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While horror movies are best known for their masked slashers and paranormal activity, sometimes there's nothing scarier than a single, spine-chilling line coming out of the mouth of one of the characters. Victim or villain, these characters have uttered some of the eeriest lines that fans of the genre have ever heard.

From questions that left audiences feeling queasy to startling statements and paralyzing proclamations, some horror movie quotes are simply so terrifying that they become as unforgettable and iconic as they are horrifying. Ranging from haunting lines spoken in some of the earliest horror films ever made to chilling quotes from more recent films, these famous horror movie quotes have come to be definitive of the horror genre.

25 "Where we’re going, we won’t need eyes to see."

Dr. Weir, 'Event Horizon' (1997)

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Event Horizon occupies a peculiar space in the realm of horror, with the cosmic, heady, and hellish sci-fi initially being rejected only to find a strong cult appeal years later. It follows a crew sent out to investigate a distress signal sent by a ship that mysteriously disappeared during its first voyage seven years prior. Their findings indicate the ship opened a portal to hell, and one of the crew becomes possessed and starts turning on his colleagues.

Captured in a sublime performance from Sam Neill, Dr. Weir’s descent into sadism and madness is frightful to watch transpire. His transition from a curious crewmate to a vessel of unrestrained evil is truly unforgettable, especially when complemented by snappy visual effects when he gouges out his own eyes. His aspiration of taking the whole crew to hell to suffer is eerily suggested in his famous line, which Neill imbues with a cold and understated evil to make it truly terrifying.

24 "When there is no more room in hell, the dead will walk the Earth."

Peter, 'Dawn of the Dead' (1978)

George A. Romero’s efforts in zombie cinema are truly unrivaled, with Dawn of the Dead his second movie in the subgenre and, in the eyes of many, the greatest zombie movie ever made. In addition to thriving as an effective horror, it also excels as a pointed commentary on consumerism as it follows a small band of survivors held up in a shopping mall as waves upon waves of the undead descend upon them.

Romero’s dialogue is memorable for how strong it is on this theme, and yet the best line in the movie is pure horror mystique at its finest. Perfectly delivered by Ken Foree, his reciting of what his grandfather once told him is beautifully juxtaposed against the sounds of a horde of zombies clambering at the doors of the mall. It is a sinister and eerie quote that has an uncanny knack for lingering on the mind even when much of the zombie horror has washed away.

23 "I do wish we could chat longer, but… I’m having an old friend for dinner."

Dr. Hannibal Lecter, 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991)

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It is a hallmark of horror cinema to finish on a note that the dead and defeated bad guy may not be quite so dead and defeated. While The Silence of the Lambs sees Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) emerge victorious over Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), the film’s true antagonistic presence—the incarcerated, serial-killing cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins)—breaks free and ultimately gets the last laugh.

At a party for the graduates from the FBI Academy, Clarice receives a phone call from her nefarious aide who is revealed to be soaking up the sun in the Bahamas. While their conversation is typically entrancing all the way through, it ends on a particularly brilliant beat as Lecter watches Dr. Frederick Chilton (Anthony Heald) disembark from a plane and says “… I’m having an old friend for dinner.” The line is perfect in that it is fun and chilling and reminds viewers that Hannibal Lecter was always in complete control, giving one final fright to what is arguably the greatest horror film of all time.

22 "They’re here already. You’re next! You’re next!"

Dr. Miles Bennell, 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' (1956)

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While its 1978 remake is just as exceptional, 1956’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a pioneering masterpiece of alien invasion horror that runs as a parable of the paranoia that engulfed America during the Cold War and the Red Scare. Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is a psychiatrist being held in a mental institution as he recounts his recent experiences which lead him to believe humanity is being covertly replaced by identical alien imposters.

Moments before he is arrested, Dr. Bennell takes to a busy street, imploring his fellow citizens to wake up to what’s going on as he spies a bunch of alien pods in the back of a truck. Staring down the barrel of the camera in a close-up—a decision that allows McCarthy’s manic performance to strike at the core of viewers—Bennell cries out his famous quote with a damning desperation, one that, in the very next shot, is revealed to be left completely ignored by the masses around him.

21 "We have such sights to show you."

Pinhead, 'Hellraiser' (1987)

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Supernatural horror meets sadomasochism in what is one of the most famous and disturbing of 80s horror movies. Hellraiser sees a hedonist dabble in a medium he doesn’t fully understand torn apart when a puzzle box he opens unlocks a portal to hell and unleashes the Cenobites. When the man’s wife and brother move into his old house, they accidentally bring him back to life and are forced to arrange human sacrifices so he can use their blood to become whole again.

The defining icon of the film series is undeniably Pinhead (Doug Bradley), the towering leader of the Cenobites who is the embodiment of his kind's twisted sadism. His unnerving promise to Kristy Cotton (Ashley Laurence) of otherworldly terrors and pain is the epitome of the brand of inconceivable horror that the film franchise revels in.

20 "The power of Christ compels you!"

Father Merrin, 'The Exorcist' (1973)

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Few films of any genre have impacted audiences quite like The Exorcist did upon release, with the William Friedkin horror movie stirring controversy aplenty as even religious leaders cried out against it. Still widely regarded to be the scariest movie ever made, it follows a desperate mother who, upon learning her daughter is possessed, enlists the help of two priests to perform an exorcism and save the girl’s life.

With a dreadful sense of evil seeping through every frame of the picture, it should come as no surprise that it has several lines that have come to define its terrifying magnificence. None have become as famous nor as suspenseful as Max von Sydow’s “the power of Christ compels you!” as Father Merrin fights the demonic force inside young Regan (Linda Blair).

19 "You're gonna need a bigger boat."

Martin Brody, 'Jaws' (1975)

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The film that saw Stephen Spielberg become a bona fide Hollywood A-lister, Jaws is a rare achievement in that it managed to be a heart-pounding horror and became a massive box office success, even breaking the record for highest-ever intake at that point in time. With a giant great white shark terrorizing beachgoers, it follows the chief of police, a marine biologist, and a professional shark hunter as they voyage out to sea to kill the beast.

It presents Spielberg at his trademark best, building gripping suspense while still presenting an exciting and immersive story that is accessible yet personable. When, after getting a glimpse of the shark, a terrified Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) backtracks to the helm and blankly mutters “you’re gonna need a bigger boat,” audiences get a great chuckle that doesn’t for one second break the mounting dread.

18 "Be afraid. Be very afraid."

Ronnie, 'The Fly' (1986)

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An early success from body horror maestro David Cronenberg, The Fly follows a scientist who, after experimenting with his teleportation machine, begins to change as his DNA morphs with a fly’s. While out on the town, Seth (Jeff Goldblum) hits it off with a woman and tries to show her his invention, only to be interrupted by Ronnie (Geena Davis) who advises Seth’s date to “be afraid. Be very afraid.”

In addition to being a memorable line, it was also used as the tagline for the movie. It has since come to define not only David Cronenberg's The Fly and 80s horror cinema but become an emblematic quote for the entire genre as well, thus becoming one of the absolute best scary movie quotes.

17 "I'm your friend to the end."

Chucky, 'Child's Play' (1988)

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When serial killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) transports his soul into a children's doll, he speaks plenty of phrases a Good Guy doll doesn't typically say, with many going on to achieve iconic status. But of all the eerie things Chucky says in Child's Play, the creepiest of all is one said by the Good Guy doll.

When the doll isn't introducing himself and asking Andy (Alex Vincent) if he wants to play, another phrase he says is, "I'm your friend to the end." What's normally a sweet sentiment turns sinister when you know an end may be in sight, making the seemingly good-intentioned sentence one of the scariest in the classic horror film.

16 "Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make."

Count Dracula, 'Dracula' (1931)

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One of the earliest and most famous horror movies ever made, the 1931 adaptation of Bram Stoker’s legendary horror novel Dracula remains one of the greatest monster movies ever made. Featuring an impeccable starring performance from Bela Lugosi, it follows Count Dracula as he bends an English real estate agent to his command before traveling to London where his plague of bloodlust and terror sees vampire hunter Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) enlisted to put an end to his terror.

Creepy and atmospheric, yet cryptically enchanting and even beautiful, the film is a dazzling spectacle, one that’s aura can be surmised in the scene where Dracula leads Renfield (Dwight Frye) up the stairs of his castle. As howling wolves make Dracula take pause, he turns and slowly speaks one of the most famous horror quotes of all time. Lugosi’s delivery is faultless, giving the words a rhythmic Transylvanian might that has become truly iconic.

15 "One of us. One of us."

Circus Troupe, 'Freaks' (1932)

It’s arguably one of the most repeated quotes from cinematic history and has been referenced and re-used seemingly hundreds of times, but few people know where the line originated from. Released in 1932, Freaks was a pre-Code horror movie that followed a touring circus act, focusing on a trapeze artist’s conniving ploy to gain a dwarf’s inheritance and the unforeseen consequences her scheme brings with it.

Upon Cleopatra’s (Olga Baclanova) marriage to the dwarf Hans (Harry Earles), the troupe breaks into their famous chant to welcome her to their family. Enraged and disgusted by her colleagues, the prejudiced Cleopatra vehemently rejects their kinship, revealing her true colors to the group and setting in motion a violent plot of revenge.

14 "Ba-ba-ba… dook! Dook! Dook!"

The Babadook, 'The Babadook' (2014)

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A modern masterpiece of horror cinema, The Babadook thrives as an unnerving monster movie that has a brilliant knack for crawling under the audience’s skin without featuring much violence at all. It follows a single mother and her young son as they are tormented by a monster invading their home from the pages of a creepy children’s book.

One of the film’s more paralyzing scenes sees Amelia (Essie Davis) answer the phone only to hear the piercing, guttural screech of the monster on the other end of the line as it cries out “ba-ba-ba… dook! Dook! Dook!.” There is no jump scare or use of haunting images in the scene, but the simple titular phrase delivered in such a grating and unpleasant manner makes for a bloodcurdling moment that viewers will not soon forget.

13 "We traced the call, it's coming from inside the house."

Police Officer, 'When a Stranger Calls' (1979)

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To emphasize how effective and harrowing this quote from 1979’s When a Stranger Calls is, it is worth noting that the film itself is considered only to be a middling horror movie. It follows a private detective on the hunt for a child murderer after he escapes from a psychiatric facility. However, the best part of the film is the opening sequence which features one of the scariest moments in the horror genre, which takes place seven years prior as a babysitter is tormented by a man on the phone.

When she calls the police they tell her to stay on the line with the harasser long enough so they can trace where he is calling from. After talking to the culprit again, the police immediately call Jill (Carol Kane) to inform her the caller is in the house. The heart-stopping moment of pure terror immortalized the movie. Interestingly, five years earlier, Black Christmas ran with a similar twist and, while it was a better movie, the moment was executed with quite the same impact as it was in When a Stranger Calls.

12 "They're coming to get you, Barbara."

Johnny, 'Night of the Living Dead' (1968)

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Released in 1968, George A. Romero’s zombie masterpiece Night of the Living Dead ushered in a new wave of horror filmmaking that would surge through the 70s and 80s. The first zombie film, it follows a group of people trapped in a farmhouse following an outbreak of flesh-eating, undead ghouls.

It begins with Barbara (Judith O’Dea) and her brother Johnny (Russell Streiner) visiting the cemetery where their father is buried, with Johnny teasing Barbara about her childhood fears of the graveyard. Mocking her, he puts on a creepy voice as he jests “they’re coming to get you, Barbara” even as a zombie staggers towards them in the background. It would become a prophetic line that sets the tone for the bleak events that follow.

11 "What's your favorite scary movie?"

Ghostface, 'Scream' (1996)

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Other than a knife, Ghostface's biggest weapon in Scream is an AT&T 3850, or at least a 1990s cell phone resembling it. The killer would use this phone to first call his victims, making conversation that included several spine-chilling lines. Of these quotes, one dire question stands out and remains popular today: "hat's your favorite scary movie?"

The query has become one of the genre's most well-known quotes from horror movies, partially on account of the immediate terror it struck audiences in the context of the scene, but also because of how it epitomized the Scream series' meta-awareness of the genre. It reflected what the legendary film wanted to be, and how it effectively does so through dialogue.

10 "Here's Johnny!"

Jack Torrance, 'The Shining' (1980)

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During their time at The Overlook Hotel, The Torrance family is met with plenty of haunting quotes, like The Grady Twins uttering, "Come play with us" and Danny's (Danny Lloyd) imaginary friend Tony continuously muttering, "Redrum, redrum, redrum." These have become as unforgettable as the plot and visuals themselves, though one line has outdone the rest.

The scariest line of The Shining came from Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) himself when he barges his head through the chopped door, a crazed look in his eyes when he announces, "Here's Johnny!" While it's all of two words, the line – which was improvised by Nicholson – remains the most memorable from the Stephen King film.

9 "It's alive! It's alive!"

Dr. Frankenstein, 'Frankenstein' (1931)

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The black-and-white monster classic Frankenstein was one of the films that launched the horror genre, telling the story of Dr. Frankenstein of the creation of his monster. He struggles and puts every effort into his creation, and after all of Dr. Frankenstein's hard work pays off, he exclaims a simple phrase in both disbelief and celebration.

When the monster awakens on the table, Dr. Frankenstein jumps for joy over his success, repeating, "It's alive! It's alive!" This line turned into a horror classic which, while not necessarily scary, kicks off Frankenstein's monster's rampage. It has also been endlessly referenced and parodied in pop culture since then.

8 "Whatever you do, don't fall asleep."

Nancy Thompson, 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984)

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From his twisted yet comedic jabs to his more cynical and disturbing jeers, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) has many great wise-cracking one-liners throughout A Nightmare on Elm Street and the larger horror movie franchise. However, the most harrowing line of the franchise is spoken not by Krueger but by the fan-favorite final girl Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp).

With the dream stalker on the prowl, the teenage hero devises a plan to bring Krueger into the real world where he can be dealt with once and for all, but she needs help to bring her scheme to fruition. Turning to her boyfriend Glen (Johnny Depp) for help, she warns him "whatever you do, don't fall asleep," offering advice he should have taken heed of.

7 "You'll float, too."

Georgie, 'It' (2017)

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While the phrase, "You'll float, too," seems to be Pennywise's mantra in It, it's Georgie's voice that hollers the famous phrase. When Bill is lured to the flooding basement by Georgie's presence, he finds his deceased brother standing in the water where he repeats those cryptic words over and over as his young voice turns monstrous.

In the Stephen King adaptation filled with red balloons and children's corpses hovering around a sewer, the line "You'll float, too" best fits Pennywise's threat of luring children in and then devouring them in order to fuel his murderous entity. Anyone who has seen the famous movies can be forgiven for shuddering when recalling this quote.

6 "I'm scared to close my eyes; I'm scared to open them… I'm going to die out here."

Heather Donahue, 'The Blair Witch Project' (1999)

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A pioneer of the found-footage horror emergence, The Blair Witch Project became a genre sensation when released in 1999. The iconic film used shaky, grainy camera footage, documenting three student filmmakers who trek into the woods to investigate the Blair Witch and find themselves being haunted by the forest when become lost.

As their situation grows more and more terrifying, Heather (Heather Donahue) records herself one night, apologizing to the families of the students with hopeless terror. As she grows more horrified in the dark of the night, she closes out the recording with the unforgettably harrowing line “I’m scared to close my eyes; I’m scared to open them… I’m going to die out here.” It's a spine-chilling and powerful quote that comes at the perfect time towards the film's terrifying ending.