10 Dumbest Horror Movie Choices That Made the Whole World Mad
Stupidity, it seems, can be as deadly as these movies' real threats.
Over the decades, horror fans have witnessed a number of spectacularly stupid decisions, often leading to the characters' gruesome demise. As the saying goes, "play stupid, win stupid," and these ten horror characters have exemplified this by demonstrating a knack for making decisions that lead to their own demise.
10. Pearl (2022)
In Ti West's 2022 prequel to X, Pearl, obsessed with becoming a movie star, commits a series of horrific murders. At the film's climax, she is rejected at an audition because she does not fit the casting crew's "all-American" ideal. But the award for the dumbest decision ever made goes to Mitsy, Pearl's sister-in-law.
Pearl's unhinged confession of all her crimes fails to alarm Mitsy, who, at Pearl's urging, seals her fate by inviting Pearl to the show — the one in which she has secured a lead role and Pearl hasn't. Mitsy's attempt to escape ends tragically when she stumbles and falls victim to Mia Goth's vengeful character and her axe.
9. Barbarian (2022)
Barbarian is a standout horror film that introduces an innovative premise in which a woman discovers that her Airbnb has been double-booked by a man, revealing a sinister place with dark secrets. However, despite the memorable plot, the movie had its fair share of questionable choices.
After Tess and Keith are both unknowingly booked for the same night, they run into trouble when Tess accidentally locks herself in the basement. After discovering a disturbing room with ominous objects, Keith decides, against his better judgment, to investigate further. This ill-advised decision leads to trouble as the deformed and inbred "Mother" eventually kills him by smashing his head.
8. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
Logic dictates that fleeing from a relentless figure wielding a massive hook is the smart move in the tense pursuit of survival. But in the chilling scenario of I Know What You Did Last Summer, Sarah Michelle Gellar's beautiful character, Helen Shivers, throws caution to the wind.
Despite an approaching marching band and apparent safety, she unexplainably stops in her tracks. The killer catches up and delivers a fatal blow with his hook, cementing Helen's demise as a classic horror trope of unfortunate decisions leading to a character's downfall.
7. Evil Dead (2013)
In Fede Alvarez's 2013 take on the classic Evil Dead series, the ominous Book of the Dead becomes a central focus. You may ask, why would anyone read from a book bound in human skin and wrapped in barbed wire? But Eric, despite clear warnings on every page not to do so, adds an extra layer of irritation for many viewers.
His unfortunate curiosity sets off a chain of events that goes far beyond Mia's initial concerns about drugs. And here is another stupid decision — keeping your sister in the woods to "help" her deal with heroin addiction is on the same level of stupidity as reading the Book of the Dead out loud.
6. The Ring (2002)
In the 2002 American remake of the classic Japanese horror film, the central terror revolves around a chilling videotape that the characters are explicitly warned not to watch, as it will lead to their demise. Despite this dire warning, the characters' pathological curiosity leads them to investigate the mystery behind the deadly recording.
The moral of this hair-raising tale: resist the urge to press play and opt for better, life-changing choices. The inexplicable decision to watch the tape, despite clear warnings, adds to the horror of the movie, leaving viewers wondering why anyone would press play on a known death sentence.
5. Jeepers Creepers (2001)
This road trip horror began innocently enough when siblings Trish and Darry encountered a menacing truck driver dumping a body down a church pipe. Foolishly ignoring the ominous signs, Darry investigated the pipe, stumbled upon the Creeper's hideout of corpses, and unwittingly put himself on the creature's radar.
From there, the siblings became the target of the relentless Creeper, culminating in a chilling pursuit and Darry's gruesome demise as the creature sought his eyes for its sinister purposes.
4. Halloween (1978)
Directed by John Carpenter and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween introduces audiences to the iconic horror antagonist Michael Myers. Escaping from a mental hospital 15 years after murdering his sister, Myers returns to a small town to continue his crimes. When it comes to the dumbest decisions in horror, even this iconic 1978 slasher has its work cut out for it.
Watching Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode drop the knife near Michael Myers every time she thinks he's defeated in the first Halloween movie had us all groaning. The recurring decision to drop the weapon next to the literally immortal serial killer is a never-ending point of discussion among horror fans.
3. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
The 2022 sequel to the 1974 horror classic revolves around Leatherface, the main villain of the franchise. After a 48-year hiatus, Leatherface returns to terrorize a group of young friends in a small Texas town who inadvertently disturb his secluded world. The film was the subject of some criticism, particularly with regard to the choices made by Sally Hardesty, the surviving girl from the original Texas Chainsaw.
She spends nearly 50 years searching for Leatherface, shows up armed for a showdown, but ends up screwing up the whole "revenge plan." Sally is barely on screen for five minutes before she meets her demise, leaving fans unhappy with the use of such an iconic character in the movie.
2. Midsommar (2019)
Ari Aster's folk horror proves that jerks have no chance of staying alive. Mark's lack of respect at a Swedish festival turns out to be a deadly mistake for him, as instead of treating the locals nicely, he decides to disrespect a sacred tree by urinating on it.
Little did he know that these seemingly ordinary people were part of a death cult that was out for revenge. Mark's failure to put things together led to a gruesome end and taught viewers to always be courteous to strangers, as you never know who might turn out to be more than just eccentric.
1. Scream 2 (1997)
Randy Meeks, the horror movie guru, surprisingly met his end at the hands of Mrs. Loomis in Scream 2. Known for giving survival advice, Randy's fatal mistake occurred when he let his anger get the better of him during a phone call by unknowingly insulting Billy Loomis to his mother.
Thinking he was safe out in the open, Randy was tragically pushed into a van, where Mrs. Loomis turned "a little knife happy." This unexpected twist showed that even the smartest horror characters can be caught off guard if they don't know when to keep their mouths shut.