The 10 Most Tense Scenes in Cinema History, According to

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, from left: Denis Menochet, Christoph Waltz, 2009. Ph: Francois Duhamel/©Weinstein Company/Courtesy Everett Collection

Users on Reddit have taken to deliberating what the tensest movie scenes of all time, horror or otherwise, are. Tension has a lot of definitions, with some scholars suggesting it’s the feeling of unease and uncertainty in the audience. Where with suspense, audiences usually know a crucial piece of information the characters on-screen lack, tension refers to both audience and character having the same limited knowledge. In other words, no one knows what is going to happen next. In order, check out what Reddit voted as the ten tensest scenes in cinema below!

Inglourious Basterds’ Opening Scene

Longer than most opening scenes, the introduction to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds is a masterclass in tension. Christoph Waltz’s Standartenführer Hans Landa interrogates a rural family he suspects of sheltering a Jewish family in a painfully protracted prologue for the carnage to come.

Hereditary’s Dinner Scene

It’s iconic. The breadth of Hereditary’s tension comes to a head and explodes in searing fashion. Toni Collette should have won an Oscar.

Get Out’s Reveal

Jordan Peele proved himself to be a master of tension in Get Out, keeping both audience and protagonist Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) in the dark about the Armitage family’s intention. In a climactic reveal, Chris pleads with girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) to flee, leading to a shocking twist.

Nocturnal Animals’ Highway Scene

Tom Ford’s second feature is a tense, genre-bending exercise in style and violence, and few scenes encapsulate his distinct filmmaking style better than this one.

No Country for Old Men’s Coin Toss

Arguably the most famous clip in the movie, Javier Bardem is terrifying as he assesses whether to let a gas station attendant live or die via a simple coin toss.

The Strangers’ Killer in the Background

Bryan Bertino’s The Strangers might better fit the definition of suspense than tension (sorry, Reddit), though few scenes in horror history are as iconic and enduring as the shot of Liv Tyler standing in her kitchen as a masked stranger appears in the background.

Evil Dead 2013’s Opening

Fede Álvarez’s Evil Dead is a masterpiece, no doubt, though I’m not quite sure why the Reddit users voted for its gnarly opening scene for inclusion here. Who am I to judge? The infernal opening is still metal as heck.

Children of Men’s Bus Scene

In fairness, nearly every frame of  Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men could qualify here, though Reddit is right that the scene where Clive Owen’s Theo arrives in Bexhill and encounters immigration authorities ranks among the tensest.

Boogie Nights and “Sister Christian”

Arguably one of the tensest (and grooviest) drug deals in cinema history. Good on Reddit for highlighting this classic.

The Invisible Man’s Opening

The Invisible Man is a masterpiece. With an extended, ten-minute prologue, Leigh Whannell proved himself to be a master of tension. I’m glad Reddit agrees.

What do you think the tensest scene in movie history is? Some users suggested the entirety of The Invitation, scenes from Annihilation, and a flanking standoff in Wind River. Let me know Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.

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