A movie doesn’t have to be classified as “horror” in order to be downright terrifying.
Thanks to scary characters in all different kinds of films — including Disney! — you could be left feeling all of the goosebumps.
If that doesn’t give you nightmares, I don’t know what will. Here are 10+ scary characters from non-horror movies.
Other Mother from *Coraline*
Just look at those creepy button eyes!
It makes you wonder how this movie could have ever been classified as a kids’ movie. Most of us who watched it back then even got nightmares from it.
Alex DeLarge from *A Clockwork Orange*
“The combination of his internal monologue and the casual viciousness of his violence really creates a character in which there is no morality, no kindness or normalcy, where everyday is just another hunt for a thrill.” – Redditor Jexroyal
Anton Chigurh in *No Country for Old Men*
The hair alone is terrifying.
But add in his intelligence, relentless, and lack of emotions, and he becomes the kind of character that you just know you could never escape from.
Col. Hans Landa from *Inglourious Basterds*
“Col. Hans Landa was basically what would happen if you gave Darth Vader the intellect of Sherlock Holmes and made him one of Hitler’s soldiers. It’s terrifying.” – Redditor Plutoisgreat
Hannibal Lector from *Silence of the Lambs*
While you might think that Silence of the Lambs is a horror movie since it has a serial killer, it’s actually a crime thriller.
The human-eating Hannibal is straight-up terrifying. Add in the fact that he’s insanely intelligent and there’s no stopping him.
Count Olaf from *A Series Of Unfortunate Events*
“Not only his appearance, but his motives were pretty creepy too. Sure, he’s nothing compared to Javier Bardem in No Country For Old men, but he’s still not the nicest of characters in a children’s film.” – Redditor TheSamR
Frollo from *The Hunchback of Notre Dame*
When it comes to Disney villains, Frollo is one of the worst. He may only be a human, but he’s filled with enough hate to cause serious destruction.
We also can’t forget the creepy way he lusted after Esmeralda.
The Child Catcher from *Chitty Chitty Bang Bang*
“Here you have this fun, family-oriented Disney-type movie starring Dick Van Dyke, and right in the middle of it is a guy who lures children with lollipops, abducts them, and throws them in an underground prison.” – Redditor canashian
The library ghost from *Ghostbusters*
While the special effects in this movie weren’t spectacular, the library ghost still managed to be terrifying.
It was definitely the scariest out of all the other ghosts in the film, that much is for sure.
Daniel Plainview from *There Will Be Blood*
“He is a horrifying character because there is nothing off about him. No traumatic backstory. He was simply a person who went bad, and a reminder that we’re never far from that path ourselves.” – Redditor IcarusPenn
E.T. from *E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial*
If you watched this movie as a kid, there’s a good chance that you found it terrifying instead of heartwarming.
E.T. had a weird, wrinkly body, and those long fingers were scary enough to give anyone nightmares for weeks.
Frank Costello from *The Departed*
“I just thought Scorsese did a very good job of making him a threatening presence. His cruelty, his intelligence, the way he seems to be completely in control of every scene you see him in, right up until the end. The perfect gangster.” -Redditor heretik
Bilbo Baggins from *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*
He was a good-natured character, but one scene saw him transform into a monster over wanting the Ring.
This was terrifying because it proved that the Ring has enough evil power to turn anyone bad.
Doyal Hargraves from *Sling Blade*
“I was surprised at how good he was in that role, and I think he got overlooked for his acting because he’s an established musician. He perfectly captured that wild, dangerous quality that some abusive alcoholics have.” – Redditor mdim
Lord Voldemort from *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone*
Since most people read the books and watched the movies as kids, they found this character downright terrifying.
A big reason for this is how unpredictable he is. I mean, even his most trusted allies were terrified of him.
El Capitán from *Labyrinth*
“The fact that he was a man seemingly void of emotions (except for his son…) and lacked any mercy whatsoever made him a terrifying individual. I’m still bothered by the “bottle scene” and normally stuff like that doesn’t phase me.” – Redditor Very_Blunt
Judge Doom from *Who Framed Roger Rabbit*
This guy was a major creep.
First, he killed a beloved cartoon, and then, he went crazy in the end and had those terrifying cartoon bug eyes. Even when you close your own eyes, you can’t escape them.
John du Pont from *Foxcatcher*
“Im expecting a ‘that’s what she said’ joke. But he doesn’t. It made me uncomfortable while watching the movie because I hadn’t seen him in a serious role. My goodness he plays a madman so perfectly.” – Redditor idkanyusername
Fletcher from *Whiplash*
“Fletcher from ‘Whiplash’ was definitely the most intense and terrifying man I’ve ever seen in a movie. He had me shaking in my seat from just how intense he was.” – Redditor Mort_The_Moose
Do you agree?
