10 Horror Movie Deaths Not Even The Actors Saw Coming

8. Matthew Bennell (Invasion Of The Body Snatchers)

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United Artists

The 1978 remake of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers ends with the gut-punch reveal that Donald Sutherland's Matthew Bennell has been taken over by the pod people, causing him to emit a bone-chilling shriek.

Considering that the previous film version concluded on a much more upbeat note, it's fair to assume that the vast majority of viewers were taken by surprise at Sutherland's impeccable pointing skills, and they weren't alone - co-star Veronica Cartwright was also rather shocked.

That's because director Philip Kaufman didn't even tell her about the twist, and she didn't find out until it was actually being shot. Sutherland himself was in a similar, albeit less extreme position, with the actor only learning about this ending the night before it was filmed.

A bit cruel? Sure. But at least it made Cartwright's terrified reaction seem all the more genuine.

 
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Danny has been with WhatCulture for almost nine years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. He has been writing and video editing for 10+ years, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers and uploading them to YouTube (they're admittedly a bit rusty by today's standards). If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order or to tell you about the making of 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, Danny is the person to ask.