10 Horror Movie Shots That Will Send A Chill Down Your Spine

9. Henry's Gonna Henry - Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer

The Exorcist III
Greycat Films

Nowadays better known for his turns as the MCU's Yondu or The Walking Dead's Merle Dixon, one of Michael Rooker's earliest standout roles was as the titular character in John McNaughton's 1986 Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.

As the title alludes to, Henry - loosely based on real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas - is a deranged figure who gets his kicks by killing any man, woman or child. Not just that, but our central rogue is joined by his pal Otis as this film plays out; the pair carrying out all kinds of unspeakable atrocities.

Surprisingly, Henry eventually shows a softer, almost redemptive side towards Portrait of a Serial Killer's close. So much so, he ends up butchering his best friend after he finds Otis sexually assaulting his own sister, Becky.

With that, Otis' body is dumped, Henry and Becky ride off into the sunset, and all looks somehow 'well' with the world.

After Henry and Becky take up an overnight stay at a local motel - complete with seemingly becoming a loving couple - Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer has a soul-crushing final shot. Just as we think that Henry has changed his ways, we see him dispose of a bloodied suitcase which supposedly contains the dead body of poor Becky.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.