Top 10 Disturbing Movie Scenes Where the Reaction is REAL

"Jaws" (1975)

As it turns out, actress Susan Backlinie’s screams of terror in the iconic opening sequence of “Jaws” are completely genuine. For the scene, which sees Backlinie’s Chrissie go for a late-night swim, director Steven Spielberg rigged the actress to be forcefully yanked around in the water. However, to get an authentic reaction, Spielberg did not tell her exactly when it would happen. The result is an unforgettably terrifying moment where Chrissie thrashes around while being dragged underwater. Thanks to the actresses’ real screams and frantic movements, movie audiences were given a taste of the waterlogged horrors to come.

"Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" (1971)

While 1971’s "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" is not a horror film, there are several disturbing moments in the movie. In fact, a particular scene is made all the more unsettling thanks to some genuine reactions from the cast. When the eccentric Wonka takes Charlie and his fellow golden ticket winners on a boat ride through a dark tunnel, their journey takes an eerie turn with flashing lights, creepy imagery, and unsettling sounds. The reactions from the actors are real at this moment. However, it’s not from the psychedelic sights, but rather Gene Wilder’s performance, as they were all unaware of how he was going to act in the scene.

"Scream" (1996)

There’s a reason audiences get uneasy every time a phone rings in the “Scream” films. It’s because there is a good chance Ghostface is on the other end looking to play some twisted mind games. Well, it’s been revealed that the phone calls in “Scream” were legitimately disturbing for the actors too. This was thanks to director Wes Craven having the voice of Ghostface, Roger L. Jackson, actually call the actors. He also had Jackson completely separated from the cast on set, this to ensure their reactions of unease were authentic. To them, it wasn’t just Roger on the other line – it was an unknown mad man!

"Poltergeist" (1982)

In this classic horror film, a suburban family is plagued by malevolent spirits. And, in one particular scene, Diane Freeling slips into the family’s unfinished pool, only for corpses to rise up. As it turns out, the skeletons were real, but actress JoBeth Williams was only made aware of this following the shoot. What the actress was truly terrified of in the moment, however, was the thought of electrical equipment falling in the water. She was so scared that Steven Spielberg himself jumped into the muddy pool with her to show that it was safe, or as he reportedly said, "Now if a light falls in, we'll both fry!"

"The Exorcist" (1973)

William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist” actually features a number of very real reactions from the cast. There’s of course the scene where Regan is thrashing around in her bed. Here, the harness that rigged actress Linda Blair featured lacing that came loose, causing Blair to injure her lower spine. Ellen Burstyn also suffered an onset back injury thanks to an extra forceful yank from the crew. As for Jason Miller, he got a surprise during the infamous vomit scene. Playing Father Karras, Miller was told the vomit would hit his chest, but it unexpectedly struck his face. Yep, that repulsed reaction is indeed real.

"The Blair Witch Project" (1999)

There’s a reason "The Blair Witch Project" popularized found footage horror films – everything just felt so darn real. Heck, many viewers at the time were adamant that the terrifying tale was 100% legitimate. Well, for the actors, it kinda was. You see, filming featured the acting trio wandering the woods and capturing their own footage while directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez followed behind. Daniel and Eduardo would sneak in elements to rattle the cast, like adding scary rocks and twigs when they weren’t looking. And with genuine exhaustion afoot, every eerie encounter the actors faced made for all too real reactions.

"Se7en" (1995)

David Fincher’s crime thriller "Se7en" features a series of gruesome murders inspired by each of the seven deadly sins. It also features one of cinema’s most chilling jump scares. Upon discovering that the “sloth victim” is still alive, genuine horror and shock can be seen on actor John C. McGinley's face. This was thanks to the fact that he was truly shook when the emaciated actor moved in the scene (yes, it was a real person, not a mannequin). His horrified response, reportedly captured on the first take, completely mirrored the audience's reaction to the disturbing revelation. Admit it, you jumped too!

“It” (2017)

The 2017 adaptation of Stephen King's "It" brought the petrifying clown Pennywise to the big screen in a big way. In a truly haunting portrayal, Bill Skarsgård became the stuff of nightmares. And, to make the killer clown’s child targets that much more afraid of him, director Andy Muschietti didn't let the young actors see Skarsgård in his full Pennywise makeup until they filmed a particular scene. When Pennywise appears on a projector screen during a slide show, the Losers Club kids’ sincere screams and terrified reactions can be seen. Looks like it was fear at first sight!

"The Shining" (1980)

To say Shelley Duvall went to Hell and back during the filming of “The Shining” is no exaggeration. Taking well over an entire year to shoot, the movie was said to have caused plenty of stress to everyone involved. In particular, Shelley Duvall experienced on-set antagonizing while fighting repeated illnesses. Director Stanley Kubrick chastised the actress endlessly on set - this to get her in the proper head space. That likely went too far though, given he had Shelley do 127 takes for the baseball bat scene alone. It’s no wonder that the sequence is as raw and unnerving as it is – it was a real horrifying situation for Shelley.

"Alien" (1979)

Talk about a well-executed scare. The “chestburster” scene in Ridley Scott’s sci-fi / horror classic "Alien" is the stuff of cinema legend. In it, John Hurt’s character, Kane, falls victim to an alien creature that, you guessed it, bursts out of his chest. It’s a sudden and unexpected eruption of blood and gore. And, if the other actors look shocked at the sight of the alien “birth,” it’s because they really were. Thanks to some special effects wizardry that the cast was unaware of, the result was a genuinely disturbing surprise. This is especially true for actress Veronica Cartwright, who was reportedly very shaken up over it.