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

2. Ben Gardner Says Hello - Jaws

Jaws Ben Gardner
Universal Pictures

When it comes to putting chills down ones spine, often that's down to an ominous sense of dread, the sudden realisation that something is lingering in the background, or the slowburn reveal of a truly terrifying sight.

In the case of Steven Spielberg's iconic Jaws, the one moment guaranteed to put a shiver through your soul, is the discovery of Ben Gardner's corpse.

Granted, Jaws has plentiful scenes of terror - not least the brutal opening act assault on poor Chrissie Watkins - but it's the Gardner reveal shot that is one forever etched into the mind of horror hounds. What makes this moment particularly special, is how you can watch Jaws 100 times, be fully aware each and every time as to what is about to happen, but still be somehow caught off-guard in the worst possible way as the decomposed head of Ben pops out to say hello to the unsuspecting Matt Hooper.

To generation after generation, this extremely brief moment has proven to be a chilling, shocking slice of underwater action... all while likewise feeling like some sort of bizarre warm hug of comfort for those long-time Jaws fans.

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 day job, 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/Saints, Jamie Hayter, 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. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.