Top 20 Creepiest Twilight Zone Moments

“Stopover in a Quiet Town” (1964)
Some of the creepiest moments from the original “Twilight Zone” aren’t always the loud, crazy reveals, but those tense and pensive scenes of confusion and foreshadowing. This was seen in episodes like “Where Is Everybody?” as well as in 1964’s “Stopover in a Quiet Town.” There’s an uncanniness to the fake materials present within the strange town that Millie and Bob Frazier wake up in, after a night of drinking. The couple can recall a strange shadow appearing over their car the night before, but the desolation of the town and the distant, echoing sound of a child’s laughter nearly drives them to madness. It isn’t until the final, frightening reveal that it all begins to make sense…

“It’s a Good Life” (1961)
“It’s a Good Life” is one of the most famous episodes from the show’s original run, and it was even included as a segment in 1983’s “Twilight Zone: The Movie.” However, while that adaptation benefitted from its outlandish special effects, the OG reveal of the jack-in-box doesn’t take a back seat to anyone. We don’t need to necessarily see the entire transformation, as our minds automatically go to how grotesque a human/toy hybrid would probably appear. “It’s a Good Life” shoots actor Don Keefer in close-up, while the shadow of a jack-in-the-box is projected on the wall. The casts’ reactions pretty much say it all: Anthony Fremont, a young child with the powers of a god, punished “a very bad man.”

“Spur of the Moment” (1964)
If we could somehow contact our younger selves, and warn that person to not make a dreadful, life-altering mistake…would we do it? Could we do it? And if so…would it work? 1964’s “Spur of the Moment” attempts to present such a situation, albeit with a bummer twist ending only possible in “The Twilight Zone.” The image of a desperate woman in black, chasing a younger woman on horseback is initially played for intensity and fright. However, it’s later revealed that both women riders were one and the same. 43-year-old Anne Mitchell is desperately trying to warn her 18-year-old self NOT to marry the wrong man. A man that will ruin her life. Tragically, her words go unheard.

“The Invaders” (1961)
Agnes Moorehead gives a tour-de-force performance in this 1961 episode of “The Twilight Zone,” titled “The Invaders.” It’s all about physical reactions and facial expressions, as the episode reaches its final climax and twist. Moorehead’s character seems to be tormented by tiny, yet resilient assailants, and the episode makes it clear from the jump that we’re dealing with extraterrestrials. However, the true “Invaders” are actually Earthlings, and the flying saucer shown near the episode’s opening is revealed to be from the United States. This subversion of expectation, making Moorehead’s character essentially a giant from outer space, gets us every single time.

“Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?” (1961)
You just gotta love that double twist. “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up? plays its creative hand by seemingly commenting on the suspicion and paranoia that was present during American McCarthyism. However, it does this by asking a question: which one in this otherwise innocuous diner happens to be an alien? Well, the twist is there’s two aliens. One, with three arms, is revealed to be serving as a scout, reporting back to Mars for an upcoming invasion of Earth. However, the diner’s cook is then revealed to be from Venus, and he’s quick to point out to the Martian that [“We got here first!”] Oh, and he reveals a very creepy third eye, just to hammer home that point.

“Time Enough at Last” (1959)
There are a number of quotes from “The Twilight Zone” that seem to be intrinsically linked with the show’s cultural legacy. Burgess Meredith’s Henry Bemis utters one such quote at the end of the 1959 episode, “Time Enough at Last.” The real creepiness behind Bemis’ situation (and Meredith’s line delivery) is the pure despair that’s in his voice. Bemis was already pushed around by most of those in his life prior to the nuclear weapon that annihilates the country. An earlier scene also showcased the extent of Bemis’ despair, as he contemplated taking his own life. So, when Henry cries out, “there was time now!” after breaking his glasses, we truly feel every ounce of fight leaving his body. And it’s bone-chilling.

“To Serve Man” (1962)
The closing twist to 1962’s “To Serve Man” may seem a little on-the-nose now, but it’s important to admire the context with which this line was written. America in the early 1960s was eagerly anticipating interstellar travel. The 1969 moon landing was still years away, and there was a lot of uncertainty as to who, or what, lay out there amongst the stars. As a result, various theories emerged about how aliens might contact us. “To Serve Man” lets us have our proverbial cake and eat it, too, as it initially presents an alien race as mankind’s saviors. Yet, when the aliens’ book, “To Serve Man,” is translated, their true intentions become disturbingly clear: they are more focused on deciding who’s for dinner.

“Eye of the Beholder” (1960)
“The Twilight Zone” stood out not just for its great writing, but also for the inventive special effects and remarkable make-up for its day. While episodes such as “The Masks” [xref] featured some eerie make-up for its cast, perhaps none of them had the same shocking impact as those used for 1960’s “Eye of the Beholder.” For it was this episode that traumatized an entire generation of children as it unveiled the “normal” faces of doctors who had attempted plastic surgery on a patient. The reveal of beautiful Donna Douglas as the “hideous” Janet Tyler makes sense when we see her surgeons. Their porcine features and sloping brows still haunt our nightmares to this day.

“Twenty Two” (1961)
There’s a number of reasons why this episode of “The Twilight Zone” feels so unsettling. For starters, it was shot on video, which gave it an otherworldly quality. Beyond this, however, the episode plays within a creative sandbox similar to the “Final Destination” franchise, in that its lead has ill-fated premonitions. Specifically, Liz Powell sees a very creepy nurse in a very creepy hospital that says a very creepy thing. And yes, it’s in a very creepy way, too, as the line, “room for one more, honey” takes on a new meaning at the episode’s climax. It turns out Liz Powell’s real danger lay not in a hospital morgue, but on the doomed plane trip that was Flight 22.

“Mirror Image” (1960)
What happens when the mirror looks back? The episode "Mirror Image" uses this idea to a profoundly creepy effect, as star Vera Miles begins to think her reflection is stalking her, and trying to take her place in the world. "Mirror Image" achieves its creep factor slowly, via the misplacement of Millicent Barnes' luggage, and disturbing shots of her reflection as she leaves a women's restroom. It all comes to a head near the end, however, when a fellow passenger at the bus stop where Millicent is waiting sees his own reflection in the flesh, and attempts to chase him down.

“Elegy” (1960)
Death is an eternal mystery, and the notion of it is usually creepy enough for the average person. "Elegy" takes this notion one step further, using a sci-fi setting to set up a galactic graveyard full of stoic corpses, frozen in what seems to be moments of eternal joy. It seems comforting at first, but the three astronauts who land in this cemetery are more confused than anything, until they run into the cemetery caretaker, Jeremy Wickwire. The trio is tricked by Wickwire into drinking "eternifying fluid," after which all three astronauts join the planet's silent statues, forever locked in this panorama of the deceased.

“Midnight Sun” (1961)
There's a palpable sense of panic and fear brought to the table by "The Midnight Sun". The last two neighbors in an apartment complex are brought together when the earth detaches from its orbit and begins moving closer to the sun. The episode remains in the apartment complex for its duration, and there's a sense of horrible claustrophobia as the pair not only fend off their own fears of death, but the more immediate threat of looting and violence outside. Combine this with a downbeat twist ending, and you have a "Twilight Zone" episode that still instills fear remarkably well, even decades later.

“Little Girl Lost” (1962)
Picture it: you're a parent, and you wake up in the middle of the night to screams from your frightened daughter. That situation alone is troubling enough, but add to it the fact that the child in "Little Girl Lost" seems nowhere to be found, and you have a parent's absolute worst nightmare. Although this "Twilight Zone" episode does have a happy ending, the early scenes featuring the disembodied pleas of a girl lost in a parallel dimension are beyond creepy, and help start the episode off at maximum tension.

“The After Hours” (1960)
If you suffer from pediophobia, don't watch "The After Hours" alone. Actually, you might not want to watch it at all, as it just so happens to be one of the creepiest installments in the entire series run. Shots of emotionless mannequin heads and scary, faceless voices punctuate the tale of a young woman who forgets she's actually part of the decor at the department store where she's shopping. In this episode's universe, mannequins are allowed one month out of the year to be human, but for some reason, Anne Francis' character needs to be reminded...by being frightened out of her wits, of course.

“Perchance to Dream” (1959)
Was this an influence for "A Nightmare on Elm Street?" Perhaps. "Perchance to Dream" features Richard Conte as a sleepless man who's terrified that his nightmares are out to get him. Conte hasn't slept in days, because when he does he's tormented by a creepy fun house. The nightmares also feature a seductive woman named Maya, and when he sees Maya's face in the real world, he jumps out of his psychiatrist's window in sheer panic. It's not until the end that we see that he has actually never left the doctor's couch, and died in his sleep.

“The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” (1960)
The spectre of McCarthyism looms large yet again in another episode of “The Twilight Zone,” this time with “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.” Paranoia and finger-pointing eventually devolve into complete chaos, as relationships are smashed within a local neighborhood, almost overnight. In fact, it’s the speed with which this violent escalation takes place that ties into the episode’s ending. In a shocking twist, it becomes clear that aliens had been manipulating the town’s fear and anger this whole time. Their sinister plan? To replicate this turmoil in one neighborhood after another. And another. And another. All on their way to total world domination.

“Night Call” (1964)
"Night Call" follows a series of scary, late night phone calls to a wheelchair-bound woman named Elva. A moaning voice on the line is disturbing enough, but when Elva learns that the calls have been coming from the cemetery, there's no dialing back the creepiness. The mystery man does eventually stop calling, but the tragic twist is that the calls have actually been coming from Elva's deceased fiancée, who died years ago from the same car accident that put Elva in her chair. Finally realizing this, Elva can only mourn her lost opportunity at speaking with her beloved one last time, adding a tinge of sadness to the terror.

“Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (1963)
Sure, the gremlin costume in this "Twilight Zone" episode may seem dated now, but it absolutely terrified audiences when it first aired in 1963. "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" is successful because of its near-perfect pacing, as it teases the gremlin as a product of William Shatner's fractured mental state. He sees it attempting to sabotage the plane, but no one believes him, and the gremlin's behavior on the wing is both humorous and disturbing. This episode receives many accolades from fans, and it's easy to see why, as Shatner's unhinged performance and the gremlin's still-creepy design make "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" a timeless classic.

“The Hitch-Hiker” (1960)
"The Hitch-Hiker" is often cited as one of the series' classic episodes, and with good reason – this one's an all out creep-fest. The dread is palpable as the episode's protagonist becomes increasingly panicked and paranoid about an old hitchhiker who appears all along her cross-country drive. Inger Stevens is brilliant in the role of Nan, while the titular hitchhiker delivers the scares, often appearing out of nowhere, jumping into frame with a sad, blank look on his face. Things get sadder still when we realize that Nan has actually been dead all along. It's suspenseful, disturbing stuff.

“Living Doll” (1963)
The O.G. of deadly doll nightmare-fuel, Talky Tina was giving audiences the creeps way back in 1963. Tina basically gives us the shivers from the first moment she appears, first as a loving doll to young Christie, then as the bane of her stepfather's existence. Tina taunts and threatens him incessantly with a malevolent, deadpan delivery, as he tries, in vain, to destroy the doll and get it out of the house. Finally, he trips over the doll, and falls down the stairs to his death, where he's discovered by his wife. Tina's final words? “My name is Talky Tina, and you’d better be nice to me.”