The ability for a piece of art to convey any bit of an emotional response from the viewer is a kind of pure magic. Turning nothing into something that impacts a total stranger ex nihilo is a feat of accomplishment that makes art important and crucial for humanity. Cinema is highly accessible and is the most conducive medium to gather raw emotion from the audience, especially with a particularly riveting sequence. This is due to the unpredictable nature of great suspenseful scenes in general; we are seeing events play out in real-time with thrilling uncertainty, which brilliant filmmakers utilize to their advantage.
Updated June 23, 2023: To keep this article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated by Gaurav Krishnan to feature more intense scenes from movies.
Suspense and tension are effective techniques in a film that can be demonstrated in any genre. However, suspense is only as impactful as its set-up. Having relatable and investing stakes in a film will intensify the tension and hook the audience into the scenes. Throughout film history, many films have put audiences on the edge of their seats, clenching the armrests in anticipation of what’s to come. These select few have executed brilliant usage of tension and intensity, causing racing hearts and bated breath.
20 The Dark Knight Rises
Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy has its moments and scenes that ebb and flow that are evocative and engrossing. However, the pick of the bunch has to be from the final installment of the trilogy in The Dark Knight Rises when Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has to escape “The Pit” that Bane (Tom Hardy) traps him in. The scene has some stunning cinematography and camera work as the prisoners chant what means "rise" in unison, as Bale makes his way up to escape the underground prison by just about clinging to each rock that surrounds the prison’s circular walls, and conquers the pivotal leap across the most difficult part of the climb to narrowly escape captivity.
Although audiences perhaps expected that he would eventually make his way out of the prison, the manner in which he does so, along with the driving and inspiring score by Hans Zimmer, makes for an epic and triumphant scene. It's a moment where every ardent Batman fan would have subtlety celebrated to themselves as he finally escapes to freedom and heads to Gotham City to combat Bane.
19 The Deer Hunter
One of the quintessential sequences of raw intensity, the Russian Roulette scene in The Deer Hunter put this film on the map as one of the most emotionally draining of all time. The horror of watching Michael (Robert De Niro) and Nick (Christopher Walken) endure the horrors of war is enough to prompt screen breaks. However, the investment and runtime dedicated to these characters will force the audience to wait in anticipation, hoping for relief. Nevertheless, this film has little relief.
The intensity of the Russian Roulette sequence, in particular, is riveting because it is in real-time and ultimately dedicated to the unpredictability of chance. The flip-of-a-coin mentality leaves little hope for the characters; all faith resides in the odds, which, with death at stake, are far from fair.
18 Uncut Gems
The Safdie Brothers have perfected the art of tension by setting the characters and audience on the ground level. Their films are street films, meaning they exist in the real world and with real people (often literally, using many non-actors); the conversations and stakes are relatable and in your face. The ending sequence of Uncut Gems is incredibly intense because we have seen the fatal flaw of Howard Rather, played brilliantly by a magnetic Adam Sandler, come to its highest peak.
In this scene, his obsessions and compulsions reach a climactic level during the biggest risk of his life. All hope rests in Kevin Garnett as he utilizes the “power” of the lucky gem. This game, even for non-basketball fans, is filled with suspense because we see the painful, lethal stakes for Howard. The music is perfectly blended with the imagery, Sandler’s performance is raw and breathtaking, and the shocking outcome is nothing we’d ever anticipate.
17 Snatch
Guy Ritchie has his typical freeze frames, slow-motion sequences, and storylines with plot twists in his repertoire. This scene from Snatch where the Pikey, played by Brad Pitt, knocks out his opponent in a rigged boxing match which has repercussions for him and his band of gypsies, is just the beginning of a chain of events. In true Guy Ritchie frantic plot twist fashion, the mob boss Brick Top and his gang of henchmen get “done in” (killed) by the gypsies as they appear out of nowhere with shotguns and kill the mobster and his thugs.
The entire finale is edited astutely with scenes that play back and forth along with a monologue by Jason Statham depicting how the crew of gypsies massacre all of Brick Top's men and kill him as well as roll down the window of his car, which they've hijacked. The scene builds up suspense and momentum to the sound of a perfect needle drop by Oasis as audiences have no clue that Pitt would knock out his opponent and that his fellow gypsy mates would deliver “a pikey reaction”.
16 Mad Max: Fury Road
Warner Bros. Pictures
Films like Mad Max: Fury Road capture intensity in downright chaos. The entire film is loaded with brutal, fast-paced imagery and head-scratching moments of unpredictable absurdity. However, the entire film executes this absurdity in the most perfect way. Specifically, the race to the citadel may be the apotheosis of the many intense sequences in the film, jam-packed with practical effects and set pieces, committed performances from Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, and Zoë Kravitz, and explosive imagery. George Miller directed a jaw-dropping film that will be a staple of raw action for generations to come.
15 Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom is a movie that might not be too well known; it’s an Australian crime drama film from 2010 that received rave reviews across the spectrum after its release. It’s filled with violent and dramatic scenes as the plot centered around the notorious Cody family evolves. However, the scene from the film which is perhaps the most compelling is a short sequence where two of the protagonists, Craig and the teenager Joshua "J" Daniel Cody, are in their car in Melbourne's shoreline suburb of St Kilda when a couple of punks pull up beside their vehicle and try to act tough and insult them.
Craig follows their car, which eventually comes to a halt, and he then hands J a pistol saying, “Let him know who’s king.” The punks step out of their vehicle, asking Craig and J to “come outside,” looking for a fight. And then J points the gun at them, making both the young punks fear for their lives. At this moment, anything could happen as J has them at gunpoint, but J doesn't pull the trigger as they tell him to “relax” and then immediately run away, fleeing in their car while Craig laughs to himself. The score is on point, and the cinematography is captivating as the scene demonstrates just how deadly the Cody family is especially if provoked.
14 A Few Good Men
The final courtroom drama in A Few Good Men is a scene in which Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise showcase their remarkable acting prowess. It's just a courtroom scene, but the finesse and explosive nature of the pair's acting makes the scene come to life. The film tells the story of how a US Marine named William Santiago is killed by two marines, Dawson and Downey, after a direct order from their superiors, Lieutenant Kendrick and Colonel Nathan Jessop(Jack Nicholson), which is called a “code red.”
In this pivotal scene, JAG attorney Daniel Kaffee (Cruise) forces Colonel Nathan Jessop (Nicholson) to concede that he ordered the “code red” that killed Santiago. The scene simmers on a knife edge as Kaffee batters Jessop with questions and accusations, causing him to lose his cool and blurt out that he did, in fact, order the “code red.” Nicholson’s infamous line where he says, “You can’t handle the truth” after Cruise yells, “I want the truth,” are dialogues that perhaps define the movie as Jessop finally reveals the facts of the event and gets arrested as Dawson and Downey are relieved of their charges for murder.
13 X-Men & X-Men: First Class
Set against the backdrop of the Holocaust, this particular scene has been depicted and recreated in both X-Men movies X-Men and X-Men: First Class, and it's rather tragic yet intense. For all the narratives behind Magneto and his turbulent background story that is drenched in pain and loss, which also subsequently leads to his unhinged rage against humanity, the scene is quite gripping as it portrays Magneto as a child and him being separated from his family, as they are taken into captivity in a concentration camp.
The young Eric/Magneto is seen crying out in despair and screaming to not be separated from his family as he raises his hands in anguish which causes the iron gates and barbed wire to bend and break. It’s an early glimpse of his mutant powers, i.e., the ability to control and manipulate metal and metallic objects, which is portrayed in a dramatized fashion, echoing his agony, which also urges audiences to empathize with his character.
12 The Pursuit Of Happyness
The Pursuit Of Happyness, starring Will Smith and his son Jadon Smith, is a heartbreaking yet also inspiring and moving story. As it plays out, audiences are drawn into the plot and the struggles, trials, and tribulations that the protagonist Chris Gardner (Will Smith), and his little son go through. From his partner leaving him, being evicted, and having to sleep in homeless shelters and even the subway, the film explores the true story of Gardner’s life and how he manages being broke and homeless and to have to take care of his son.
The scene in the movie where Chris finally gets a permanent job at a stockbroking firm after his internship concludes is the culmination of all the drama and strife portrayed in the film and is a euphoric moment as it is heartfelt. With Will Smith's exceptional acting as he tries to conceal his tears and then celebrates on the street, which permeates to the audience as they can almost feel the emotions and unbridled joy that Chris feels after he finally gets a job that will pay enough to take care of him and his son. It’s a poignant scene that celebrates the humane joy of overcoming difficulties and persevering.
11 Whiplash
Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash relies on its performances to execute the tension. The acting from J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller sells every bit of that intensity because we know where both of these characters are coming from. Their motivations for greatness, developed so skillfully throughout the film, clash with one another. They see themselves in each other, either through want or ambition. After an entire film dedicated to these characters butting heads and clashing ideologies, it all comes down to the last twenty minutes.
The ending sequence offers practically no dialogue but just sheer intensity. We see everything that Andrew (Teller) has ever wanted to become when Fletcher (Simmons) breaks him down and leaves him out to dry. However, in a lengthy drum solo, Andrew lets the blood, sweat, and tears explode in a massive white-knuckle sequence filled with real emotion and painstaking effort.
10 Room
There is hardly any film-related experience that will match the first viewing of Room. What makes this award-winning masterpiece stand out is its innocence. Ma (Brie Larson) and seven-year-old Jack (Jacob Tremblay) have their own little world together within four little walls. The external circumstances of their tragic situation are not the initial focal point, as the film is told through the eyes of a child. However, the escape sequence hits a level of intense emotion that not many films have achieved as we see this innocent child wiggle his way to freedom.
In this one-shot chance to escape the clutches of his captor, Jack struggles to break free after faking his death and pretending to be a corpse that needs to be disposed of. The film takes its time in this intense sequence as Jack attempts to finally free himself, but the sheer beauty of the scene is in its conclusion. Jack sees the sky for the first time and the scene takes a deep breath. Jack looks up to the sky, the trees, and the entire outside world for the first time, and gorgeous post-rock music awash across the soundtrack. After wiggling his way out of a rolled rug in the back of a pickup truck, he is reborn.
9 The Exorcist
Quite possibly, the most intense horror film of all time, The Exorcist, exemplifies true cinematic art. From practical and brutal make-up to the powerful use of sound, this film holds no punches in traumatizing the viewer. The horrors that Regan, played by Linda Blair, endures are intense as it is because she is an innocent child taken by the hands of evil. While the film toys with the concept of science and religion, the final exorcism sequence reveals the truth.
The sequence is wordless but incredibly loud in its execution, with terrifying and upsetting imagery. It is not one for the faint of heart to see the little girl who began the film bubbling with light become the truest personification of darkness. The performances from Max von Sydow and Jason Miller are perfect as the priests who are Regan’s last hope for salvation and the audience's hope for some relief from the unremitting terror of this endlessly effective, intense sequence.
8 The Departed
Martin Scorsese has his share of memorable and notable scenes from his entire filmography, but this scene from The Departed, described by Leonardo Di Caprio as “one of the most memorable moments of his career,” is one that typified Scorsese’s command of the crime drama genre and his expert execution of what is in actual fact, a simple conversation. It’s a typical table scene that Scorsese is notoriously famous for, as Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) interrogates Billy Costigan (Di Caprio), accusing him of being the “rat.”
The scene has some well-scripted dialogue that goes back and forth as Costello pulls a gun on Billy (making a rat-like facial expression with his teeth) as he proceeds to weigh out the possibilities of why Billy could be the "rat" because of his dubious and contentious actions. While the shootout scene was perhaps more explosive and impactful, this scene exemplified Scorsese’s directing finesse as he keeps audiences guessing as to what action Costello will take and whether he’ll find out that Billy is actually “the rat." The scene is a pivotal moment in the film that serves as suspense and drama for the watching audience as Nicholson delivers the punchline, “heavy lies the crown.”
7 127 Hours
Propelled by an exquisite score by Indian composer A.R. Rahman, the film 127 Hours tells the true story of how mountain climber Aron Ralston (James Franco) survived falling into a ravine while on a hike in the mountains of Utah. The scene from the film, which is the most visceral and agonizing as it is graphic, is when he has to cut off part of his arm in order to survive (which is actually what happened).
Ralston has no choice but to cut off part of his arm with a pocket knife, as shocking as that sounds, or he would remain trapped inside the canyon and die. Considering the difficulties of reenacting this particular moment in the film, especially because it takes place inside a ravine, the scene is executed to perfection as James Franco’s performance is so real that you can feel the pain and shock almost as if he’s actually cutting his arm off.
6 Scarface
Al Pacino as Tony Montana has served up some stellar and iconic scenes which have become cult favorites as the years have progressed. Scarface is Brian De Palma’s crowning moment, a film that defined 80s cinema along with Pacino’s performance that was staggering. The movie has some memorable scenes of Tony and his cocaine-induced violence and drama, particularly the final shootout in the mansion. However, the scene in the movie that is a tipping point and perhaps an anti-climax is when Tony and his crew have to blow up a car that Sosa orders them to.
The scene builds up slowly, as viewers are pretty sure Tony and his henchmen will get the job done. But Tony has a surprising change of heart, and perhaps his conscience comes into play because the car has a woman and two kids also on board. Although he's portrayed as a remorseless criminal and gangster throughout the film, that decision is a surprise and unexpected plot twist. In the end, Tony kills his accomplice who is handling the remote detonator by shooting him in the head, and that decision ultimately leads to Sosa sending his thugs to kill Tony, which contrives to lead to his downfall in the end.
5 The Pianist
Adrien Brody puts in a hallmark performance for his rendition of Władysław Szpilman, a pianist who survived WWII by hiding out in Warsaw as the war waged on. The film, The Pianist, directed by Roman Polanski, is widely regarded as one of his finest films. In this particular scene, Szpilman plays the piano for a German officer named Wilm Hosenfeld, who discovers that he’s a pianist and sits him down on a piano nearby.
Szpilman plays Chopin’s Ballade in G Minor, as Hosenfeld appears to be moved and enchanted by the music - a mystifying and emotional piece of music considering Szpilman’s predicament and the German officer’s duties due to the ongoing war, which seemingly evaporate for the moment as the piano is played and both individuals reflect and feel the innate sadness and melancholy in the musical composition. It’s a scene where there’s no need for words and dialogue as the music tells the story in itself and, for that moment, encapsulates the war and the tragedy of loss and strife in four or five minutes.
4 The Matrix
The original first installment of The Matrix franchise had its share of captivating and iconic scenes. There’s the training fight scene between Neo and Morpheus and the infamous bullet evasion scene as Neo dodges bullets on the roof. However, the most intense action scene that’s also a climax to the film is the final battle between Neo and Agent Smith in the subway.
It’s a perfect intersection of screenplay, action, cinematography, and special effects as Neo battles his opponent going blow for blow, starting with guns and dodging bullets to hand-to-hand combat, as Morpheus infamously says, “He’s beginning to believe.” The fight scene is expertly choreographed along with innovative and staggering special effects considering this was 1999 as Neo becomes the hero he’s touted to be throughout the film and comes full circle to realize his powers.
3 Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park hit the fantasy epic and thriller game (literally) out of the park as Steven Spielberg delighted audiences around the world with revolutionary special effects that showcased dinosaurs along with a compelling storyline and notable acting from the cast. The most thrilling scene from the first film, which arguably had a lot of contenders for a spot on this list, is the scene where the Velociraptors run riot in the kitchen as Lex, and Tim hang on for their lives.
While the T-Rexs stole much of the limelight in the film, the Raptors were portrayed quite accurately for what they are, smaller but quick, lethal, and deadly dinosaurs that hunt for prey in packs using their sharp intellect and speed. The Raptor scene in the kitchen remains substantially impressive and had audiences on the edge of their seats and fearing the worst as it plays out in its own innovative way for a fantasy horror/thriller scene.
2 Mission Impossible
Coming to the legendary Mission Impossible cable drop scene. It simply doesn’t get more engrossing, suspenseful, and intense than this sequence for an action film. It was perhaps cumbersome to choose a particular scene from the Mission Impossible series of films, especially with the new Mission Impossible movie’s release around the corner and the viral video of Tom Cruise riding a motorcycle off a cliff. The franchise is renowned for its larger-than-life stunt scenes with Cruise at the heart of it, performing the stunts himself, with the Burj Khalifa scene from Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol in contention as well.
However, the cable drop scene in the CIA vault from the first installment of the film series is by far the most nail-biting and perfectly executed covert ops, the information-heist scene that keeps audiences gripped as Tom Cruise plummets from a height and almost touches the sensors on the floor in the high-security vault as he catches the sweat that drips off his face. It’s a scene that’s synonymous with the franchise.
1 Inglorious Basterds
Quentin Tarantino writes screenplays to be as intense as they are authentic, but they are also executed to perfection. Tarantino movies have a certain pervading artistic flair to them, yet also deliver suspenseful clutch moments and scenes that keep audiences guessing as to what could happen next. The director is renowned for shooting intense, dramatized, and elaborate sequences, so it was slightly cumbersome to just select one scene from his formidable filmography although you could argue that Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs weren’t archetypally suspenseful. But that aside, this scene in Inglorious Basterds is surely right up there as one of Tarantino’s most intense scenes ever shot.
The opening scene from Inglorious Basterds, where Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) interrogates a French farmer and his family who are hiding Jewish fugitives beneath the floorboards of their home, is as intense as it gets. The scene plays out sequentially, building the suspense and intensity gradually with unique camera angles and cinematography as Waltz delivers a masterclass performance playing it coy, although he knows about the Jewish family hiding beneath the floor all along.
Tarantino engrosses the audience in the conversation, with Landa talking about his moniker and drinking milk, and builds up the tension with the audience, hoping that Landa doesn’t find the Jewish stowaways. It’s an iconic 20-minute opening scene that ends in the “au revoir Shoshana” moment as the young Jewish girl flees from almost certain captivity. It was a close call between this scene and the scene in the tavern where the German officers uncover the Basterds disguised as Nazis, but for being such an explosive, suspenseful, and impressive opening to a movie, this scene rightfully took the top spot.