Who doesn’t love a good listicle? At least a horror movie one (overall, I’m a little sick of listicles).
This is the list of “101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time” from Shudder, an 8-episode special series counting down the best horror moments. Though they’re not just moments, otherwise movies would appear more than once. Some entries have several iconic scenes (for example, the Argentinian movie Terrified).
It’s a good watch with lots of iconic, familiar faces.
updated 03/11/26
| # | Movie | Scene(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | It Follows | The opening scene |
| 100 | The Orphanage | When the lady is playing the knocking game with the ghost kids |
| 99 | Salem’s Lot | Kid scratching at the window |
| 98 | Horror of Dracula | Where Dracula saves Harker |
| 97 | Black Sabbath | Creepy old lady in bed |
| 96 | Pulse | Jerky ghost in the hallway |
| 95 | The Strangers | “Because you were home” |
| 94 | The Wolfman | Lon Chaney’s first transformation |
| 93 | The Cat People | Panther at the pool |
| 92 | The Birds | Telephone booth scene |
| 91 | Mulholland Drive | Opening scene |
| 90 | Chucky | When the mom discovers Chucky isn’t running on batteries |
| 89 | American Werewolf in London | Double wake-up; ending |
| 88 | Us | When the family meets their doppelgangers |
| 87 | The Witch | The young woman turns into the crone (the hand) |
| 86 | Zombie | Eyeball scene |
| 85 | The Changling | Bouncing ball on stairs |
| 84 | Phantom | Phantom’s mask removal |
| 83 | The Brood | The brood’s reveal |
| 82 | A Tale of Two Sisters | Dinner scene |
| 81 | Demons | Theater scene |
| 80 | Doctor Sleep | Baseball boy |
| 79 | Candyman | Bee mouth |
| 78 | The Invasion of the Body Snatchers | The end scene |
| 77 | The Evil Dead | The first dead |
| 76 | Dawn of the Dead | Opening scene where the little girl walks right into their house |
| 75 | Annihilation | The bear scene |
| 74 | Cujo | The car scene |
| 73 | The Fly | Arm wrestling |
| 72 | Wicker Man | Final scene |
| 71 | Nosfeatu | |
| 70 | The Night House | Floorboard bodies |
| 69 | Aliens | First scene with Newt |
| 68 | The Babadook | First time we see him |
| 67 | The Last House on the Left | Water scene |
| 66 | Terrified | Opening shower scene; kid getting hit by a bus; dead kid at table |
| 65 | Friday the 13th | The twist |
| 64 | Dawn of the Dead | Opening scene |
| 63 | Peeping Tom | Final scene, camera is knife |
| 62 | A Quiet Place | Kid gets taken |
| 61 | Autopsy of Jane Doe | When they figure out there’s more to it |
| 60 | Phantasm | Blood draining |
| 59 | The Grudge | Where Samara crawls into bed |
| 58 | When a Stranger Calls | The call is coming from inside |
| 57 | Black Christmas | Killer OV |
| 56 | Jacob’s Ladder | Dance scene |
| 55 | Threats | Final shot |
| 54 | The Howling | Werewolf slap |
| 53 | Gerald’s Game | Degloving |
| 52 | Misery | The mallet |
| 51 | Frankenstein (1931) | Frankenstein’s monster revealed backwards |
| 50 | Nightmare on Elm Street | Body bag |
| 49 | A Bay of Blood | Speared during sex |
| 48 | The Conjuring | Hide and clap |
| 47 | Get Out | First time he goes to the sunken place |
| 46 | Twin Peaks | Ep. 8, “got a light?” |
| 45 | Pan’s Labyrinth | Pale Man chase |
| 44 | Rosemary’s Baby | Dream rape |
| 43 | Inside | Bathroom scene |
| 42 | Se7en | Sloth |
| 41 | Zodiac | Couple murdered |
| 40 | 28 Days Later | Brendan Gleeson turns |
| 39 | 30 Days of Night | Vampire killing spree |
| 38 | Silence of the Lambs | End scene: wrong house |
| 37 | Susperia | Can’t wake Suzie |
| 36 | Blair Witch | The basement |
| 35 | Paranormal Activity | Night 21 |
| 34 | Sixth Sense | The barfing girl |
| 33 | Let the Right One In | Bye bye bullies |
| 32 | Invisible | Dining room slasher |
| 31 | Wait Until Dark | Smashing of the lights |
| 30 | Don’t Breathe | Turkey baster |
| 29 | Hostel | The drill |
| 28 | Lake Mungo | Phone footage |
| 27 | The Haunting of Hill House | The bent neck lady’s fall |
| 26 | It Part I | Georgie |
| 25 | I Saw the Devil | Opening sequence |
| 24 | Hellraiser | Frank’s ending |
| 23 | The Descent | When we meet the creatures |
| 22 | Saw | The ending |
| 21 | Scanners | Head explosions |
| 20 | REC | Recording at the end |
| 19 | Carrie | Blood scene; cemetary scene at end |
| 18 | The Omen | Damien’s birthday party; priest death in the courtyard |
| 17 | Night of the Living Dead | Ending |
| 16 | Exorcist III | Scissor Sister |
| 15 | Final Destination 2 | Log truck |
| 14 | Jaws | Opening scene; crowded beach scene |
| 13 | Scream | Drew Barrymore |
| 12 | Halloween | Where Michael gets up for the first time |
| 11 | Aliens | Chest bursting scene |
| 10 | Ringu | The ending |
| 9 | Train to Busan | The ending |
| 8 | Sinister | The film, particularly the lawnmower; kid in box |
| 7 | The Exorcist | The pee scene; crucifix scene |
| 6 | The Shining | All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy |
| 5 | Psycho | Shower scene |
| 4 | Audition | The bag |
| 3 | Hereditary | Allergic reaction; Toni Collete in corner |
| 2 | The Thing | Chest mouth |
| 1 | Texas Chainsaw Massacre | When Leatherface comes out |
