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

Ranker Horror
9.7k votes 833 voters 22.2k views 57 items

List Rules Vote 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 Seq... is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
PeteBoyle added The Human Centipede (First Sequence) Ashley C. Williams, Dieter Laser, Akihiro Kitamura "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. ...more

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Saw is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Saw Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Shawnee Smith Saw is a 2004 horror film written by Leigh Whannell and directed by James Wan, in Wan's directorial debut. In the film, Adam (Whannell) and Lawrence (Cary Elwes) awaken chained in a large ...more

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Saw II is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Saw II Emmanuelle Vaugier, Shawnee Smith, Dina Meyer Saw II is a 2005 Canadian-American horror film, a sequel to 2004's Saw and the second installment in the seven-part Saw franchise, directed and co-written by Darren Lynn Bousman. Co-written with ...more

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A Nightmare on Elm Street is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
A Nightmare on Elm Street Johnny Depp, Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American supernatural slasher horror film written and directed by Wes Craven, and the first film of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film stars ...more

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The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Gunnar Hansen, Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American slasher film, directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim ...more

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Final Destination is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Final Destination Ali Larter, Seann William Scott, Devon Sawa Final Destination is a 2000 American horror film directed by James Wong. It is the first installment of the Final Destination series. The screenplay was written by James Wong, Glen Morgan, and ...more

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The Hills Have Eyes is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
The Hills Have Eyes Dee Wallace, Michael Berryman, John Steadman The Hills Have Eyes is a 1977 American exploitation-horror film written and directed by Wes Craven and starring Susan Lanier, Michael Berryman and Dee Wallace. It is about a suburan family on a ...more

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Insidious is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Insidious Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Patrick Wilson Insidious is a 2011 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan, written by Leigh Whannell, and starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne and Barbara Hershey. It is the first installment ...more

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The Strangers is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
The Strangers Liv Tyler, Gemma Ward, Scott Speedman 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 ...more

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Hellraiser is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Hellraiser Doug Bradley, Andrew Robinson, Ashley Laurence 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.

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The Ring is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
The Ring Naomi Watts, Pauley Perrette, Brian Cox The Ring is a 2002 American psychological horror film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts. It is a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring, which was based on the novel Ring ...more

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Jeepers Creepers is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
dee123 added Jeepers Creepers Justin Long, Eileen Brennan, Victor Salva Jeepers Creepers is a 2001 American horror film written and directed by Victor Salva. The film takes its name from the 1938 song "Jeepers Creepers", which is featured in the film.

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House of 1000 Corpses is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
House of 1000 Corpses Rob Zombie, Chris Hardwick, Karen Black House of 1000 Corpses is a 2003 American exploitation horror film written, co-scored and directed by Rob Zombie, and starring Chris Hardwick, Rainn Wilson, Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon ...more

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Final Destination 2 is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Final Destination 2 Ali Larter, A. J. Cook, Sarah Carter 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 ...more

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The Exorcist is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
The Exorcist Max von Sydow, Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair 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 ...more

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Misery is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Misery Lauren Bacall, Kathy Bates, James Caan Misery is a 1990 American psychological thriller film based on Stephen King's 1987 novel of the same name and starring James Caan, Kathy Bates, Lauren Bacall, Richard Farnsworth, and Frances ...more

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The Cabin in the Woods is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
The Cabin in the Woods Chris Hemsworth, Sigourney Weaver, Amy Acker The Cabin in the Woods is a 2012 American horror comedy film directed by Drew Goddard in his directorial debut, produced by Joss Whedon, and written by Whedon and Goddard. The film stars Kristen ...more

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Final Destination 5 is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Final Destination 5 David Koechner, Tony Todd, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood 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 ...more

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It is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
go_sullivan added It Tim Curry, Seth Green, John Ritter It is a 1990 psychological horror/drama miniseries based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. The story revolves around an inter-dimensional predatory life-form, which has the ability to ...more

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Dawn of the Dead is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Dawn of the Dead Ving Rhames, Ty Burrell, Kevin Zegers Dawn of the Dead 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 ...more

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Wrong Turn is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Wrong Turn Eliza Dushku, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Kevin Zegers 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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The Shining is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
The Shining Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers The Shining is a 1980 British-American psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, ...more

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The Amityville Horror is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
The Amityville Horror James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger The Amityville Horror is a 1979 American supernatural horror film, directed by Stuart Rosenberg, based on Jay Anson's bestselling 1977 novel of the same name. It is the first film in the ...more

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The Evil Dead is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
The Evil Dead Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi The Evil Dead is a 1981 American horror film written and directed by Sam Raimi and executive produced by Raimi and Bruce Campbell, who also stars alongside Ellen Sandweiss and Betsy Baker. The ...more

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Halloween is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Halloween Jamie Lee Curtis, Kyle Richards, Donald Pleasence 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 ...more

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Paranormal Activity is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Paranormal Activity Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Randy McDowell 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 ...more

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Final Destination 3 is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Final Destination 3 Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Cory Monteith, Tony Todd Final Destination 3 is a 2006 American horror film, and the third installment of the Final Destination franchise. It was directed and co-written by James Wong, who also directed and co-wrote the ...more

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The Last House on the Left is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
The Last House on the Left Martin Kove, Steve Miner, Fred J. Lincoln The Last House on the Left is a 1972 American exploitation-horror film written, edited, and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Sean S. Cunningham. The story is inspired by the 1960 Swedish ...more

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The Silence of the Lambs is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
The Silence of the Lambs Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Chris Isaak The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American thriller film that blends elements of the crime and horror genres. Directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, and Scott ...more

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Drag Me to Hell is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Drag Me to Hell Octavia Spencer, Justin Long, Lia Johnson Drag Me to Hell is a 2009 American horror film co-written and directed by Sam Raimi. The plot, written with his brother Ivan, focuses on loan officer Christine Brown, who reluctantly, under ...more

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House on Haunted Hill is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
dee123 added House on Haunted Hill Ali Larter, Famke Janssen, Geoffrey Rush House on Haunted Hill is a 1999 American horror film, directed by William Malone and starring Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Taye Diggs, Ali Larter and Jeffrey Combs. It also includes a cameo ...more

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Saw VII is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
adenbuettner added Saw VII Betsy Russell, Chester Bennington, Cary Elwes Saw VII is 2010 horror film written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton and directed by Kevin Greutert.

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Psycho is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Psycho Alfred Hitchcock, Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins Psycho is a 1960 Psychological thriller and horror film written by Joseph Stefano and directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

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The Devil's Rejects is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
The Devil's Rejects Diamond Dallas Page, Danny Trejo, Ginger Lynn The Devil's Rejects is a 2005 American horror film written and directed by Rob Zombie, and the sequel to his 2003 film House of 1000 Corpses. The film is centered on the run of three members of ...more

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Scream is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Scream Drew Barrymore, Rose McGowan, Courteney Cox Scream is a 1996 American slasher film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, and David Arquette. Released on ...more

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John Carpenter's The Fog is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
dee123 added John Carpenter's The Fog Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, Tom Welling The Fog is a 1980 American horror film directed by John Carpenter, who also co-wrote the screenplay and composed the music for the film. It stars Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, ...more

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Slither is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Slither Elizabeth Banks, Jenna Fischer, Rob Zombie Slither is a 2006 American science fiction-comedy horror film written and directed by James Gunn in his directorial debut, and starring Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Gregg Henry, and Michael ...more

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When a Stranger Calls is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
When a Stranger Calls Camilla Belle, Katie Cassidy, Tessa Thompson When a Stranger Calls is a 2006 American horror thriller film directed by Simon West and written by Jake Wade Wall. The film stars Camilla Belle, Tommy Flanagan, Katie Cassidy and Clark Gregg. ...more

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The Haunting is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
The Haunting Catherine Zeta-Jones, Liam Neeson, Owen Wilson The Haunting is a 1999 remake of the 1963 horror film of the same name. Both films are based on the novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, published in 1959. The Haunting was ...more

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Child's Play is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Child's Play Brad Dourif, Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon Child's Play is a 1988 American horror film directed by Tom Holland, written by Tom Holland, Don Mancini, and John Lafia, and starring Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Alex Vincent, and Brad ...more

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The Thing is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
MaxwellForssberg added The Thing Kurt Russell, Keith David, John Carpenter The Thing is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter, written by Bill Lancaster, and starring Kurt Russell. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a ...more

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House of Wax is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
House of Wax Paris Hilton, Elisha Cuthbert, Jared Padalecki House of Wax is a 2005 American-Australian horror film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and stars Chad Michael Murray, Elisha Cuthbert, Brian Van Holt, Paris Hilton, Jared Padalecki, Jon Abrahams, ...more

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Urban Legend is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
dee123 added Urban Legend Jared Leto, Tara Reid, Alicia Witt Urban Legend is a 1998 slasher film starring Jared Leto and Alicia Witt. The film is based on the premise that a killer is using the methods of death described in certain urban legends as a ...more

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Scream 2 is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
dee123 added Scream 2 Sarah Michelle Gellar, Courteney Cox, Heather Graham Scream 2 is a 1997 American slasher film created and written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven, starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie ...more

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The Lost Boys is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
The Lost Boys Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman, Corey Haim The Lost Boys is a 1987 American teen horror film starring Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Dianne Wiest, Edward Herrmann, Alex Winter, Jamison Newlander, ...more

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Child's Play 2 is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Child's Play 2 Jenny Agutter, Brad Dourif, Beth Grant Child's Play 2 is a 1990 American horror film, the sequel to Child's Play, written by Don Mancini and directed by John Lafia. It was released on November 9, 1990, exactly two years after the ...more

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Cape Fear is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Cape Fear Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange Cape Fear is a 1991 American psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and a remake of the 1962 film of the same name. It stars Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange and ...more

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The Blob is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
dee123 added The Blob Erika Eleniak, Shawnee Smith, Julie McCullough The Blob is a 1988 monster horror film written by Chuck Russell and Frank Darabont, and directed by Russell. It stars Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn, Candy Clark and ...more

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Army of Darkness is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Army of Darkness Bridget Fonda, Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi Army of Darkness is a 1992 American dark fantasy action comedy film directed by Sam Raimi. It is the third installment of The Evil Dead franchise. The film was written by Sam Raimi and his ...more

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Child's Play 3 is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list Horror Movie Set-Ups You'd Least Like to Be Trapped In
Child's Play 3 Brad Dourif, Catherine Hicks, Perrey Reeves Child's Play 3 is a 1991 horror film. It is the third installment in the Child's Play series, with Brad Dourif returning as the voice of Chucky. Although released only one year later, the story ...more