10 James Bond Moments That Would Fit Right Into A Horror Movie

James Bond might have its fair share of glamor and action, but some moments in the world’s most famous spy franchise would not look out of place in a horror movie. The James Bond movies have occasionally experimented with other genres. However, this is not always a popular decision when it affects much of the film, like Die Another Day‘s unpopular foray into science fiction. That said, when James Bond enters the horror territory, the scares tend to last for a single scene, which becomes iconic when it is done well, even scaring Bond himself.

Of all the actors who have played James Bond, some, like Timothy Dalton, have done their own stunts while others have relied on doubles and visual effects. The franchise is famous for its stunts and daredevil vehicle chases, but the greatest James Bond stunts are generally awe-inspiring rather than horror-movie scary. When Bond embraces the horror genre, the movies tend to play on a common fear, like spiders or sharks, or a particularly spooky location, like a graveyard. Bond could never be described as understated, but the franchise’s approach to horror is more minimalist than might be expected.

10

Scaramanga’s Funhouse Chase

The Man With The Golden Gun

Scaramanga in The Man With The Golden Gun

Scaramanga is often considered James Bond‘s most underrated villain, with Christopher Lee playing the hitman with a taste for killing. The Man With the Golden Gun might have been criticized by reviewers for its underwhelming action, but the performances of the actors are some of the franchise’s best. Scaramanga had some corny lines, but he appeared to be a genuine threat to Bond, and with his million-dollar-per-kill rate, his lair was full of nasty surprises.

Scaramanga’s lair had a funhouse with disorienting projections that would not be out of place in many modern horror movies and TV shows, including American Horror Story and the Saw franchise. The zones include an American Wild West-themed area with creepy shooting mannequins, an abstract triangle world, and a London skyline. The funhouse features in a tense game of cat-and-mouse with a gangster but is not fully explored, leaving viewers wondering how far it extends.

9

The Terrified Clown (& Bond’s Disguise)

Octopussy

A dead clown in Octopussy

The opening to Octopussy features something that has become a common phobia since Stephen King’s “It” was released three years later. A terrified secret agent who is dressed as a clown crashes through a dark estate before reaching an enormous mansion, dying before he can deliver his message. The scene might have been funny in another context, but for a James Bond opening scene, it is unexpected. The circus theme later brings more camp to James Bond, with Roger Moore’s 007 ending up in disguise.

The opening is a much more tense scene, and surprisingly creepy.

Octopussy is not the best of the 1980s James Bond movies, but it is memorable for its hammy action and over-the-top action sequences like the fight on the train. The scene in which Bond ends up dressed as a clown and infiltrating a circus is especially ridiculous but highlights that Roger Moore had a sense of humor when it came to playing the spy. That said, the opening is a much more tense scene, and surprisingly creepy.

8

The Home Invasion And Lake Scene

No Time To Die

Bond villain on a frozen lake in No Time To Die

No Time To Die was Daniel Craig’s last outing as 007, and the movie revisited some major plot points from his previous movies while incorporating a new and menacing villain. The opening for No Time To Die resembles a home invasion-themed horror more than a Bond movie, with Rami Malek’s masked villain slowly making his way into Madeleine Swann’s house, murdering her mother, and chasing her across a frozen lake.

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The home invasion premise would have been frightening on its own, but the scene continues to develop into something far scarier. Madeleine’s escape from the house resembles a daylit version of a scene in The Shining, and the villain’s mask adds to the terror factor as the ice cracks under Madeleine. Characters have fallen into frozen water in other Bond movies, including Skyfall, but the masked villain’s relentless pursuit makes this scene cross over into horror.

7

The Tarantula Scene

Dr. No

A spider on James Bond in Dr. No

Arachnophobia (fear of spiders) is reportedly one of the most common phobias in the world, and Dr. No makes the most of this fact when Bond wakes up to find a tarantula crawling over his chest. Filming the scene should have been easy compared to Bond’s huge action setpieces, but there was a complication: Bond actor Sean Connery is terrified of spiders and refused to allow the tarantula to touch his bare skin.

The scene was filmed when a stuntman stepped in, allowing the tarantula to walk across him instead. Dr. No was the first movie in the 007 franchise, and while many moments in Sean Connery’s Bond movies do not hold up today, this scene is not one of them. Dr. No‘s tarantula scene shows that a tiny moment can be terrifying, and Connery’s genuine fear is clear in the few scenes that were captured with him and the spider.

6

The Exploding Head

License To Kill

A villain's head about to explode in License To Kill

James Bond can be gritty and violent, especially in Daniel Craig’s outings as 007, but even during scenes that involve sharks and knives, the movies are rarely gory. That said, one of the goriest James Bond movies is License To Kill, which contains two scenes that are straight out of the horror genre. One features the death of Bond’s best friend, Felix Leiter when Sanchez feeds him to a shark. Though little blood is seen, this is likely the most upsetting scene in a James Bond movie.

The second scene is the closest that the 1980s Bond movies came to body horror.

When Bond tricks Sanchez into believing that his henchman is working against him, Sanchez locks the man in a decompression chamber, which causes his head to explode. The violence in License to Kill might be considered tame by modern standards, but while the 1981 cyber horror Scanners had an exploding head, this level of violence was extreme for a James Bond movie.

5

Baron Samedi

Live And Let Die

Baron Samedi in James Bond Live and Let Die

Roger Moore’s Bond movies are often considerably dated now, especially when it comes to their portrayal of women and varied cultures. Live and Let Die is one of the movies that has not aged well in many regards and is an odd addition to the Bond franchise. That said, Baron Samedi is one of the most memorable Bond villains, with variations of his character appearing in other more updated movies, including Disney’s The Princess and the Frog.

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Live and Let Die is the only Bond movie that overtly includes a supernatural element, with the Voodoo master Baron Samedi appearing to be impossible to kill. At the end of Live and Let Die, Bond appears to have killed Baron Samedi, but he is seen alive again in the movie’s final moments. The idea of an immortal antagonist with supernatural connections is a horror movie trope, and his character, while in need of modernizing, is more of a horror villain than a Bond villain.

4

Alec Trevelyan Comes Back From The Dead

GoldenEye

Sean Bean in GoldenEye

With Sean Bean becoming famous for dying in his movies, GoldenEye gave viewers one of the most shocking moments in any Bond movie. Bean plays fellow spy Alec Trevelyan, who Bond discovers is not only alive but the antagonist. A twist like this might be a common plot in action and spy movies like the 007 franchise, but it is the moment of the reveal that takes this scene into the horror genre.

Bond, played by Pierce Brosnan, is walking through a graveyard alone at night, with camera angles that suggest he is being watched, and a spooky soundtrack featuring unintelligible voices. This moment alone is already a fitting scene for a horror movie, but when Alec Trevelyan walks out of a backlit mausoleum, it looks as though he is rising from the dead. Every aspect of the scene, from Alec’s magnified voice to the wide camera angles, emphasizes how spooky the setting is.

3

Jaws

The Spy Who Loved Me

Jaws in James Bond

Though the big bad in The Spy Who Loved Me was Karl Stromberg with his nuclear plan for world destruction, Jaws is one of the James Bond movie henchmen who overshadowed the main villain. Jaws is an enormous assassin with metal teeth that he appears to be able to use to bite through anything, including a metal ski cable. This allows him to escape imprisonment and could cause serious damage if he got his teeth on James Bond.

Jaws was so popular that he was brought back in Moonraker and even had a role in the 1990s kids’ TV show, James Bond Jr. The character had extreme physical strength and many of his best scenes are jump scares which would fit right into any horror movie, including The Spy Who Loved Me. Jaws hides in a cupboard, only to be revealed by the Bond Girl, Anya Amasova, in a jump scare that even reportedly scared the cast at the premiere.

2

Silva Takes Out His Face Plate

Skyfall

Silva in Skyfall

Virtually all the Bond villains have grandiose plans which are eventually foiled by James Bond. However, Silva is the only Bond villain to succeed and beat 007, and he is such a complex and tragic character that he became a fan favorite. Unlike many villains who just want to take over the world, Silva is on a revenge mission, and when he reveals the reason for his anger, the moment resembles a horror movie scene.

Silva’s reveal is a chilling body horror moment that takes James Bond into the horror genre for just a few seconds.

The cyberterrorist’s main goal was to discredit and kill M after he felt that she left him to die. When he bit into his cyanide capsule, the poison gas disfigured his face, which was not obvious until he removed a plate from inside his mouth. While all Bond villains have something that makes them different, this can be as silly as Scaramanga’s third nipple. Silva’s reveal is a chilling body horror moment that takes James Bond into the horror genre for just a few seconds.

1

James Bond Is Tortured With A Drill

Spectre

James Bond is tortured in Spectre

Though James Bond has been tortured before, with Die Another Day showing Pierce Brosnan suffering, Daniel Craig has brought some extremely brutal scenes to the James Bond franchise. His version of the iconic spy is capable of taking a beating, and the torture scene in Casino Royale is gritty, dark, and suited to an action movie. That said, when Craig’s Bond gets tortured again in Spectre, the scene is pure horror.

Blofeld is arguably James Bond‘s most legendary and formidable villain, and when he returns to torture Bond in Spectre, the scene merges horror with science fiction. Seeing Bond helpless as Blofeld’s machine drills into his skull is nightmare fuel, and with its sanitized and well-lit setting, the scene is almost the exact opposite of the torture in Casino Royale. Both scenes are hard to watch, but Blofeld’s sophisticated machinery and detached manner bring the horror genre to James Bond.

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No Time to Die Film Poster

James Bond

The James Bond franchise follows the adventures of British secret agent 007 as he combats global threats. With a license to kill, Bond faces off against various villains and criminal organizations, employing high-tech gadgets, espionage, and charm. The series spans multiple films, featuring exotic locations, thrilling action sequences, and memorable characters. Bond’s mission to protect the world and uphold justice remains central, making the franchise an enduring icon in the spy genre.

Created by

Ian Fleming
, Albert R. Broccoli

Upcoming Films

James Bond 26

Cast

Sean Connery
, George Lazenby
, Roger Moore
, Timothy Dalton
, Pierce Brosnan
, Daniel Craig

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