History Main / DoorHandleScare

* ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'': Sulley has accidentally let a little girl (whom he later calls Boo) into the monster world, which is forbidden. After managing to capture her, he goes back to her door to send her back, and as he reaches for the knob it suddenly starts to turn. The next shot is of Sulley's rival, Randall, coming out of the door. He deactivates the door, and as it is lifted up to be stored away, it leaves Sulley, who had been hiding behind the door, exposed. Thankfully, Randall never looks back.

* This was done with a side of TemptingFate in ''Film/JurassicPark''. After being chased through the facility by a group of raptors, the main characters run inside a room and close the door. Grant claims they are safe as long as the raptors don't learn how to open doors. Cue the doorknob turning.
* ''Film/JurassicPark''. "You sure the third [velociraptor] is contained?" [[TemptingFate "Yes, unless they figure out how to open doors."]] Cut to closeup of the door handle turning...

* Happens in the pilot of ''Series/TheHauntingOfHillHouse'' when the upset father comes to his son's room at Hill House and locks the door behind him. Then we get a close-up on the door handle as it turns slowly left and right.

* ''Film/{{Lou}}'' (2022): Realizing there's an intruder in the house, Vee hides in her room and watches in terror as the deadbolt lock drops out of the door and a tube is pushed through the hole, spraying KnockoutGas inside.

* ''Lou'' (2022): Realizing there's an intruder in the house, Vee hides in her room and watches in terror as the deadbolt lock drops out of the door and a tube is pushed through the hole, spraying KnockoutGas inside.

* Played with in ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'', when the aliens arrive at the house, a ScareChord is playing and the camera focused on the key hole of the front door showing a bright light on the other side. Then the little boy opens the door from the inside but no aliens are showing outside.

* ''Lou'' (2022). Realising there's an intruder in the house, Vee hides in her room and watches in terror as the deadbolt lock drops out of the door and a tube is pushed through the hole, spraying KnockoutGas inside.
* In ''Film/TheLostBoys'', we see Sam taking a bubble bath when his brother Michael slowly comes walking up the stairs. Sam sings to himself completely clueless, but his dog Nanook next to the bathtub hears his brothers footsteps coming up on the other side of the bathroom door. The music doesn't go silent but in fact increases with the tension. Finally Michael stands outside the bathroom door, banging it, turning the knob with the camera focusing in. His brother Sam is now submerged under the water as Michael's confronted by a growling and snarling Nanook. Who then attacks Michael out the door, down the stairs, with the door slamming shut.

* A variation in ''Film/NoCountryForOldMen''. ProfessionalKiller Chigurh uses a pneumatic cattle bolt gun as a lock-breaker. When Moss realises that Chigurh has tracked him to his hotel room, there's a long suspenseful scene of Moss trying to see if there's anyone on the other side of his door, then turning off the bedside lamp and waiting in ambush with his shotgun for something to happen. The suspense is broken when the doorknob flies out of the door and hits him in the shoulder.
* In the horror movie ''Film/TheSkeletonKey'', in the scene where the heroine is roaming around the attic, there is a close-up on a door handle and the doors starts rattling.

* In the pilot episode of ''Series/TheWalkingDead'', Rick is at the house with Morgan and his boy, hearing the car alarm go off outside on the street. He looks out the peep hole on the front door to see another zombie on the other side. The zombie then looks down towards the door knob, and then Rick, and the camera focuses on the door knob turning to the left and right.

* ''Lou'' (2022). Realising there's an intruder in the house, Vee hides in her room and watches in terror as the deadbolt lock drops out of the door and a tube is pushed through the hole, spraying KnockoutGas into the room.

* A variation in ''Film/NoCountryForOldMen''. ProfessionalKiller Chigurh uses a pneumatic cattle bolt gun as a lock-breaker. When Moss realises that Chigurh has tracked him to his hotel room, there's a long suspenseful scene of Moss trying to see if there's anyone on the other side of his door, then turning off the bedside lamp and waiting in ambush with his shotgun for something to happen. The suspense is broken when the doorknob suddenly flies out of the door and hits him in the shoulder.

* ''Film/NoCountryForOldMen''. The antagonist Chigurh uses a pneumatic cattle bolt gun as a a lock-breaker, leading inevitably to this trope when Chigurh breaks into the hotel room where Moss is waiting; the doorknob actually flies across the room and hits Moss, who is waiting in ambush.

* Subverted in ''Film/TheTerminator''. When the T-800 assaults the police station, Sarah Connor hides in a room under a desk. Then we see a shadow approaching the door, the camera closes up on the door handle getting turned. Then the window gets smashes in. But it's not the T-800 but Reese.

* When Fidget in ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'' breaks into Flavisham's Toy Shop with the intention of abducting the owner, he spends several seconds rattling the door handle (which turns out to be futile) before breaking the window and entering with a JumpScare.

* An early example can be found in the horror movie ''Film/{{Vampyr}}'' (1932). The hero is woken from his sleep by a loud and slow knocking on the door. He turns and sees how the key in the keyhole slowly twists around. The door opens and an old and confused man stands in his room.
* In the horror movie ''Film/NightOfTheLivingDead1968'', the female lead is sitting in the living room almost halfway into the movie while another character boards up the windows without her. She listens to the radio about the flesh eaters roaming outside in the night. The radio almost increases in volume with no other sound in the scene. She then hears a couple bangs behind the unchecked door beside her. The camera goes back and fourth onto the door and then on her face. The knob doesn't turn, and then the music soars as the other survivors of the house stumble out at her as she screams and tries to run away.
* Subverted during the climax of ''Film/NightOfTheCreeps'', zombies surround the outside of the sorority house of girls. Detective Ray Cameron yells for one of the girls to lock those double back doors. She then looks at the doors and the camera goes back into a long view shot as she focuses at it already frightened. Already having two scary incidents earlier in the movie with the same doors. The music goes quiet and she slowly approaches the door. The knob doesn't turn from the outside, as she reaches down to lock it with the key already inside. And then the music soars out as a zombie's hand [[BarrierBustingBlow crashes in through the glass]] of the door grabbing her wrist.
* In ''Film/TheLostBoys'', we see Sam taking a bubble bath when his brother Michael slowly comes walking up the stairs. Sam sings to himself completely clueless, but his dog Nanook next to the bathtub hears his brothers footsteps coming up on the other side of the bathroom door. The music doesn't go silent but in fact increases with the tension. Finally Michael stands outside the bathroom door, banging it, turning the knob with the camera focusing in. His brother Sam is now submerged under the water as Michael's confronted by a growling and snarling Nanook. Who then attacks Michael out the door, down the stairs, with the door slamming shut.
* In ''Film/{{Coherence}}'', the heroine [[spoiler:supposedly kills her other self]] and placed her in the shower. Next morning, she walks by the bathroom when suddenly the door knob is tried a few times from the inside. OhCrap. Then the door opens and [[CatScare another visitor of the house is exiting the bathroom]].

* In ''Film/UncleBuck'', the title character finds out his niece has snuck out to a party and goes after her. We see her boyfriend making out with someone in a room when the door handle jiggles. But the [[SubvertedTrope door is locked]] and the two continue. Then [[DoubleSubversion a power drill comes through the handle]] and the door opens to reveal Buck. [[spoiler: But the girl is not the niece.]]
* In ''Film/{{Zathura}}'', the kids are hiding in a cupboard. They hear heavy footsteps outside. The camera closeups on the door handle, which starts to turn... and then the somewhat goofy astronaut comes back in.

* This was done with a side of TemptingFate in ''Film/JurassicPark''. After being chased through the facility by a group of raptors, the main characters run inside a room and close the door. Grant claims they are safe as long as the raptors don't learn how to open doors. Cue the doorknob turning.

* Plays out both ways in the suspense thriller ''Film/TheWindow''. The kid hero tries to unlock the apartment door from the inside but fails but the rattling of the door knob alerts his father who approaches the door from the outside. Then the father opens the door which in turn gives the boy a good scare because he was expecting his evil neighbors to show up. Watch it [[https://youtu.be/U9cmcucsmDw here]].

* Many film adaptations of ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'' emphasize Scrooge's door unlocking on its own when Marley visits.

* Not the door ''handle'', but in ''Film/DontBeAfraidOfTheDark'', the evil fey creatures perform the PaperKeyRetrievalTrick to bypass a locked door. The creatures themselves aren't shown, just the paper ominously sliding under the door and the key dropping onto it to be retrieved.

* Used suspenseful in ''Series/StrangerThings'' episode "The Mind Flayer". The heroes are under attack from the demo-dogs and suddenly the door starts opening. Turns out it's [[BigDamnHeroes Eleven]] entering. Watch the scene [[https://youtu.be/hWsGNx2MzrQ here]].
* Happens in the pilot of ''Series/TheHauntingOfHillHouse'' when the upset father comes to his son's room at Hill House and locks the door behind him. Then we get a close-up on the door handle as it turns slowly left and right.

* Not the door ''handle'', but in ''Film/AreYouAfraidOfTheDark'', the evil fey creatures perform the PaperKeyRetrievalTrick to bypass a locked door. The creatures themselves aren't shown, just the paper ominously sliding under the door and the key dropping onto it to be retrieved.

* When Fidget in ''Disney/TheGreatMouseDetective'' breaks into Flavisham's Toy Shop with the intention of abducting the owner, he spends several seconds rattling the door handle (which turns out to be futile) before breaking the window and entering with a JumpScare.

A typical element in horror/thriller movies to build up suspense. A character is in a room, we hear somebody (or something) approach on the outside. [[{{Sting}} The music swells]]. The camera pans in on the door knob/handle, which slowly starts to move. Often there is a ReactionShot of the character's face filled with terror.

[[AC:Films -- Animated]]

[[AC:Films -- Live-Action]]

[[AC:{{Live Action TV}}]]

[[AC:Video Games]]

[[AC:Western Animation]]
* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode ''[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E20TwoDozenAndOneGreyhounds Two Dozen And One Greyhounds]]'', where Bart and Lisa sneak into Mr. Burns' mansion to save their little dog puppies. When Mr. Burns tries to enter the room they are hiding in, we first see the door handle as it starts moving downward. Bart and Lisa look terrified. Then there is another shot of the handle as it slowly turns ... and turns ... and turns ... until it has completed a full 360-degree turn. The door opening takes so long, that it gives Bart, Lisa, and the dogs time to escape through the laundry shaft.

* In ''Film/{{Bound1996}}'', Micky uses a HairpinLockpick to open the apartment door from the outside while Caesar and Violet are distracted inside. There are several close-ups on the door handle and how Micky finally succeeds to unbolt it.

* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode ''[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E20TwoDozenAndOneGreyhounds Two Dozen And One Greyhounds]]'', where Bart and Lisa sneak into Mr. Burns' mansion to save their little dog puppies. When Mr. Burns tries to enter the room they are hiding in, we first see the door handle as it starts moving downward. Bart and Lisa look terrified. Then there is another shot of the handle as it slowly turns ... and turns ... and turns ... until it has completed a full 360° turn. The door opening takes so long, that it gives Bart, Lisa, and the dogs time to escape through the laundry shaft.

[[AC:Videogames]]

[[AC:{{WesternAnimation}}]]

* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode ''[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E20TwoDozenAndOneGreyhounds Two Dozen And One Greyhounds]]'', where Bart and Lisa sneak into Mr. Burns' mansion to safe their little dog puppies. When Mr. Burns tries to enter the room they are hiding in, we first see the door handle as it starts moving downward. Bart and Lisa look terrified. Then there is another shot of the handle as it slowly turns ... and turns ... and turns ... until it has completed a full 360° turn. The door opening takes so long, that it gives Bart, Lisa, and the dogs time to escape through the laundry shaft.

A typical element in horror/thriller movies to build up suspense. A character is in a room, we hear somebody (or something) approach on the outside. [[{{Sting}} The music swells]]. The camera pans in on the door knob/handle, which slowly starts to move. In a ReactionShot we see the character's face filled with terror.

* In the 1968 horror movie ''Film/NightOfTheLivingDead'', the female lead is sitting in the living room almost halfway into the movie while another character boards up the windows without her. She listens to the radio about the flesh eaters roaming outside in the night. The radio almost increases in volume with no other sound in the scene. She then hears a couple bangs behind the unchecked door beside her. The camera goes back and fourth onto the door and then on her face. The knob doesn't turn, and then the music soars as the other survivors of the house stumble out at her as she screams and tries to run away.
* Subverted during the climax of ''Film/NightOfTheCreeps'', zombies surround the outside of the sorority house of girls. Detective Ray Cameron yells for one of the girls to lock those double back doors. She then looks at the doors and the camera goes back into a long view shot as she focuses at it already frightened. Already having two scary incidents earlier in the movie with the same doors. The music goes quiet and she slowly approaches the door. The knob doesn't turn from the outside, as she reaches down to lock it with the key already inside. And then the music soars out as a zombie's hand crashes in through the glass of the door grabbing her wrist.

* In ''Film/{{Bound}}'', Micky uses a HairpinLockpick to open the apartment door from the outside while Caesar and Violet are distracted inside. There are several close-ups on the door handle and how Micky finally succeeds to unbolt it.

* Played with in ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'', When the aliens arrive at the house, a ScareChord is playing and the camera focused on the key hole of the front door showing a bright light on the other side. Then the little boy opens the door from the inside but no aliens are showing outside.

* In the pilot episode of ''Series/TheWalkingDead'', Rick is at the house with Morgan and his boy, hearing the car alarm go off outside on the street. He looks out the peep hole on the front door to see another zombie on the other side. The zombie then looks down towards the door knob, and then Rick, and the camera focuses on the door know turning to the left and right.
* In ''Series/StrangerThings'' episode "The Mind Flayer", this trope is used suspensefully when the heroes are under attack from the demo-dogs and suddenly the door starts opening. Turns out it's [[BigDamnHeroes Eleven]] entering. Watch the scene [[https://youtu.be/hWsGNx2MzrQ here]].

[[AC:Video Games]]

* ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' uses closeups of doorknobs and Luigi trembling in fear as he opens doors for loading transitions.

[[AC:Videogames]]