10 Most Paused Slasher Movie Moments

9. Stepping Out Of The Shadows - The Strangers

Cabin In The Woods
Universal Pictures

Bryan Bertino's The Strangers is a phenomenal horror that torments and terrorises its audience just as much as it does the couple who find themselves in the crosshairs of Man in the Mask, Pin-Up Girl and Dollface.

Part-slasher picture, part-home invasion movie, the sheer randomness of the heinous events of The Strangers is a striking and stark warning of just how erratic and chilling the world can be at times. Like a cat playing with a trapped mouse, this 2008 offering is a harrowing viewing experience that makes you uncomfortable in your own skin.

Part of twisted charm of The Strangers, of course, is in how delicate its delivery of terror is - and there is no finer example of that than when we realise that Man in the Mask is ominously lurking inside the cabin where Liv Tyler's Kristin is.

The use of lighting here is fantastic, with Man in the Mask barely visible as Kristin is utterly unaware that her would-be attacker is there. Even more impactful, the use of one continuous wide shot as Kristen potters around the kitchen here only adds ten-fold to the tension and unease of the viewer.

It's also here that many reached for the pause button, with us all keen to try and get a good look at the creepy figure menacingly watching from the shadows.

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.