‘The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time’ Recap: ‘#49 – #37’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Over the course of the past few weeks, we’ve talked at length about how exactly horror movie moments outright manage to terrify us. For the Shudder series The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time has dug deep into such matters, courtesy of its incredible panelists, composed of horror experts and people that work within the genre. And they have indeed provided us with stunning insight as to how a camera angle or the right music or the right cut, can change the course of a moment and make it iconic. Plus, they’ve also pointed out how originality and the unique nature of a particularly scary moment can also create something iconic and memorable, and it’s lovely to explore fresh takes on what makes a moment scary, and the show is showing no signs of slowing down regarding this style of analysis.
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For it is clearly going to showcase every angle of how and why these moments made the list and how and why they frighten us, and for this week’s entry, the show focused heavily on how some of the most iconic moments in horror exist, simply because they inject a sense of realism into the nightmare, we’re watching play out. Which at first glance is something that seems impossible. After all, we are watching movies here about dead people coming back to life and eating others or sucking on their blood. Or we’re dealing with demons and the devil for that matter. Or it is just something outlandish such as say… a monstrous child murderer that haunts dreams to kill teenagers because he can. The kind of stuff that is pure imagination. But there is realism to be found in horror, and it honestly pops up often… as evidenced by what moments ‘#49 – #37’ presented us with. 

Take for instance, what this episode had to say about Rosemary’s Baby. For that is indeed a story that features some outlandish stuff. Such as an innocent woman being pushed into the world of the devil and the antichrist through a secret order. But Rosemary’s motherhood fears and the fact that her husband is toxic and crosses a lot of lines… adds some realism into the mix, since mothers do indeed worry about their babies and their health, and we’ve heard far too many stories about husbands like Rosemary’s. Not to mention, what this show had to say about The Silence of the Lambs stays in line with the theme of this episode. Since Buffalo Bill really did embody the fearless psychopaths of the world. Those forces of nature that cannot and will not care about others and simply crave chaos and pain and of course, that ending and how it played out… felt a little too real at times and scared us deeply. 

But of course, you don’t have to take this writer’s word for it. Simply because on several occasions, we heard from the experts regarding how uncomfortable they were with how these moments played out and that adds real gravity to the realism present in these moments, and even the folks that work in horror spoke to how these moments sent shivers down their spines and that’s a big deal. And truly, the testimony that hammered the point home, came from Tom Savini. For the man who has produced so many nightmares for so many of us… had to turn off Zodiac because of the stabbing scene. Simply because it was just… too freakin’ real, and if that doesn’t make it clear how impactful realism can be in horror, nothing will.

If anything, all of these discussions and the incredible moments selected here, brought forth one magnificent episode. In fact, it is safe to call this one the finest to date of this limited series. Simply because it had so much offer. For there was impactful commentary and observations, juicy moments that evoked a sense of nostalgia and of course… some reminders of what those moments did to us the first time we saw them. Plus, it is incredible how each week is finding a theme and expressing it in a brilliant and palatable manner and once again, this episode leaves us starving for more. So, we can see what thoughtful themes and even bigger moments await us as we inch toward the top twenty-five. Until next time.

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