This list contains discussions of mutilation, death, murder, and sexual themes. Reader discretion is advised.

There's nothing better than a gruesome horror death scene to catch viewers off-guard. Horror movies are diverse as a genre, encompassing all manner of terror and dread. However, an element common to most films in the genre is the body count, often in a more grim fashion than in other movies. Some films have people die quickly or with their dignity intact, while others depict characters suffering a slow, painful death.

Whether mundane or supernatural, some horror movies have their reputation founded entirely on gruesome kills. Scenes that stick with the audience forever. The worst, most brutal ways to die are usually at the forefront of any discussion. Some deaths are so horrifying and unpleasant that the audience remains disturbed long after the end of the film.

Updated April 23, 2024 by Arthur Goyaz: Some horror movies utilize a nightmarish atmosphere or psychological dread to scare audiences, while others know how to take advantage of a good showcase of graphic violence to horrify viewers. The horror genre consistently delivers plenty of disturbing horror deaths, and this article was updated to add a few more unsettling suggestions. In addition, the update reflects CBR's most current standards in formatting.

20 Day of the Dead is George A. Romero's Gnarliest Zombie Movie

Torrez's Vocal Cords Are Ripped Off by Zombies

George A. Romero popularized the modern zombie lore, pioneering most of the conventions surrounding the flesh-eating creatures nowadays. His reputation in the genre precedes him, but Romero was also the mind behind the gnarliest deaths of any zombie movie. In Day of the Dead, mayhem breaks out in a missile silo when zombies invade the place, ambushing a team of scientists and a group of corrupted soldiers.

As a horde of zombies takes over the place, Private Juan Torrez suffers one of the worst horror movie deaths imaginable: not only is his body completely torn apart by the zombies as he screams in despair, but the monsters begin to reach for his throat. The sound of Torrez's scream reaching a disturbing high pitch as his vocal cords are ripped apart is difficult to forget, more so than the graphic depiction of the zombies devouring his body.

19 The Latest Wrong Turn Movie Lives Up the Franchise's Most Horrific Death Scenes

Gary is Crushed by a Giant Tree

The Wrong Turn franchise specializes in brutal movie deaths, and the 2021 reboot doesn't disappoint when it comes to onscreen violence. In the film, a group of hikers set out to explore the Appalachian Trail. They stumble upon a hidden community in the forest: a group of cannibals ready to prey on the unsuspecting visitors.

Despite the divisive reception, 2021's Wrong Turn does justice to the franchise's formula and deserves credit for the horrific death scenes featured in the movie. The very first death scene may be the most shocking: Gary, one of the hikers, falls victim to a massive tree trunk that rolls down the hill and crushes his face in a gruesome fashion. The sight of his mangled face isn't easy to digest.

18 The Vanishing Delivers A Disturbing Twist in the End

Rex and Saskia Fall Victim To A Cold-Hearted Sociopath

The Vanishing uses an oppressive psychological atmosphere to convey horror, starting in the initial minutes: Rex and Saskia set out to enjoy an idyllic cycling holiday until Saskia disappears without a trace at a nearby gas station. The narrative picks up three years later when Rex is contacted by a mysterious man who is willing to show him what happened to Saskia, but only if he accepts experiencing it himself.

The villain of The Vanishing is Raymond, a sociopath who, after saving a little girl's life, decides to do the worst thing imaginable to balance the good and evil within him. Saskia was Raymond's chosen victim to be buried alive. An unsuspecting Rex gives in to his curiosity and ends up suffering the same fate.

17 Demonic Reflections Engage in Jaw-Dropping Acts of Violence in Mirrors

Angie is Killed By Her Own Reflection

Mirrors is a fairly underrated American horror remake with incredibly brutal death scenes. It follows Ben, a security guard who becomes the latest victim of an entity that uses mirrors to enter the real world. Ben's family is forced to confront the mysterious realm inside the mirrors to defeat the evil that haunts them.

One of the first victims of the entity inside the mirrors is Angie, Ben's sister, whose reflection rips her own jaw apart in the bathroom mirror. The real Angie's own jaw begins to break apart as a result, and viewers get to see this horrific horror movie death from two equally bloody perspectives.

16 Doctor Sleep Isn't Afraid To Kill Off Children

The Child Murder Scene is Doctor Sleep's Scariest Moment

Doctor Sleep emphasizes psychological and supernatural horror over gratuitous blood and guts. Nonetheless, it manages to create one of the horror genre's most distressing death scenes through acting alone. The vampires kidnap a psychic young boy as he walks home from baseball, before torturing him to death for his "essence".

Doctor Sleep is a great vampire movie from the past 10 years and this death scene is the scariest moment. It leaves most of the violence implied, focusing on a close-up of the victim's face instead. Still, the image of a young boy screaming in agony and fear is enough to disturb many audiences. It also unnerves the adult actors in the scene to the point many discussed how hard it was to film.

15 Evil Wins in Eden Lake

A Young Boy Is Horrifically Necklaced

Eden Lake is the kind of horror movie determined to make the audience feel the worst possible sensations: evil prevails from beginning to end. The story is centered around a young couple whose vacation is disrupted by a group of sadistic teenagers led by a boy named Brett. An innocent feud quickly evolves into a vicious struggle for survival.

Every well-intentioned character meets a horrifying fate in Eden Lake, but one death is extremely hard to watch. Adam, a shy boy, is blackmailed into joining the group of violent teenagers against the film's main couple. When the couple escapes, Brett resorts to one of the most brutal execution methods of all time as a form of retaliation: necklacing. He places a tire around Adam's neck and sets it on fire. From afar, viewers watch the boy stumble to his feet while his head catches fire. For everyone's revolt, Brett is seen mocking Adam's sinister walk.

14 It Follows Opens with a Brutal Death Scene

Annie is Killed by an Unseen Force

It Follows opens with an isolated death scene not tied to the movie's plot other than introducing its titular antagonist. The scene itself takes the unusual approach of not showing the death. However, the aftermath is a shocking showcase of graphic violence, particularly when the audience learns more about the film's curse to put the pieces together.

It Follows shows a girl named Annie fleeing from an invisible creature, only to give up and break down on a beach. It Follows cuts from her calling her father to her mutilated corpse on the beach, leg bent back far enough to snap. Given the heavy sexual context surrounding the monster's killings, it paints a nightmarish image of Annie's final moments.