# The 100 Scariest Movie Moments

The 100 Scariest Movie Moments is an American television documentary miniseries that aired in late October 2004, on Bravo. Aired in five 60-minute segments, the miniseries counts down what producer Anthony Timpone, writer Patrick Moses, and director Kevin Kaufman have determined as the 100 most frightening and disturbing moments in the history of movies. Each segment includes interviews from horror genre experts and other celebrities who experienced the listed films, as well as film clips and movie stills from the films covered. This 2004 offering was followed up in 2006 by the two-part sequel, 30 Even Scarier Movie Moments, as well as another countdown, 13 Scarier Movie Moments.
In 2016, the New York Post Decider site called the series "the single best primer on horror cinema that has ever aired on TV."

## Summary

The countdown included 100 films, mainly from the 1970s to 2000s, although films from the 1960s and earlier are also featured. While the list mainly comprises horror and thriller films, science fiction films such as The Terminator and Jurassic Park are included. Even children's films, such as The Wizard of Oz and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, made their way onto the countdown.
The top five films included on the list were all from the 1960s and 1970s.
* The Texas Chain Saw Massacre ranked fifth for the scene in which Leatherface bashes Kirk's skull in with a mallet.
* Psycho ranked number four for the death scene of the private investigator Arbogast falling downstairs backwards.
* The Exorcist ranked third for the scene where the possessed Regan MacNeil's head spins clockwise during the exorcism.
* Alien ranked second for the chestburster sequence.
* Jaws was placed at the number one spot for the opening scene in which the unseen shark devours Chrissie Watkins during a midnight swim.

## List

| Film | Rank |
| Jaws | 1 |
| Alien | 2 |
| The Exorcist | 3 |
| Psycho | 4 |
| The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | 5 |
| The Shining | 6 |
| The Silence of the Lambs | 7 |
| Carrie | 8 |
| Night of the Living Dead | 9 |
| Wait Until Dark | 10 |
| Audition | 11 |
| Misery | 12 |
| Scream | 13 |
| Halloween | 14 |
| Freaks | 15 |
| The Omen | 16 |
| A Nightmare on Elm Street | 17 |
| The Haunting | 18 |
| Hellraiser | 19 |
| The Ring | 20 |
| Jacob's Ladder | 21 |
| Don't Look Now | 22 |
| Rosemary's Baby | 23 |
| Suspiria | 24 |
| Phantasm | 25 |
| Seven | 26 |
| Frankenstein | 27 |
| When a Stranger Calls | 28 |
| The Serpent and the Rainbow | 29 |
| The Blair Witch Project | 30 |
| Friday the 13th | 31 |
| Pet Sematary | 32 |
| The Fly | 33 |
| The Hitcher | 34 |
| Aliens | 35 |
| Cape Fear | 36 |
| House on Haunted Hill | 37 |
| Peeping Tom | 38 |
| Dawn of the Dead | 39 |
| Black Sunday | 40 |
| The Hills Have Eyes | 41 |
| An American Werewolf in London | 42 |
| It's Alive | 43 |
| The Game | 44 |
| The Wicker Man | 45 |
| The Sentinel | 46 |
| Nosferatu | 47 |
| The Thing | 48 |
| Les Diaboliques | 49 |
| The Last House on the Left | 50 |
| The Dead Zone | 51 |
| The Phantom of the Opera | 52 |
| Demons | 53 |
| The Changeling | 54 |
| The Vanishing | 55 |
| Single White Female | 56 |
| House of Wax | 57 |
| Cujo | 58 |
| Fatal Attraction | 59 |
| The Beyond | 60 |
| The Devil's Backbone | 61 |
| The Wolf Man | 62 |
| Deliverance | 63 |
| Near Dark | 64 |
| The Tenant | 65 |
| Marathon Man | 66 |
| Duel | 67 |
| The Black Cat | 68 |
| Re-Animator | 69 |
| The Stepfather | 70 |
| The Sixth Sense | 71 |
| Them! | 72 |
| Blood Simple | 73 |
| Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory | 74 |
| Candyman | 75 |
| The Evil Dead | 76 |
| Signs | 77 |
| The Brood | 78 |
| Dracula | 79 |
| Poltergeist | 80 |
| The Howling | 81 |
| The Terminator | 82 |
| The Others | 83 |
| Blue Velvet | 84 |
| Blood and Black Lace | 85 |
| The Wizard of Oz | 86 |
| Black Christmas | 87 |
| Invasion of the Body Snatchers | 88 |
| Alice, Sweet Alice | 89 |
| The Night of the Hunter | 90 |
| Shallow Grave | 91 |
| Village of the Damned | 92 |
| Child's Play | 93 |
| Pacific Heights | 94 |
| Jurassic Park | 95 |
| The Birds | 96 |
| Cat People | 97 |
| Zombi 2 | 98 |
| Creepshow | 99 |
| 28 Days Later | 100 |

## British Show "The 100 Greatest Scary Moments"

In 2003, UK TV Channel 4 polled the British public for their “100 Greatest Scary Moments" as part of their 100 Greatest TV series. On October 25 and 26, 2003, the results were broadcast and presented by comedian Jimmy Carr as “The 100 Greatest Scary Moments.” The list included entries from not just films, but TV programs, advertising, and music videos as well. This particular British show pre-dates the 3 US shows "The 100 Scariest Movie Moments,” "30 Even Scarier Moments,” and "13 Scarier Movie Moments” and the more recent series "The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time."
| Ranking | Title | Year |
| 100 | L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat | 1895 |
| 99 | The Night of the Hunter | 1955 |
| 98 | Doomwatch | 1970 |
| 97 | Alien autopsy | 1995 |
| 96 | Breathe | 1997 |
| 95 | The Singing Ringing Tree | 1957 |
| 94 | Cat People | 1942 |
| 93 | The Thing From Another World | 1951 |
| 92 | The Stone Tape | 1973 |
| 91 | Star Wars - Darth Vader | 1977 |
| 90 | Dracula | 1931 |
| 89 | Protect and Survive Public Information Film | 1975 |
| 88 | The Day of the Triffids | 1981 |
| 87 | Cracker - Episodes 8 and 9 -To Be A Somebody | 1993 |
| 86 | Dead Of Night | 1945 |
| 85 | Peeping Tom | 1960 |
| 84 | Cape Fear | 1962 |
| 83 | Whistle and I'll Come to You (Omnibus) | 1968 |
| 82 | Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons - The voice of The Mysterons | 1967 |
| 81 | Brookside (TV series) The murder of Trevor Jordache. | 1995 |
| 80 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | 1937 |
| 79 | Nineteen Eighty-Four | 1954 |
| 78 | The Incredible Hulk | 1978 |
| 77 | The Twilight Zone - Nightmare at 20,000 Feet | 1963 |
| 76 | Children of the Stones | 1976 |
| 75 | Lonely Water Public Information Film | 1973 |
| 74 | The War Game | 1965 |
| 73 | Alice Cooper's appearances on Top of the Pops | 1972 |
| 72 | Frankenstein | 1931 |
| 71 | Michael Jackson's Thriller | 1983 |
| 70 | Quatermass and the Pit | 1958 |
| 69 | The Tripods | 1984 |
| 68 | Shallow Grave | 1994 |
| 67 | Misery | 1990 |
| 66 | Theatre of Blood | 1973 |
| 65 | Fatal Attraction | 1987 |
| 64 | Reservoir Dogs | 1992 |
| 63 | Armchair Thriller - Quiet as a Nun | 1978 |
| 62 | Suspiria | 1977 |
| 61 | Blue Velvet | 1986 |
| 60 | Basement Jaxx - Where's Your Head At music video | 2002 |
| 59 | Tales of the Unexpected - Royal Jelly | 1979 |
| 58 | Candyman | 1992 |
| 57 | EastEnders 2001 Christmas special, the abuse of Little Mo Mitchell | 2001 |
| 56 | Marathon Man | 1976 |
| 55 | Goodfellas | 1990 |
| 54 | Doctor Who - opening credits (1963) | 1963 |
| 53 | Night of the Living Dead | 1968 |
| 52 | V The Final Battle | 1984 |
| 51 | Rosemary's Baby | 1968 |
| 50 | Hammer House of Horror | 1980 |
| 49 | AIDS: Don't Die of Ignorance campaign | 1986 |
| 48 | Les Diaboliques | 1955 |
| 47 | Invasion Of The Body Snatchers | 1956 |
| 46 | Final Destination | 2000 |
| 45 | The Vanishing | 1988 |
| 44 | The War of the Worlds | 1938 |
| 43 | The Birds | 1963 |
| 42 | Salem's Lot | 1979 |
| 41 | Ghostwatch | 1992 |
| 40 | The Others | 2001 |
| 39 | Doctor Who - The Daleks | 1963 |
| 38 | Nosferatu | 1922 |
| 37 | Chitty Chitty Bang Bang | 1968 |
| 36 | Dracula: Prince of Darkness | 1966 |
| 35 | Aphex Twin - Come to Daddy | 1997 |
| 34 | The Wicker Man | 1973 |
| 33 | The Sixth Sense | 1999 |
| 32 | Coronation Street - The murder of Maxine Peacock by Richard Hillman | 2003 |
| 31 | Forrest advertisement for the alcopop drink, Metz. | 2001 |
| 30 | Carry On Screaming! | 1966 |
| 29 | Poltergeist | 1982 |
| 28 | The Silence of the Lambs | 1991 |
| 27 | Carrie | 1976 |
| 26 | Jam Episode 4 "Arrested for copying dogs" | 2002 |
| 25 | Buffy The Vampire Slayer | 1997 |
| 24 | The League Of Gentlemen 2002 Christmas Special | 2002 |
| 23 | The Wizard of Oz | 1939 |
| 22 | Scream | 1996 |
| 21 | Twin Peaks - Episode 29 | 1990 |
| 20 | Don't Look Now | 1973 |
| 19 | Hellraiser | 1987 |
| 18 | 28 Days Later | 2002 |
| 17 | The Thing | 1982 |
| 16 | An American Werewolf In London | 1981 |
| 15 | Friday the 13th | 1980 |
| 14 | Seven | 1995 |
| 13 | The X-Files - Squeeze | 1993 |
| 12 | The Evil Dead | 1981 |
| 11 | Psycho | 1960 |
| 10 | A Nightmare On Elm Street | 1984 |
| 9 | The Omen | 1976 |
| 8 | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | 1974 |
| 7 | Halloween | 1978 |
| 6 | Ring | 1998 |
| 5 | The Blair Witch Project | 1999 |
| 4 | Alien | 1979 |
| 3 | Jaws | 1975 |
| 2 | The Exorcist | 1973 |
| 1 | The Shining | 1980 |

## Sequels

Produced by Sharp Entertainment, 30 Even Scarier Movie Moments, a two-part sequel to this title, aired on Bravo and Chiller in October 2006, with Hostel topping the list.
| Film | Rank |
| Hostel | 1 |
| A Clockwork Orange | 2 |
| Saw | 3 |
| Videodrome | 4 |
| Oldboy | 5 |
| Vertigo | 6 |
| The Devil's Rejects | 7 |
| Land of the Dead | 8 |
| Open Water | 9 |
| Children of the Corn | 10 |
| The Stepford Wives | 11 |
| Wolf Creek | 12 |
| Dawn of the Dead | 13 |
| Scanners | 14 |
| The Exorcism of Emily Rose | 15 |
| Saw II | 16 |
| Christine | 17 |
| Army of Darkness | 18 |
| Fear | 19 |
| 2001: A Space Odyssey | 20 |
| Braindead | 21 |
| American Psycho | 22 |
| Manhunter | 23 |
| The Hand That Rocks the Cradle | 24 |
| Red Eye | 25 |
| Play Misty for Me | 26 |
| Slither | 27 |
| Cabin Fever | 28 |
| Cape Fear | 29 |
| The Grudge | 30 |
This was followed by Sharp Entertainment's 13 Scarier Movie Moments which aired in October 2009.
| Film | Rank |
| The Descent | 1 |
| Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer | 2 |
| Bug | 3 |
| Zodiac | 4 |
| Maniac | 5 |
| Ginger Snaps | 6 |
| Frailty | 7 |
| Diary of the Dead | 8 |
| Hostel Part II | 9 |
| No Country for Old Men | 10 |
| Hard Candy | 11 |
| Cloverfield | 12 |
| The Strangers | 13 |