10 Horror Movie Deaths Not Even The Actors Saw Coming

5. Chrissie Watkins (Jaws)

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Universal Pictures

The death that made everyone scared to go in the water, Chrissie's brutal demise in the opening minutes of Steven Spielberg's Jaws was an uncomfortable shoot for actress Susan Backlinie.

She was bolted into a pair of Levi jeans with a harness attached, allowing the filmmakers to use ropes to yank her around in the water. But further still, the actual moment of her death - when she's pulled underneath the surface - came as a complete surprise to her.

Deciding that he wanted her reaction to be as realistic as possible, Spielberg didn't inform Backlinie when that final, vertical tug would occur, causing the actress to be taken aback when it actually did happen.

It was undoubtedly an effective decision, making Chrissie's final seconds feel all the more sudden and shocking.

 
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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.