Top 10 Scariest 90s Horror Movie Scenes
#10: The Kitchen Ghost
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"The Sixth Sense" (1999) He sees dead people, and we had to see them too! A supernatural thriller, “The Sixth Sense” introduces us to Cole, a young boy who interacts with the dead. Each of these interactions is nail biting, with the ghost of the young girl hiding in his tent being particularly harrowing (xref). In the end, however, we went with Cole's encounter with a victim he finds in the kitchen. It’s the little details that make it so effective, like the thermostat's temperature slowly dropping and the noises he hears from the kitchen. The entire scene is a masterclass in tension building, laying the groundwork for jarring moments like when she walks past Cole or when she bares her wounds. You know something is coming, but you’re still caught off-guard.
#9: Laura Palmer's Dream
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"Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" (1992) From the surreal mind of David Lynch, this psychological horror movie serves as both a prequel and sequel to the Twin Peaks TV show. The 'Mystery Man' from another of Lynch's 1997 movies, “Lost Highway” almost talked his way into this list (xref). But we decided to go with Laura's dream sequence from 'Fire Walk with Me'. It is strange, to say the least. The scene gives us a peek into the psyche of Laura Palmer as she loses herself in a painting hanging in front of her. Her dream is filled with unnerving visuals, like an old lady beckoning to her, a child in the shadows and a bloody version of a character named Annie.
#8: The Candyman's Lair
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"Candyman" (1992) It's just an urban legend… right? This horror movie piques your curiosity about a mysterious figure only known as the 'Candyman' and then hooks you in - literally! The protagonist, Helen Lyle, attempts to get to the cultural roots of this myth, only to realise too late that Candyman is very real. Candyman lures Helen Lyle to his lair and then stings the audience with gory visuals. His exposed ribcage dripping with blood, a swarm of bees spewing out of him, and his chillingly calm voice: this is how the Candyman reminds Helen and us that some stories are best left alone.
#7: Heather Langenkamp's Hospital Nightmare
"Wes Craven's New Nightmare" (1994) You'd think Freddy Krueger would get tired of haunting people's dreams for over a decade, but here we are. The reason this sequence feels so sinister is that we assume hospitals are safe. It’s where movie characters go after having survived the ordeal. Like Heather, we’re lulled into a false sense of security by the rhythmic beeps of the monitor, which unfortunately sends her to sleep. And so we’re also petrified - again, like her - when her son flatlines, only to rise up and start speaking like Freddy. The hospital staff rush in and, while stressful, we hope that they’ll save the day. Wrong! The movie doubles down when the doctor is revealed to be wearing Freddy’s clawed glove. Try taking a nap after THAT!
#6: A Nightmare of a Hospital
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"Jacob's Ladder" (1990) Jacob, our troubled protagonist, is haunted by what he went through during the Vietnam War. This psychological horror movie tackles heavy themes like PTSD and mental fatigue. After his service, the American infantryman experiences inexplicable hallucinations and unsettling visions. And as the film progresses, the line between fantasy and reality seems to get increasingly blurred. One of the most terrifying scenes takes place as Jacob is strapped to a gurney and is wheeled around a ghastly institution. Everywhere he looks he sees something unnerving and there's nothing he can do about it. The sense of terror and sheer helplessness as he is carted through the grimy, bloodsoaked halls is extremely hard to shake.
#5: The Wire Saw
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"Audition" (1999) “Audition” starts off with, well, an audition. Shigeharu, a widower, hosts a fake casting audition in hopes of finding a new wife. This is how he first meets Asami, and initially, everything seems to be going according to plan. That is... until he calls her (xref). This is when the romance ends and the gore begins. Audiences might have gotten accustomed to scenes from slasher and torture flicks in the years since, but there's something enduringly disturbing about this scene of torment. It might be because Asami uses a metallic wire to saw through bone, or maybe it’s the obvious joy she feels while doing it. Either way, that smile of hers is sure to haunt you long after the credits have rolled.
#4: The Opening
Top 10 Horror Movie Opening Scenes
"Scream" (1996) Shoutout to Wes Craven: it’s a real testament to his influence in the genre that he’s on this list twice! For a meta satire slasher flick, you need a killer opening, and “Scream” more than delivers. It perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the movie by subverting audience expectations. Everyone presumes that Drew Barrymore's character is one of the leads, so we get blindsided when a casual conversation about scary movies leads to her brutal demise. From the killer being in the house, to her parents being just too late, this scene induces panic in a variety of ways. That being said, the identity of the killer - or rather killers - at the end of the film almost took this spot.
#3: The Ending
Top 10 Scariest Horror Movie Ending Scenes
"Ringu" (1998) This Japanese horror movie is as trendsetting as it is terrifying. Watch the cursed videotape and you'll die at the hands of the ghost, Sadako, in seven days. Reiko, a news reporter, and her ex husband Ryūji, a college professor, set out to uncover the secrets behind the tape. They eventually find the body of Sadako and, with the mystery seemingly solved, we finally breathe a sigh of relief. But the next morning, Sadako slowly creeps out of the TV and breaks any sense of security we had. We can only look on in terror as Ryūji is left a corpse. If she can move through a tv screen, what does that mean for us?
#2: Shootout in the Dark
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"The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) Hannibal Lecter using his signature way to kill on one of his guards and then escaping is a tough moment to top, but the paranoia and uneasiness of our pick strike a different kind of fear. Clarice Starling, an FBI agent in training, attempts to apprehend the serial killer, Buffalo Bill, while in complete darkness. She can't see a thing as she stumbles through a home, armed with a gun and with no idea where to point it. Turns out Clarice is on Bill’s turf, and he’s stalking her with night vision goggles. What makes our heartbeat skyrocket is that we watch the whole thing through Buffalo Bill's eyes. We gasp at every misstep because we know how close she is to being Bill's next victim. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Hobbling, "Misery" (1990) Broken Ankles Brought to You by the Twisted Mind 0f Stephen King The Ending, "Arachnophobia" (1990) An Aggressive & Invasive Species of Spider Versus a Man with an Intense Fear of Arachnids Murder of a Nurse, "The Exorcist III" (1990) A Masterclass in Building Suspense & Then Scaring the Pants off of Us Rewinding the Movie, "Funny Games" (1997) It's Shocking When the Bad Guys Break All the Rules & the Fourth Wall
#1: The Ending
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"The Blair Witch Project" (1999) This is the movie that made found footage films a phenomenon again. The story follows three student filmmakers as they try to document the infamous 'Blair Witch' of the Black Hills in Maryland. The whole experience feels raw and puts you in the quivering shoes perspective of the main characters. The handheld cameras and minimal dialogue make us question if what we're seeing is, perhaps, actually real. But the ending is where all the build up pays off, as the characters frantically make their way through a deserted home. You'll feel as frightened and disoriented as they are as you try to make sense of what's happening. Remind us to cancel our camping trip.
