10 Best Elevator Scenes In Horror Movie History
1. Dark Water (2005)
Hideo Nakata's tragic tale of young Mitsuko, who drowned in a water tower, comes to a head in this terrifying scene. Yoshimi arrives to find her daughter Ikuko barely breathing, next to the bathtub. She grabs her up as the brown bathwater begins to bubble over and makes a dash for the elevator. Water starts to pour in through the ceiling, with sparks flying, but it seems they have got away.
Horrified, she watches through the open lift doors as the apartment door slowly opens, thinking Mitsuko is coming after them. Suddenly Ikuko appears staggering out into the hallway. The tense music rises as she turns and realises it is actually Mitsuko in the elevator with her, who facelessly, with arms stretched out, floats over to her, crying for her mama as the water pours over them.
The scene is a perfect mix of horror and drama as Yoshimi must make the ultimate sacrifice to take on the role of Mitsuko’s mother in order to save Ikuko. The moment when she turns to see who is in the lift with her is such a terrifying twist, grabbing their escape away right when you think they might be safe. It also ties up the running theme of abandonment. Mitsuko’s unrelenting longing to have a mother means Ikuko would never be safe, but by choosing to give in to her desire, Yoshimi’s actions mean deserting her own daughter.