Top 10 Serious Slaps in Movies

Like the film itself, this scene from “Moonstruck” strikes a strong balance between drama and comedy. Practical Loretta isn’t looking for true love, but she accidentally finds it in the arms of her fiancé’s brother, Ronny. After a night of passionate lovemaking, Loretta tries to expunge her impulsive decision from her memory. Ronny isn’t willing to let it go, however, declaring his true feelings. Slapping him once then another time for good measure, Loretta delivers this classic line. Unfortunately, love isn’t something you can just slap on and off.

In the 1940s, no actor was more badass than Humphrey Bogart and nowhere is that better spotlighted than in “The Maltese Falcon.” Offended by Peter Lorre’s Joel, Mary Astor’s Brigid gives the little weasel an abrupt slap midsentence. Joel attempts to pull a concealed weapon on Brigid in retaliation, but Bogart’s Sam Spade quickly takes control of the situation. While the several slaps that ensue are memorable, it’s the way Bogart bluntly tells Joel to take it and like it that makes this scene immortal.

In “Whiplash,” band is war and Conductor Terrence Fletcher is the brutal drill sergeant. When the new drummer Andrew plays off tempo, Fletcher initially acts like it’s no biggie then unexpectedly ambushes him with a chair. Fletcher proceeds to cruelly slap Andrew until he can decipher the difference between rushing and dragging. This defining moment establishes that Terence will keep abusing his students until he’s satisfied. Even when they finally play it right, they’re more likely to receive a slap in the face than a pat on the back.

Sean Connery once stated in an infamous interview that he doesn’t believe there’s anything particularly wrong about hitting a woman. James Bond apparently shares the same philosophy given all the ladies he’s mistreated over the years. One of Mr. Bond’s most shocking moments occurs in “From Russia with Love.” His latest love interest in this adventure is Tatiana Romanova, a Soviet Embassy clerk who either knows more than she’s saying or is just a pawn in SPECTRE’s game. As James questions her, things get physical in all the wrong ways.

In one of the most iconic sequences Alfred Hitchcock ever put on film, Melanie Daniels finds herself in the middle of a Birdemic. As people are pecked to death by the winged beasts, Melanie seeks refuge in a restaurant where several judgmental eyes stare her down. Looking directly at the camera, a hysterical mother steps up and blames Melanie for bringing this misery upon them. Melanie instinctively slaps some sense into her, leaving everyone at a loss for words. It’s a haunting way to cap off a genuinely disturbing scene.

“The Exorcist” has no shortage of terrifying moments. Perhaps the most bone chilling of all is when Chris MacNeil rushes upstairs as her possessed daughter Regan cries out for help. Chris is petrified upon discovering her masturbating with a crucifix, blood spewing everywhere. With the room being torn apart and the Lord’s name being condemned, Chris attempts to retrieve the cross. This results in the demon giving the frightened mother a face full of blood and a slap across the face. As Chris quivers in horror, so does the audience.

This slap from “In the Heat of the Night” is truly historic, acting as a symbol for human rights. The scene builds up significant racial tension as Tibbs and Gillespie arrive at a cotton plantation littered with African American workers. During an interrogation, the racist Eric Endicott slaps Mr. Tibbs as if he were a slave. In a change from the original novel, Mr. Tibbs strikes right back. The scene demonstrates how far our society has come, but it also shows that we still have a long way to go.

Talk about a positively uncomfortable scene. J.J. Gittes is on the cusp of uncovering a huge bombshell as “Chinatown” draws to its final curtain. But first, he needs to force the truth out of Evelyn about Katherine’s identity. With every slap, Evelyn shifts between calling Katherine her sister and her daughter. When Gittes climatically hurls her to the floor, she finally confesses that Katherine is a product of incest. Suddenly, seeing a man beat a woman is the least disturbing thing about this scarring cinematic moment.

Daniel Plainview is a completely unpredictable character. You never know what he’s going to say or how he’s going to react to a situation. He particularly catches Eli Sunday off-guard in this scene from “There Will Be Blood.” Subsequent to a tragedy involving Plainview’s son, Eli asks the oilman for his family’s $5,000 back. Repressing his own guilt, Plainview mercilessly pins Eli in the oil-soaked soil, letting out all of his fury with no restraint. Leaving Eli humiliated, he vows to bury the false prophet underground…right after drinking his milkshake.

Before we slap our top pick across the face, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Throw Down, Boy
“Tombstone” (1993)
- Harry Slaps Peter
“Spider-Man 2” (2004)
- Rachel Slaps Bruce
“Batman Begins” (2005)
- Sir! No Sir!
“Full Metal Jacket” (1987)
- Doc Slaps Carol
“The Getaway” (1972)

Although “The Godfather” is often classified as a mob movie, it’s truly about fathers and sons, brotherhood, and family in general. The father figure of the Corleone clan is Don Vito, who can be gentle, supportive, and understanding while also being authoritative, no nonsense, and ruthless. The character is almost perfectly summed up early on when his godson, Johnny Fontane, breaks down in tears. Vito harshly gives Johnny a slap, having no tolerance for weaklings. After manning Johnny up, though, Vito lovingly guarantees him that he’ll make everything better.

Do you agree with our list? What movie slap gave you chills? For more slaptastic Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.