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

Updated March 8, 2020 12.7k votes 1.1k voters 29.0k views64 items

List RulesVote for the horror film premises you want no part of

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.

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The Human Centipede (First Sequence)
Ashley C. Williams, Dieter Laser
Released: 2009
Directed by: Tom Six
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538
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Saw
Danny Glover, Monica Potter
Released: 2004
Directed by: James Wan
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412
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Saw II
Emmanuelle Vaugier, Shawnee Smith
Released: 2005
Directed by: Darren Lynn Bousman
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The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Gunnar Hansen, Marilyn Burns
Released: 1974
Directed by: Tobe Hooper
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The Hills Have Eyes
Dee Wallace, Michael Berryman
Released: 1977
Directed by: Wes Craven
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A Nightmare on Elm Street
Johnny Depp, Robert Englund
Released: 1984
Directed by: Wes Craven
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Final Destination
Ali Larter, Seann William Scott
Released: 2000
Directed by: James Wong
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The Ring
Naomi Watts, Pauley Perrette
Released: 2002
Directed by: Gore Verbinski
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House of 1000 Corpses
Rob Zombie, Chris Hardwick
Released: 2003
Directed by: Rob Zombie
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The Cabin in the Woods
Chris Hemsworth, Sigourney Weaver
Released: 2012
Directed by: Drew Goddard
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The Strangers
Liv Tyler, Gemma Ward
Released: 2008
Directed by: Bryan Bertino
The Strangers is a 2008 American horror film written and directed by Bryan Bertino and starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman as a young couple who are terrorized by three masked assailants, who break... more
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It
Tim Curry, Seth Green
Released: 1990
Directed by: Tommy Lee Wallace
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Misery
Lauren Bacall, Kathy Bates
Released: 1990
Directed by: Rob Reiner
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Hellraiser
Doug Bradley, Andrew Robinson
Released: 1987
Directed by: Clive Barker
Hellraiser is a 1987 British horror film written and directed by Clive Barker, based upon his own novella The Hellbound Heart. The film spawned a series of sequels.... more
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Final Destination 2
Ali Larter, A. J. Cook
Released: 2003
Directed by: David R. Ellis
Final Destination 2 is a 2003 supernatural American horror film directed by David R. Ellis. The screenplay by J. Mackye Gruber and Eric Bress was from a story by Gruber, Bress, and series creator... more
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Jeepers Creepers
Justin Long, Eileen Brennan
Released: 2001
Directed by: Victor Salva
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The Exorcist
Max von Sydow, Ellen Burstyn
Released: 1973
Directed by: William Friedkin
The Exorcist is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted by William Peter Blatty from his 1971 novel of the same name. The book, inspired by the 1949 exorcism... more
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Dawn of the Dead
Ving Rhames, Ty Burrell
Released: 2004
Directed by: Zack Snyder
This film is a 2004 American horror film directed by Zack Snyder in his feature film directorial debut. A remake of George A. Romero's 1978 film of the same name, it is written by James Gunn and... more
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Insidious
Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey
Released: 2010
Directed by: James Wan
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Wrong Turn
Eliza Dushku, Emmanuelle Chriqui
Released: 2003
Directed by: Rob Schmidt
Wrong Turn is a 2003 American horror film directed by Rob Schmidt and written by Alan B. McElroy. The film was shot in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and starred Desmond Harrington, Eliza Dushku,... more
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Final Destination 5
David Koechner, Tony Todd
Released: 2011
Directed by: Steven Quale
Final Destination 5 is a 2011 American horror film written by Eric Heisserer and directed by Steven Quale. It is the fifth installment of the Final Destination franchise. It stars Nicholas D'Agosto,... more
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Halloween
Jamie Lee Curtis, Kyle Richards
Released: 1978
Directed by: John Carpenter
Halloween is a 1978 American independent slasher horror film directed and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with producer Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film... more
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Saw VII
Betsy Russell, Chester Bennington
Released: 2010
Directed by: Kevin Greutert
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Paranormal Activity
Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat
Released: 2007
Directed by: Oren Peli
Paranormal Activity is a 2007 American supernatural horror film written, co-produced, photographed, edited, and directed by Oren Peli. The film centers on a young couple, Katie and Micah, who are... more
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Crawl
Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper
Released: 2019
Directed by: Alexandre Aja
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