10 Saddest Deaths In Horror Movie History

To describe Danish auteur Lars von Trier's Antichrist as a horror film would be both accurate and reductive. With Trier writing the film following an episode of severe depression, the visually-striking project has been read by various critics and scholars as tapping into themes of mental illness, nature, and misogyny. All of which are submerged within an unsettling and frightening atmosphere.

Following the death of their infant son, the first instalment in what has become known as Trier's Depression Trilogy sees an unnamed couple (William Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg) retreat into the woods to cope with their grief. It's here, though, where strange things begin to manifest and Gainsbourg character grows increasingly violent.

It's Nic's death in the film's prologue that makes this list. Presented in slow motion and black and white, we witness the couple get frisky around the house, unaware their child is currently climbing to an open window. Accompanied by the moving soundtrack of Handel's 'Lascia Ch'io Pianga' ('Leave Me To Languish), we know exactly how this scene is going to end and Trier makes sure we see every painful second of it as he draws out the tragedy onscreen as long as possible for full effect.