It is a true testament to a filmmaker's greatness when their name gets to be plastered all over the promotional material of their film. Jordan Peele has found himself as a filmmaker who can do the same after he exploded onto the horror cinema scene out of nowhere and has neatly placed himself as a mainstay of the horror genre.
But what is an all-time great horror filmmaker without a collection of memorable scenes that stick with audiences for decades to come? Jordan Peele is a student of the horror genre means there will be no shortage of memorable and even fun horror moments. He knows what works and what sticks with audiences. Here are the Jordan Peele horror scenes that do it the best.
Get Out: The Sunken Place
Get Out has so many scenes to decide from. From the great opening scene of Andre being abducted to Chris' realization that something is wrong as he goes through the chest. But a memorable horror scene doesn't just terrify, it informs and progresses the film forward. No scene does that better in Get Out when Chris is in a therapy session with Rose's mother, Missy Armitage. As an audience, this scene is perfect for the third-of-the-way market point that it stands at.
The scene informs the audience of the trauma of the death of his mother that is haunting Chris. It shows that there's something off about Missy, and thus the family as a whole. The audience is then introduced to the Sunken Place. But while all of these are pieces of information given to the audience, it isn't too much, and it just leaves more questions than answers. It is a perfect scene from a storytelling standpoint, and not to forget, extremely tense and terrifying.
US: Hall of Mirrors
The intro to Jordan Peele's sophomore film is a bit more standard of a horror scene. An alone little girl, scary dark setting, quick little jump scares, and so on. But what makes this one stand out among the others is once again how it sets up the film. In this case, there isn't much as it goes for info, but questions? There is a load of questions that were raised at the end of the opening sequence, and that is exactly what it should do. The realization that she isn't looking at herself in the mirror is enough to make the hairs on anyone's arm stand up.
Nope: Raining Blood
Nope probably has the longest list of terrifying scenes out of all of Jordan Peele's films. There's the first sighting of the alien, the Star Lasso Experience, and the chimp attack, which are all fantastic horror scenes. But the one that stands out among them all is easily the raining blood. As soon as the scene starts, the screams of the victims can be heard from the UFO, Jean Jacket-which quite honestly is one of the best decisions Jordan Peele made when making the film. But put that against a storm, late at night, with the protagonists hiding and getting terrified with no power. It is a near-perfect horror scene to amp up the threat of Jean Jacket. But then replace all the rain with gallons of blood, and now there's a scene that most will only find in their nightmares. Also: The music in this scene works on so many levels and really brings a great atmosphere.
Nope: Gordy's Home!
One of the biggest talking points with the release of Nope was the chimp attack, and rightfully so. It's eerie and really hard to watch. But for so much more than the gore on a chimp attack. Actually, the only front and center gore that is shown as a result of the attack is the disfiguration of the actress from the attack years later. In the scene, all violence is shown on the screen. But what makes it so terrifying is what is heard, and what is not.
The scene is mostly quiet throughout with a few interruptions from popping balloons which is what set Gordy off in the first place. But in between those pops, the violence and deaths of the actors can be heard as they are mauled and murdered. It is when it goes silent that the audience can finally see Gordy covered in blood. The scene could leave even the most tolerant viewers speechless.
Get Out: Running
Would this list be worthwhile without mentioning what may have turned into Jordan Peele's most iconic scene? This scene doesn't have all the glitz and glamour that some of the others do, but it still works beyond the meme that it has turned into. When Chris goes out for a smoke he witnesses the 'gardener' that he met earlier running full sprint at him until the last second when he takes a turn. It seems basic and boring on paper. But it really plays on primal fear and instinct that many people may have. If anyone sees another person running straight at them in full sprint, there's no chance that anyone wouldn't have a visceral experience. It is something that nobody is ready for and works on a primal level as a horror scene.