10 Sci-Fi Movie Deaths That No One Saw Coming

Released in 2011, well before Netflix mega hit Stranger Things learned to turn eighties nostalgia into a money spinning fine art, Super 8 was busy trying to tackle similar territory in the multiplex.

And it was doing a solid job, as this charming, thrilling, fast paced, and funny “monster movie meets kids' coming of age adventure” may be the most broadly admired JJ Abram project in the sci-fi director’s long screen history. Without any franchise lore to mess with or complex mythology to unknot, the director put together a fun and sporadically scary Amblin entertainment style creature feature which won over critics and audiences alike.

However, the film largely follows the exploits of a couple of young teens thrust into the path of danger and unexpected adventure by a train crash. As such, onscreen violence is pretty limited for this largely family-friendly affair.

That is, until the unforgettable moment when Overmeyer goes overboard. This minor villain is clinging to the side of a bus during one intense chase as the gang evade the monster, only to yanked off and killed instantly. Even in the frantic chase, this moment suddenly elevates the PG-feeling film to R-rated monster movie territory, a shockingly dark death for an otherwise demure affair.