The 6 Most Unsettling Hiding Scenes in Slasher History
Chase scenes are a crucial part of horror, especially when it comes to the slasher. Imagining horror films without chase scenes is like imagining a chocolate chip cookie without the chips. A good chase scene is often remembered quite fondly, even if a film might not fully live up to our expectations. But what about when the character hides during the chase scene?
We often discuss the chase portion of chase scenes, and rarely do we get into how nerve-wracking the hiding portion is. The concept of someone running from a killer is bad enough, but when they are forced to hide and potentially get caught? Those moments are even bigger nail-biters. There are quite a number of hiding scenes that are very uncomfortable (in the best way) to watch. The following are some scenes that hit the mark and are memorable enough to make note of.
Scream 2
Scene: Gale (Courteney Cox) hiding from Ghostface.
As far as sequels go, Scream 2 is by far one of the best horror sequels of all time. It takes everything a step further as far as the set pieces, kills, and stakes for our favorite Woodsboro crew. One scene in particular that’s very memorable in the film is Gale’s (Courteney Cox) chase scene on the Windsor College campus. Instead of trying to fight Ghostface off, she flees and hides behind various props in the film department.
The scene is one where you can’t help but hold your breath, not only because of how crafty Ghostface is, but because Courteney Cox really sells Gale’s fear. Every move she makes is crucial to her survival, and hiding behind props doesn’t cut it the entire time. People don’t give her enough props for being a tremendous final girl. If her hiding from Ghostface isn’t great, then I don’t know what is.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Scene: Erin (Jessica Biel) hiding from Leatherface in the remake.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) is by far in the top 5 as far as 2000s remakes go. Not to mention, Erin (Jessica Biel) is a final girl who fights so hard to survive her horrific ordeal. After her boyfriend and her friends are all murdered, Erin has no choice but to hide out in the old meat-packing plant. Unfortunately, Leatherface (Andrew Bryniarski) finds out where she is, and it leads to a lot of hiding for Erin.
Her hiding in the hollowed carcass of the meat is unsettling, but it gets worse when Erin squeezes into a locker with a meat cleaver in hand. The chase scenes are incredibly suspenseful, and when Erin is hiding throughout the latter chunk of the film, it’s scary as hell. Going up against a foe as big as Leatherface is one thing, but to boldly chop his arm off with a meat cleaver is another. Regardless, she earns her spot on this list from the meat-packing plant scenes alone.
House of Wax (2005)
Scene: Paige (Paris Hilton) hiding from one of the killers in the House of Wax remake.
It might come as a surprise to some, but Paris Hilton wasn’t even bad in House of Wax. In fact, her chase scene is actually pretty solid. House of Wax’s set pieces perfectly complement the scary scenes. And when Paige (Paris Hilton) has to run away, after her boyfriend is murdered by one of the killers, it’s terrifying. She doesn’t scream her head off and, in fact, does everything she can to try to save herself.
The abandoned sugar mill is a great setting for her hideout, and even when she thinks she’s safe, she gets killed. It cements how not everyone’s chase scene ends in survival (look at Helen Shivers) and that girls like Paige don’t often make it to the end. But it still deserves a mention because the remake is better than people remember.
Halloween (2007)
Scene: Laurie (Scout Taylor-Compton) hiding from Michael (Tyler Mane) in their rotting former home.
It’s mildly controversial to like Rob Zombie’s Halloween films, but they aren’t nearly as bad as people might think. One thing the film does get right is the terror of Michael (Tyler Mane) and Laurie’s (Scout Taylor-Compton) fear of him. In the latter half of the movie, Laurie is chased by Michael into their old house and has to hide in the walls and eventually the rafters. Due to Michael’s extreme penchant for violence, he terrorizes her by causing her to fall through the roof and to the floor below.
Laurie hiding from her hulking brother is worthy of biting off a few nails. Considering his personal reasons to find and kill her, it adds a layer to the scenes that don’t occur when people are hunted by strangers. Halloween (2007) leans into gore, grim, and violence in comparison to the original masterpiece, which only adds to the effectiveness of Laurie’s hiding sequences.
The Strangers (2008)
Scene: Kristen (Liv Tyler) hiding in the pantry from Dollface (Gemma Ward) and the Man in the Mask (Kip Weeks)
When it comes to home invasion horror films, The Strangers is one that typically unnerves people due to its simplicity. The killers aren’t supernatural in nature and don’t have a specific motivation either, which means the moments of terror are increasingly uncomfortable. When the night descends into a nightmare, Kristen (Liv Tyler) ends up separated from her boyfriend and has to hide in his parents’ pantry.
The scene isn’t full of unnecessary noise and Kristen having to hide from several killers, who are roaming the house, is so creepy. As soon as she’s noticed by the Man in the Mask (Kip Weeks) and then jump scared by Dollface (Gemma Ward), her fate becomes more and more uncertain. Her scene of hiding ends with a small confrontation that doesn’t result in her making it out of the situation. There’s an air of hopelessness, no matter what the characters do and it’s quite effective.
Scream VI (2023)
Scene: Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara (Jenna Ortega) hiding from a gun-wielding Ghostface in a bodega.
Introducing a new group of characters to follow in the Scream universe ended up being a good idea. Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) is one of the best modern final girls, and her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega) is played by another scream queen. Scream VI is known for being one of the most brutal entries in the franchise, and the chase scenes are pretty good. One in particular is the scene where Sam and Tara flee from Ghostface into a New York bodega.
During the scene, they witness Ghostface killing a few people and have to hide behind shelves. “I Am Controlled By Your Love” by Helene Smith plays in the bodega as the sisters silently crawl around to get out safely. And it’s one of those scenes where you can’t help but hold your breath (even when you know what’s going to happen). So props to both of them for delivering on one of the few chase scenes in the film.
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