Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In

Over 1.1K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
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Vote for the horror film premises you want no part of
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List of the horror movie set-ups you’d least like to be trapped in, as ranked by horror movie fans. The scariest part of most horror movies is not the jump scares or the demonic mask of the creepy serial killer.The real most terrifying aspect of any given horror movie is imagining yourself stuck in that setting and situation. A haunted house run by a maniacal butler is never scarier than when you’re visualizing yourself within those ghostly walls. Would you be able to survive a crazy serial killer with a chain saw that never seems to run out of juice? Will you be able to be smarter than the dozens of characters who get an ax to the head?

This list of horror movie premises you want no part of covers the top horror movies you would not want to be stuck in, even in your wildest nightmare. These movies have inescapable villains- from a disturbing dead girl stuck in a video tape to death himself- making it far less likely that you’d survive within that horror movie universe.

What horror movie set-ups would you least like to be stuck in? This list features scenarios like serial killer toys to walking, flesh-eating dead folks, none of which you would ever want to meet face-to-face. If your favorite horror movie premise isn't on the list, make sure to add it.

Ranked by
  • The Human Centipede (First Sequence)
    1
    Ashley C. Williams, Dieter Laser, Akihiro Kitamura
    512 votes
    • Released: 2009
    • Directed by: Tom Six
    "Outside the more outré work of Takashi Miike and David Cronenberg, you won’t have seen anything quite like Dutch avant-garde artist Tom Six’s totally bizarre off-the-wall oddity. Internationally respected Siamese twin surgeon Dr. Josef Heiter has a demented vision for mankind’s future existence. He wants to remove human beings’ kneecaps so they have to exist on all fours and then surgically graft them mouth-to-anus to form a centipede chain.
  • Saw
    2
    Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter
    502 votes
    • Released: 2004
    • Directed by: James Wan
    In the heart-pounding horror-thriller Saw, two men, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) and Adam Stanheight (Leigh Whannell), wake up in a dilapidated bathroom with no memory of how they arrived there. They soon discover they're pawns in a deadly game orchestrated by the notorious serial killer, Jigsaw (Tobin Bell). As their grim surroundings start to reveal horrific clues, they must solve riddles and endure unthinkable physical torment to survive. Directed by James Wan, this film is a chilling exploration of human survival instincts that redefined the horror genre and spawned a long-running franchise.

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  • Saw II
    3
    Donnie Wahlberg, Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith
    376 votes
    • Released: 2005
    • Directed by: Darren Bousman
    On the hunt for the twisted vigilante and serial killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) and his team must apprehend the elusive murderer to rescue eight people trapped in an abandoned house, before they succumb to his torturous and murderous games. One twist to this task is that Matthews' own son, Daniel (Erik Knudsen), is among the eight people Jigsaw has chosen to test for their lack of morality. With nerve gas pumping through the house, every second counts.

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  • The Hills Have Eyes
    4
    Suze Lanier-Bramlett, Robert Houston, James Whitworth
    297 votes
    • Released: 1977
    • Directed by: Wes Craven
    In The Hills Have Eyes, a chilling horror flick directed by Wes Craven, the Carter family, led by Big Bob (Russ Grieve), embarks on a road trip across a desolate US desert. Unbeknownst to them, they are venturing into the hunting grounds of a cannibalistic mutant clan, residing in the hills. A wrong turn lands them in gruesome peril as they fight for survival against these horrifying predators. The movie won praise for its raw depiction of terror, and Michael Berryman's portrayal of Pluto became an iconic figure in horror cinema.

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  • A Nightmare on Elm Street
    5
    John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Heather Langenkamp
    357 votes
    • Released: 1984
    • Directed by: Wes Craven
    In the chilling horror classic A Nightmare on Elm Street, Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) finds herself tormented by a monstrous figure in her dreams. This spectral menace, known as Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), wears a bladed glove and leaves a trail of terror in his wake. As teens in her town start dying mysteriously, Nancy realizes the peril is not confined to her nightmares. Directed by Wes Craven, this film weaves a web of psychological terror that blurs the lines between dream and reality. The movie was so impactful that it spawned a franchise of sequels, solidifying its place in horror cinema history.

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  • Final Destination
    6
    Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith
    345 votes
    • Released: 2000
    • Directed by: James Wong
    In Final Destination, a gripping tale of survival and fate unfolds. The movie pivots around the central character Alex Browning (Devon Sawa), a high school student who experiences a premonition of a disastrous plane crash. When his vision becomes reality, he and several other survivors find themselves caught in an eerie sequence of life-threatening events. Directed by James Wong, this horror-thriller delves into the concept of death's design, creating a chilling atmosphere that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. The film is known for its innovative plot and suspense-driven narrative, marking it as a standout within its genre.

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