10 Horror Movie Scenes Worse Than Death
5. Room 237 - The Shining (1980)
Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece The Shining is often regarded as one of the best horror films ever made. From Jack Nicholson’s ferocious performance as the Torrance family patriarch, to its collection of haunting imagery that’s since become synonymous with the genre, this film is as downright terrifying today as it was when it released in 1980.
Out of the selection of disturbing and terrifying moments that have been traumatising moviegoers for decades, it’s the notorious Room 237 scene which stands out as the most nightmarish.
After young Danny (Danny Lloyd) claims to have been attacked by a stranger in the ominous room 237, Jack is sent to investigate. Stepping into the room, the camera carefully pans around the area from a first-person perspective as Jack searches for what harmed his son. A soundtrack of atonal strings on top of an unsettling heartbeat sound tightens the tension as Jack makes his way towards the ajar bathroom door.
The dread only worsens when a naked woman emerges from the bath and embraces Jack in a kiss. Viewers’ fears are confirmed when it’s revealed the woman is a grotesque, decaying corpse, her ghoulish laughter forever echoing in the nightmares of whoever watches this movie.