10 Best Elevator Scenes In Horror Movie History

10. Dressed To Kill (1980)

One of Michael Caine's lesser-known roles, this film has a very effective tense elevator scene early on. The dramatic music, overacting, bright red blood effects and clever use of mirrors make it compelling watching.

Bored housewife Kate goes out to find a sexual liaison when her therapist Dr Elliott rejects her advances. After she leaves the apartment of the man she met, she realises she has forgotten her wedding ring and takes the elevator back up to retrieve it.

When the doors open, a blonde transgender woman wearing sunglasses strides into the lift and starts attacking her with a large razor. As the doors close, we see the attack continue in the elevator mirror at the top corner.

The doors open again and a couple encounter Kate lying on the floor, covered in blood and reaching out to them. The man runs away but the woman stays and starts to reach out to her as we watch the attacker hiding behind the door getting ready to slice her hand as it comes through the door.

Suddenly the woman sees the attacker in the mirror and jumps her hand back, and the razor drops, which she manages to grab, as the doors close again.

Michael Caine played Dr Elliott and his murderous alter-ego ‘Bobbi’ who kills any woman he finds attractive in a similar manner to Norman Bates in Psycho.