‘The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time’ Recap: ‘#101-#89’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains minor spoilers for the series premiere of ‘The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time’.
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Ask a bevy of different horror fans or fans of any particular genre, what their ten favorite shows or movies from that genre are… and you’ll get back a bevy of unique answers. In fact, no two of them will likely be the same. Because so many people have subjective tastes and those stories called to them in a supremely unique manner. Which is why it is so difficult to assemble definitive lists of the best television shows or movies from the entertainment world since few can agree upon them. But when you narrow down what to look for specifically when it comes to the best, and have true experts speak to why those specifics are indeed noteworthy… it is possible to assemble a definitive list. Such as say, what the top moments in horror films might be. 
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Which is precisely what Shudder has done. For yesterday saw the premiere of The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time on the network, which just so happens to be, a truly definitive list of the finest moments from horror movie history. Ones that genuinely rattled us and terrified us to no end. And since Shudder has established itself to be a true authority on horror, and because this series assembles a fine list of horror experts, horror historians and brilliant minds from across the genre that have worked in front of and behind the camera… we are not only gifted with an indisputable list here, but we are also provided with some fascinating commentary from these incredible minds, the kind that offers great insight on these moments.

In fact, let’s take a moment and talk about that for a second because it is huge deal how many brilliant minds Shudder assembled to talk in this opening episode alone. For instance, Jeffrey Reddick, the brain behind the innovative Final Destination franchise, speaks often here about big moments in horror and his thoughts are engaging for certain and he is joined by other great minds such as Dana Gould and even horror legend Greg Nicotero. And it is just incredible to hear them offer such raw thoughts on those moments and hear how they impacted minds that create nightmares to this day, and it was equally as amazing to hear horror actors such as Brea Grant and Alex Essoe speak to these moments, along with author Tananarive Due since they too brought incredible insight to the table regarding the significance of these moments. 

But what exactly was highlighted? Well, there are two that we will discuss today. Specifically, the opening sequence of It Follows and the window scene from Salem’s Lot. Simply because, the former of those two… is grossly overshadowed by the horrors that follow. Since Jay Height faces some ominous terrors in that film. But the opening is indeed sublime and haunting and leaves the viewer unsettled out of the gate and unsure of how to proceed emotionally, and that’s huge. And of course… that window moment from Salem’s Lot, remains the stuff of nightmares to this day. Because there is something chilling about watching an innocent child turned blood sucker, rapping at a window, and begging for its meal and that one is so iconic and so powerful that is remains a part of the pop culture landscape to this day.

However, only covering a pair of stories from this saga may leave one wondering… why not speak to more? Well, that would do you dear reader and viewer of this show a disservice. Because you need to experience the wonder of this episode firsthand. In order to truly experience the wonder of this show’s format and musings and of course, to feel the memories that wash over you when big moments you’ve experienced are revisited once again. Because that’s what makes this show so impactful and worthwhile. In that, it truly celebrates the wonder of horror and everything it has to offer, and it will be quite fascinating to see what next week’s entry in this saga brings as we gently countdown to the scariest horror movie moment of all time. Until next time.

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