I’m back with part 3 of my all-time favorite horror movie death scenes! Death is an inevitability in the horror genre, and a lot of them were executed so well. Whether due the special effects, characters, originality, build-up, gore factor, dramatic effect, or all of the above, these death scenes left a hell of an impact on me. I hope you enjoy and let me know your favorite horror movie death scene! (FLASH WARNING!!!) (MAJOR SPOILERS!!!)

The Mountain Man’s Last Ride – Deliverance (1972)

Ed (Jon Voight), Lewis (Burt Reynolds), Bobby (Ned Beatty), and Drew (Ronny Cox) were 4 friends who decided to take a last canoe trip on the Cahulawassee River before it was flooded into a giant lake. Their first day out started out normal and fun. The second day, however, took a turn for the worst. When Ed and Bobby took a short rest on the side of the river, they came across a local mountain man (Bill McKinney) and his toothless friend (Herbert Coward). They were quickly pulled into a hostile situation while Ed was tied to a tree and Bobby was forced to strip at gunpoint. The mountain man then taunted and raped Bobby while Ed was forced to watch. When Ed was about to endure forced fellatio by the toothless man, the calvary finally arrived as Lewis struck the mountain man with an arrow. While the toothless man ran away, the mountain man died slowly and painfully, writhing in agony, just as he deserved.

Tina’s Turn – A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

Tina Gray (Amanda Wyss) was a typical teenage girl whose biggest problem was her troublesome boyfriend, Rod (Jsu Garcia). That is, until she started to have terrifying nightmares about a strange man named Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). After her latest nightmare, she invited her friends Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) and Glen (Johnny Depp) to her house so she wouldn’t be alone. Of course, Rod crashed the party and he and Tina kissed and made up. Then, Tina started to hear strange noises outside, and when she went to investigate, there was Freddy! She never left her house at all, she was still in bed next to Rod. As Freddy was killing her in her dream, Rod was forced to witness it all without knowing what to do. He clawed her deeply in the chest and threw her all around the room. He dragged her all the way up to her ceiling and she tried reaching out to Rod, but she then fell to her death. This is one of the most uniquely crafted and visually disturbing deaths I’ve ever seen and it is just so iconic. It was the moment we all realized what Freddy Krueger was capable of!

Eddie’s Explosion – Child’s Play (1988)

Eddie Caputo (Neil Giuntoli) was the criminal partner of infamous serial killer, Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif). When Charles was being chased by a police officer and shot, Eddie took his getaway car and bailed on him. As Charles was dying, he swore revenge on Eddie for abandoning him. With his dying breath, Charles used voodoo to transfer his soul into a nearby doll. As a doll, he was gifted to a young boy, Andy (Alex Vincent) for his birthday. After gaining Andy’s trust, he was able to convince him to take him to Eddie’s hideout. As Andy was wandering around looking for Charles, the deadly doll snuck around Eddie’s house. As Eddie was on the lam, he was understandably paranoid at every sound he heard. He grabbed his gun and shot at every little noise. Charles used this to his advantage. He turned on the gas to Eddie’s stove and let Eddie do the work for him. Eddie burst into the kitchen and fired his last shot, blowing up the entire place. The whole scene was suspenseful, and it was a brilliant way for Charles to make Eddie kill himself.

Jud’s Jugular – Pet Sematary (1989)

Jud Crandall (Fred Gwynne) was a lonely old man who finally got new neighbors across his street. The Creed family was relocating to a quaint little Maine town for the father, Louis’s (Dale Midkiff) career. In the Creed’s new backyard, there was an ancient Native American burial ground that had the power to resurrect anything and anyone buried there. Jud first brought Louis to the burial ground to bury his cat that was ran over. Then a horrible tragedy struck as Louis’s toddler, Gage (Miko Hughes) was hit by a truck and killed. Grief-stricken, Louis buried Gage in the cemetery, not understanding the monster that he would be bringing to life. After grabbing Louis’s scalpel as he slept, undead Gage went straight over to Jud’s house. He teased Jud before luring him upstairs. When Jud tried looking under his bed, Louis’s undead cat distracted him long enough for Gage to cut his Achilles tendon. Then Gage slit his mouth and bit right through his neck. It was such a horrifying display caused by a little boy turned pure evil. It was a truly unforgettable death scene!

Roller Coaster Mayhem – Nothing But Trouble (1991)

A group of drug dealers were on quite a joyride in the back roads of Valkenvania. When they were pulled over and attempted to kill the police officer questioning them, they were all brought to the town’s corrupt judge, Alvin Valkenheiser (Dan Aykroyd). They were caught with so many drugs and illegal weapons, their fates were sealed. They were so hopped up on whatever drugs they took, they didn’t understand what was about to happen to them. Almost immediately, Alvin sentenced the group to their deaths, via Roller Coaster Grinder. The floor beneath them pulled them to the front of the roller coaster and while rock music was blaring, they were QUICKLY losing their buzz. The roller coaster then made a sudden stop, lunging them forward into a mechanism that skinned them alive and spit out nothing but bones on the other side. It’s a very dark and horrific way to go considering this is a comedy. I just love the uniqueness and silliness of it.

Damien’s Petite Mort – Bride Of Chucky (1998)

After losing the love of her life, Tiffany Ray (Jennifer Tilly) spent ten years finding the doll that he transferred his soul into. While on her quest, she found someone to play with in the meantime, Damien (Alexis Arquette). When she finally found her love, Chucky (Brad Dourif), she tried resurrecting him, but it didn’t seem to work. That’s when Damien showed up at her place for a little get-together. He was so desperate to gain Tiffany’s approval, he pretended to kill someone and took a picture of himself in bloody make-up. She tried to shape Damien into someone she could be with, but no one ever lived up to Chucky. When she realized that the resurrection did work, she decided to offer Damien up to him. She cuffed Damien to her bed and placed Chucky on top of him. Then, she performed a sexy dance and told Damien all about Chucky. When Damien insulted Chucky, Chucky retaliated by ripping out Damien’s piercing and suffocating him with a pillow. While he sat on the pillow, Chucky and Tiffany had an awkward reunion as Damien was fighting for his life. It’s a moment so messed up, it’s actually funny to watch!

Trina Sinclair: D.O.A. At The Fitzgerald House – Ginger Snaps (2000)

Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins) Fitzgerald were two sisters who were outcasts in the small town of Bailey Downs. One of bullies who set her sights on them was popular teen, Trina Sinclair (Danielle Hampton). After Trina publicly humiliated Brigitte, they planned to kidnap her dog and make her believe that the beast of Bailey Downs killed him. When they snuck out that night, Ginger was savagely attacked by the beast. It didn’t take long for them to figure out the beast was actually a werewolf, and Ginger was slowly turning into one herself. As it got closer to the next full moon, Ginger’s body began to change and her appetite began to worsen. She ended up taking Trina’s dog in order to lure her to their house. Trina took the bait and Ginger dragged her into the house. Whether or not Ginger was actually going to kill Trina is unknown. Trina got away from Ginger’s grasp and as she tried to defend herself, she slipped on spilled milk and cracked her head open on the edge of a counter. It was an almost funny death scene because it was so unexpected.

Polly Want A Scalpel? – May (2002)

Polly (Anna Faris) was a sexy and seductive young woman who worked at a veterinary clinic with her quirky friend, May (Angela Bettis). She always had a thing for May and she had no problem expressing it through not-so-subtle flirting. When May was rejected by a guy she really liked, Polly made her move and gave May an unforgettable night. When Polly started seeing another woman, May felt a whole new kind of betrayal. What Polly didn’t know was that over time, May had developed an insane obsession with people’s body parts, and that Polly had an exquisite neck. On Halloween night, May went over to Polly’s and made her believe she was giving her an apology gift. While Polly was waiting for the blouse she believed she was getting, May sat behind her and places two scalpels on the sides of her neck. Polly thought she was just messing with her and she played along. It wasn’t until May cut her throat that Polly realized she was really doomed. I just love the set-up here. Even with the blades at her throat, she truly believed until it was too late that May would never really hurt her.

This Joan Is On Fire! – Seed Of Chucky (2004)

Jennifer Tilly was a famous actress struggling with her career as she was working on her new film, Chucky Goes Psycho: a film that showcased the slayings of doll-possessed serial killer, Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif), and his wife, Tiffany Valentine (Jennifer Tilly). Joan (Hannah Spearritt) was Jennifer’s loyal and faithful assistant. She helped Jennifer with her diet, she wrote fake fan mail so Jennifer felt loved, and she tried convincing her that sleeping with scumbag directors wasn’t a good career move (although I don’t agree with the WAY she went about it). After Chucky and Tiffany were resurrected by their child, Glenn/Glenda (Billy Boyd), they decided to impregnate Jennifer so the 3 of them could switch bodies with her, her child, and rapper/director, Redman. After she received a panic call from Jennifer, Joan went to her place to check on her. As she found Jennifer bound and gagged, she didn’t hear Chucky sneaking up behind her. Jennifer tried warning her, but Glenda came around and lit Joan on fire. This was a fantastic set-up with a jaw-dropping execution. I hate to see Joan go, but I loved seeing her fly!

Aubrey’s Reenactment – The Grudge 2 (2006)

Aubrey Davis (Amber Tamblyn) always had a strained relationship with her mother and the sister her mother favored, Karen (Sarah Michelle Gellar). After they heard that Karen was in a hospital in Japan, Aubrey was sent to bring her home. When she got there, Karen was in hysterics, trying to tell her about a vengeful spirit, Kayako (Takako Fuji), who attached herself to everyone who stepped foot in her house. After watching her sister die, Aubrey did everything she could to find out the reason behind Kayako’s haunting. After she was already marked by Kayako and she hit a dead end on everything, Aubrey walked back into the house and demanded to know what Kayako wanted. Kayako complied and showed Aubrey exactly what she went through. In Kayako’s place, she witnessed and felt ever bit of Kayako’s husband’s (Takashi Matsuyama) wrath. She tried to run from him, but she twisted her ankle and failed to crawl away. He grabbed her by the head and snapped her neck so violently. I love how it goes back and forth from Kayako’s experience to Aubrey’s. Kayako made Aubrey feel everything she felt at the hands of her husband.

Eric’s Ending – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)

Eric Hill (Matt Bomer) was an American soldier who decided to re-enlist when his brother Dean (Taylor Handley) got drafted to Vietnam. They decided to take a road trip with their girlfriends, Chrissie (Jordana Brewster) and Bailey (Diora Baird) before shipping off to war. Once they reached Texas, they came across a biker gang and crashed their jeep when one of them tried to rob them. A local officer, Sheriff Hoyt (R. Lee Ermy) came across the wreckage, killed the biker, and took everyone but Chrissie hostage. He drove them to his home where his family tortured, butchered, and ate their victims. They were almost able to escape, but they ended up in even worse shape than before. Eric was pulled into their basement, where Hoyt’s nephew, Thomas (Andrew Bryniarski) strapped him to a table and tore the skin off of his arms. When Thomas was called away, Chrissie was able to sneak into the basement and try and free Eric. They had some thoughtful last words together before Thomas returned and Chrissie had to hide under the table. There was nothing she could do, so she was forced to witness Thomas chainsaw through the stomach of her beloved.

Lisa’s Glossectomy – Dead Silence (2007)

Lisa (Laura Regan) and Jamie Ashen (Ryan Kwanten) were looking forward to a peaceful night with Chinese food. Their quiet night was interrupted when someone dropped a strange package at their doorstep. When they opened it, they discovered a ventriloquist dummy. This reminded Lisa of the old legend that plagued their town. After Jamie left to get them some food, Lisa positioned the dummy in their bed to scare him when he came home. As she was waiting patiently, she noticed all of the sound in their apartment died down and there was complete silence. As she crept back to their bedroom, she realized the sudden silence was due to the doll. As she got closer to it, the sheet that she placed on top of it flew at her, throwing her across the room. She hit her head hard and when she turned back to look at the dummy, the spirit controlling it yanked her back and she let out a scream, leaving her tongue exposed enough for the spirit to rip it out. This was such a creepy scene that perfectly set up the tone of the rest of the film.

Stuart’s Sterilization – Hostel: Part II (2007)

Stuart (Roger Bart) was in a dead-end job and marriage. His best friend, Todd (Richard Burgi) noticed he was in a rut and decided to give him a rush for the sick and demented. He joined the both of them in this elite club that payed big money to torture and kill tourists in the town of Slovakia. Stuart was very hesitant all the way through, he even met the young woman he was supposed to kill, Beth (Lauren German). When it was time to kill her, he felt that he couldn’t do it, and when he tried to help her escape, he realized he did have that darkness inside him after all. When Beth knew he was going to kill her, she tricked him and got the upper hand. She held him hostage with a pair of scissors on his penis, ready to snip at any moment. When she tried negotiating her way out, she was informed that she had to kill someone in order to leave. Stuart then called Beth the one word she hated the most. She clipped him and walked right out as he was writhing in agony and the club laughed at his misery.

Allie In The Alley – Trick ‘R Treat (2007)

Allie (Laura Mennell) was a striking young woman who believed she was going to have a blast with her mysterious date on Halloween night. In a dark alley behind the town’s Halloween parade, Allie and her date had a passionate make-out session. Allie soon realized something was wrong and she looked down to see she was bleeding all over. Her date gave her a sinister smile, baring fangs and she realized she was in actual danger. She ran through the alley, screaming for help. When she finally reached the parade, she grabbed the closest people she could find. They blew her off, claiming she was just drunk and hysterical. She saw a couple of bystanders covered in fake blood and just gave up. Her date then killed her and propped her up on the sidewalk, making her look like someone who was just passed out drunk. It was a great entrance of this mysterious killer and I just love it because she tried to get help from one couple and then just gave up. It was a very Helen Shivers-type death scene. Never stop running!

Elena, The Spineless Fox – Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007)

Elena (Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe) was a contestant on a new survival reality show. She was so determined to win the cash prize and the fame, that she was willing to do anything… including sleeping with the show’s creator. The cast and crew of the show accidentally set up camp on the surrounding property of a deformed, inbred, crazy, cannibal family’s home. As Elena was basking near the lake, reveling in her victory of manipulation, her beauty caught the attention of the family’s young son (Clint Carleton). As he was pleasuring himself to her, his jealous sister (Rorelee Tio) caught him and decided to take out the competition. She pulled out her machete and charged right for Elena. Elena tried to run away, but she fell in the water. The sister struck her back multiple times, hacking off a bunch of skin in the process. When she was done, Elena’s spine was completely exposed. The hacking was so brutal and I can’t help but love the irony. She wanted to compete and she ended up getting killed for unintentionally being a backwoods psycho’s competition.

Peter’s Perishing – Saw V (2008)

Special Agent Peter Strahm (Scott Patterson) was brought on to investigate the heinous Jigsaw murders and who was working with the man behind the traps, John Kramer (Tobin Bell). After he found Jigsaw’s whereabouts, he went to the building and was put into a trap, where he (barely) survived. There were many dead bodies in that building, which led Peter to question how Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) was able to walk out of the carnage unscathed. This led to his rogue investigation into Hoffman’s past, and he quickly learned that Hoffman was indeed one of John’s accomplices. As he tried to pursue him, he came across a box filled with broken glass and a tape that told him to get in. Once he found Hoffman, he fought him and threw him into the box, thinking he finally won. What he didn’t realize until it was too late was that the box was the only safe place in a room about to squish him. He tried pushing the walls and climbing to the top, but nothing was helping. The room slowly flattened him in such a brutal and gruesome fashion.

Christine’s Curse – Drag Me To Hell (2009)

Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) was a bank loan officer who felt a lot of pressure in her life. She faced disapproval from her boyfriend’s parents and her new co-worker was in the running for the promotion she was a shoo-in for. When an old Romani woman, Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) approached her, asking her for another extension on her loan so she could keep her house, Christine denied her to show she was capable of making tough decisions. Mrs. Ganush resorted to begging and when she felt rejected and shamed, she decided to curse Christine. For three days, Christine would be tormented by the Lamia demon before being pulled in Hell to suffer for eternity. Christine tried everything to break the curse and she believed she was successful in passing it onto Mrs. Ganush’s spirit. While taking a trip with her boyfriend, Clay (Justin Long), she realized that she was still cursed, and her time was up. She fell onto train tracks and demons popped out from below to pull her under. She screamed and tried to reach for Clay, but it was too late, and we see the skin torn off of her before she was buried for good.

Megan’s Maiming – Sorority Row (2009)

To kick off their senior year at Theta-Pi, a group of sorority sisters decided to pull off the ultimate prank. They gave fake drugs to one of the girls’ brother, Garret (Matt O’Leary) to give to his girlfriend (and their fellow sister), Megan (Audrina Patridge). Megan pretended to O.D. right there on the bed to Garret’s horror and the group made Garret believe they had to get rid of her body. They said that they were going to sink the body and one of the other sisters, Ellie (Rumer Willis) mentioned that the air in her lungs would keep her afloat. Garret heard this and decided to take matters into his own hands. While everyone had their backs turned looking for sharp objects, Garret took a tire iron and stabbed her right in the chest. With her lungs filling with blood, Megan suffered an agonizing end. It was such a shocking and unforgettable moment. The prank was already so messed up and it was pushed so far that Megan was actually killed, making a stupid prank a harsh reality.

Peter: The First And The Last – Lost Boys: The Thirst (2010)

Peter (Felix Mosse) was the head of all of the vampires on Earth. He was the alpha for the longest time, and one of his children, DJ X (Seb Castang) wanted to change that. He kept Peter in a subdued state in order to sacrifice him at a rave of freshly turned vampires and drink his blood to become the new alpha. One of Peter’s loyal humans, Gwen (Tanit Phoenix) went to famous vampire killer, Edgar Frog (Corey Feldman) to save him under the facade that Peter was her human brother. Edgar successfully took out DJ X, and immediately learned about Gwen’s real plan. Since there were now too many vampires, Peter planned on turning Edgar so he could continue to hunt vampires and prevent overpopulation. Edgar refused and when it seemed over for him, he was able to spray Peter with water. Peter didn’t understand how doomed he was until Edgar started to bless the water. That water destroyed Peter, making him the first vampire ever created, and the last Edgar had to kill. I can’t tell you the joy I felt when I watched this scene for the first time. It was so surprising and I loved it!

Aimee’s Acceleration – You’re Next (2011)

Aimee (Amy Seimetz) was the sweet and caring daughter of Paul (Rob Moran) and Aubrey (Barbara Crampton) Davison. On their anniversary dinner, the whole family, plus significant others were in attendance. Aimee was excited for her family to meet her boyfriend, and she was dying to meet her brother’s new girlfriend. Dinner had a rocky start and a terrifying finish as masked killers murdered her boyfriend and lurked outside of their home. When her brother, Felix (Nicholas Tucci) suggested one of them should bolt out of the door to the cars, they all started arguing about who was the fastest. After some back and forth, it was decided that Aimee was going to do it. She ran as fast as she could, but she certainly didn’t count on running straight into a thin wire, slicing her neck open. I can’t tell you how far down my jaw dropped when I first saw this moment. The whole situation was so unexpected and bloody. It was so tragic and heartbreaking as her family had to watch her bleed out, realizing there was nothing they could do about it.

Jonah’s Dismemberment – The Green Inferno (2013)

Jonah (Aaron Burns) was an activist who wanted to make a difference in the world. The leader of his fellow activists, Alejandro (Ariel Levy) organized a protest deep in the Amazon to prevent the annihilation of a native tribe living there. The group was successful in their goal, but when they were on their way home to celebrate, their plane crashed into the tribe’s backyard, leaving only a few survivors. Those who weren’t killed right away were immediately captured by the tribe and taken to their village. While the other survivors were placed in a cage, Jonah was left out for dinner time. He was held down and before he could really understand what was happening, the village elder (Antonieta Pari) got to work. She pulled his eyes out and cut out his tongue, then proceeded to eat them. Then his arms and legs were chopped off before he was finally put out of his misery. The way he writhed in agony, feeling everything the whole time really forced me to imagine what he was going through. It’s one of the most brutal deaths I’ve ever seen in a horror movie!

Michael Cera’s Cell Phone – This Is The End (2013)

After coming to LA to hang out with his good friend, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel was dragged to a party at James Franco’s house. One of the celebrity attendants was Michael Cera. Despite always playing the quiet, awkward type, Michael Cera was a major party hound. He took every drug he could find, got in everyone’s faces, and had sexual encounters in Franco’s bathroom. It didn’t take long for the party to die when rapture suddenly happened and the world began to end. As all of the celebrities rushed out of the party, they saw everything around them on fire. Michael was so blitzed out of his mind, that the only thing he cared about at that moment was his missing cell phone. He turned his back on the carnage, yelling at everyone, not seeing the ground cave in or a nearby light post piercing right through him. Then, he was pulled into the depths of Hell. The funny thing was his cell phone was in his pocket the whole time and he was more worried about how embarrassing that was than the fact he was literally dying.

Georgie Joins The Circus – IT (2017)

Little Georgie Denbrough (Jackson Robert Scott) was really looking forward to spending a rainy day with his older brother, Bill (Jaeden Martell). Unfortunately, Bill wasn’t feeling too well, so Georgie had to play on his own. Bill made a little paper boat for Georgie to ride down the little rivers by the neighborhood sidewalks. Georgie was having a blast watching his boat sail. Then, he hit his head and his boat got away and fell into a nearby drain. As he was looking for it, sinister eyes pierced him and a clown, Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) stepped out of the dark. They exchanged a few words and even though Georgie felt something was off about the clown, he really wanted the boat back. Pennywise held the boat out and when Georgie reached in to grab it, Pennywise grabbed him and bit his arm clean off! Frightened and in agony, Georgie tried to crawl away, but Pennywise grabbed him and pulled him into the sewer. It was such a haunting moment and it was especially heartbreaking when Georgie’s last words were calling out to his brother.

Big John’s Big Eyes – Halloween Kills (2021)

Big John (Scott MacArthur) and his husband, Little John (Michael McDonald) were looking to have a peaceful and quiet Halloween night in their home. Their peaceful night was first interrupted by a group of bratty kids who had no problem breaking into their home and stealing all of their candy. In order to teach them a lesson, J & J told them about the psychopathic murderer, Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney) who used to live in their house. What they didn’t know was that the night before, Michael escaped incarceration and he was heading home, leaving a bunch of bodies and chaos in his path. When they realized someone else was in their house, and it wasn’t a group of kids, J & J grabbed the knives closest to them and searched the house. As Big John checked upstairs and Little John checked down, they called out to each other to make sure they were ok. When Big John entered one of the rooms, out popped Michael! He stabbed Big John in the armpit and then he gouged out his eyes. It was one of the most shocking and brutal deaths in the entire franchise and it certainly left its mark!

Terry’s Final Dance – Apartment 7A (2024)

All Theresa Gionoffrio (Julia Garner) wanted to do in life was dance. After she suffered a horrible foot injury, landing dancing jobs became nearly impossible for her. When she wanted to confront a man, Alan Marchand (Jim Sturgess), who was making the show of the year, she ran into an older couple, Minnie (Dianne Wiest) and Roman (Kevin McNally) Castevet. Minnie and Roman seemed to be her salvation. They gave her a place to stay, they helped her get a meeting with Alan, and they even healed her foot. What she didn’t know was that they were all witches and they were buttering her up to carry the son of the Devil. When she figured out their plan, she tried to kill the demonic fetus inside of her, but unfortunately, the baby had too much power. She realized there was only one thing to do. Surrounded by the cult, Terry danced her heart out. She put on quite a show, making everyone believe she was one of them. Then, she jumped out of the window, falling to her death. I love that Terry got to do what she was born to do one last time before making the ultimate sacrifice.