The one genre that needs more appreciation is the horror film genre, as this category is generally considered only as a supplementary form of entertainment and hardly ever considered for awards or special mention. And yet, horror movies are responsible for some of the most quoted scenes out there.
We’ve compiled a number of films that have proven to be a hit among audiences but have generally taken quotes that aren’t catchphrases. This has been done to bring you the meaning behind certain words and how they go deeper than you think. With that in mind, here are ten great quotes from our favorite horror movies.
“I’m Having An Old Friend For Dinner.”- The Silence Of The Lambs
You know a horror film is one for the ages when it leaves you with a chilling message. For Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal was the man for the job. The doctor was always one for double meanings and smart wordplay, and fans will know what he meant when he said this.
These words were a message to Clarice Starling that Hannibal had Frederick Chilton in his sights and was prepared to devour the man. Such was the genius of the quote, that even if a passerby was listening in on it they would assume Hannibal to be an innocent talking of his dinner plans. Unfortunately for Chilton, he was both the friend and the dinner.
“Close Your Eyes, Bev. If You Don’t Believe…Close Them…And See.” -It Chapter Two
The only way Pennywise could eat his prey was when it was in fear, and he had Beverley almost fully salted to eat during this scene in It Chapter Two. Appearing more human than usual, this was his “Bob Gray” form that was about to transition into Pennywise.
The point of this was to blur the line for Beverly, whether what she was seeing was real or not, and Pennywise was taunting her to close her eyes and find out what his reality looked like. It was ultimately his insane laugh that really put this quote in real context over how scary yet funny Beverly’s situation was.
“Which Is Worse? To Live As A Monster Or To Die As A Good Man?”- Shutter Island
Out of the superb filmography that Martin Scorcese has directed, his effort into the horror genre with Shutter Island was a fascinating watch. By the film’s end, the main character found out he himself was the person he’d been hunting, coming upon the realization that he’d killed his own family.
Although this realization would’ve absolved him from being lobotomized, Teddy feigned forgetting the event again because he wanted the procedure to happen to him. This quote was meant as a hint for his doctor, as Teddy covertly confessed that he’d rather die believing he was still a good man rather than live with the knowledge of the horrible thing he’d done.
“This Is The End, Friend.”- Child’s Play
Those watching the movie for the first time almost always cheer when Andy says these words, as it represents the boy finally opening his eyes and understanding the harsh reality of Chucky’s true persona.
Once the insane toy was defeated, he had nowhere else to go and was out of ideas. So, he decided to try and appeal to Andy’s friendship one more time, only for Andy to point out that their “friends till the end” pact had reached its conclusion and burned the killer doll to a crisp.
“Wanna Play Hide And Clap?”- The Conjuring
Jump scares are great if there’s a valid reason for them to be there, and The Conjuring showed us why this technique of bringing out horror could work when combined with a scary quote. As it happened, Carolyn was stuck in the basement when she heard the voice of her daughter.
The moment you hear this question call out to her from the pitch-black bottom stair of the basement, you know you’re in for a terrible fright - and yet, the quote still left us with a false sense of security. This was why it was terrifying the next moment when hands appeared beside Carolyn and sent every viewer jumping.
“Movies Don’t Create Psychos. Movies Make Psychos More Creative!”- Scream
The Scream series really was far ahead of its time for predicting how hysteria around movies could make people crazy. In the climax, it was revealed that two members of the friend group were the killers the whole time, with their motive being bizarre.
Having no real reason for their killings, Billy was not only unrepentant, but he even justified his crazed spree by putting the blame on movies for making him more creative. It was a fine reminder for viewers to not allow films to get into their heads.
“I Am Your Number One Fan.”- Misery
Speaking of avoiding being too fanatical with entertainment media, here we have the biggest example of insanity where fandom is concerned. Annie Wilkes was the crazed fan of Paul Sheldon, so much so that she took him under her capture and tortured him for it.
And it was all shown with such ease, as Annie’s introduction had to do with her announcing herself as Paul’s biggest fan, which ended up haunting the latter after the ordeal he went through. These words became so foreboding that they were the film’s closing lines, with a clearly shaken Paul getting paranoid when another fan made this claim.
“I’m Not Going To Hurt You. I’m Just Going To Smash Your Brains In.”- The Shining
It seems every actor who’s played the Joker embodies the character’s craziness in some way, and Jack Nicholson showed this off in The Shining’s climax where Jack Torrance went all-out murderous. The reason why this quote has proven so popular is because it showed why Jack was even scarier than ghosts.
Viewers are used to spirits scaring up screens, but since it can’t happen in real life, there’s not a genuine fear involved. With Jack’s descent to madness, his jovial claims of wanting to bash his wife’s brains were what made him so terrifying, as one could imagine someone they know to go crazy as Jack did. Let’s hope not, though.
“…She Wouldn’t Even Harm A Fly.”- Psycho
By simply pointing out that this film is now 60 years old, it should be obvious why this quote is one of the very best. Within the scene, Norman Bates completed his turn for the worst as he justified his act of murder by turning on the split personality of his mother.
We got a peek inside the killer’s mind, where the voice of his mother blamed her son for where they were. Still believing himself to be his mother, Norman refused to swat a fly on his palm, figuring that the people he thought were watching would be convinced he wasn’t dangerous because he wouldn’t even hurt a fly.
“Most People Are So Ungrateful To Be Alive, But Not You, Not Any More.”- Saw
The later Saw films kind of forgot what Jigsaw’s message was supposed to be as people kept dying devoid of logic; however, this quote is enough for you to understand what Jigsaw was trying to tell the world.
It was his hope that the people in his tests would find the value in their lives rather than waste it away, and by their survival, Jigsaw was content that they were “rehabilitated.” He was still crazy, and it was wrong for him to put anyone in any trap to begin with, but this quote shows that he was a complex villain and a class apart from other horror antagonists who were only out to kill.
