10 Films Which Exploit Common Phobias

1. Arachnophobia (Take A Guess)

Spiders are scary because€ well, they€™re spiders. Equipped with more eyes and legs than any animal has a right to possess, spiders are sneaky, venomous and (unlike your annoying in-laws) invade your home without the courtesy of a heads-up. If big and hairy enough, a sudden spider on the wall can render even the most stoic individual into a trouser-wetting mass of Jell-O. Worst of all, unless you happen to reside in Antarctica, they are everywhere. Hollywood knows this, which is why arachnids are often called-upon to provide cinematic nightmare fuel. What makes Arachnophobia scariest of them all is these aren€™t mutated monsters or fantasy creatures. For the most part, they look just like the occasional critter you spot trying to make a run for it across the room, at which time you frantically look for the nearest available object and use eight-times the necessary force required to squash it. Arachnophobia features millions of such animals. Worst of all, these spiders often strike from places we always feared they would€ showers, toilets, boxes, snack bowls, ceilings, shoes, hats, sink drains, lampshades, etc. Sure, a misguided arachnologist shows up to briefly remind us how beneficial these animals are, but his argument gets shot down in flames when, he too, is killed by one. Even if you€™re one of the fortunate few who are generally indifferent these furry freaks, Arachnophobia will still have you checking the bedsheets before turning in€ or shaking out your shoes before slipping them on in the morning. What other scenes (or entire movies) have succeeded in preying on your deepest fears, the ones which make you squirm in your chair every time you endure them?