Top 20 Smartest Decisions in Horror Movies.!
Here are some of the smartest decisions made by characters in horror movies that helped them survive:
1. **Picking Cotton Out of the Chair (“Get Out,” 2017)** - Chris Washington's quick thinking to plug his ears with cotton to avoid being hypnotized again was a brilliant move that allowed him to fight back and ultimately escape the horrific situation.
2. **Setting Fireworks (“A Quiet Place,” 2018)** - The Abbott family's use of fireworks to distract the monsters was a clever way to create noise away from their location, giving them a crucial opportunity to move and communicate.
3. **Using a Hanger as a Weapon (“Halloween,” 1978)** - Laurie Strode's resourcefulness in using a hanger to defend herself against Michael Myers in a dire situation was a testament to her quick thinking under pressure.
4. **Shooting the Bad Guy in the Head (“Zombieland,” 2009)** - Columbus's adherence to the rule of double-tapping to ensure zombies were truly dead saved his life multiple times throughout the movie.
5. **Barricading the House (“Night of the Living Dead,” 1968)** - Ben's decision to barricade the farmhouse to protect against the attacking zombies was a smart survival tactic, even though it ultimately had mixed results.
6. **Using Technology to Their Advantage (“Paranormal Activity,” 2007)** - Katie and Micah's decision to set up cameras to capture the paranormal activity in their home helped them gather crucial evidence and understand what they were dealing with, even though it didn't save them in the end.
7. **Luring the Creature into the Pool (“It Follows,” 2014)** - Jay and her friends' plan to electrocute the entity by luring it into a pool with electrical devices was a creative attempt to destroy the seemingly unstoppable force.
8. **Leaving a Trail of Breadcrumbs (“The Witch,” 2015)** - Thomasin's decision to leave a trail while venturing into the woods ensured she could find her way back, a rare moment of foresight in a horror setting.
9. **Setting Traps (“Home Alone,” 1990)** - Kevin McCallister's ingenious traps to defend his home against burglars were not only effective but showcased his creativity and resourcefulness.
10. **Researching the Threat (“The Ring,” 2002)** - Rachel's investigation into the cursed videotape's origins and her subsequent actions to understand and break the curse was a smart approach to dealing with a supernatural threat.
What do YOU think is the best decision made by a horror movie character? Let us know in the comments!
1. **Picking Cotton Out of the Chair (“Get Out,” 2017)** - Chris Washington's quick thinking to plug his ears with cotton to avoid being hypnotized again was a brilliant move that allowed him to fight back and ultimately escape the horrific situation.
2. **Setting Fireworks (“A Quiet Place,” 2018)** - The Abbott family's use of fireworks to distract the monsters was a clever way to create noise away from their location, giving them a crucial opportunity to move and communicate.
3. **Using a Hanger as a Weapon (“Halloween,” 1978)** - Laurie Strode's resourcefulness in using a hanger to defend herself against Michael Myers in a dire situation was a testament to her quick thinking under pressure.
4. **Shooting the Bad Guy in the Head (“Zombieland,” 2009)** - Columbus's adherence to the rule of double-tapping to ensure zombies were truly dead saved his life multiple times throughout the movie.
5. **Barricading the House (“Night of the Living Dead,” 1968)** - Ben's decision to barricade the farmhouse to protect against the attacking zombies was a smart survival tactic, even though it ultimately had mixed results.
6. **Using Technology to Their Advantage (“Paranormal Activity,” 2007)** - Katie and Micah's decision to set up cameras to capture the paranormal activity in their home helped them gather crucial evidence and understand what they were dealing with, even though it didn't save them in the end.
7. **Luring the Creature into the Pool (“It Follows,” 2014)** - Jay and her friends' plan to electrocute the entity by luring it into a pool with electrical devices was a creative attempt to destroy the seemingly unstoppable force.
8. **Leaving a Trail of Breadcrumbs (“The Witch,” 2015)** - Thomasin's decision to leave a trail while venturing into the woods ensured she could find her way back, a rare moment of foresight in a horror setting.
9. **Setting Traps (“Home Alone,” 1990)** - Kevin McCallister's ingenious traps to defend his home against burglars were not only effective but showcased his creativity and resourcefulness.
10. **Researching the Threat (“The Ring,” 2002)** - Rachel's investigation into the cursed videotape's origins and her subsequent actions to understand and break the curse was a smart approach to dealing with a supernatural threat.
What do YOU think is the best decision made by a horror movie character? Let us know in the comments!
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NewsTranscript
00:00Finally, we're celebrating instead of shaking our heads in disbelief.
00:03Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 smartest decisions in horror movies.
00:10For this list, we're examining those choices that helped characters in horror movies make it out alive,
00:15or at least survive for a little while.
00:17Obviously, a spoiler alert is now in effect.
00:24Stabbing yourself in the wrist doesn't seem like a great idea on the surface,
00:27but when you've got an invisible foe, you have to think outside the box.
00:31Knowing her tormentor wants her alive, Cecilia stabs herself with a pen,
00:35faking her own suicide to catch the invisible man's attention.
00:42Lo and behold, he pops up right beside her, close enough for Cecilia to get in some solid jabs at the suit.
00:48The attack proves effective enough to get Cecilia out of the mental institution,
00:52and all it took was drawing a little bit of blood.
00:55Staring at the corner, Blair Witch
01:00When your big bad has its own legend, it's best to use that to your advantage.
01:04In this return to the found footage legend of the Blair Witch, our heroes made sure to do their homework first.
01:10As James and Lisa arrive at the original Blair Witch House,
01:13they find themselves at a considerable disadvantage against the vastly overpowering witch.
01:20Get in the corner, get in the corner, come on!
01:22According to legend, however, she can only kill them if they look right at her,
01:27so they stare at the corner to stay alive, even using their camcorder to look around without getting killed.
01:32Although they're eventually outsmarted back, at least they managed to temporarily outsmart her.
01:43When you're dealing with the literal personification of fear of the dark,
01:47there's not much you can do when it's night time.
01:49Diana can only be seen in the dark, and that's where her power comes from.
01:53Brett is thwarted and attacked at every turn in his attempts to escape the nightmare creature.
02:01Just before he bites the dust, however, he uses his phone as a light to ward Diana away,
02:07only to be caught again outside.
02:09This time, however, his car is parked in front of him, and he activates the headlights with his keys.
02:16Quick thinking, Brett.
02:29Good things come in small packages.
02:32On her own against the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface, Erin has virtually no way to fight back,
02:37so she runs into a nearby slaughterhouse to hide.
02:40Tucking herself away in a hall full of lockers, Erin covers her mouth and tries to remain silent,
02:45but she also has a four-legged friend along to help.
02:51Murderer approaching, Erin desperately holds her breath before Leatherface hears a noise and opens a locker.
02:57Distracted by the pig inside, Leatherface doesn't even see Erin until she comes down at him with a meat cleaver,
03:03taking his arm and chainsaw off in one clever switcheroo.
03:08Number 16. Burning the book as a distraction.
03:11Misery.
03:14There's only so much you can do when you're immobilized, and no one knows you've been kidnapped.
03:19Sure, Paul's last attempt at escape isn't as elaborate as his previous ideas, but it works.
03:25Trapped and forced to write a sequel to his captor's favorite story,
03:28Paul ends up burning it right after he's finished it,
03:31destroying all the answers it had to any unanswered questions.
03:38Why not? I learned it from you.
03:40While Annie desperately tries to remedy the situation,
03:43Paul uses the distraction to finally end the nightmare he's endured.
03:47Number 15. Setting fireworks. A quiet place.
03:51When the killer you're avoiding is hypersensitive to noise,
03:54the last thing you want to be doing is giving birth.
03:56After stepping on a nail on her way to the basement, Evelyn's presence is exposed to the nearby creatures.
04:01Thankfully, her husband Lee has a solution prepared for just this occasion.
04:08With his son Marcus at the ready, fireworks are ignited to create an auditory diversion,
04:13masking Evelyn's cries as she gives birth to their new son.
04:16While their troubles were far from over,
04:18this clever solution saved almost the entire family,
04:21and made for possibly the most thrilling moment of the entire movie.
04:24Number 14. Setting a trap. The final girls.
04:28Ready!
04:29Ready!
04:30Ready, ready!
04:31Totem pole!
04:32Ready!
04:33To be honest, it would be pretty cool if we could be transported into our favorite movies, wouldn't it?
04:37Well, unless it's a horror movie and you could actually die.
04:46Trapped inside the silver screen,
04:48Max and her friends must find a way to defeat their masked terrorizer, Billy.
04:53They decide to set a trap for him, making weapons, luring him out and attacking him.
05:00While it is a good plan involving flaming arrows and a bucket of gasoline,
05:04a lot of friendlies die.
05:06But, at least we get the kick-ass self-referential slow-mo escape scene.
05:15Number 13. Using a hanger as a weapon. Halloween.
05:19You can't kill the boogeyman!
05:22Aaaaaahhh!
05:24Surviving a horror movie means being able to turn anything into a weapon.
05:29Chased down by the menacing Michael Myers,
05:31Laurie finds herself in the hardest babysitting job of her life.
05:35Having to protect herself and the children from the seemingly invincible lunatic.
05:40Thinking quickly, she fashions a blade out of a coat hanger and stabs Myers in the eye,
05:45injuring him long enough for him to get shot by Dr. Loomis.
05:51When you've lost a limb, there's no need to completely lose hope.
06:04Forced to chop off his own possessed hand, Ash makes the most out of the situation.
06:08After all, he still has to face off against the deadites, right?
06:11When a demonic force is physically and psychologically destroying you, you're gonna have to be a
06:16little unhinged yourself to fight back.
06:18And sometimes, that means sticking the stump of your own hand into a freakin' chainsaw.
06:23Let's hope he doesn't get an itch.
06:27Using a pen to stab a hole in your throat, Saw V.
06:34It's rare to call anyone smart for stabbing themselves in the neck, but it might just
06:39save your life in a pinch.
06:40Hunting the Jigsaw Killer, FBI agent Strom stops one killer only to be caught by another.
06:46Finding himself in his own disturbing trap in the process.
06:50Waking up in one of the few unbeatable traps of the series, Strom is seemingly doomed as
06:55the box encasing his head quickly fills with water.
06:59Already beating one Jigsaw Killer, Strom uses the pen in his pocket to perform a tracheotomy
07:03on himself, allowing him to breathe until he's saved.
07:07Talk about thinking outside the box.
07:13Being stalked by a murderously malevolent presence that was passed to you through sexual
07:17intercourse has gotta suck.
07:19What's even worse is that the only way to get rid of it is by siccing it on someone
07:23else, again through sex.
07:25However, when it kills that person, you're right back to square one, because then it's
07:29gonna set its sights on you again.
07:31So how do you buy yourself some time or halt the demon's progress altogether?
07:35Sleep with a prostitute, which is exactly what one of the protagonists does.
07:40Problem solved.
07:41As long as you don't think about how many people are dying in your place.
07:45All you can do is pass it along to someone else.
07:47Number 9.
07:48The Escape Plan.
07:4910 Cloverfield Lane
07:53Escaping a madman takes a lot more preparation than a spur-of-the-moment idea.
07:57Realizing Howard will almost definitely kill her, Michelle has to find a way out of this
08:02crazy bunker.
08:04After discovering a second exit hatch while fixing their ventilator, Michelle devises
08:08a plan to get out.
08:09She gets the upper hand on Howard long enough to crawl through the vents and climb to the
08:13hatch.
08:14Using compressed air to freeze and shatter the lock, Michelle dons her makeshift hazmat
08:18suit and rises to the surface to see the outside world once again.
08:27Number 8.
08:28Putting on the Sweater.
08:29Friday the 13th, Part 2.
08:33Norman Bates, Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, all the best horror movie villains have mommy
08:38issues.
08:39However, there are ways to use that to your advantage to beat the bad guy.
08:43Ginny is being chased around Camp Crystal Lake by Jason, as per usual, when she finds
08:48herself an altar dedicated to his dead mother.
08:50Ginny ingeniously decides to psychologically mess with the mask-wearing killer by convincing
08:55him that she is Mrs. Voorhees by donning her sweater, persuading him to let his guard down
09:00for what she hopes is enough time for her to administer a killing blow.
09:08Unfortunately, he realizes it's just a ruse, but he meets his end shortly thereafter anyway.
09:13Or does he?
09:15Number 7.
09:16Shoot the bad guy in the head to make sure.
09:18Scream 2.
09:21The gang in the Scream series knows how to survive a horror movie, even using internet
09:25calls as far back as the 90s to save themselves.
09:29However, one thing the group was particularly ignorant of the first time around was making
09:35sure the killers were even dead.
09:37In the sequel, Sidney Prescott does not mess around.
09:46After seemingly killing Mickey and Mrs. Loomis, Sidney and Cotton take a breath before Mickey
09:51comes back, getting immediately shot by Sidney and Gail.
09:54Learning her lesson, Sidney shoots Loomis in the head just to be safe.
09:58Number 6.
09:59Using everything to get the upper hand.
10:02Hush.
10:04Being completely deaf certainly isn't going to do you any favors when you're being terrorized
10:08in your home by a crossbow-wielding invader.
10:11Maddie uses anything she can grab to defend herself, and in her case, doing so is her
10:16only chance at survival.
10:18Whether it's insecticide or corkscrews or using a specialized smoke alarm to deafen
10:22the assailant, it all ultimately helps when she finally kills him.
10:26As a writer, Maddie is always reworking scenarios in her head.
10:30Luckily for her, she found the one where the hero lives in the end.
10:34Number 5.
10:35Setting up booby traps and waking up.
10:37A nightmare on Elm Street.
10:39Home field advantages can work two ways.
10:42With her friends getting murdered around her, Nancy decides she has to take the fight against
10:46Freddy Krueger into her own hands.
10:48Realizing she can bring him out of her dream, Nancy booby traps her house and asks Dawn
10:53to help her once she gets Freddy on her turf.
10:56Managing to pull him out, Nancy gets Freddy into the real world, and even lures him into
11:01her traps long enough to set him on fire.
11:04Not so easily defeated, however, Krueger of course returns.
11:12Number 4.
11:13Pushing the system purge button.
11:14The cabin in the woods.
11:19This movie contains almost every horror movie cliche in the book, and it's damn entertaining
11:24for that exact reason.
11:26After Dana and Marty find themselves pinned down by a dozen armed and dangerous security
11:30forces, there's only one thing left to do.
11:33Push the system purge button.
11:35Sure, in retrospect, it doesn't seem like a great alternative, but it appears to work
11:42out okay for them.
11:44The button releases all the captive monsters, and boy did they have a great time tearing
11:49everyone to pieces, giving Dana and Marty time to escape.
11:53It begs the question though, why does this button even exist in the first place?
11:57Number 3.
11:58Scientific method.
11:59The thing.
12:02The researchers in this claustrophobic horror classic are faced with quite the conundrum.
12:07How do you find a monster that can look like your friends?
12:10Using their brains, however, the surviving members of the Arctic facility go about revealing
12:14the alien in the most rudimentary way possible, a simple blood test.
12:22Knowing the creature's blood will try to protect itself, R.J.
12:25McCready takes a sample of everyone's blood and heats it with a copper wire.
12:34As he dips the wire in Palmer's blood, the sample jumps from the dish and flees, revealing
12:39the alien among them.
12:41Number 2.
12:42Picking cotton out of the chair.
12:44Get Out.
12:46Get Out's critical reception was well deserved.
12:49The film delves into issues of racism as well as themes typical to the horror genre, while
12:53featuring a main character that is far from clueless in almost every regard.
12:58Right from the get-go, Chris has a strange feeling about the family he's staying with.
13:02When your possible future mother-in-law is a hypnotist who wants to make you docile enough
13:06for a brain transplant, there's only one thing you can do, make sure you don't listen to
13:11her.
13:12Chris literally picks cotton to keep himself alive by using his chair's stuffing to block
13:16his ears, and then breaks free to take his revenge.
13:20Ingenious.
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13:37Number 1.
13:38Danny's stopping his snow footprint trail, The Shining.
13:44Never doubt the resourcefulness of a kid at death's door.
13:47Running for his life from his deranged and homicidal father, Danny heads for the hedge
13:51maze at the snowed-in and very haunted Overlook Hotel.
13:55Knowing he can't outrun his father forever, Danny realizes he has to throw his dad off
14:00the scent, and ditches running for a better plan.
14:03Backtracking through his own steps and hiding, his father reaches the end of his trail and
14:08proceeds to search aimlessly for him in the giant maze.
14:13Following his own prince out of the maze, Danny runs into his mother's arms, leaving
14:18dad to suffer in the cold.
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