10 Scariest Horror Movie Scenes From The '80s
5. "They're Here" - Poltergeist
When it comes to modern supernatural horror movies such as Paranormal Activity, Insidious, and The Conjuring, they all have one thing in common: without Poltergeist, they wouldn't exist. Of course, director Tobe Hooper was no stranger to creating seminal works of horror cinema as he did it previously with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre just a decade prior.
Many scenes in Poltergeist have been cited as some of the scariest in the horror genre, with the clown attack often highlighted as the movie's peak. But for this entry, we're giving it to another terrifying moment, one that is perhaps overlooked.
This is, of course, the moment in which Carol Anne makes first contact with the poltergeists, which is made terrifying through the fantastic filmmaking. In particular, the lighting is done expertly, with only the flickering light of the TV illuminating Carol Anne and her parents. The atmosphere that is created here is haunting. Literally.
The lighting, alongside the great use of sound as the ghostly hand reaches out the TV make this a terrifying moment of cinema. Combine all this with the unnerving line delivery of Heather O'Rourke as she proclaims "they're here", and you have an iconic work of horror.