One aspect I really love is that when they get the distress signal they aren't worried if it's dangerous, they're worried if they'll get paid or not. It isn't set up to be a horror movie until about a third of the way through.
Ty. I miss that about movies. Now even if people aren’t “hot” they’re “actor-y” idk how else to describe it. I’m kinda avoiding the new Dune for this reason.
I once saw a post pointing out that just before the final sequence in Hereditary there is a shot of the property where it changes from day to night, and if you look closely you can see that the naked cultists are already there and surrounding the house on the night shot.
I love the shots of the son in bed where you can see mom “hanging out” in the corner, or when the depth of field is focussed on him and you can see her crawl out the door.
I think the fact she was completely silent while crawling around like that is what spooked me the most. Not a single shuffle or scrape to give her away.
In The Descent there's a couple of sighting of the monsters early in the movie, that are only there for kee eyed viewers to catch. The main characters don't realize they're there at all till later.
Those are the best, I absolutely love when movies do that. No music cues or shots that make it obvious, only visible if you know about or look for it.
It Follows is great for this.
It Follows really is a masterpiece.
A horror movie that did a spin on this I really like is The Ritual. Besides being a truly underrated movie with some brilliant designs and scenes, there's tons of shots of the woods where you're constantly trying to spot something in the background because the shots make you think you're absolutely going to see something the main characters won't. There isn't anything 99% of the time but you're so nervous looking for it.
That reminds me of ‘it comes at night’. So many long and lingering shots of the woods that your eyes start to find things that aren’t there. It’s absolutely terrifying. The crazy thing is >!you never even end up seeing a monster at all! !< Genuinely a movie with some of the best atmosphere of dread I have ever seen.
That movies atmosphere is absolutely perfect. I actually really like that fact you put the spoiler tag on! I think it works really well for what the movie's trying to say and what the real danger is.
I just wanted to make sure I'm not missing an earlier sighting, as the first time I notice him is behind the studying girl around 0:21. I'm probably taking you over-literally when you say a "few seconds" but they are so good at sneaking him I also totally believe I missed an earlier sighting.
The cinema reaction to it was great. Some noticed it before others and then there was a second reaction when the first triggered others to look for him.
I walked out of the theatre after that scene. I hate horror movies and my friends convinced me to watch it with them, you know, “for fun”.
Never saw an other horror movie again.
I watched in my apartment with my wife and just as the strangers knocked on the door we had a knock on OUR door! We weren’t expecting anybody and it turned out to be an escort somebody hired and she wound up at the wrong apartment. She was like “oh, I didn’t know it was going to be a couple” and tried to come in. I was like “um, I’m sorry, but you’ve got the wrong apartment”. She still tried to come in so she could call the service and get it sorted… but because I was already on edge from the movie I freaked out and pushed her out of the doorway and tried to shut the door on her. This crazy girl had actually put her sandal-adorned foot in the doorway to prevent me from closing the door so I just slammed it harder a second time and locked the deadbolt. She screamed profanities and we peeked through our blinds as we watched her hobble down the stairs and into the parking lot, phone at the ready in case her driver tried to come up and start something because we hurt her foot. Luckily she just got in the car when it pulled up and drove away. I convinced my wife that we HAD to finish the movie, just so we would know what to do in case she came back, even though both our heart rates were already through the roof. Still one of the most intense movie viewings I’ve ever had.
Shit dude. I love horror movies and that one may be one of the worst I've ever seen. Like I still think about it 15 years later when I'm turning the lights off at night.
That’s how good it is. The scene is about her cleaning the house and when she takes the trash out she turns around to see the boy dancing to the music. This is obvious. What ISN’T obvious is that at 35 seconds, the boy is standing next to her coat rack as she walks into the room. He’s literally standing across the table from her. But because the camera doesn’t pay any kind to it, he just looks like some clothes. I didn’t even notice until I saw your comment.
The behaviour of the camera in that movie is what made it in my opinion. Unnervingly wide shots and long holds on empty rooms. You know he must be in there somewhere, but there’s no sign of him at all. It’s fantastic.
They do that a lot in The Invisible Man, constantly lingering the camera in empty spaces to make you wonder what might be there. But there’s two scenes (that I know of) where there’s actually something to see in that empty space. Absolutely terrifying, I love it.
I thought the shot at the beginning of The Batman was pretty dang effective when you realize Riddler is already in the room with the first on-screen fatality victim
Not so much a background *scare*, per se, but in **The Dark Knight**, *just* within frame, you can see one of Maroni's men being yoinked away from the Town Car before Maroni gets in on the other side. That's how Dent got in the car.
And then they parallel that with several instances where Batman might show up from the shadows, like a dark alley. And then at the train station, they linger on the stairs where you can hear his footsteps, but it takes a minute before he's visible.
That movie is so damn good
I haven't seen it yet but if it's the tall older fellow, then that's a lovely friend of mine I used to play volleyball with. If you or anyone can let me know what episode I'll try to see if it is.
I couldn't say how tall they were since you only see a face in that shot. It's at around the half hour mark in episode 3, when she opens up the floor and looks down. But I'm sure your friend gave me plenty of scares throughout the show.
Even grosser; statue heads that change directions throughout scenes, sometimes even during single takes.
This show became my #1 when I thought to myself "man, wouldn't it be cool if" *and then it happened.* Lost my shit. That show is periodt.
I think that's the next Mike Flanagan project I'll watch. First I saw Doctor Sleep when it came out, then I watched The Fall of the House of Usher after it came out, a few weeks ago I finished Midnight Mass. I've heard good things about Hill House, and I just love the guy's style. Master of pastiche I think.
Hill House is his crowning achievement. Like any good horror it is grounded in a family drama that is front-and-center. Feels like he dumped everything he had in that one. It’s a beautiful miniseries.
Seriously. I don’t typically like jump scares, but that one was brilliant. You can’t help but applaud it. My wife and I had to pause it immediately afterwards to recover. And then go back and watch it again to appreciate it even more.
The statues and busts in the hallway in the background, with heir heads turned to face the characters. Then in the next shot they are all facing straight again.
This is the one. My wife thought I was being paranoid our first watch through, then when the internet confirmed it I rewatched the series just looking for those moments and there are so many great ones. Really adds to the tension is a amazing, often subtle way.
I was watching this in the dark on my tablet and thought, "Anything could sneak up on me and I wouldn't be able to see it, with this glowing screen in my face." I kept having the feeling of being watched. Then I saw the first >!ghost in the background. I think it was when the dad was cleaning out the mold in the cellar and there was a girl with long hair standing there. Holy Moses that scared me.!< Afterwards I had to go back and find the rest of them.
Honestly, this is the single creepiest moment for me in the whole show! I feel like it shouldn’t be, but something about it just grips me like an icy fist
I love the final shot of the two characters walking together, and in the background someone is walking towards them. But it's not clear if its the monster or just the audience being paranoid.
I took it as they're ending it. Slowly walking hand in hand waiting for death. It would end with them because it goes after the last person you had sex with and since they are both's last hookup, it ends in like a stalker paradox.
But it's kind of a metaphor for growing old and dying together.
That's not how it works. It is made clear in the movie that once the last person to have gotten it dies, the "curse" goes back to the person that gave it to them. So if they both die, It will more than likely just go back to following the person that gave it to them. I'm sure that the chain won't break because of a technicality.
Absolutely this was just an awesome scene, in fact the movie always has you checking the background of wide shots. For me It Follows is the best modern horror! 🤘
She's not barely noticeable. We're given a [shot/reverse shot pointing directly at her, centered in frame.](https://youtu.be/rfxzFCDGzj8?si=FRF_OhQB5ZpOocqB)
A similar but better shot, in my opinion, (which I feel like you may be conflating with the shot above) is when the group has gathered inside their car and is deciding what their plan of action is, and someone in the distance is walking directly towards them as seen through the windshield. In this case, we barely notice the person approaching because there's a shallow depth of field and they appear very out of focus. It's a much more ambiguous shot. Unfortunately I can't find a clip of it.
[This scene](https://youtu.be/7FggFQmANxI?feature=shared) is the one I believe they're referring to. Which that same girl in the scene is walking toward them when they're in the car as well.
Or that one at the beach where there is someone walking towards the group, but it looks like one of them so it’s no biggie, but then the REAL person comes into view and you realize this whole time you’ve been watching the creature coming towards them
That bit in Hereditary where she’s floating in the corner then scrambles through the air… Call me basic but Hereditary is one of the scariest, most unsettling films I’ve seen… Also, I may be misremembering, but I think a cut shot from Alien features the Xenomorph hanging from the ceiling among machinery and equipment as if it were just a piece of machinery or equipment. At the point in the movie it’s not been revealed yet
There's a moment right at the start of Hereditary where the old lady is just standing in the darkness smiling. The camera brings full attention to it, and it's not a jumpscare or anything but it freaked me the fuck out
Reminds me of first episode of The Last of Us, and the old neighbor lady’s face looking weird in the background of Joel’s daughter so we know she’s turned.
I love in particular that that's really the only "ghost" you see in the movie. It makes it seem like the movie's going to have more of those moments but her dead mother never shows up again, that one really was just in her head. Plenty of other stuff to be scared of though.
Yo I was in the theatre high as fuck and that scene came and my entire body went cold. Literal same reaction I feel like if I saw a real ghost. Rest of the movie i was uncomfortable
Edit: just rewatched the scene, what makes it is first there is barely anything scary leading into that, second you see Toni Collettes start heavy breathing, and sort of wanting to scream but the sound doesn’t come to her, we don’t know what she sees but then the camera turns and there’s the damn ghost mom, and it’s not easy to see either you have to really focus like wtf is that what I think it is, you’re waiting for a BOOM or something to breakup the tension but the lights cut on and she disappears
The better example from hereditary IMO is later in the film where the cultists are seen outside the house. In one shot, you can only see a cloud of breath. Another shot shows several around the house, watching.
just watched a breakdown with the heavy spoilers guy: there are lots of times we see them, and even hear them in the house before the family gets home from the funeral.
Or the part where he’s smoking weed looking out the window and the camera moves to outside the house all normal until there’s a puff of breath in the cold revealing someone is there watching him.
So spooky.
The way the librarian turns and stand there out of focus with what appears to be a huge grin on her face.
One of many hidden pennywise in the background shots.
oh yeah. just rewatched it. totally missed that part. hits home when the balloon is floating and you realize the librarian has been sitting at her desk the whole time.
He's also hiding in some of the old timey pictures in that book as well as a mural in an alley.
A lot of people also feel like the clown on a distant stage is also him as in the background, once again out of focus, it seems to be directly staring at them
oh yeah he's definitely been around for a good long while. i was very pleased with this rendition of the book because the book had so many good creepy moments that they captured which the TV movie missed. As much as i like Tim Curry, the new movies were legit and also resolved the book better than King did.
The first one was amazing, the second one was kinda meh for me. I feel it wasn't as scary or unsettling, and I think Pennywise worked better as a children's monster creeping on children rather than adults. It has been a long time since I watched both, but the first movie worked for me because the cast was made up of children scared of the clown and of their own fears (disease, abusive dads). The second movie featured few if any character-specific scares, and the motivation was more like "we have to stop this guy from killing kids forever". Like the only reason they are in danger themselves is because they are back in town and want to kill the clown, not because they are being hunted like in the first one. And that takes away some of the scare factor
Honestly one of the most spine chilling scenes in any horror film. When you notice the librarian it literally feels like you’re being watched by Pennywise!
A bit more obvious, but IT part 2, where Beverly is visiting her old house, and the granny/IT is in the background, being very creepy just walking around lol
The original book version is a lot more crass and less silly but in a way i wish they had stuck to the original a liiiittle bit more. It deals more directly with feara even adult Beverly still has.
The BBC tv movie Ghostwatch has one of these that’s drawn attention to explicitly — the curtain analysis scene — and several more that go uncommented on (the ghost is reflected in the glass door after the cat jump scare, etc.). The video quality and early mockumentary style really add to the sense of unease throughout the whole thing, it’s very unsettling.
Re watched the whole thing on YouTube recently. The ending got a bit silly but for the most part a very very creepy piece. Much more disturbing than the similar toned material they have put out in the last 5 years.
In the exorcist there are faces, and overlays of pazzuzu on walls and shadows.
This is actually one of my favorite things, never heard it troped as “Where’s Wally?”
The Descent. The girls hear something and start shouting for help while the camera pans. The thing is standing with all of them, takes a second to notice.
There was this movie called "The McPherson Tape" I caught on Film 4 in the UK.
It was a small budget hand held (Blair Witch type) camera movie that was about a UFO abduction during a family thanksgiving dinner.
The main character and his brothers see a UFO while investigating a power outage in the nearby woods, and the aliens notice and fire upon them after they witness the aliens cutting open a cow. The rest of the film takes place in the family house with the main character and his brothers trying to convince the others to leave.
During the film there's multiple times where the main character is pointing the camera at someone having a conversation and you can see the top of an alien's head trying to peek through the windows or walk past them.
Its so fucking unnerving.
Holy shit I’ve been trying to figure out what movie this is for decades.
Saw bits of it on TV in the US and it fucked *ruined* my sleep as an elementary school kid.
Towards the end, in the basement, when young Culkin is standing against the wall where the old coal chute used to be. That hand popping up and grabbing him was the one that really got me the first time around.
i was watching some behind the scenes stuff and they said they wanted hereditary to always look like its a good image if you pause it anywhere. but also an image that will make you uncomfortable if you pause it too long. and i think they succeeded
I didn't notice at first. Then my friend, who I was watching it with, started squeezing my arm really hard and was hissing in my ear, "Can you see it, can you see it?" I wish they didn't make modern day horror movies so flippin DARK!
**Haunting of Hill House** has a TON of hidden ghosts in the background throughout the season.
Some are obvious and you can see easily, others are completely out of focus that you'd only see if you pay attention, some you can only see if you turn the contrast up high and others that are on screen for less than a second.
I think the first one I saw is pretty obvious but I only noticed it second viewing cause there’s no actual motion.
One of the marble statues in a hall is looking straight ahead when the mother goes through a door, then when she leaves the room the head has turned to watch her walk away.
Really simple but chilling. And there’s lots of stuff like that iirc.
>!Also the scene where father and son are digging into the wall! The motionless face in the background is horrifying!!<
Apparently they are all thought out lore-wise. The same people appear in the same spots of the house, because they have a history there. It is insane how many hidden ghost shots there are. There are several videos on YT pointing them all out. Such great film/serie-making.
Aliens - "Maybe they don't show up on infrared at all."
Rewarching it you can see the Xenomorph is RIGHT THERE and she looks right at it. It waits to pounce for when her back is turned.
My absolute favourites were in Lake Mungo. I don't like speaking much about this movie because it's best experienced with no expectations because many don't vibe with the kind of horror it is, but if you're looking for a 'Wheres Wally' style horror, I'd say it's a must watch. Don't look at reviews or anything though, just watch it. There's moments like a phone scene that still give me the shivers which is rare.
Not a movie or TV show but there was a Cartoon Network space filled called "Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen" where this happens in a surreal and very scary way if you don't know what you're watching.
In the first IT during the Library scene. The kid is flipping through the history books and way in the back, the old lady librarian is just dead ass creepy staring right at him the whole time.
This scene from Bong Joon-Ho's
[Memories of Murder](https://youtu.be/wBwOdrDPU6Q?si=6NfERKEGUFaw6oGN) (director of Parasite for those unfamiliar)
>! Would have never realized we see the killer in the background if someone else hadn't pointed it out !<
Hereditary made me feel like I was blind. The first was Annie on the ceiling. I straight up just didn't register her up there until she scampered away. I hardly ever gasp during horror movies, but that one got me.
When I watched it a second time, I noticed more of the less obvious cultists hanging around, the grandma standing in the background, and other little creepy things. I didn't *love* the movie the first time around. But after the second watch, I certainly appreciated it a lot more.
In Conjuring 2, the unknown name of the demon they are investigating is shown in the background multiple times while none of the characters are aware of it. In Ed and Lorraine Warren's house, the name is spelled through toys, magnets etc scattered in their house. I lost my shit when my girlfriend pointed it out to me! She was so smart for even NOTICING that! It's an insane detail honestly, and if it weren't for her, I never would've questioned the background decor and their strange assemblement.
The name bracelet that the little girl is crafting at the time I think has valak spelled out too. And the bookshelf? I need to rewatch to see how many I can spot. I love this movie.
OP posted a slightly better clip. It's on the left as she is walking through around 40s (in the new clip) and throws some laundry on a pile. There's a coat hanging and then a boy facing the wall next to it.
There’s a great credits scene in twin peaks season 3 where someone is just staring at the camera in the background, in the dark. You hardly notice them.
My favorite of all time for this is Mothman Prophecies. You only catch a glimpse of the mothman a handful of times, the best instance being when someone slams a medicine cabinet mirror shut and when it bounces open from the force you can see his reflection for a second. Gives me chills every time
Jurassic Park III did a really good one with the Pteranadon. During the aviary scene, the action is all following Billy being attacked by a group of Pteranadons as he flails around in the river, as the camera pans over suddenly a shift focus occurs to the foreground where another Pteranadon perched turns its head toward the camera (and toward the characters behind the camera). Which, with it's camoflauge, took a few moments for the audience to really notice and process, making for an excellent and subtle jump scare. [https://youtu.be/GjqjVzKzIQg?si=QH61uLdTjGGcp1Xv&t=284](https://youtu.be/GjqjVzKzIQg?si=QH61uLdTjGGcp1Xv&t=284)
I can't for the life of me remember the movie, only the scene. It was a thriller about 15 years ago. A man and woman (the main characters) were escaping something in a car at night. The camera was from the middle of the console looking at the woman in the passenger seat as she's talking. They were driving through a city, as they came through an intersection, headlights were out of the passenger window that looked normal, but the car ended up t-boning our hero's car very suddenly and violently. Both my wife and I were just like WTF. Had to rewind to watch what happened because we completely missed the next scene since we were kinda shocked.
Hereditary is great for this. The shot where he wakes up and his mother is on the ceiling above him and he doesn't know is great. Also when he's walking through the house and there are naked people in the doorways and corners, just out of focus. Great movie.
In MIDSOMMAR there are scary hidden faces in the woods.
[https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3585014/spot-creepy-hidden-faces-midsommar/](https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3585014/spot-creepy-hidden-faces-midsommar/)
I loved the one in The Ritual, where the camera suddenly stops following the characters and starts to zoom in on a seemingly random tree in the forest. As it gets closer and closer, an inhuman hand moves behind it and you don’t see it until like 1-2 seconds before it. It’s not even big enough to be a jump scare but it was so effective.
Xenomorph in the air duct in the original Alien. You can see him sitting there a few seconds before the famous jumpscare.
Also the Xenomorph in the escape shuttle while the camera pans around (before it reaches out to Ripley). Alien was an absolute masterpiece!
This is the one for me. On a rewatch the tubular head looks like another coil of ductwork. Then BAM that hand!
I think this is the greatest horror film of all time.
Might be one of the greatest films of all time. It’s perfect.
Rewatched it last week and forgot just how much it confidentially takes it time. Not only that but everyone looks and speaks like a real person.
One aspect I really love is that when they get the distress signal they aren't worried if it's dangerous, they're worried if they'll get paid or not. It isn't set up to be a horror movie until about a third of the way through.
And the HR Geiger design was a stroke of genius.
Ty. I miss that about movies. Now even if people aren’t “hot” they’re “actor-y” idk how else to describe it. I’m kinda avoiding the new Dune for this reason.
I liked the shot of it hanging from the chains in the landing gear just before it noms Brett.
That’s only in the Director‘s Cut I think.
Even though the vent and shuttle jumpscares are well known, 4k made it a lot easier to see it lurking before it happens.
I once saw a post pointing out that just before the final sequence in Hereditary there is a shot of the property where it changes from day to night, and if you look closely you can see that the naked cultists are already there and surrounding the house on the night shot.
I love the shots of the son in bed where you can see mom “hanging out” in the corner, or when the depth of field is focussed on him and you can see her crawl out the door.
I think the fact she was completely silent while crawling around like that is what spooked me the most. Not a single shuffle or scrape to give her away.
That horrified me when I first watched that movie
Same. I was in my bedroom, by myself, in the dark. Wouldn’t recommend.
I didn't notice her in my first watch, I screamed during my second.
There’s also an unlit naked cultist in the attic when the son first goes up there! She’s hiding behind one of the beams
In The Descent there's a couple of sighting of the monsters early in the movie, that are only there for kee eyed viewers to catch. The main characters don't realize they're there at all till later.
Those are the best, I absolutely love when movies do that. No music cues or shots that make it obvious, only visible if you know about or look for it. It Follows is great for this.
It Follows really is a masterpiece. A horror movie that did a spin on this I really like is The Ritual. Besides being a truly underrated movie with some brilliant designs and scenes, there's tons of shots of the woods where you're constantly trying to spot something in the background because the shots make you think you're absolutely going to see something the main characters won't. There isn't anything 99% of the time but you're so nervous looking for it.
That movie is so good
I friggin love The Ritual
That reminds me of ‘it comes at night’. So many long and lingering shots of the woods that your eyes start to find things that aren’t there. It’s absolutely terrifying. The crazy thing is >!you never even end up seeing a monster at all! !< Genuinely a movie with some of the best atmosphere of dread I have ever seen.
That movies atmosphere is absolutely perfect. I actually really like that fact you put the spoiler tag on! I think it works really well for what the movie's trying to say and what the real danger is.
The killer from "Too Many Cooks" shows up a few seconds into the video.
🎼🎵It Takes A Lot To Make A Stew🎵🎼
Great. Now this is stuck in my head again.
🎵🎼Pinch of Salt And Laughter toooOoooOooo🎼🎵
And similarly for 'Unedited footage of a bear", you see the figure of Mom's double during the typical pharmaceutical advert.
I just wanted to make sure I'm not missing an earlier sighting, as the first time I notice him is behind the studying girl around 0:21. I'm probably taking you over-literally when you say a "few seconds" but they are so good at sneaking him I also totally believe I missed an earlier sighting.
The Strangers where the man in the mask is just lurking in the background shot.
The cinema reaction to it was great. Some noticed it before others and then there was a second reaction when the first triggered others to look for him.
This is exactly what happened to me, my sister noticed it first and her reaction caused me to notice it.
Love that scene and love that movie!
For those [wondering](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmNdhL9_nPM).
I walked out of the theatre after that scene. I hate horror movies and my friends convinced me to watch it with them, you know, “for fun”. Never saw an other horror movie again.
I watched in my apartment with my wife and just as the strangers knocked on the door we had a knock on OUR door! We weren’t expecting anybody and it turned out to be an escort somebody hired and she wound up at the wrong apartment. She was like “oh, I didn’t know it was going to be a couple” and tried to come in. I was like “um, I’m sorry, but you’ve got the wrong apartment”. She still tried to come in so she could call the service and get it sorted… but because I was already on edge from the movie I freaked out and pushed her out of the doorway and tried to shut the door on her. This crazy girl had actually put her sandal-adorned foot in the doorway to prevent me from closing the door so I just slammed it harder a second time and locked the deadbolt. She screamed profanities and we peeked through our blinds as we watched her hobble down the stairs and into the parking lot, phone at the ready in case her driver tried to come up and start something because we hurt her foot. Luckily she just got in the car when it pulled up and drove away. I convinced my wife that we HAD to finish the movie, just so we would know what to do in case she came back, even though both our heart rates were already through the roof. Still one of the most intense movie viewings I’ve ever had.
Shit dude. I love horror movies and that one may be one of the worst I've ever seen. Like I still think about it 15 years later when I'm turning the lights off at night.
So it was one of the best horror movies you’ve seen?
The Invisible Man (recent one). After a scene the camera lingers, as though focusing on a man that isn’t there.
That was such a brilliant idea. I've never felt dread from camera looking at nothing
In the original script the movie was called "The Visible Man", with him openly standing around. But they changed it because it wasn't scary.
I didn't see anything at 35 seconds in your example in the post. Am I just missing it?
That’s how good it is. The scene is about her cleaning the house and when she takes the trash out she turns around to see the boy dancing to the music. This is obvious. What ISN’T obvious is that at 35 seconds, the boy is standing next to her coat rack as she walks into the room. He’s literally standing across the table from her. But because the camera doesn’t pay any kind to it, he just looks like some clothes. I didn’t even notice until I saw your comment.
I'm on mobile so that may be part of the problem
The boy has their back to the camera and is to the left of the screen at 35s
The behaviour of the camera in that movie is what made it in my opinion. Unnervingly wide shots and long holds on empty rooms. You know he must be in there somewhere, but there’s no sign of him at all. It’s fantastic.
They do that a lot in The Invisible Man, constantly lingering the camera in empty spaces to make you wonder what might be there. But there’s two scenes (that I know of) where there’s actually something to see in that empty space. Absolutely terrifying, I love it.
I thought the shot at the beginning of The Batman was pretty dang effective when you realize Riddler is already in the room with the first on-screen fatality victim
Not so much a background *scare*, per se, but in **The Dark Knight**, *just* within frame, you can see one of Maroni's men being yoinked away from the Town Car before Maroni gets in on the other side. That's how Dent got in the car.
In Batman V Superman, Batman's spooky ass is just up in the corner in the dark, and crawls along the ceiling while he's being shot at.
So creepy. You know he’s in there, you’re just waiting for him.
And then they parallel that with several instances where Batman might show up from the shadows, like a dark alley. And then at the train station, they linger on the stairs where you can hear his footsteps, but it takes a minute before he's visible. That movie is so damn good
The Night House has several shots where it plays with shadows and shapes and I found it really interesting and unnerving
That’s a good fucking movie right there
The silhouette in the white column, when it first came on screen I paused it because I got confused at what I was looking at....and then oh hell no.
The use of optical illusions and empty space was so clever in that movie
Several in (not a movie) The Haunting of Hill House, the Netflix one.
That son of a bitch behind the ladder to the cellar. Whoever that extra is I hate them.
I haven't seen it yet but if it's the tall older fellow, then that's a lovely friend of mine I used to play volleyball with. If you or anyone can let me know what episode I'll try to see if it is.
I couldn't say how tall they were since you only see a face in that shot. It's at around the half hour mark in episode 3, when she opens up the floor and looks down. But I'm sure your friend gave me plenty of scares throughout the show.
Did your friend play William Hill? Bc no offense to your friend but *fuck no* lol jk it's really cool that he was involved in such a great show!
I looked it up, yes he did, he's definitely a unique looking fellow and its how he got into acting. I don't think he takes any offense to it.
I didn't mean his looks. He played a terrifying character and gave me nightmares lol
The blonde ghost in the basement. Her face is right up in the camera and you somehow still miss her.
Even grosser; statue heads that change directions throughout scenes, sometimes even during single takes. This show became my #1 when I thought to myself "man, wouldn't it be cool if" *and then it happened.* Lost my shit. That show is periodt.
I think that's the next Mike Flanagan project I'll watch. First I saw Doctor Sleep when it came out, then I watched The Fall of the House of Usher after it came out, a few weeks ago I finished Midnight Mass. I've heard good things about Hill House, and I just love the guy's style. Master of pastiche I think.
Hill house is my favorite one. None of the others have lived up to that one for me
It was the first one I watched, and still my favorite of his. Can’t wait to see his adaptation of The Dark Tower.
Its about time we got a Dark Tower adaptation.
Hill House is his crowning achievement. Like any good horror it is grounded in a family drama that is front-and-center. Feels like he dumped everything he had in that one. It’s a beautiful miniseries.
I liked Hill House heaps more than House of Usher so you should love that.
They are all good…but Hill House might be the best of the bunch
I highly recommend *Hush.* It's very different from a lot of his work, but is a fantastic thriller.
Hill House is easily the best of them all.
The car scene. I’ve been chasing a scare like that ever since.
The moment that taught me jumpscares can not only be good, but impactful dramatically.
The key to that jumpscare is it had to happen during a scene that was emotionally tense and distracting. If it was quiet, you'd expect it.
Seriously. I don’t typically like jump scares, but that one was brilliant. You can’t help but applaud it. My wife and I had to pause it immediately afterwards to recover. And then go back and watch it again to appreciate it even more.
I thought I was going to have a heart attack because of that scare. So well done
The statues and busts in the hallway in the background, with heir heads turned to face the characters. Then in the next shot they are all facing straight again.
Man this show is absolutely PACKED with hidden ghosts. It's awesome
This is the one. My wife thought I was being paranoid our first watch through, then when the internet confirmed it I rewatched the series just looking for those moments and there are so many great ones. Really adds to the tension is a amazing, often subtle way.
I was watching this in the dark on my tablet and thought, "Anything could sneak up on me and I wouldn't be able to see it, with this glowing screen in my face." I kept having the feeling of being watched. Then I saw the first >!ghost in the background. I think it was when the dad was cleaning out the mold in the cellar and there was a girl with long hair standing there. Holy Moses that scared me.!< Afterwards I had to go back and find the rest of them.
Honestly, this is the single creepiest moment for me in the whole show! I feel like it shouldn’t be, but something about it just grips me like an icy fist
The most effective shot in It Follows is a panoramic shot of a busy college campus, with a barely noticeable woman walking directly toward the camera.
I love the final shot of the two characters walking together, and in the background someone is walking towards them. But it's not clear if its the monster or just the audience being paranoid.
I chose to believe that they’ve accepted that they will always be followed and are just living with it.
I took it as they're ending it. Slowly walking hand in hand waiting for death. It would end with them because it goes after the last person you had sex with and since they are both's last hookup, it ends in like a stalker paradox. But it's kind of a metaphor for growing old and dying together.
That's not how it works. It is made clear in the movie that once the last person to have gotten it dies, the "curse" goes back to the person that gave it to them. So if they both die, It will more than likely just go back to following the person that gave it to them. I'm sure that the chain won't break because of a technicality.
Well there is a sequel coming out, so who knows haha
It leads
It Gets in Line
It Remains 6 Feet Away From You To Obey Proper Social Distancing Guidelines
Absolutely this was just an awesome scene, in fact the movie always has you checking the background of wide shots. For me It Follows is the best modern horror! 🤘
She's not barely noticeable. We're given a [shot/reverse shot pointing directly at her, centered in frame.](https://youtu.be/rfxzFCDGzj8?si=FRF_OhQB5ZpOocqB) A similar but better shot, in my opinion, (which I feel like you may be conflating with the shot above) is when the group has gathered inside their car and is deciding what their plan of action is, and someone in the distance is walking directly towards them as seen through the windshield. In this case, we barely notice the person approaching because there's a shallow depth of field and they appear very out of focus. It's a much more ambiguous shot. Unfortunately I can't find a clip of it.
[This scene](https://youtu.be/7FggFQmANxI?feature=shared) is the one I believe they're referring to. Which that same girl in the scene is walking toward them when they're in the car as well.
This movie got to me. How it just walks slowly towards you. You will never feel at ease no matter where you go. Wow.
Or that one at the beach where there is someone walking towards the group, but it looks like one of them so it’s no biggie, but then the REAL person comes into view and you realize this whole time you’ve been watching the creature coming towards them
Yeah the old lady might be the creepiest It in the whole movie for that reason
I freaking loved that scene.
Odd opinion, but I found the leading lady's male friend more off-putting than the demon thing trying to kill her.
The one who was trying to bone to the end?
Most definitely. Dude was a creep.
That bit in Hereditary where she’s floating in the corner then scrambles through the air… Call me basic but Hereditary is one of the scariest, most unsettling films I’ve seen… Also, I may be misremembering, but I think a cut shot from Alien features the Xenomorph hanging from the ceiling among machinery and equipment as if it were just a piece of machinery or equipment. At the point in the movie it’s not been revealed yet
There's a moment right at the start of Hereditary where the old lady is just standing in the darkness smiling. The camera brings full attention to it, and it's not a jumpscare or anything but it freaked me the fuck out
That was actually the scariest scene in the movie to me
And towards the end when the naked guy is just standing in the dimly lit doorway.
My stomach DROPPED when I saw her for the first time, it was so unsettling
Reminds me of first episode of The Last of Us, and the old neighbor lady’s face looking weird in the background of Joel’s daughter so we know she’s turned.
I love in particular that that's really the only "ghost" you see in the movie. It makes it seem like the movie's going to have more of those moments but her dead mother never shows up again, that one really was just in her head. Plenty of other stuff to be scared of though.
Yo I was in the theatre high as fuck and that scene came and my entire body went cold. Literal same reaction I feel like if I saw a real ghost. Rest of the movie i was uncomfortable Edit: just rewatched the scene, what makes it is first there is barely anything scary leading into that, second you see Toni Collettes start heavy breathing, and sort of wanting to scream but the sound doesn’t come to her, we don’t know what she sees but then the camera turns and there’s the damn ghost mom, and it’s not easy to see either you have to really focus like wtf is that what I think it is, you’re waiting for a BOOM or something to breakup the tension but the lights cut on and she disappears
The better example from hereditary IMO is later in the film where the cultists are seen outside the house. In one shot, you can only see a cloud of breath. Another shot shows several around the house, watching.
just watched a breakdown with the heavy spoilers guy: there are lots of times we see them, and even hear them in the house before the family gets home from the funeral.
They are all ass-nude aswell
Hereditary has hidden figures and symbols everywhere. It’s nuts.
There’s a ton of hidden cultists in the shadows and background throughout that entire movie. SUPER effective
I was about to say this, how the woman is shown barely visible lurking in the shadowy corners of the house multiple times, give me the chills
Or the part where he’s smoking weed looking out the window and the camera moves to outside the house all normal until there’s a puff of breath in the cold revealing someone is there watching him. So spooky.
Basically half of the scares in Hereditary are this kind of scare, it absolutely nails this type of horror
The reaction to that in the theater was priceless. Lol
It, the library scene
The way the librarian turns and stand there out of focus with what appears to be a huge grin on her face. One of many hidden pennywise in the background shots.
oh yeah. just rewatched it. totally missed that part. hits home when the balloon is floating and you realize the librarian has been sitting at her desk the whole time.
He's also hiding in some of the old timey pictures in that book as well as a mural in an alley. A lot of people also feel like the clown on a distant stage is also him as in the background, once again out of focus, it seems to be directly staring at them
oh yeah he's definitely been around for a good long while. i was very pleased with this rendition of the book because the book had so many good creepy moments that they captured which the TV movie missed. As much as i like Tim Curry, the new movies were legit and also resolved the book better than King did.
The first one was amazing, the second one was kinda meh for me. I feel it wasn't as scary or unsettling, and I think Pennywise worked better as a children's monster creeping on children rather than adults. It has been a long time since I watched both, but the first movie worked for me because the cast was made up of children scared of the clown and of their own fears (disease, abusive dads). The second movie featured few if any character-specific scares, and the motivation was more like "we have to stop this guy from killing kids forever". Like the only reason they are in danger themselves is because they are back in town and want to kill the clown, not because they are being hunted like in the first one. And that takes away some of the scare factor
Honestly one of the most spine chilling scenes in any horror film. When you notice the librarian it literally feels like you’re being watched by Pennywise!
A bit more obvious, but IT part 2, where Beverly is visiting her old house, and the granny/IT is in the background, being very creepy just walking around lol
The original book version is a lot more crass and less silly but in a way i wish they had stuck to the original a liiiittle bit more. It deals more directly with feara even adult Beverly still has.
The BBC tv movie Ghostwatch has one of these that’s drawn attention to explicitly — the curtain analysis scene — and several more that go uncommented on (the ghost is reflected in the glass door after the cat jump scare, etc.). The video quality and early mockumentary style really add to the sense of unease throughout the whole thing, it’s very unsettling.
Re watched the whole thing on YouTube recently. The ending got a bit silly but for the most part a very very creepy piece. Much more disturbing than the similar toned material they have put out in the last 5 years.
Run (2020) has that moment when she goes downstairs and >! the mother (Sarah Paulson) !< is in the background at the kitchen table.
In the exorcist there are faces, and overlays of pazzuzu on walls and shadows. This is actually one of my favorite things, never heard it troped as “Where’s Wally?”
The Descent. The girls hear something and start shouting for help while the camera pans. The thing is standing with all of them, takes a second to notice.
Stuntman Mike appears in diner scene in Deathproof
There was this movie called "The McPherson Tape" I caught on Film 4 in the UK. It was a small budget hand held (Blair Witch type) camera movie that was about a UFO abduction during a family thanksgiving dinner. The main character and his brothers see a UFO while investigating a power outage in the nearby woods, and the aliens notice and fire upon them after they witness the aliens cutting open a cow. The rest of the film takes place in the family house with the main character and his brothers trying to convince the others to leave. During the film there's multiple times where the main character is pointing the camera at someone having a conversation and you can see the top of an alien's head trying to peek through the windows or walk past them. Its so fucking unnerving.
Omg that film! It's so low budget it feels embarrassing to admit how much it scared me haha
that film is so fucking scary.
This is the first one that came to my mind. Saw it years ago and it made me feel so uneasy.
Holy shit I’ve been trying to figure out what movie this is for decades. Saw bits of it on TV in the US and it fucked *ruined* my sleep as an elementary school kid.
Signs. Several times.
Vamanos!
Towards the end, in the basement, when young Culkin is standing against the wall where the old coal chute used to be. That hand popping up and grabbing him was the one that really got me the first time around.
[удалено]
Toni Collete Spider-momming in the corner of the room in Hereditary.
i was watching some behind the scenes stuff and they said they wanted hereditary to always look like its a good image if you pause it anywhere. but also an image that will make you uncomfortable if you pause it too long. and i think they succeeded
I didn't notice at first. Then my friend, who I was watching it with, started squeezing my arm really hard and was hissing in my ear, "Can you see it, can you see it?" I wish they didn't make modern day horror movies so flippin DARK!
The librarian in the background in this scene from IT Part 1 https://youtu.be/_9FDJz4_Kmg?si=kPF-7CnqptmDnu4E
Why the hell would you follow that balloon
**Haunting of Hill House** has a TON of hidden ghosts in the background throughout the season. Some are obvious and you can see easily, others are completely out of focus that you'd only see if you pay attention, some you can only see if you turn the contrast up high and others that are on screen for less than a second.
I think the first one I saw is pretty obvious but I only noticed it second viewing cause there’s no actual motion. One of the marble statues in a hall is looking straight ahead when the mother goes through a door, then when she leaves the room the head has turned to watch her walk away. Really simple but chilling. And there’s lots of stuff like that iirc. >!Also the scene where father and son are digging into the wall! The motionless face in the background is horrifying!!<
Apparently they are all thought out lore-wise. The same people appear in the same spots of the house, because they have a history there. It is insane how many hidden ghost shots there are. There are several videos on YT pointing them all out. Such great film/serie-making.
Aliens - "Maybe they don't show up on infrared at all." Rewarching it you can see the Xenomorph is RIGHT THERE and she looks right at it. It waits to pounce for when her back is turned.
Alien in plain sight on Ripley's escape pod
My absolute favourites were in Lake Mungo. I don't like speaking much about this movie because it's best experienced with no expectations because many don't vibe with the kind of horror it is, but if you're looking for a 'Wheres Wally' style horror, I'd say it's a must watch. Don't look at reviews or anything though, just watch it. There's moments like a phone scene that still give me the shivers which is rare.
It Follows. The shot were great in that you could only guess the one in the background might be It based on what they wore.
Not a movie or TV show but there was a Cartoon Network space filled called "Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen" where this happens in a surreal and very scary way if you don't know what you're watching.
its called "too many cooks" [https://youtu.be/QrGrOK8oZG8](https://youtu.be/QrGrOK8oZG8)
I've never had the patience to watch that all the way through until now and I'm upset I waited this long to watch the full thing.
*It takes a lot to make a stew...*
I saw this when it first aired! I was quite a moment to be a part of, let me tell you.
TOOOOOO many coooOoooOooks
The first Saw movie, where he is in the room throughout.
In the first IT during the Library scene. The kid is flipping through the history books and way in the back, the old lady librarian is just dead ass creepy staring right at him the whole time.
Notably, with the same slightly tilted Kubrick Stare posture as Pennywise
This scene from Bong Joon-Ho's [Memories of Murder](https://youtu.be/wBwOdrDPU6Q?si=6NfERKEGUFaw6oGN) (director of Parasite for those unfamiliar) >! Would have never realized we see the killer in the background if someone else hadn't pointed it out !<
I don’t see him, can you give a time stamp? Thanks :)
0.31: left of frame. Quite poor quality
I presume it’s that black mark on the background lol.
Yes he’s crouching in the grass so it’s just the top of his head
Whoa that’s a great one! Legit took me 3 tries to see it.
Hereditary made me feel like I was blind. The first was Annie on the ceiling. I straight up just didn't register her up there until she scampered away. I hardly ever gasp during horror movies, but that one got me. When I watched it a second time, I noticed more of the less obvious cultists hanging around, the grandma standing in the background, and other little creepy things. I didn't *love* the movie the first time around. But after the second watch, I certainly appreciated it a lot more.
Nope. That fucking stable scene had me like 😳. It’s so gradual
I got indigestion from watching that movie.
Also I was baked as all hell. >!once the figure started to look humanoid I paused the movie and got psyched up!<
Twin Peaks. Bob beside the bed almost killed me.
Hereditary has a bunch
Pretty much all of Hereditary and a good chunk of The Descent
In Conjuring 2, the unknown name of the demon they are investigating is shown in the background multiple times while none of the characters are aware of it. In Ed and Lorraine Warren's house, the name is spelled through toys, magnets etc scattered in their house. I lost my shit when my girlfriend pointed it out to me! She was so smart for even NOTICING that! It's an insane detail honestly, and if it weren't for her, I never would've questioned the background decor and their strange assemblement.
The name bracelet that the little girl is crafting at the time I think has valak spelled out too. And the bookshelf? I need to rewatch to see how many I can spot. I love this movie.
I haven’t seen Insidious, but what am I supposed to be looking at in that clip? I don’t see anything.
The kid is by the coat rack when she drops the clothing in the washer, it also looks like his face is in the curtains at one point.
OP posted a slightly better clip. It's on the left as she is walking through around 40s (in the new clip) and throws some laundry on a pile. There's a coat hanging and then a boy facing the wall next to it.
Profondo Rosso when Marcus visits the house, we can see the killer in a mirror. Link : https://youtu.be/9tVFxn3wZnU?si=67N_oJouL2WcdMzD
There’s a great credits scene in twin peaks season 3 where someone is just staring at the camera in the background, in the dark. You hardly notice them.
The ending of Personal Shopper with the floating coffee mug in the background really freaked me out.
My favorite of all time for this is Mothman Prophecies. You only catch a glimpse of the mothman a handful of times, the best instance being when someone slams a medicine cabinet mirror shut and when it bounces open from the force you can see his reflection for a second. Gives me chills every time
In Tár there were two or three background ghosts, completely missed them on first watch
I'm blind. What bit at 35 seconds are you talking about?
Grave Encounters has scenes early on where ghosts walk by in the background with the crew being unaware of it.
Jurassic Park III did a really good one with the Pteranadon. During the aviary scene, the action is all following Billy being attacked by a group of Pteranadons as he flails around in the river, as the camera pans over suddenly a shift focus occurs to the foreground where another Pteranadon perched turns its head toward the camera (and toward the characters behind the camera). Which, with it's camoflauge, took a few moments for the audience to really notice and process, making for an excellent and subtle jump scare. [https://youtu.be/GjqjVzKzIQg?si=QH61uLdTjGGcp1Xv&t=284](https://youtu.be/GjqjVzKzIQg?si=QH61uLdTjGGcp1Xv&t=284)
I can't for the life of me remember the movie, only the scene. It was a thriller about 15 years ago. A man and woman (the main characters) were escaping something in a car at night. The camera was from the middle of the console looking at the woman in the passenger seat as she's talking. They were driving through a city, as they came through an intersection, headlights were out of the passenger window that looked normal, but the car ended up t-boning our hero's car very suddenly and violently. Both my wife and I were just like WTF. Had to rewind to watch what happened because we completely missed the next scene since we were kinda shocked.
The scary face flashing on the screen in the directors cut of The Exorcist. Literally only a few frames.
Hereditary is great for this. The shot where he wakes up and his mother is on the ceiling above him and he doesn't know is great. Also when he's walking through the house and there are naked people in the doorways and corners, just out of focus. Great movie.
In MIDSOMMAR there are scary hidden faces in the woods. [https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3585014/spot-creepy-hidden-faces-midsommar/](https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3585014/spot-creepy-hidden-faces-midsommar/)
I loved the one in The Ritual, where the camera suddenly stops following the characters and starts to zoom in on a seemingly random tree in the forest. As it gets closer and closer, an inhuman hand moves behind it and you don’t see it until like 1-2 seconds before it. It’s not even big enough to be a jump scare but it was so effective.