As sick and depraved as it sounds, sometimes a gruesome death can actually make a film.
Whether it’s some bloke being torn apart by wild animals or some luckless cheerleader being mutilated by a crazed, axe-wielding maniac, we just can’t seem to get enough of it. Sickos, the lot of us!
In fact, just think of the films that could have been saved by the odd gruesome beheading or two. A few fleshing-eating zombies would certainly have spiced up Pride And Prejudice and Moulin Rouge. And is it so wrong to want to see Judi Dench being hacked to pieces? Anyway, so here at hecklerspray we have decided to come up with the 10 most gruesome movies deaths ever.
Oh, and we're sure that there will be people who will say it’s a rubbish list and that we forgot the one about the bloke who gets his brain scooped out by a teaspoon while his balls are being eaten by a small puppy. (By the way, if that movie exists please let us know. It sounds great!)
10. The Hitcher (1986)
‘Driving a girl away’
We decided to put this in, despite the fact that you don’t actually see anything. Odd, we know.
However, the thought of being pulled apart by two trucks is certainly something we would rather not think about too much.
Unlike the shit remake with Sean Bean, the Rutger Hauer original is not a bad film, but Leigh’s demise certainly sticks in the head.
9. American History X (1998)
‘The Kerb Stomp’
This infamous scene certainly wins the award for the most realistic sound effects.
Basically, neo-Nazi skinhead Derek (Edward Norton) teaches wounded black car thief Lawrence ‘a real lesson’ by forcing him to bite down on the kerb.
He then breaks his neck with one vicious stomp to the head. Crunch!
8. The Last House on the Left (1972)
‘No stomach for the kill’
Teaching teenagers for so long clearly had an effect on Wes Craven. After finally giving up college lecturing to become a director, the usually mild-mannered man spent most of his career making movies about all the different ways they can be brutally murdered.
Obviously, the A Nightmare on Elm Street series is what Craven will always be remembered for, but it was his first film, The Last House On The Left, that really hit the mark for all-round gruesomeness.
Still cut from just about all of the versions of his 1972 debut, the scene involves a girl being brutally butchered by two killers. They then decide to bathe in her bloody insides. Nice.
7. Wilderness (2006)
‘The Doggy Snack’ (trailer)
Does Sean Pertwee insist on showing us his insides in every film he’s in? Is it in his contract?
Not happy with showing us his ‘sausages’ in Dog Soldiers, Pertwee decides that he wants to go one better by being eaten alive by dogs. Forget Jaws, this is Jowls.
The rest of the film is garbage, but there is something about being gobbled up by ‘man’s best friend’ that makes for some uncomfortable viewing.
6. Casino (1995)
‘Not very Vice’
Even director Martin Scorsese himself was surprised this totally gratuitous scene got through the censors.
It involves some poor idiot and a vice. Go figure.
The only question you need to ask is whether you think his head goes ‘pop’ or ‘crack’. Watch it and judge for yourself.
5. Scanners (1981)
‘The Headache’
OK, we're sure there are far worse murders than this, but it just would not feel right to leave this Cronenberg masterpiece out.
Still, most of you will be familiar with what happens in this infamous scene.
But for those of you who are not (where have you been?), it basically involves naughty Scanner and all-round headcase (get it?), Darryl Revok (Michael Ironside), demonstrating his head-exploding telepathic powers at an ESP conference to deadly effect.
4. The Thing (1982)
‘Chest horrible’ (manky compilation)
This scene gets in purely because of its creativity. And, well, the fact that is simply shocking and disturbing.
Apparently, Rob Bottin, the FX wonderkid behind the special effects, had to go into hospital during the making of this film because he was so exhausted.
Maybe he should have gone into a mental hospital after thinking up this death scene involving Dr Copper (Richard Dysart) offering infected colleague Norris (Charles Hallahan) some much-needed CPR.
See, that’s a nice thing to do. But what happens next is anything but. While pumping his chest, Norris’ rib cage opens up and bites the good doctor’s hands off. Talk about chest pains!
3. Robocop (1987)
‘The Melting Man’
Now we've got strong stomachs, but even this made us feel a bit queasy.
Emil (Paul McCrane) gets soaked in toxic waste and instantly starts to melt.
After freaking out his fellow bad guys with his pleas to "help me," he is finally put out of his misery when the ringleader accidentally runs him over in his car. Cue a shower of pinky green liquid and people being sick into their popcorn. Uuurgh.
2. I Spit on Your Grave (1978)
‘The harshest cut of all’
A death scene guaranteed to make any man grown wince and howl.
A gang rape victim lures one of her tormentors into a warm bath before cutting off his dick with a carving knife.
Nothing else you can really say about that.
1. Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
‘Death by Dildo’
The whole film could make up this top 10, to be quite honest. The film is so sick, we can barely think about it without wanting to vomit.
But there is one brutal murder which does tend to stick out. No, it’s not a strap-on dildo, but actually one with spikes on it.
Yes, you heard correctly. An Amazonian tribeswoman is found guilty of adultery and is duly punished in the harshest of ways.
OK, pass the sick bucket.
Adz says
What??!
No John Hurt and that nasty cough of his?!
Stabby McGee says
Any given Robocop 2 death would have fit the bill… ‘Squeal like a pig’, anyone?
Craven Moorehead says
cannibal holocaust could easily fill all ten spots. what about irreversible or Salo, 120 day of sodom. those should be up there too.
Matt says
None of these are as gross as SAW IV, when the black guy (Sam) gets one arm, one leg, and his bigger head (lol) gets twisted around all the way, or when (in Final Destination 3) when Kris Lemche gets cut in half AND smashed by a falling sign, which falls, and while he trying to move, it crushes his legs and cuts him in half, and you see his twitching fingers. Another gruesome death is from a TV show, called “Dexter,” on Showtime and Channel 13 Albuquerque, when Dexter the serial killer.forensics investigator cuts a guy’s cheek, drills into his stomach, impales him with a knife, saws of his lips and fingers, then, he dumps the body and takes the blood from the guy’s cheek and keeps it in a slide that can be viewed under a telescope. He keeps slides of all of his victims’ blood in a box behind his bed. Now that’s what I call gross and gruesome.
JAMES says
WHAT ABOUT “THE RELIC” WHEN EVERYONE IS IN THE MUSEUM AND THEY SHOW THE “KOTHOGA” LITERALLY RIP OFF AN OFFICERS HEAD. AND ALONG OTHER PEOPLE’S HEADS.
The H Man says
What about Teeth…
Where the chicks vagina bites off a dudes dick and it falls to the floor. Then his dog runs over and starts eating it… That is the nastiest shit for sure…. Vagina Dentada!
jake ryder says
Nope. Omen 2 elevator scene. check it out.
Charlotte says
I would totally add Bjork’s dead in Dancer In The Dark. It was shocking when I saw it the first time!
The Cman says
Hostel, when the asian girl get the blow torch, is fucked up. A movie called very bad things with christian slater, when they cut up the guard in the hotel. And some of the SAW stuff is pretty twisted. Predator 2 when they are chasing the predator through the meat factory…blood just spills everywhere. Some of quentin terrentinos stuff is pretty gruesome too.
Dave says
You haven’t seen shit until you’ve seen Ichi The Killer. Dude cuts his own tongue off. Cuts tits off of girls. Cuts another girls face off. Cuts the corners of his own mouth. If you can get past having to read the subtitles, it’s a sick flick.
Zachery Stephenson says
I’ve just seen Pans Labyrinth and there is a disgusting murder in that where he caves the guy’s face in with a bottle.
JM says
Good choice from “Cannibal Holocaust” and “Last House on the Left.” I would also include the fire extinguisher from “Irreversible” (though even harder to watch was the rape scene, though that did not end in death and as such would not be eligible for this list).
I’d say maybe “Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom,” but its deaths are actually not extremely graphic. It just seems graphic because of the unceasing mental and physical degradation that came before it.
Maybe at least one of the deaths from Sweeney Todd. They were too stylized to be truly gross, but, boy, what fine style!
I’d be tempted to say “Ichi the Killer,” but some of the violence looked really fake. What makes it so fucked up is not the violence, but the overall attitude and craziness. The violence is amusing and funny and really weird.
gorenographer says
Dead Alive aka Brain Dead, cannibal ferox aka make them die slowly, old boy, hellraiser 2 hellbound, high tension, city of the living dead, ichi the killer, bad taste, dawn of the dead (2004), and last but not least entrails of a virgin. look i just made a better list
Anders B says
I thought i had seen it all, cannibal holocaust, saw, hostel, switchblade romance/high tension, the ring etc. Then i saw the two most disturbing and awesome horror films i have ever seen. Inside and martyrs, both french movies. They are both scary and gory, made good at the same time from begining til end. Truly shocking. I have never seen anything like it. Usualy horror movies start of good and creepy, then the director destroys them with no story, no tension or animated redicoulus monsters. Inside and Martyrs are so suspensefull and well made, storywise, acting and realism. This is gold. A must see for horror fans. These movies are not for everyone.
Anthony R. says
What about the scene in “Mirrors” where Amy Smart’s reflection rips off her own jaw? I was haunted by that scene for at least a week.
bev knox says
The chain saw seen in Scarface
Particle says
Flower of Flesh and Blood (Japanese) which is basically the slow severing of body parts off a poor girl while she’s alive and heavily drugged. So realistic that Charlie Sheen actually thought it was a snuff film and called the police. I’m not joking!
jason says
I saw one on Chain Letter where this girl was chained to two cars….one leg chained to her dads car and one chained to her mothers…of course they didnt know she was and they got ready to leave for work and ripped her in half…ewwww
tonia says
Awesome!! Im 13 so i didn’t know any of these movies existed, but they sound really good!! The best movies that are like this that i have seen are the final destination movies. They aren’t scary or gross to me, but to other people they are. :)
J.Ascencion says
THANK U EVERYONE on this page for the names of other movies to watch. I CRAVE movies like this. Can anyone suggest more titles to watch I would appreciate it greatly!!
J.Ascencion says
Can u suggest other titles…please!! Thanks!
Max says
Pretty gruesome action scene in ‘Immortals’.
Doesn’t focus on one death rather than a series of them. The gods fight the titans at the end and the titans get owned.
Jason says
What about the death of Eduard ‘Del’ Delacroix (by Electric Chair) from The Green Mile where the evil guard Percy doesn’t wet the sponge and causes Del to be burned alive in the chair instead of drying quick?