The 23 Most Painful Death Scenes In Horror Movies According To Fans

With so many horror movies over the last 100 years, we’ve been blessed with some seriously creative kills. Filmmakers need to stay fresh, right? So they choose some creative and often gruesome ways to off their characters. But what are some of the most painful death scenes in horror? That’s what one fan asked recently, and we got some very upsetting answers. These are the horror movie scenes so painful-looking that they’re practically unwatchable.

Cube Zero’s Shower

This part in Cube Zero where one room melts a guy with acid. I had to look away, that shit was too brutal.

u/chalk46

The Ants in The Green Inferno

Green Inferno when they break Daniel’s limbs, tie him to a stake and leave him for ants to devour.

u/VileBill

Getting Crushed in Saw V

A guy gets crushed to death, starting when he tries to push back against the walls and the bone splits out of his arm.

u/TheChainLink2

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3’s Marionette

The marionette scene from A Nightmare on Elm Street 3. Just watching Freddy cut out that kids tendons and walk him like a puppet makes me cringe every time I rewatch it.

u/morganfreenomorph

Silent Hill’s Murderous Pyramid Head

Pyramid head ripping that chicks skin off.

Ngl, gave me nightmares for months

u/haysiipenny

Freaky’s Bottle Trick

Probably the scene in Freaky when he shoves a bottle down a guys throat and then punches his throat, shattering the bottle.

u/AlexGeekSpeak

The Curling Iron in Sleepaway Camp

This might be a little tame because we don’t actually see the gore of it but in Sleepaway Camp when that one girl gets SAed to death with the curling iron – I legit cross my legs and look away ughhh.

u/justthatonethough

Fear Street’s Bread Slicer

One of the Fear Street flicks had a death where a girl’s head is put through a bread slicer… that gave me a splitting headache.

u/deadbeat82

Wade’s Wax Figure in House of Wax

House of Wax, when Vincent turns Wade into a wax figure. He didn’t die straight away, he died later on when the museum burned down but the thought of being aware and not being able to move is terrifying and he most likely suffocated before burning alive. (Also, his friends find him mid movie and tried to take the wax off him but were just ripping his flesh…ouch).

It still haunts me and I saw it years ago.

u/Entire_Ad6135

Wolf Creek’s Head on a Stick

Always stuck with me. Even though it was likely not extended physical agony the mental agony of being a ” head on a stick” and being unable to do anything but bleed out would be psychological agony. It was also painful to watch because it was supposed to be the part of the movie where she gets away, frees her friend, and drives off – away from the terror. I didn’t see it coming.

u/BrodieNooch

The Killer Arm Bone in Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

The new TCM on Netflix has a dude get stabbed with his own arm bone after leather face breaks it in half. Can’t imagine that was pleasant.

u/cody03xx

The Sleeping Bag Scene in Friday the 13th Part VII

The one that sticks with me as a particularly nasty way yo go out is when Jason stuffs someone in a sleeping bag and smacks it against a tree.

Just strikes me as a really confusing and painful death.

u/xneurianx

Saw II’s Needle Pit

The needle pit scene in Saw 2…even thinking about it makes my skin crawl.

u/luciferschildx

The Tanning Beds in Final Destination 3

Tanning beds in Final Destination 3 is pretty damn brutal…

u/SpideyFan914

The Splitting in Terrifier

Terrifier…the girl was hung upside down and sawed in half lengthwise from the bottom to top. What’s even worse is this was an actual torture method used in the middle ages.

u/turkeyleghistorian

Apostle’s Drill

Not a slasher but there is a drill scene in Apostle that I immediately think of. It’s an old torture machine and omg it’s easily one of the worst deaths I’ve ever seen.

u/c00ldad1000

The Nail Gun in the Evil Dead Remake

The bathroom and nail gun scenes in the new Evil Dead were brutal.

u/bigdumpydumperson

Frank’s Death in Hellraiser

Frank at the end of Hellraiser. Being torn apart all at once by hooks forced deep into body looks and sounds incredibly painful. 

u/killerfamiliar

Hostel’s First Death

The kid that does at the beginning of Hostel. Starts with slicing his Achilles’ tendons and let’s him walk just to have them separate and then gets the drill. Fuck. That. Shit.

u/sukkitrebek

The Many Methods of Ichi the Killer

Ichi the Killer (2001) one character had hot oil poured on their back, then impaled with kabob sticks and next being shoved into a tv set. I think he ended up being crushed by a garbage truck compactor.

u/Pyewacket62

Ghost Ship’s Iconic Opening Scene

While it’s a terrible movie, the idea of the first (passenger) death scene in Ghost Ship has caused me paranoia around wires/cables for YEARS.

u/theanti_girl

Casey’s Death in Scream

Casey’s death in the opening of Scream. Mainly because of how drawn out it is. Even after the knife to the throat and when she’s being dragged away, she’s still alive and trying to call out for her mother, but can only do a whisper because of the damage done. And then hanged gutted from a tree.

u/gf120581

Bernadette in Candyman

The killing from Candyman. Namely because Tony Todd really sells it, grunting and ripping away at the flesh and bone. Bernadette’s death isn’t even onscreen, but her screams and those ugly sounds as he kills her make it all the worse.

u/gf120581

Midsommar’s Bear Suit

The bear suit! Imagine knowing you’re fucked, can’t move or speak stuck in a bear suit to burn to death. There’s a directors cut where the music isn’t as loud and you can hear him audibly throat scream. It was so awful.

u/KendrAs14