Top 10 Scariest High School Horror Movie Moments

"The Faculty" (1998)

"The Faculty" is something of a forgotten gem from the late 1990s horror scene. Messy effects work combined with a hip, young cast, Robert Rodriguez's assured direction and a great screenplay from "Scream" writer Kevin Williamson. Simply stated, the rated R flick just GOES for it, as evidenced by a couple of scenes which still stand the test of time. For starters, there's the gross bit where a teacher's scalp and hair comes off in the hand of a student in the school showers. Meanwhile, there's also a scene where the kids all take an experimental drug to prove they aren't possessed, which pays homage to John Carpenter's "The Thing" in the best possible way..

"Ginger Snaps" (2000)



Speaking of underrated horror franchises, the "Ginger Snaps" series is beloved by fans of a certain age for its smart and forward-thinking themes of feminism, puberty and sexual awareness . .. within its narrative of a vicious werewolf. Of course, this isn't to say that the first "Ginger Snaps" doesn't have its fair share of gory, violent moments, as the title character Ginger Fitzgerald causes plenty of carnage. Case in point? A scene where Ginger, who is quickly losing her fight against lycanthropy, murders the high school janitor in a fit of rage over how he looks at her sister. This sibling bond is actually one of the aspects that makes "Ginger Snaps" such a memorable film to this day.

"Final Destination" (2000)



The "Final Destination" franchise has earned an impressive run thus far, with five films to its credit. We're taking it all the way back to the OG "Final Destination" film for this entry, however, with one specific, fan favorite scene in mind. Sure, we could've gone with Ms. Lewton's overkill death in her home here, but instead we're going with Tod's horrific shower scene. Maybe it's the tense realism with which it’s shot, or the image of Tod's bloodshot eyes as the makeshift clothesline wraps around his neck. Whatever it is, we can't help but cringe as we watch him struggle for those scissors that are just out of reach..

"The Craft" (1996)



"The Craft" is either delightfully cheesy or hopelessly nostalgic, depending on the age at which you saw the film. For many, it's a quaint throwback to the popularity of goth and witchy culture in the 1990s, anchored by a talented cast of fresh young faces. Fairuza Balk in particular stood out as the troubled, trailer park witch queen Nancy Downs. Balk honestly steals the show, not only with her striking appearance, but also the intensity of her acting. There's an energy that ramps up as the film pushes forward, especially the scene where Nancy attacks new girl Sarah with a knife. The attack comes from virtually out of nowhere, with Balk's slash fit successfully silencing any elements of "camp" present until that point.

"Scream" (1996)



You might be picking up a focus on horror films from the nineties and early millennium here, and you wouldn't be wrong. Here, however, we have that game-changer of self-aware slashers, Wes Craven's iconic "Scream." Although only "The Fonz" Henry Winkler meets his demise on high school grounds, Ghostface made his presence felt right away from "Scream's" opening scene. It's a now-classic bait and switch where Drew Barrymore, prominent on the film's posters and frequent talk show promoter of the film, gets gutted and hung from a tree almost immediately. Plus, beyond all the gory details, Barrymore's phone conversation with the killer prior to her demise is just chilling.

"Prom Night" (1980)



We're heading back to the eighties for our next entry, although to be fair, you'd be forgiven in thinking this film was a product of the late 1970s. "Prom Night" was actually filmed in 1979, which explains its focus on the disco music and fashion which was popular at the time. No one's laughing at the film's climax, however, as a string of murders and one memorable decapitation put one serious damper upon everyone at THIS high school prom. The soft focus cinematography and setting may evoke memories of "Carrie" (more on that later), but "Prom Night" more than stood out on its own, eventually spawning a franchise.

"Halloween" (1978)



Ok, so we know that Michael Myers doesn't kill anyone on school grounds in John Carpenter's classic original "Halloween." However, the film, along with Bob Clark's "Black Christmas,” helped popularize the slasher tropes of high school kids in peril, so we're giving this legendary film a pass. Plus, Michael's been killing off teens since he was barely tall enough to hold a kitchen knife . . . never mind stab his sister to death with one. Finally, "Halloween" gets special mention simply for being that age-old sleepover litmus test for watching your first "scary movie." It's iconic for many reasons, but we'll always remember the shivers Michael sent up our spines when we roamed our high school halls.

"A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984)



Fans of Wes Craven's classic franchise already know this, but the first "Nightmare on Elm Street" film is a legitimately creepy experience. There are barely any one liners to be had as teen-murderer Freddy Krueger haunts the dreams of all the high school kids on Elm Street. We're led, at first, to believe that Tina is going to be the hero of our story, but when she's killed in her sleep by Freddy, our focus is shifted to Nancy Thompson, who is having visions of the same razor-gloved madman. One of Nancy's early dreams is in class, as she witnesses Tina beckoning her from the hallway, clad in a bloody body bag. It's dark, disturbing stuff.

"Hereditary" (2018)



The most recent film on our list proves that horror is flourishing and still able to push people's buttons. "Hereditary" was one of the breakthrough genre hits of 2018,, thanks to a harrowing occult storyline and an incredible performance from lead Toni Collette. For this specific entry, however, we're going to mention Alex Wolff and his portrayal of sixteen-year-old high school student Peter. Teen possession scenes have been done to death at this point (no pun intended), but Peter's slow and explosive build during an otherwise uneventful class still gives us the chills. From Wolff's awkward hand gestures to that final, nose-breaking blow against his desk, the scene is overwhelmingly intense.



Before we name our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions!



Infection A-Go-Go

"Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever" (2009)





Dumbwaiter Death

"Halloween H20: 20 Years Later" (1998)





Burning Down the Prom

"Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II" (1987)



Point Taken
“Graduation Day” (1981)




Hangin’ Out
“Class of 1984” (1982)

"Carrie" (1976)



You know this just HAD to be number one, right? Carrie White gets her revenge upon all of those who cruelly tormented her in director Brian De Palma's classic adaptation of Stephen King's popular novel. An awful dose of dumped pig's blood is what ultimately sets Carrie off on a telekinetic death spree, as she uses her powers to lock the doors and horrifyingly burn the senior prom and its partiers to the ground. De Palma's split-screen technique is put to perfect use as it depicts Carrie's frenzied reaction, and the fiery, chaotic aftermath. Carrie White may burn in hell, but this moment is forever burned into our memories.