10 Shocking Movie Deaths That Came Out Of NOWHERE

This comedy from the Coen Brothers is a pitch-black farce in which two dim-witted gym employees - Chad (Brad Pitt) and Linda (Frances McDormand) - accidentally get hold of a CIA analyst's (John Malkovich) memoirs and, assuming it contains sensitive information, try to sell it to the Russians. This leads to a series of bizarre misadventures and hilariously unfortunate misunderstandings that leave nearly all of its gleefully unlikable characters either dead or ruined, making this a classic bit of comedic nihilism from the Coens. 

There's an argument to be made that Burn After Reading is one of their least essential films, but it does still have many great moments, including Chad's unreal surprise death scene. 

The arrogant douchebag, played to comedic perfection by Pitt, sneaks into the house of CIA analyst Osborne Cox (Malkovich), whose memoirs he stole, and he tries to get more files from Cox's computer. Unfortunately for him, Cox doesn't live there anymore, as his wife (Tilda Swinton) has kicked him out and her lover Harry (George Clooney) is now living at the property. 

Harry comes back from a workout and Chad hides in the wardrobe... only for Harry to discover him and reflexively shoot Chad dead. Pretty much everything about this scene - the suddenness of it, the way it cuts from Chad's idiotic grin to a gory headshot, Clooney's sublime portrayal of Harry's shock at having killed someone - is an absolute homerun. It's arguably one of the all-time great surprise death scenes.