat" in
Jaws (1975)
The Eerie Last View of Three Schoolgirls Who Ultimately Vanished During a Hot
Afternoon Outing in Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
Carrie's Terrifying Telekinetic Powers After Pig's Blood Prom Scene in Carrie
(1976)
Evil Adopted Son Damien Shielded in His Mother's Arms After Nanny's Hanging Suicidal
Death ("It's All For You!") in The Omen (1976)
Nancy Cowering in Closet Being Ripped Apart by
Maniacal Michael Myers in
Halloween (1978)
Cloned Matthew Finger-Pointing in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Attack on Cemetery Groundskeeper by the Mortician - The Tall Man with a Silver
Sphere in Phantasm (1979)
The Sudden Reappearance of Kathy's Bouncing Ball
in the Haunted House in The Changeling (1980)
"Heeeeeeeere's Johnny!" - Jack's Scary
Threat Through Splintered Door in
The Shining
(1980)
The Stalking of Two Disoriented American Students David and Jack on the Yorkshire
Moors by a Werewolf Before A Vicious Attack in An American Werewolf in London
(1981, US/UK)
Mutations During Werewolf Transformation Sequence in An
American Werewolf in London (1981, US/UK)
Another Werewolf Transformation in The Howling (1981)
Carmen's Demonic Transformation in Demons
(1985, It.) (aka Dèmoni)
The Undead Tar Man Zombie ("Brains!") in The Return
of the Living Dead (1985)
Mr. Kinkaid's Reaction to Off-Screen Bloody Remains of Son
Brady Who Was Last Seen Flying a Yellow Smiley-Face Kite in Silver
Bullet (1985)
Veronica's Nightmarish Squirming Maggot Birth in The Fly
(1986)
Seth Brundle Fused with Fly in The Fly (1986)
Jacob's Purgatorial Hospital Tour on Wheeled Gurney
- With a Bloody Floor Littered With Human Body Parts in Jacob's
Ladder (1990)
Legendary, Fearful, Murderous Hook-Handed Candyman (With Bees Swarming From His
Mouth) ("Come with me and be immortal") in Candyman (1992)
The Breaking of the 4th Wall Multiple Times by Home Invader Paul, Including 'Rewinding'
His Partner Peter's Shotgun Murder to Reset the Scene in Funny Games (1997)
The Creepy Mystery Man's Ominous Smile and Laugh After Phone Call in Lost
Highway (1997)
Phone Call and Rolling Burlap Sack With Hostage
in Asami's Apartment in Audition (1999)
Ambiguous Ending in Witch's Derelict Room - Mike Standing in the Corner in The
Blair Witch Project (1999)
Bateman's Naked Rampage with Chainsaw to Pursue Hooker Christie in His Apartment
and Down Stairs in American Psycho (2000)
Pale Faced Ghoulish Orphan Ghost Santi ("The
One Who Sighs") in The Devil's Backbone (2001, Sp.)
Trish and Derry Pursued by an Ominous Truck (Seen Dumping Bodies) and Rear-Ended
in Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Grace's Hearing of Haunting Noises, Footsteps and Strange Whispers in Large Manor
in The Others (2001)
Kathy Dragged Around and Ravaged by The Jackal in Thir13en Ghosts (2001)
Brief Shot of Greenish Bipedal
Alien in Alleyway Outside Brazilian Children's Birthday Party in Signs
(2002)
Attack Upon Jim by Fast-Moving Infected Priest in a Seemingly-Abandoned Church
in Post-Apocalyptic London in 28 Days Later (2002, UK)
Bloodied Corpse on Floor Emerging as the Mastermind "Jigsaw
Killer" with the Words "Game Over" in Saw
(2004)
In Evil and Haunted Hotel Room #1408, Writer Mike Found Himself Imprisoned -
With a Mirror Reflection of Himself in an Adjacent Building's Room in 1408
(2007)
Demonic-Looking, Growling Katie in Shock Ending
of Paranormal Activity (2007)
Kristen Alone in Kitchen While Spied Upon By Masked Male Figure in Background
in The Strangers (2008)
"Chosen" Samantha Tied Down on A Pentagram Design Before an Impregnation
Ritual in The House of the Devil (2009)
Jay Watching the Lumbering Pursuit and Intense Approach of a Hospital-Gowned
Elderly Woman (Entity) in It Follows (2014)
During the Tea-Cup Scene, Hypnotized Chris Washington Fell into the 'Sunken Place'
in Get Out (2017)
While Handcuffed in Bed, Jessie Burlingame's Flashback - the Jump-Scare Appearance
of the Bald Moonlight Man Licking Her Feet in Gerald's Game (2017)
Demonic-Disturbed Annie's Face During
Husband Steve's Fiery Death in Hereditary (2018)