The 20 scariest moments in non-horror movies

Years after Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes rejoins Caesar and his fellow apes and shows their encounter with human survivors. The real enemy, however, is Caesar's lieutenant Koba, who has been tortured and experimented on by humans and thus bears them a grudge. In one particularly disturbing scene, he pretends to be just a silly ape before a pair of soldiers before snatching the gun and brutally killing them. It's a reminder of just how broken and ruthless he is and how he will not rest until humans have been destroyed and apes are truly the dominant species.

The 2011 film Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a surprising success when it was released, and it reinvigorated the well-worn Apes franchise. Though it was rightly praised for its use of motion capture to create Andy Serkis' chimp revolutionary Caesar, the ending manages to be truly terrifying. By this point, it's clear that the drug that caused Caesar's rapid cognitive development causes deadly flu in humans, and as the credits roll, the screen shows how the virus spreads through various airports and other connective points. It's one of those moments that has become ever more prescient and terrifying in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic.

Heath Ledger delivered one of his most memorable and terrifying performances as the Joker in The Dark Knight. He is a terrifying force of chaos and evil, capable of ruthless and shocking acts of violence. No one could forget, for example, when he performs a "magic trick" on a mobster by impaling his head on a pencil. It's the scene in which it becomes abundantly clear that this Joker is not a camp villain but a real threat. It not only showcases Ledger's remarkable performance; it also shows just how high the stakes are going to be in this film.

The 1988 film The Vanishing is one of the best movies to have emerged from the Netherlands. Its central story focuses on Rex, who spends several years trying to discover what happened to his girlfriend after she disappears while they are in a rest area. He ultimately connects with the man responsible for her disappearance, and, in the film's conclusion, he ends up giving himself into the hands of the kidnapper, who drugs him and buries him alive. The most terrifying part, however, is the ending, which sees the perpetrator, Raymond, carrying on with his family as if nothing is amiss. He is truly a monster despite his appearance of normality. 

Danny Boyle's Trainspotting is a fascinating piece of filmmaking, focusing on a rather tragic group of heroin addicts living in Edinburgh. In one of the film's most memorable and horrifying scenes, Ewan McGregor's Renton has been locked into a room to get him off his addiction. Unfortunately, this process leads to some graphic hallucinations, including a dead baby crawling on the ceiling (an obvious reference to the death of one of his friend's babies, which occurred earlier in the film). With its crabwalk, unsettling stare, and ability to turn its head completely around, this baby is straight out of a horror movie, and it's a reminder of the terrible price of addiction. 

Having established genuine success with Raiders of the Lost Ark, it was inevitable that Indiana Jones would return for a sequel, and he did so in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. While it keeps the fun spirit of the first film, this one is not without its horror, particularly in the scene in which Indy witnesses an act of human sacrifice. As if it's not enough that the high priest Mola Ram pulls a heart out of a man, he also throws him into lava. It's a scene right out of a nightmare, but it is still in keeping with the note of horror in Raiders of the Lost Ark and its infamous scene in which the Nazis melt upon opening the Ark.

Charles Laughton is best known as an actor, but, as he proved with his one directorial feature, The Night of the Hunter, he was also an adept director. The film stars Robert Mitchum as Preacher Harry Powell, a serial killer who pursues two children to find the money their father hid. It's one of Mitchum's most indelible and frightening performances, and the scene in which he rides on a horse while singing a hymn — all while the children look on — is suffused with terror. This is a man who, in many ways, is the very personification of evil, and he is ruthless and relentless in his pursuit of what he wants. Even all these years later, it still has the power to strike fear into the viewer's heart. 

Even while Disney struggled in the 1980s, Don Bluth (who used to work for the studio) found his stride. His films always veered more toward the darkness, and this is very much in evidence in The Secret of NIMH, which focuses on the mouse Mrs. Brisby as she tries to save her family from the farmer’s plow. To do so, she enlists the aid of the rats that live beneath the rose bush. Her first encounter with the guardian, Brutus, is frightening, particularly since he wields an electrified spear. It is one of many similarly terrifying moments in the film, with Mrs. Brisby's encounter with the Great Owl coming in a close second. 

Even though The Black Cauldron has long been one of Disney's underrated gems, its reputation has improved over the years, and it is now seen as a glimpse of the road that the studio ultimately didn't take. Along with its high fantasy trappings, it also features some disturbing scenes, including, notably, the moment when the Horned King succeeds in bringing dead soldiers back to life through the dark magic of the Black Cauldron. The sight of their skeletal bodies returning to life to wreak havoc on the world is the stuff of literal nightmares, and it's all brought to life through the stupendous power of Disney's animation.

The best Disney films don't shy away from the darker aspects of the imagination. No one could ever forget, for example, the moment in Pinocchio when the title character and his fellow boys, led astray by drink and carousing on Pleasure Island, end up turning into donkeys (or, in Pinocchio's case, partially turning). The transformation of Lampwick, in particular, is horrifying and heartbreaking to witness, as he cries out for his mother as the transformation completely overtakes him. Like his fellow boys, he has fully entered the realm of the abject, and as they soon learn, they are to spend the rest of their lives laboring in the salt mines. 

Planet of the Apes, based on the novel by Pierre Boulle, focuses on Charlton Heston's Taylor, an astronaut who finds himself stranded on a planet where apes are the ruling species. It actually takes quite a while for the apes to reveal themselves — during which Taylor and his fellow astronauts become increasingly disconcerted by this strange world in which they’ve found themselves — but when they do, it hits like a sucker punch. Even now, the sight of these apes charging into view while riding horses and proceeding to hunt the humans like beasts strikes at the part of the human brain that is innately terrified of losing its own place in the species hierarchy.

Even though Disney is best known for its family-friendly entertainment, it has also produced some startlingly frightening moments during its history. Arguably, one of the most terrifying is the “Night on Bald Mountain” sequence in Fantasia, which uses Modest Mussorgsky's composition to depict the demonic Chernabog and the demons and spirits he summons to the mountain of the title. It’s a stunning piece of animation, filled with a ghoulish and unsettling delight, with the visuals and the music working in concert to create this.  

In some ways, Wanda Maximoff is one of the most tragic characters in the entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She endures quite a lot, including a traumatic childhood and the death of her beloved Vision, so it makes sense that she would finally go mad and become something of a murderous monster in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The sequence in which she relentlessly pursues Dr. Strange and America Chavez through one of the many alternate universes, killing everyone who gets into her path (including an alternate version of Professor Xavier). Seeing Wanda's face streaked with blood is like something out of a brutal nightmare, a reminder of just how far gone she remains. 

The Wizard of Oz remains one of the most beloved fantasy films, even many decades after its first release. It's easy to see why, as it has all of the ingredients of beloved fantasy, including the sinister villain, the Wicked Witch of the West. There remains something uniquely terrifying about this character, particularly since Margaret Hamilton gives her all to the performance. When she first emerges in a puff of red smoke in all of her black-garbed, green-hued glory, she's like a nightmare brought to life. For the rest of the film, she will be the foe that is dead set against Dorothy, and she is as terrifying as she is absolutely compelling.  

Remus Lupin is one of the most tragic characters in the entire Harry Potter saga. Though she has a good heart and is one of Harry's most stalwart allies, he is cursed with being a werewolf. While he manages to keep his affliction under control most of the time, few can forget the moment in Prisoner of Azkaban when he transforms into his beastly alter-ego. Part of the horror stems from the creature design, which is just the right mix of human and wolf. Even more importantly, however, it is disturbing precisely because the viewer knows at some level that it's Lupin and that he has sadly lost control.  

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark remains one of the most enjoyable and best-made adventure films of the 1980s, and it is a remarkable showcase for Steven Spielberg's directing talents and Harrison Ford's undeniable charisma as Indiana Jones. The ending scene is probably the film's most memorable, as the Nazis and their collaborators open the Ark of the Covenant only to be melted by the vengeful power of the artifact itself. It's visceral and terrifying, but strangely enough, it is also somewhat satisfying to see these Nazis and their allies meet their very well-deserved fate. 

Though Chitty Chitty Bang Bang might not have achieved the same canonical status as some other musicals of the 1960s, it still has its fair share of charms and great songs from the famous Sherman Brothers. Much of the film is an extended fantasy sequence taking place in the fictional land of Vulgaria, and there are some downright creepy moments. Arguably, the most notable of these focuses on the sinister Child Catcher who, true to his name, makes it his mission to capture all the children in the kingdom. He's a cartoonish character, but there's something sinister about him, too, particularly in the delight he takes in capturing children.

Even if Steven Spielberg had never directed any other film than Jurassic Park, this film alone would have been enough to cement his legacy as a visionary director. The CGI used to capture the dinosaurs and bring them to life is still awe-inspiring, and the film expertly moves between different emotional registers, including horror. Who could forget, for example, the moment when the raptors corner Lex and Tim in the kitchen? It's one of those moments that's as exhilarating as it is terrifying, particularly since the audience has already seen how murderous the raptors can be. 

Given that it is based on a novel by Roald Dahl, Willow Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a children's film filled with scary moments. However, none left quite the impression as much as when Wonka took the children on a boat ride. The scene is filled with hallucinogenic imagery and, adding to the sense of terror, Gene Wilder's performance as Wonka borders on the deranged, with his frantic delivery and bulging eyes. This entire sequence is a more potent warning of the dangers of Wonka's factory than any of the other object lessons that the children endure as they indulge in their gluttony.

Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring adeptly captures many things that made Tolkien's original novel so beloved. Obviously, there is a sense of epic grandeur, but the film also has its moments of horror. Arguably, the most disturbing moment is when Bilbo, catching sight of the One Ring around Frodo's neck, momentarily becomes a Gollum-like creature before returning to himself. It's a bit of a jump-scare moment, particularly since, up until this point, Bilbo has been such a lovable and gentle character. This frightening moment hammers home the point that the Ring is a powerful and insidious force capable of destroying even the purest of souls.