6 Most Brutal and Iconic Horror Movie Deaths That Shook Audiences
Whether it's slow-burn dread, over-the-top gore, or deadly twists of fate, a truly memorable horror movie death scene leaves an impact long after the credits (and heads) roll. From slasher classics to psychological mind-benders (and exploders), filmmakers like David Cronenberg and Damien Leone have delivered some of the most creative, disturbing, and downright gross deaths in cinema. With Final Destination: Bloodlines tearing onto screens next week, we’re diving into six of the most brutal horror movie kills that linger in our minds and made audiences squirm, scream, or simply stare with dropped jaws. Spoilers ahead, of course.
The Bear Trap – Saw
When it comes to gruesome horror movie deaths, we could do the entire list just with entries from the Saw franchise. But, if we had to pick just one (which we evidently do for purposes of this particular list), we’d pick the reverse bear trap. Not because it’s the most gruesome of the franchise- because it’s not- and not even for the fact that it’s the most iconic jigsaw trap, but for the fact that it took seven films for it to actually kill somebody! After first appearing in the original and having a presence in multiple of the following five movies teasing, baiting, and narrowly avoiding it snapping shut, Saw 3D finally delivered the gory goods, and director Kevin Greutert was the one finally able to bring it to life!
Obviously, the whole purpose of the traps in Saw is that they offer an escape, but when the reverse bear trap is finally placed on someone’s face and actually cashed in on, it is out of twisted revenge. The original Jigsaw’s successor, Detective Mark Hoffman, is deeply resentful of OG Jigsaw’s wife for exposing him to the police, among other things. So when the time comes for fans to finally see somebody turned into a human Pez dispenser, there is no key, and no last-minute twist- just a countdown and a mechanical ka-chunk.
Let’s See Paul Allen’s Death – American Psycho
When thinking of the best death scenes in horror movies, your mind probably goes to the more obvious franchises like Friday the 13th or Halloween, but Mary Harron’s American Psycho (based on Bret Easton Ellis’s book) is a standout in the genre in a lot of ways. Beloved in its own right, few movies achieved murder in horror cinema quite as stylishly deranged as this one did, and perhaps none more so than the demise of Jared Leto’s Paul Allen. Set to the peppy bounce of Huey Lewis and the News' “Hip to Be Square,” this scene is a blood-soaked symphony of madness. Patrick Bateman, dressed in a pristine raincoat over a Valentino suit, lectures Allen on the cultural significance of '80s pop music before axing him in the head. The absurd contrast of the music and Bateman’s yuppy mood with the brutal act makes this scene quite the piece of art.
It's a kill that has fun with itself and really showcases just how dark the mind of Bateman, masterfully portrayed by Christian Bale, is. Plus the fact that it’s all a massive piece of satire of the competitive, soul-sucking nature of life on Wall Street and Paul Allen’s damn gorgeous business card that is the motivation for this hateful act. All gloriously tied together with Bateman yelling “TRY GETTING A RESERVATION AT DORSIA NOW, YOU F***ING STUPID BASTARD!” as the axe comes down.
Deadly Yoga – In A Violent Nature
In A Violent Nature is a slasher film in the vein of Friday the 13th with a disfigured masked killer hunting people in the woods, but it approaches it a little differently. The directorial debut of Chris Nash follows the killer as opposed to the victims, employing an over-the-shoulder perspective of Johnny- a resurrected corpse just trying to get his locket back from a group of teens who stole it from his resting place. It’s kind of like playing Dead by Daylight.
Not only is it a unique standout in the slasher genre, it also has some of the most gruesome kills we’ve ever seen. The top of the list is a logging hook through-the-stomach-through-the-head-and-back-through-the-stomach-again-Mortal-Kombat-level-fatality. With the contrast of its setting- an unsuspecting woman on a mountain top getting her yoga flow on overlooking a peaceful landscape, and paired with good old practical effects and gooey foley work, it puts a lot of other slashers to shame.
The Bedroom – Terrifier 2
Terrifier, particularly its antagonist Art the Clown, has become a slasher icon in the short time he’s been on our screens. His early appearances in short films before a feature-length debut in 2016, the two-tone clown has earned himself a place in horror history for providing perhaps the most horrifying string of slasher kills ever in a movie series. The first movie was a welcome and entertaining throwback slasher with a charismatic silent villain and largely absent of distracting side-plots, but it’s the absurd creativity of its gore that people remembered, and series creator Damien Leone subsequently said “hold my bleach and my salt and watch this!” They have become so gruesome in fact that many have branded them as simply too much.
So with all that said, it would be borderline criminal to not include at least one of said kills in a listicle of this nature, even if just to avoid the people who will read it and be like “But how can you miss out TERRIFIER?!” So here you are, ya sickos- the bedroom scene in Teriffier 2. If you’ve seen it, you’ll know what I mean. If you haven’t seen it but you’re on the internet and involved in horror movie culture, you’ll probably know what I mean. It’s gross, sadistic and not to mention wildly unnecessary but hey, that’s the fun of it right?
The Exploding Head – Scanners
One of the most legendary images in horror cinema unsurprisingly comes from the mind of David Cronenberg, who is responsible for a whole bunch of them. The scene in question here though is the exploding head of one poor man in Scanners. In the film, "scanners" are psychics with telepathic and telekinetic powers, and ConSec, a purveyor of weaponry and security systems, want to use them for its own purposes. One such scanner is Darryl Revok, who has been driven insane and wants to achieve world domination. He volunteers to harmlessly demonstrate his abilities but instead focuses his energy to, well, blow up a ConSec scanner’s head. Even more than the payoff, what makes the scene effective is its build up- as the ConSec scanner squirms in agony as his head is slowly pressured by an unseen force.
It was achieved with practical effects consisting of a gelatin-encassed plaster skull packed with "leftover burgers" as well as "latex scraps, some wax, and just bits and bobs and a lot of stringy stuff that we figured would fly through the air a little better.” Then it was blasted from behind with a kosher salt-loaded shotgun.
The Screw – Final Destination 5
And of course we must end with the inspiration for this post, the franchise that traumatised a generation: Final Destination. Final Destination is another series so legendary in its deaths department that this list could be made entirely of its own entries. There are of course so many to choose from with accidental deaths by way of flagpoles, tanning beds and buses to giant chicken spears. But one that stands out to me, is by way of a screw. “A screw?” you might be thinking. “How can somebody meet their “final destination” from a screw?” Well, In Final Destination 5, Candice is a gymnast who trains in a room full of potential hazards, and director Steven Quale makes damn sure that we’re aware of them- leaky pipes, exposed wires and yes: loose screws.
At first, you’re certain that Candice will step on the undetected fallen screw occupying a beam she’s dancing on and fall into the electrified puddle below. The close calls as she stands on her tiptoes right above the screw are enough to make you wince in anticipation, but to our relief, she makes it off the beam, and moves onto the weakly-structured bars, and the dread builds again… The scene is only about 4 minutes long, but feels like it goes on forever (in a great way). When Candice eventually does meet her demise, it’s through a combination of all of those hazards, but it isn’t her who is the first domino, she is only the last.
Whether they’re absurdly over-the-top, deeply disturbing, or just plain unforgettable, these death scenes stand as some of the most iconic moments in horror movie history. Did your favourite make the cut (pun intended)? If not, let us know what it is!
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