Recently, I asked the wonderful people of the BuzzFeed Community to share the scariest non-horror movie moments. Some of these make you wonder if the directors were totally cool scarring us for life:
1.”Oh dear gawd when the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang first appeared. Terrifying!”
Horse pulling a cart seen through barred gate, creating a vintage or historical feel
“Utterly terrifying as a child. That actor’s performance was amazing. The creepy voice, long nose, expressive facial features, the way his eyes scanned around, and the way he moved. Everything about him was perfect to almost bring me to tears and fill me with dread. I’m 55 now and that character still elicits the same feeling in me just thinking about him! What a performance.”
—Anonymous, 55
2.”The part in The Mummy (1999) where a beetle crawls under a guy’s skin. Because of that part, I never finished the whole movie until I was well into my teens.”
A person in a dramatic movie scene looks down in alarm, wearing an open shirt and suspenders, against a dimly lit background
3.”Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Watched it when I was 10…the beginning part where the grandpa jump scares you with his eyes gone and when the old bird lady gets eaten after they barricade the house. So creepy. I still hate eye monsters.”
Elderly man lying on grass, looking upwards with a serious expression
—Anonymous, 18
4.”Who Framed Roger Rabbit! When the big villain is revealed with the creepy voice and the horrific murder of the squeaky shoe. Total nightmare fuel.”
A man wearing a suit and bow tie looks shocked, with exaggerated bulging eyes in a dramatic or comedic setting
“When Christopher Lloyd, aka Judge Doom, put that poor cartoon shoe into the ‘dip.’ It still randomly pops into my head from time to time to make me sad.”
—Anonymous, 42
5.”The scene with all the insects in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I am so scared of bugs, so that’s like my worst nightmare.”
A creepy crawly insect climbs on a person’s back, tangled in their blonde hair, creating a tense and eerie moment
6.”In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, when E.T. is in the cornfield screaming back at Elliot. That’s haunted me for most of my life.”
Creature with prominent teeth and large eyes, set in a shadowy environment, playfully covers face with hands
7.”It’s absolutely gotta be the boat tunnel scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory; it changed the whole tone of the film for literally just that sequence.”
Person wearing a top hat and suit, appearing surprised or delighted, likely from a scene in a movie
8.”The hanging scene in Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End.”
A group of people in period clothing stand solemnly on a wooden platform with ropes, appearing as if in a dramatic scene from a historical film
9.”The flying monkeys in The Wizard of Oz.”
A figure in a witch’s outfit, including a tall hat, stands inside, gesturing toward a dark, stormy landscape with flying creatures
10.”The Emperor’s death in The Dark Crystal.”
Animatronic creature with sharp teeth and a gaping mouth, featuring in a movie or TV show scene
11.”The part in the Goonies when they find Chester Copperpot’s skeleton under a rock. Freaked my brother out for years.”
Person holding a futuristic, weathered device in a dark setting, displaying digital information. Skulls are faintly visible in the background
12.”Large Marge in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure still creeps me out.”
An older character in a plaid shirt closes their eyes dramatically in a dark scene from a TV or movie
13.”When the queen turns herself into the Witch in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. And pretty much every scene afterward has her in it. I cannot emphasize enough how she haunted my nightmares for YEARS.”
Animated witch emerging from a trapdoor in a dim, dungeon-like setting, appearing sneaky and cautious
14.”The furnace scene in Toy Story 3.”
Animated characters, including Woody and Buzz Lightyear, appear in a scene filled with molten metal, expressing concern and determination
15.”Zordon dying in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. Nightmares for years.”
A character with a bald head and wrinkled face is lying in a bed of crystal-like structures, appearing surprised or concerned
16.”The scene in Any Given Sunday where the player’s eye comes out on the field disturbed me for weeks.”
A man with a surprised expression has red liquid on his face, lying down
17.”The paparazzi guy climbing out of the toilet in Spice World. The way his body climbs out. Ugh. No thanks.”
A bald man with glasses leans over a bowl, creating an intense and suspenseful scene
18.”The skeleton battle scene in Jason and the Argonauts. Creeped me out as a child. Still does now as an adult.”
Animated skeletons wielding swords and shields march forward in a scene from a vintage film
19.”That jump scare in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring when Bilbo wants his ring back.”
Elderly character with wide eyes and open mouth, appearing startled or intense, in a dark, atmospheric scene from a movie or TV show
20.”The clown in the The Brave Little Toaster.”
Animated character with a sinister grin, wearing a yellow cloak, holding a large fork and a plunger-like object, set against a dark background
21.”The wolf from The NeverEnding Story. Enough said.”
A menacing werewolf with glowing eyes and sharp teeth emerges from the darkness, snarling
22.”As a kid, it was the ending of Gremlins when Spike is simultaneously absorbing water from a fountain and exposed to direct light…seeing the worst gremlin of all swelling and bubbling and sizzling in the bright light was TOO MUCH for little kid me. I had so many nightmares that it was over a decade before I watched the movie again (and realized it was a comedy)! I love Gremlins now, but my Stripe-inspired nightmares are seared into my memory.”
Fantasy creature with large ears, glowing eyes, and rough, textured skin in a dramatic underwater scene
—Anonymous, 38
23.”The Fireys from Labyrinth (where the reddish creatures take off their heads and start throwing them around; and then try to take off Sarah’s head). To this day, that scene still gives me an uneasy feeling.”
A fuzzy, wild-eyed creature with long ears and fur, looking surprised in a forest setting, featured in a TV or movie scene
—Anonymous, 40
24.”For librarians of a certain age, watching the catalog cards go flying in the original Ghostbusters. All I could think was, ‘Somebody’s going to have to pick those all up and refile them.’ A nightmare if you’ve ever experienced it!”
Ghostly figure with spectral aura hovers in a library, surrounded by flying books, creating a supernatural scene
—Anonymous, 65
25.”The part in The Warriors when the gang arrives at the subway, and Fox gets into a fight with a police officer and is thrown on the tracks below…let’s just say I saw this movie as a kid and get nervous on the train platforms in Chicago.”
A person in jeans jumps towards another on the ground in a dramatic, action-packed scene, suggesting a fight
—Anonymous, 52
26.And lastly: “Every scene with the aliens from Mars Attacks! Those little guys scared the pants off of me. To this day, I can’t watch that movie.”
Animated close-up of a skeletal face with exaggerated eyes, wearing a sequined garment, expressing a surprising or comical reaction
—Anonymous, 38
What is a non-horror movie moment that terrified you? Comment below!