10 Horrifying Movie Deaths That Happen Off Screen

It's what you don't see that's scariest...

Georgie It
Warner Bros. Pictures

When it comes to movie deaths, less is almost always more. Whilst seeing feral zombies tearing someone's guts out whilst they're still alive might scratch a sadistic itch - and there's nothing like watching an alien parasite bust its way though someone's sternum to get the blood pumping - it's the nuanced, cleverly concealed moments of fate that are the ones that stick with you. A little bit of mystery with your eye gouging goes a long way, after all.

It's true that the scariest deaths are the ones you don't see coming, and I mean that quite literally, since characters kicking the bucket off-screen usually have a far worse time than those that we see. Whether it's too visceral to actually play out or if the impact lies in imagining what grisly events could have transpired, there's an alarming amount of fictional people that meet their end where audiences cannot go.

If you were planning on sleeping tonight, then don't bother. These examples only further demonstrate quite how far we've strayed from god's light, and that you don't need to see to believe when it comes to just how nasty the human experience can get.

10. Mechanic - Indiana Jones: Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Georgie It
Paramount Pictures

Considering Indiana Jones has long been a family classic for his archeology adventures and daring escapades, it's surprising to remember this one particularly gnarly death scene comes from the same film series that so many people idolised in their childhoods.

Appearing when Indiana is attempting to flee a Nazi dig site with the badass Marion providing cover from a grounded flying wing, a mechanic appears to apprehend the whip-wielding hero - and quickly disappears again thanks to an unfortunate accident.

As the plane slowly spins around where Indie and the giant Nazi are brawling, Jones takes a pummelling before realising that the passing propellor is heading his way. He ducks, hides, and leaves moustachio to get sliced into fine mincemeat as the camera shows us only a splash of blood across the aircraft, then quickly moves on.

Seriously, that is an awfully brutal way to die. I mean, he definitely deserved it being a Nazi and everything, but imagine taking a spinning blade to the face that has the force to turn you into a human geyser? Horrible.

 
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