10 Incredibly Disturbing Horror Movie Moments

Horror is a genre that always plays to the worst sides of humanity. Those who create films of this nature have some horrible ideas when it comes to shocking their audiences. They often try to infuse moments within their movies that catch audiences off guard and haunt them well after the title is finished.

In many cases, these can come across as cheap, designed only with the intention of selling the product as a gore fest or to generate shock value. However, in other instances, it can ultimately work in regards to the context of the story. The entries on this list flicker between these two mediums.

These sequences created something that caused audiences everywhere to feel disgusted and terrified. Modern horror movies can sometimes feel surprisingly tame. But the same cannot be said for these scenes, as the creators decided to throw tameness out of the window.

With Halloween approaching, it feels like an appropriate time to explore darkness and address some of the most disturbing moments from horror movies both new and old.

Spoiler and massive violence trigger warnings are in effect.

The Poughkeepsie Tapes is a film that sees a documentary made around videos found in a serial killer's home. It viciously goes into detail not only about his acts but the prominent effects that they had on the victims, families and communities' psyche. It's filled with shocking imagery, but one of the most disturbing is an incredibly simple moment.

The child pictured above is the victim of one of the first tapes we see. We watch as the killer talks to the girl in an open area and tries to manipulate her into trusting him. As audience members, we know what is coming, which makes the girl's innocence and confusion painful to sit through. Eventually, the handheld camera moves away, and we hear a horrifying crack implying that he has knocked the poor girl out. Viewers then witness as he escapes with her body.

It doesn't sound too disturbing upon description. But the horribleness of the scene is implied through the complete openness of the area. It clearly shows how easily he was able to get away with this disturbing crime.

It's a sequence that will have you questioning you and your family's safety, no matter where you are.