Today, I started thinking about the death scenes in horror films that were executed so well, they really tore me up when I watched them. Whether I really liked the characters, or the scenes themselves were shot so well, these deaths absolutely destroyed me. I hope you enjoy and let me know which horror movie deaths hit you the hardest! (SPOILER ALERT!!!)

Frank Johnson – The Return Of The Living Dead

The Return Of The Living Dead was a fun horror comedy that also had one of the darkest deaths I’ve ever seen. Frank (James Karen) was a funny, goofy employee at a medical supply warehouse who accidentally released a deadly gas that brought the dead back to life. After being sprayed by the gas, Frank began to slowly become a zombie. I knew his fate from the beginning, but I had no idea his death would hit so hard. As soon as he turned into a zombie, instead of going out and killing the other survivors, he snuck out and made his way to the crematorium. He turned the burner on, took his wedding ring off, and placed himself inside and burned (sort of) alive. I’m not sure if he killed himself so he wouldn’t hurt others, or because being dead hurt too much, but it was certainly not a quick death and the execution was hard to watch.

Gage Creed – Pet Sematary

After watching his son Gage (Miko Hughes) get hit by a large truck, Louis Creed (Dale Midkiff) couldn’t bear the loss, so he buried Gage in a sour burial ground that brought the dead back to life. However, Louis soon faced the dreadful realization that what came back wasn’t his son, and he had to destroy the undead monster before it killed him. As if this scenario wasn’t heartbreaking enough, we are shown flashes of Gage before the crash and after. When Louis stuck Gage with the needle and his crying echoed, Louis’s heart and my heart both sank. It had to be done, but it’s always so hard to watch.

Meg Loughlin – The Girl Next Door

After losing their parents in a car accident, Meg (Blythe Auffarth) and Susan (Madeline Taylor) Loughlin were sent to live with their sadistic aunt Ruth (Blanche Baker) and perverted cousins. After trying to tell a police officer of Ruth’s abuse and neglect, life for Meg became so much worse. This poor girl endured so much. She was beaten, starved, r***d, and branded. I’m not even going to mention the worst thing her aunt did to her! The end of the film brought a little bit of hope when help finally came. But that hope was immediately crushed when she took her last breath. Abusing a kid is one of the worst things a person can do. The fact that some of the events actually happened make the death so much more heartbreaking.

Annie Brackett – Halloween II

After surviving Michael Myers’ (Tyler Mane) attack in Rob Zombie’s first Halloween, Annie (Danielle Harris) was hunted yet again. Only this time, she wasn’t so lucky. Truthfully, I liked Annie more than Laurie (Scout Taylor-Compton) in Halloween 2. She put up with a lot and tried her best to keep what little peace she had in her life. When Laurie found her stabbed and bleeding everywhere and she begged for her to stay alive, it left me an emotional wreck. It all hit me so hard when her dad walked into the house and saw her lifeless body, and we were shown videos of Annie as a child while he mourned. I loved Annie and I thought she deserved better than that, especially after what happened to her in the first film, and all the s**t she got from Laurie in the second film.

Lily – Mama

After losing both of their parents and hiding in an isolated cabin for 5 years, sisters Victoria (Megan Charpentier) and Lily (Isabelle Nélisse) were finally found and sent to live with their uncle and his girlfriend, but the spirit that cared for them all this time, Mama (Javier Botet) didn’t want to let the sisters go. Lily was so young when she met Mama, she basically grew up with her and she understandably had a hard time letting go and adjusting to her new life. However, it was gut-wrenching watching the two sisters get separated as Mama took Lily over a cliff while Victoria reached for her and cried out her name. Then, Victoria was forced to watch Mama and Lily drop off the cliff together. It was a sweet moment as Lily and Mama got what they both wanted, but it breaks my heart even time I watch that scene.