10 MORE Horror Movie Monsters You Were Completely Unprepared For

In David Cronenberg's trippy horror, The Brood, single father Frank grows concerned for his ex-wife, Nola, whose mental instability has dwindled since she underwent experimental treatment.

Complicating Frank's life further, he and his daughter find themselves being repeatedly besieged by heavily deformed children. These mutants are deeply disturbing to look at, so first-time viewers may assume their reveal is the film's most defining moment. Despite that, Cronenberg saves the biggest scare for last. 

When Frank confronts Nola, she explains how her doctor used psychoplasmics on her body, causing her rage to manifest into the disfigured kids that her husband encountered. Nola then unfurls her gown, revealing she harbours an external womb, and just when it feels like the nightmarish imagery has peaked, Nola tears the sac open with her bare teeth. While Frank helplessly looks on, Nola admires her newborn, lapping the blood off him like a wild animal.

This unveiling is more shocking than the mutant kids, since they were creepy to begin with. Nola, on the other hand, seemed like a regular human at first, creating a tonal whiplash when she gleefully showcased her mutated body.