Let’s begin by saying that the first few movies here don’t necessarily feature a “public” restroom. There are thousands of movies with bathroom scenes, but most are in an individual bathroom. So, Psycho doesn’t make the cut, because the hotel features one restroom that is more similar to a home bathroom. Now, Newton offers hotel restroom packages, but for the sake of this Top Ten list, Psycho didn’t make the cut.
You will also notice, the first few movies on this list are not necessarily in the bathroom. BUT, it is a public space we have expertise on. So, let’s begin with some public shower scenes that honestly, are pretty scary. Side note, Newton Distributing does supply shower accessories for public schools, gyms, and city buildings. So, we feel these land in our area of expertise. That said, let’s discuss the top restroom scenes in horror movies that do not feature a home-type bathroom. Last note, we are an educational channel, so we aren’t going to include links to the movie kills. Maybe some screen grabs. Trying to keep it PG.
ALSO, SPOILER ALERTS!
#10 The Faculty (1998)
I love this movie. The cinematography is great. The cast is great from an unexpected Jon Stewart to a lovely Elijah Wood. Lots of twists and turns throughout. This movie has so many products that Newton Distributing sells, I could talk for days about the lockers, water coolers, and even white boards. But we are hear to discuss the scary scene featuring a public locker room’s showers! In
In The Faculty, one of the teacher’s did not do well with the alien’s possession of her body, so she begins to break down! As one of lead actors is in the shower alone, this teacher sneaks in. He ends up touching her hair only to have it separate from her head in slimy fashion. The visuals are gross, the scene is uncomfortable, and it’s just great!
So why didn’t this scene place higher? Because it’s in the locker room’s showers. And the next two movies are too classic not to put before The Faculty. Great movie that still holds up pretty well in this modern day. Go watch it before Halloween!
#9 Carrie (1976)
I don’t think I need to explain this one. It’s Carrie. Classic Stephen King. Classic uncomfortable situation leads to an intense scene. Once again, it is in the locker room shower. So lockers are an area Newton knows a lot about, so we are including this in our list. But if you haven’t seen Carrie, please do.
#8 It (1990)
I KNOW! It’s a mini-series. So why is it on this list instead other great movies? Because it’s IT. A lot of us had to rent it from a video store to even see it all in one sitting, so it counts in my mind. Do you remember video stores? What a trip!
So, this shower scene is a tension filled, uncomfortable, intense, horror scene that features a child alone in a school shower. When I was younger, this one made me look at shower drains in a whole new light! But, Tim Curry being Pennywise and coming out of the shower drain with his charm and terror, chills. It’s unforgettable, especially if you were a young kid when you first saw it. So go rent the double VHS tapes and enjoy it on your VCR tonight!
#7 Zombieland (2009)
As part of the introductions to this new world, Zombieland truly delivers on one of the funniest public restroom scenes ever. This movie could have placed higher on our list, but it’s too dang funny. The scene is a parody of most horror movies, but it truly delivers. You can find it on youtube, it’s great to watch even if you aren’t a horror fan.
But, in a world of zombies, the public restroom is always going to have one or two brain-eaters hiding out. So if we have a zombie outbreak, beware public restrooms.
#6 Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985)
Does this count as a public restroom kill scene? It’s in public, it’s not technically a porta-potty, so yes. For this list, it makes the CUT. Also, it’s a Jason movie, I had to include an old school slasher some how. This scene always bothered me as a kid and left me unable to use a porta-potty.
In the scene, a guy is using a “public bathroom” that has flimsy sheet metal-like walls. So, Jason of course has no problem stabbing a few holes through it to get his defenseless teenager. Brutal scene, just good old slasher horror.
#5 Deep Rising (1998)
Is Deep Rising a good horror movie? That’s up to you to decide. I am here to say the scene with a bathroom on the cruise ship is unsettling. This movie actually has a lot of cool, gory scenes. Yes, the CGI doesn’t hold up to well after all these years. But it’s still fun.
In the scene in question, it’s fairly quick, but very uncomfortable. I really wanted a toilet kill on this list, and to be honest, Arachnophobia from 1990 should be on this list. BUT, that scene is in a residential toilet. Man, I know this spot is supposed to discuss Deep Rising, but Arachnophobia was so good. The scene with the spider almost getting the guy on the toilet. INTENSE. Watch both movies, it’s October!
#2 Candyman (1992)
Candyman is an intense horror movie. One of my all time favorites. The restroom scene is fairly intense and memorable due to the conditions of the public bathroom. It is DISGUSTING. The idea of the main character at one point laying on this floor is enough to give you nightmares.
#3 Ghoulies II (1988)
I grew up a fan of creature features and horror movies. Ghoulies will forever hold a special spot in my heart. So I am a little bias on this one. Ghoulies I and Ghoulies II are exceptional and feature gross little creatures on the cover of the original VHS tape. Sorry… they are featured on the DVD cover. That’s old now too, isn’t it? The image spot holder on your streaming service features these ghoulies coming out of the toilet. Better?
The scene in question takes place in Ghoulies II and is in a work trailer. So not really a pubic restroom, but I’m biased about this movie, remember? Is it bias or biased? You can debate in the comments… Moving along, the scene is great. Great build up, very intense. The kicker is you hear the victim scream and you think it’s going to end there and be an off-screen kill. But then they cut right back to him screaming and that’s where it gets me. With horrible sound editing that still haunts my nightmares, just ew. An uncomfortable time all around leading to be a classic horror scene.
#2 Scream 2 (1997)
Scream movies are fun parodies from the brilliant Wes Craven. I never found the movies to be that scary, but they have such a creative balance of tension and humor. It’s hard not to re-watch these movies every Halloween.
Scream 2 starts the movie off right with a kill that I will never forget. The original Scream was technically a parody, and this particular scene was then again parodied in Scary Movie. That scene was more graphic in a different way… Moving along, I hate this scene in Scream 2. It really bothers me. Which just means it is a spot on horror scene. It’s intense, gross, and somewhat unexpecting when you first see it. Gruesome kill. Even the few seconds after the knife is removed, just ouch.
#1 Halloween (2018)
This movie has some great horror scenes. From an unbelievable single shot scene following Michael Myers to using a motion sensor for a kill… Just some great creative, intense stuff. But, many people will remember the public bathroom scene. It’s hard to forget.
So the build up to this scene is just beautiful. Having Michael Myers lingering in the background as the soon to be victims unknowingly use a gas station and it’s restroom. I could go into more detail about how great the build up is and the intense conclusion, but I will just say the scene is unforgettable. Any horror movie or Michael Myers fan will agree that the scene is a win.
Honorable Mention: Jurassic Park
It’s not quite a horror movie, but you have to admit some of the scenes throughout are terrifying. We also all know the scene I am talking about. Do I need to say anything else?
Yes. Yes I do. Jurassic Park is an extremely brilliant film. Spielberg nailed every frame. Having a public restroom get demolished perfectly to expose the T-Rex’s next victim… Just hilarious, intense, and perfect. Go watch it everyone and enjoy your Halloween!
In Conclusion
We need more public restrooms in horror movies. You will notice a lot of these scenes are over 20 years old. Halloween (2018) did it right. Are there any other horror movies in recent times that have some impactful scenes you can recommend? Send them over and be safe out there. Happy Halloween everyone!
