The 99 Most Jaw-Dropping Movie Moments

Cinema's greatest shocks and show-stoppers

43. The Mist (Frank Darabont, 2008)
Wrong move

Like being kicked in the balls by God: after two hours of horrendously tense survival amid mist and monsters, Thomas Jane’s heroic father ends his sons life rather than let him be taken. Then the cavalry show up...

42. Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)
The Bonnie Situation

Played for open-mouthed laughs, the moment when John Travolta’s clumsy trigger-fingered Vince Vega turns Marvin’s head to meaty paste is a hilarious jolt.

41. Bad Lieutenant (Abel Ferrara, 1992)
Car assault

Because no matter how many gritty police dramas you see, the sight of a cop forcing two sisters to masturbate and mime oral sex while he rubs one out by their car window and cries sin-salted tears is always shocking.

40. Toy Story (John Lassester, 1995)
Falling with style

A moment of triumph that comes together so perfectly it makes you feel as though you’re about to take off along with heroes Woody and Buzz as they soar into the air and glide back to their beloved Andy.

39. Steamboat Bill, Jr. (Charles Reisner, 1928)
Crashing around our ears

Buster Keaton’s meticulous wowser of a stunt, potentially fatal and measured to perfection, a narrow window falling perfectly around the silent star as the side of a house teeters over. A heart-stopper.

38. The 400 Blows (François Truffaut, 1959)
Free

Jean-Pierre Léaud’s Antoine bursts free of the detention camp his adolescent misdeeds have landed him in and makes a break for the sea, running for what seems an eternity before splashing into the water and turning sharply to face the camera, as if he knew we were here all along.

Next: 37 - 32

Comments

    • snooochies

      Nov 24th 2009, 4:06

      Oh dear! Close Encounters is actually post-Star Wars, having been released in November of '77. Awesome list though, missing the T-1000 though or even Arnie being good from T2

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    • NDitum

      Nov 24th 2009, 9:30

      Oh man, headslapping mistake. Had 1975 in my head. Obviously. I'll see if I can have a tinker... Terminator a good shout - there is a space left!

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    • ChristoLaurent

      Nov 24th 2009, 10:55

      I'd like to nominate Ichi The Killer (...any number of scenes!) and also Gozu, the ending is pretty out there, although I love the actual "Cow head" scene too. Dead of Night (Ealing) has the great ending, especially the moment with the dummy. Although not a great film, but passable, the ending of The Entity..."Welcome Home C**t"

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    • Pokoboy

      Nov 24th 2009, 11:58

      My jaw dropped when Bill Murray played himself in Zombieland. That was a pretty special moment in a mediocre zombie comedy.

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    • chenneye

      Nov 24th 2009, 14:44

      This should have had usual suspects at no.1 and surprised that the kerb scene from American History X is missing.

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    • BlueRyan

      Nov 24th 2009, 18:48

      For that golden 100th place i believe the "I have a Milkshake" scene from There will Be blood should own it. Considering it's one of the most bizzar and subliminal pieces of film in the past decade it should rightfully take the 100th place.

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    • Agent69

      Nov 24th 2009, 21:26

      That Irreversible scene scared me for life.

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    • Pokoboy

      Nov 25th 2009, 22:49

      Is this the same Nathan Ditum thats the reviews editor for official playstation magazine? 10/10 f0r uncharted 2!!! 11/10 surely?

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    • joVceski

      Nov 26th 2009, 21:30

      You have to watch Pascal Laugier's Martyrs, I couldn't pick up my jaw from start to finish, it's so f..... up.

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    • mark912smith

      Nov 27th 2009, 12:06

      Great list and good call no. 5 on the kerb scene from American History X. I thought that the 'tree-rape' scene from the Evil Dead might have placed somewhere?!?

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    • jrod85

      Nov 27th 2009, 14:39

      Thanks Pokoboy, some people haven't seen Zombieland yet. Way to ruin the surprise. Well done, j*****s

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    • Pokoboy

      Nov 28th 2009, 7:47

      ah my bad, apologies.

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    • NDitum

      Nov 30th 2009, 0:49

      Yes, same me as from OPM :) Seen Matyrs. Kinda hated it. It's nasty like falling over. Kerb scene - we had it in the recent shocking moments feature. I guess the shock had worn off...

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    • Hadouken76

      Dec 1st 2009, 13:09

      Whys is there a complete absence of John Carpenter movies? Like the girl asking for an ice cream in Assault on Precint 13? The little boy at the the start of Halloween? The doctor losing both arms in The Thing or the head spider?

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    • starwars4life

      Dec 3rd 2009, 20:49

      Awesome list, really, and yes; everything on this list has good value to be in the 99, BUT there is one film which I would personally place at number one and it was very surprising that you didn't include it: The Machinist!!!! It has one of the most awesome twists and jaw-dropping moments EVER in the history of film! Please amend the list and get it in there, it REALLY deserves it :)

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    • starwars4life

      Dec 3rd 2009, 20:55

      Almost forgot, not nearly as important as the machinist but Lucky Number Slevin deserves a place, it really has the shock factor and I would also say the scene in 'The Phantom Menace' where Maul ignites the double-bladed saber deserves a place further down becaus; although it may not seem like much now and television adverts probably ruined it, it is obviously a big reveal as he only uses one blade earlier and it must have been epic for the ignorant star wars fan at the time!

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    • RazorbalNL

      Dec 9th 2009, 15:39

      GREAT ARTICLE!!!

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    • littlebocuk

      Jan 8th 2010, 21:39

      Some of these moments really had me but I would like to see "Terminator removing his eye" thing in this list.

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