10 Unintentionally Hilarious Movie Deaths
These deaths had us all cackling by pure accident.
People die in movies all the damn time, and while these deaths can of course be purposefully funny, it's far more common for them to either try and shock you - as in the horror genre - or garner a devastated emotional response.
Sometimes, though, filmmakers don't quite get the tonal balance right, and the result is a death scene that, while filmed with entire seriousness, ends up leaving audiences uproariously yucking their guts up. And so, inspired by this recent Reddit thread on the very subject, here are 10 unintentionally hilarious movie deaths you absolutely, positively need to see.
These deaths, though clearly intended to be hard-hitting, impactful, and completely serious, got something so wrong that viewers found it all incredibly comical instead. Perhaps the shot selections and editing style were innately amusing, the death itself went a little too far for its own good, or a technical snafu undercut its emotional impact entirely.
Whatever the reason, the following movie deaths failed in their actual intent, though arguably became something more interesting and unforgettable in the process, even if the filmmakers themselves probably wouldn't agree with that.
10. Royce Garrett - Vertical Limit
The opening sequence to Vertical Limit should be goddamn harrowing, but usually-dependable filmmaker Martin Campbell (GoldenEye, Casino Royale) had a rather strange idea of how to film the death of Peter (Chris O'Donnell) and Annie's (Robin Tunney) father Royce (Stuart Wilson).
A freak accident while the trio are climbing leaves Peter forced to cut his father loose in order to save himself and Annie - a horrifying dilemma that's aptly conveyed through dread-filled performances from the three actors.
Except, just as Peter begins cutting the rope, Campbell bafflingly cuts to a strangely tranquil wide shot of the surrounding area, complete with a buzzard circling, holding for a moment before Royce's body violently lands on the ground.
The framing and pacing feel wholly inappropriate for a serious scene; it's a glorified comedy cut that somehow found its way into a supposedly devastating accident sequence. Considering this set piece is the emotional foundation of the entire movie, it puts it on the back heel from the very beginning.