Contains mentions of brutal deaths, suicide, and spoilers for all the shows discussed.
One of popular culture’s most storied genres, horror movies have played host to some of the most disturbing cinematic scenes in history. It’s a long-running state of affairs, one that television has been attempting to replicate in more modern times through a catalog of increasingly terrifying instances. Many of the best horror television shows ever made have leveraged an array of gruesome kills, shocking plot twists, and nightmarish visuals to produce an array of terrifying moments that have left their viewers feeling disturbed for days to come.
Whether the scene in question comes from a great and gory show that leaves you frozen in fear, or a dark horror series that plays with your head, these unsettling moments have a habit of haunting the audience’s dreams long after the credits roll. From nightmarish scenarios that become even more frightening because they could conceivably occur in reality, to supernatural encounters harrowing enough to leave grown adults checking their closets at night, horror television’s most disturbing moments underline the basic mission statement at the heart of the genre; “scare your audience silly.”
10
Vecna Kills Chrissy
Stranger Things (2016-2025)
Stranger Things
8/10
- Release Date
-
2016 – 2024
- Showrunner
-
Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
- Directors
-
Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
- Writers
-
Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Paul Dichter, Kate Trefry
Unsurprisingly for a sci-fi horror show, Stranger Things has featured some notably disturbing moments since debuting in 2016. The fourth season saw the show adopt its darkest and most mature tone to date, a state of affairs that was exemplified in brutal fashion with the demise of Chrissy Cunningham. The Duffer brothers appeared to be setting Grace Van Dien’s fan-favorite charge up to become a regular supporting character, only to do away with the cheerleader in arguably the show’s most brutal death to date.
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Targeted as a result of her struggles with depression, Chrissy is psychically killed by Vecna in unapologetically gruesome fashion. The bloodcurdling sight of Jamie Campbell-Bower’s ghastly humanoid is bad enough, but it only gets worse as he begins his work in earnest. Levitating off the ground in a trance, Chrissy’s limbs twist and fracture with sickening cracks, a macabre visual that concludes as the cheerleader’s jaw snaps and her eyes explode. It’s an absolutely horrifying spectacle, with the appalled screams of Joseph Quinn’s Eddie Munson mirroring the audience’s reaction to Stranger Things’ most shocking demise appropriately.
9
The Congregation Commits Mass Suicide
Midnight Mass (2021)
Mike Flanagan’s first miniseries foray outside The Haunting anthology series proved to be a triumph, with 2021’s Midnight Mass lauded as one of the finest shows of the year. Flanagan’s acclaimed answer to ‘Salem’s Lot features some notably terrifying moments, from Monsignor Pruitt’s first encounter with the vampire to the sight of Riley bursting into flames before Erin’s horrified eyes. With that being said, the vast majority pale in comparison to the miniseries’ chaotic congregation scene in its sixth episode.
Mike Flanagan’s Horror Miniseries by Year | Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score |
|---|---|
The Haunting of Hill House (2018) | 93% |
The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020) | 88% |
Midnight Mass (2021) | 87% |
The Fall of the House of Usher (2023) | 90% |
Evoking legitimately disturbing connections with the infamous Jonestown massacre, the scene sees churchgoers drink poison in an effort to be “reborn” after being tricked into consuming the Angel’s blood, only to be revived almost immediately as vampires with an insatiable bloodlust. Unsurprisingly, proceedings descend into absolute bedlam as the undead proceed to decorate the church’s walls with the living’s blood and viscera, placing the cherry on one of horror television’s scariest sequences.
8
Bloody Face Is Unmasked
American Horror Story: Asylum (2011-Present)
American Horror Story
3/10
- Release Date
-
October 17, 2012
- Franchise(s)
-
American Horror Story
American Horror Story’s reputation has fluctuated over the course of twelve seasons, with critical reception ranging from effusive to dismal. With that being said, the show’s second installment, subtitled Asylum, is widely regarded as American Horror Story’s best season, featuring some of the long-running horror anthology’s most unsettling moments to boot. Look no further than the horrifying reveal of serial killer Bloody Face’s true identity, a scene that has been haunting viewers for more than a decade.
The depraved doctor dons a horrifying mask made of his victims’ skin, now complete with Wendy’s teeth, to reveal his identity as Bloody Face and cap off one of AHS’ most traumatic moments.
Sarah Paulson’s Lana Winters believes that she has been rescued by Zachary Quinto’s Doctor Oliver Thredson, only to find herself dumped in his basement by a hidden door after discovering a workshop filled with human body parts. She awakens next to the frozen body of her dead partner, Wendy, before Thredson arrives to perform the desolating coup de grâce. The depraved doctor dons a horrifying mask made of his victims’ skin, now complete with Wendy’s teeth, to reveal his identity as Bloody Face and cap off one of AHS’ most traumatic moments.
7
The Living Autopsy
Slasher (2016-2023)
The best slasher anthology series that you’ve never heard of, Slasher was one of horror’s smartest television shows. The long-running series was also notorious for featuring some of the nastiest deaths in television history across five blood-soaked seasons. Subtitled Solstice, the show’s third installment is arguably the most horrifying example of this reputation, chronicling a nightmarish array of murders perpetrated by a masked serial killer known as the Druid.
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The show’s third episode sees science teacher Kaili Greenberg encounter the Druid’s appalling methods first-hand. Abducted from inside her own car by the killer, Erin Karpluk’s unfortunate charge awakens tied and gagged in the school’s biology lab. It only gets worse from there, as the Druid proceeds to dispatch his unfortunate victim by performing an autopsy on the entirely conscious teacher with a pair of bolt cutters. It’s hard to pick which is more disturbing: Greenberg’s harrowing howls of despair or the nightmarish visuals of her killer’s handiwork.
6
Acid From The Sprinklers
The Fall Of The House Of Usher (2023)
The Fall of the House of Usher
7/10
- Release Date
-
2023 – 2022
- Network
-
Netflix
-
Carla Gugino
Roderick Usher
-
Bruce Greenwood
C. Auguste Dupin
Mike Flanagan’s latest acclaimed horror miniseries, The Fall of the House of Usher modernizes and adapts several of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic stories into a single nonlinear narrative, depicting a curse on the titular family with horrifying results. Bearing the same title as the Poe short story it is based on, the show’s second episode “The Masque of the Red Death” depicts the first death of Roderick Usher’s six doomed children in unforgettably ghastly fashion.
Prospero “Perry” Usher’s name is derived from the lead character’s name in The Masque of the Red Death.
Usher’s youngest illegitimate son, Perry’s desire to pursue the life of a hedonistic socialite sees him meet an absolutely appalling end. In the midst of throwing a masquerade-themed party at a condemned Usher property, a pre-arranged signal for the building’s water sprinklers to signal the start of an orgy is met with an abhorrent surprise. Unbeknownst to Perry, the sprinklers’ supply line actually runs to a tank of corrosive chemicals, dousing him and his unfortunate guests in acid waste. The screams of horror and agony as the party-goers literally begin to melt is a horrifying spectacle that lingers in the mind long after the credits have rolled.
5
Davis’ Mother Is Unmasked As A Serial Killer
Black Mirror (2011-Present)
Black Mirror
6/10
- Release Date
-
December 4, 2011
- Showrunner
-
Charlie Brooker
- Directors
-
Charlie Brooker
While Black Mirror is renowned for an emphasis on science fiction and dystopia, the acclaimed anthology series has never been afraid to dabble in scarier material. This state of affairs is perfectly exemplified by one of the best episodes from Black Mirror’s sixth season, “Loch Henry.” A seemingly low-stakes thriller that suddenly morphs into fully-fledged horror, the show produces one of its most shocking twists with the jaw-dropping reveal that Davis’ unassuming mother Janet was actually a twisted serial killer.
Black Mirror Season 6 Episodes | Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score |
|---|---|
“Joan Is Awful” | 94% |
“Loch Henry” | 87% |
“Beyond the Sea” | 87% |
“Mazey Day” | 57% |
“Demon 79” | 100% |
One of the most disturbing moments from a show notorious for producing them, the snuff video unmasking Monica Dolan’s seemingly sweet old lady as a sadistic murderer, is legitimate nightmare fuel. Donning a carnival mask and nurse’s costume, Janet depravedly cavorts around to upbeat music, gleefully twirling an electric drill as her gagged victims moan in terror. As such, Pia’s mask of appalled shock as she watches the ghastly home video unfold is an appropriate reflection of most viewers’ reactions at home.
4
The Trinity Killer Murders Rita
Dexter (2006-2013)
Dexter
8/10
- Release Date
-
2006 – 2012
- Showrunner
-
Clyde Phillips
- Directors
-
Clyde Phillips
- Writers
-
Jeff Lindsay, Scott Buck, Scott Reynolds, Tim Schlattmann, Karen Campbell, Melissa Rosenberg, Kevin Maynard, Wendy West, Manny Coto, Daniel Cerone, Jace Richdale, Drew Z. Greenberg, Chip Johannessen, Adam Fierro, Jim Leonard
The quintessential example of a stunning television death that still haunts viewers to this day, it speaks volumes to the harrowing nature of Rita Bennett’s demise that it’s arguably the most shocking moment on a show revolving around a vigilante serial killer. To this day, Dexter’s discovery of his wife’s corpse in a bathtub filled with blood is regarded as one of the most controversial and shocking moments in television history, from the connotations of the wider show to the scene’s harrowing visuals.
Ironically, the shock factor of Rita’s murder at the hands of the Trinity Killer is ultimately compounded by the fact that it takes place off-screen, and happens after John Lithgow’s villainous charge is purportedly taken care of. Simply put, it’s Dexter’s worst nightmare brought to life, and there isn’t a damn thing that he can do about it. Throw in the sight of baby Harrison quite literally living out his own father’s childhood experiences as he wails in a pool of his own mother’s blood, and Rita’s death remains one of television’s most disturbing moments.
3
Glenn Gets His Head Bashed In
The Walking Dead (2010-2022)
The Walking Dead
8/10
- Release Date
-
2010 – 2022
- Showrunner
-
Frank Darabont, Angela Kang, Scott M. Gimple, Glen Mazzara
- Directors
-
Greg Nicotero
The seventh season premiere of The Walking Dead, “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be,” is notorious for containing some of the most controversial and upsetting moments in television history, pulling zero punches in bringing one of the comic’s most devastating sequences to life. The shockingly graphic death of Michael Cudlitz’s cast mainstay Abraham Ford at the hands of Negan and his baseball bat Lucille immediately prior was terrifying enough in itself, but it paled in comparison to the demise of Steven Yeun’s Glenn Rhee.
Rhee’s status as one of the show’s longest-serving and most beloved characters didn’t save him from one of the most savage deaths in television history.
Fans hoping that Ford would assume the fate of Glenn’s comic book counterpart were disappointed Rhee’s status as one of the show’s longest-serving and most beloved characters didn’t save him from one of the most savage deaths in television history. A harrowing scene that made many viewers quit the show, every sickening detail of Negan caving Glenn’s skull in is captured with what seems like an almost gleeful lack of restraint, from the sight of his eyeball popping out of his skull to the visual of his twitching corpse as Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s charge ruthlessly batters his defenseless head.
2
Henry & Sam’s Deaths
The Last Of Us (2023-Present)
The Last Of Us
8/10
- Release Date
-
January 15, 2023
- Network
-
HBO Max
- Showrunner
-
Craig Mazin
- Directors
-
Craig Mazin
- Writers
-
Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin
Anybody familiar with the canon of Neil Druckmann’s The Last of Us was always aware that HBO’s adaptation would present plenty of emotional carnage, a reality that became apparent as the show brought one of the game’s most upsetting moments to life in unflinching fashion. The demise of supporting characters Henry and Sam is one of the saddest television scenes in recent memory, a devastating sequence that sees Lamar Johnson’s character mercy-kill his infected younger brother before turning the gun on himself.
The episode in which the scene takes place, “Endure and Survive,” holds a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The show’s take on events was arguably even crueler than the games, eliciting a sliver of delusional hope that Ellie’s blood might cure Sam after he revealed that he had been bitten. However, there was to be no such reprieve for Keivon Montreal Woodard’s charge. Succumbing to his infection overnight, the newly feral Sam is gunned down by his brother to prevent him from murdering Ellie. It only gets more harrowing from there, as Henry shoots himself in the head to escape the horror of his actions in a heartrending instant.
1
The Human Mural
Hannibal (2013-2015)
The quintessential example of a show canceled too early, Hannibal is widely regarded as a front-runner for horror television’s finest offering. Along the way, Bryan Fuller’s acclaimed series also gained a reputation for some of the most disgustingly artistic murder scenes of all time. Hannibal is notorious for its brutal and shocking deaths, with the show’s eponymous villain and a host of his murderous contemporaries transforming human remains into unforgettably macabre showpieces on multiple occasions, from the human cello in “Fromage” to the literal Bloody Valentine in “Primavera.”
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With that being said, the human mural in “Sakizuke” is arguably the show’s gold standard when it comes to terrifyingly disturbing moments. Mads Mikkelsen’s charge encounters a serial killer who arranges numerous bodies of different skin pigmentations in a grain silo, constructing a nightmarish imitation of a gigantic human eye. This visual is disturbing enough in itself, but it’s compounded by the unabated horror of a scene depicting one of the victims unintentionally awakening to realize that he is literally stitched into this abhorrent human tapestry alive.