10 Scariest Final Shots In Horror Movie History

4. The Conjuring

Although a lot of purists dislike The Conjuring (and its many, many spin-offs) for being the type of big budget jump-scare fest that dominates mainstream horror, there's no denying that James Wan's series puts the focus on quietly unsettling moments as much as it does big, loud set-pieces in a way other flicks of its ilk just don't.

Perhaps what highlights the fact that The Conjuring is a cut above its competition though is the original film's final shot. While most mainstream horror movies have the obligatory ending stinger just before the credits roll, Wan superbly subverted the audience's expectation to see a closing jump-scare in his 2014 movie.

Focusing on one spooky music box that's already repeatedly shown up in the film and always results in something bad happening when the music stops playing, for the entirety of the long take you're on edge as the camera moves closer towards it, waiting in suspense for some horrible monster to show its face by the time the music stops... but nothing ever comes.

Instead the film cuts to black, and you're left to breathe a sigh of relief as you realise Wan has just played the world's scariest prank on you.