10 Horror Movies That Brutally Punish Survivors

Because the road to survival is never an easy one.

Dawn Of The Dead 2004 Sarah Polley
Universal

The horror world is one that is so often famed for its survivors just as much as it is for its classic villains.

For every Michael Myers, there's a Laurie Strode. For every Freddy Krueger, there's a Nancy Thompson, For every Ghostface, there's a Sidney Prescott. And for every Jason Voorhees, there's a ridiculous amounts of disposable teens who will end up dead before somebody ultimately makes it out of Camp Crystal Lake alive.

The thing is, for some of those fortunate to make it out of their respective movies with their life intact, it's not always sunshine and rainbows that await them. Instead, there's even further torment and dread that lies ahead; whether that's a new ominous threat, the physical fallout of their prior battle, or even the mental impact of their particular chilling encounter and experience.

It's on those troubled survivors that the attention is on here, with the spotlight shining on those horror characters who end up victorious in overcoming the odds, but who still end up punished further in some way, shape or form by the time that their tale draws to a close.

10. David & Judy - The Crazies (2010)

Dawn Of The Dead 2004 Sarah Polley
Overture Films

2010's The Crazies was one of those rare remakes that managed to be just as good as, if not better than, the original movie - in this case, George A. Romero's 1973 picture of the same name.

Set in Ogden Marsh, Iowa, our two central protagonists are local sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) and his pregnant doctor wife Judy (Radha Mitchell). When some of the townsfolk of Ogden Marsh start acting erratic and aggressive, the Duttons discover that the reason for this behaviour is a contaminated water supply caused by a military aircraft crashing in the local river.

From there, Ogden Marsh is completely cut off from the outside world, soldiers swoop in, and then an eventual order is given to kill off the entire population of the town rather than risk this infection spreading.

In a race against the clock, the finale of The Crazies finds David and Judy in a semi-truck, looking to outrun the impending nuclear blast that will wipe out their town. Succeeding in getting enough distance between themselves and this blast, the pair get read to start a new life in nearby Cedar Rapids.

However, while the Duttons set off on foot to start afresh, the audience is shown that the military monitoring them, with it implied that David and Judy will soon have another almighty fight on their hands.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

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