History Main / ScaryShadowFakeout

* At the very beginning of ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'', a young boy in his bedroom sees what appears to be a monster arm reaching out of his closet, but then turns out to be just a sweater sleeve. And then the monster comes up and scares him... [[spoiler: Subverted, as the boy is really just a robot used for a scaring simulator, and the monster in the simulation, "Phlegm" Bile, is genuinely afraid of humans.]]

* Played with in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing'' when Sam enters the The Tower of Cirith Ungol. He gives a mighty roar as he charges up a stairwell lit by HollywoodTorches, and a group of orcs back off in terror at what seems to be the shadow of a huge warrior, only to change their minds when a little hobbit comes into view. Sam slaughters them anyway.

* ''Film/{{VHS}}''. Played with in "Amateur Night". Three college kids take a girl to a hotel, hoping to video her during sex. She murders one of them during the act and the other two flee into the bathroom, but realise they can't stay there. They emerge into the darkened hotel room to see what appears to be a shadowy EldritchAbomination, but it's only Lily standing in an odd position. Of course that changes once [[OneWingedAngel she starts to transform...]]

* Invoked in ''VideoGame/TheLongestJourney'': you must assemble a pile of things to make a shadow that resembles one of a man pointing a gun, so that a guy sees it and gets scared.

* In the Tanker level of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'', Snake sees the silhouette of Vulcan Raven (who ''died'' in the last game), only for it to be caused by an action figure and some other junk someone left in front of a flashlight.

* In an animated short on ''Series/SesameStreet'', a boy sees (and seemingly hears singing) a shadow of what appears to be a dancing alligator. The shadow turns out to be of his dog, Sparky.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

* In ''[[WesternAnimation/FunAndFancyFree Mickey And the Beanstalk]]'', when Willie the Giant first appears, his shadow makes it look like he's wielding a mace (as per most traditional depictions of the giant). He's actually playing with a big rubber ball, and looks a lot goofier than his shadow would indicate.
* In an animated short on "Sesame Street", a boy sees (and seemingly hears singing) a shadow of what appears to be a dancing alligator. The shadow turns out to be of his dog, Sparky.
* Shortly after finding themselves beached in ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeVTheMysteriousIsland'', Littlefoot and company are confronted with the silhouette of what appears to be a large sharptooth. While the source of this shadow ''is'' a theropod, the dino in question is [[spoiler: their hatchling friend, Chomper]].

[[folder:Films--Live Action]]
* In ''Film/WhatACarveUp'', Ernie sees a shadow 'round a corner that appears to be the killer standing with a club raise, ready to strike him. He dives round the corner and tackles it, only to discover he has just tackled a suit of armour holding a mace.

* Combined with PsychoShowerMurderParody in ''Film/PoliceAcademy3BackInTraining''. Sweetchuck is alarmed by the sight of a sinister shadow on his shower curtain of a man wielding a knife, only for it to turn out to be Zed clutching a tube of hair gel (a sight he finds no less terrifying).
* ''Film/TheLocals'': While trying to break into a farmhouse, Grant gives himself a JumpScare when he thinks he sees the homicidal farmer lurking behind him. But when he turns around, it is just a hooded coat hanging over an old pair of boots.