21 Movie Scenes So Stressful, They May Be The Most Intense Ever Filmed

Recently, we asked members of our BuzzFeed Community, "What is the single most stressful movie scene of all time? A movie moment so intense, so anxiety-inducing, you could physically feel yourself tensing up with discomfort?" and their A+ answers inspired even more great responses!

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So with that in mind, here are EVEN MORE scenes to stress you out:

Also, another WARNING: This post does contain spoilers for various films. We've placed the film title first so you can decide which you'd like to read!

1.Inglourious Basterds (2009)

"The opening scene! It slowly builds up to reveal just how dangerous Hans Landa is."

—sockcucker

You can watch the tense scene here:

2.Annihilation (2018)

"The 'Scream Bear' scene was so tense!"

—splootingtil

You can watch the tense scene here:

3.Flight (2012)

"Watching everything get progressively worse, while Denzel Washington's character is calm and collected, until the plane crash is intense."

—pazini90

You can watch the tense scene here:

4.Fatal Attraction (1987)

"The scene when Alex takes little Ellen on the roller coaster. OMG, I was so scared for her."

—Patrick Keown

You can watch the tense scene here:

5.Boogie Nights (1997)

"The scene near the end when they’re making a bad drug deal. Alfred Molina's character being creepy, the young man throwing fire crackers aimlessly, listening to Night Ranger’s 'Sister Christian,' which just kept building up — it’s unsettling."

—RachelE99

You can watch the tense scene here:

6.When a Stranger Calls (1979)

"In the original, the 'We traced the call, it's coming from inside the house' scene still makes the hair on my arms stand up after 40 years!"

—fruitloop1863

You can watch the tense scene here:

7.The Black Phone (2021)

"When the kid is trying to escape from the basement and makes it upstairs, but his captor is sleeping in a chair in the kitchen facing the basement door. The kid is trembling and trying to be so quiet as he creeps by him. I won't spoil anything, but that is a pretty damn intense scene."

—deftonesforlife

You can watch the tense scene here:

8.The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

"The ending scenes made me literally stop breathing."

—joy_joy_joy

You can watch the tense scene here:

9.The Pianist (2002)

"There are lots of intense scenes in this one that could qualify, but one of the scariest is when the main character is in the apartment that he is hiding in, where his friends have put him for safety, and there is a battle being fought in the street outside, with guns, flamethrowers, and other weapons, and he can't escape."

—jomariem

You can watch the tense scene here:

10.Whiplash (2014)

"The performance scene after he was late and covered in blood, only to be sabotaged."

—soplizmoss

You can watch the tense scene here:

11.The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

"That movie was so bad in so many ways, but the scene when the trailer is going over the edge of the cliff and Julianne Moore’s character is lying on the glass as it is just starting to crack. It’s amazing how intense that scene is for such an awful movie!"

—Beanzie

You can watch the tense scene here:

12.Interstellar (2014)

"When they're trying to dock onto the spinning station before it falls into the planet's atmosphere. The music, the stars, the knowledge that all of humanity is doomed if they can't save the station — so tense!"

—adriennec

You can watch the tense scene here:

13.Prisoners (2013)

"When Detective Loki finds Anna, but she’s been drugged, so he’s racing her to the hospital, it’s raining, and he has blood dripping in his eyes. He’s going 100 mph and can barely see — I was literally holding my breath and on the edge of my seat in the theater."

—Jaylasal

You can watch the tense scene here:

14.Apollo 13 (1995)

"You know a movie is good when you find yourself stressed over whether a character will make it or not, even if it’s based on a true story and you know they will. In Apollo 13, you know they’re going to make it (because they did in real life), but you still find yourself cheering along with ground control when Tom Hanks’s voice comes through."

—Gaelicmaiden

You can watch the tense scene here:

15.Nope (2022)

"I just saw it, and all of the lead-up to the Gordy incident was terrifying."

—deadzy

You can watch the tense scene here:

16.Children of Men (2006)

"The entire refugee camp scene is tense, but the uprising and military response freezes you in place."

—reginaldcartwright

You can watch the tense scene here:

17.Sicario (2015)

"The border crossing scene, as well as the dinner scene at the end. I've seen it multiple times, and I hold my breath every time."

—whatever1977

You can watch the tense scene here:

18.A Quiet Place (2018)

"How about the scene when she's giving birth but can't make a sound? Or when she steps on the nail?"

—rnd13001

You can watch the tense scene here:

19.Midsommar (2019)

"The cliff scene had me tense and curled up in terrified anticipation."

—jameyedmonds

You can watch the tense scene here:

20.No Escape (2015)

"That was such an intense movie from beginning to end, but the scene when Owen Wilson's character threw his kids from one building to another…wow. I literally stopped breathing for the entire scene."

—michellecox1

You can watch the tense scene here:

And finally:

21.The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

"I never get scared watching movies except for chase scenes, like the ending of the original, when Sally is running away and finally gets saved by a passing truck. It always gets me. There’s just something very visceral about someone trying to get away from something."

—Nathan

You can watch the tense scene here:

You've read their picks, but now it's your turn! What is the single tensest, most stressful movie scene of all time? Share in the comments below! Oh! And be sure to check out the first list to see if your pick is on there!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.