Imagine the scene where Maleficent curses newborn Aurora from Stefan and Leah's points of view. After years of wishing and praying, you've finally been blessed with a baby. You're so excited and hopeful for the future. But then a powerful and evil fairy shows up and curses your daughter to live until sunset of her sixteenth birthday when she'll prick a spindle and die. Why? Because you didn't want to invite the evil fairy to your daughter's christening.THAT is how petty Maleficent is. She doesn't just want Stefan and Leah to lose their daughter and the kingdom to lose its heir. She wants them to suffer knowing that they'll get to know and love Aurora and watch her grow...then on the cusp of adulthood, lose her. If Merryweather hadn't been interrupted in giving her gift, Aurora would've died.
The scene where Aurora is hypnotized by Maleficent's spell and moves very slowly to the top of the tower where she eventually pricks her finger. What makes this scene especially scary is the fact that Aurora seems almost zombie-like and the only light she sees is the hypnotic light ball Maleficent made. The rest of the castle is pitch dark. The accompanying music is also eerie. The scariest thing however is that you've always thought that the music in the background was just a woodwind instrument. But now if you hear it closely you can actually hear "Aurora" precisely, for added more scariness, after the fire blows out and the room gets dark.
The whole thing even starts with the VERY scary image of Maleficent just staring. With a quick zoom-in.
As the fairies are rushing frantically to find her in the different passageways, we see Aurora's feet, moving slowly up the stairs of the tallest tower. We don't hear a sound except for the siren call, and yet the fairies somehow do and give chase. And when they scream "Rose!" it echoes off the walls. Just the thought that they're running frantically to save their beloved Aurora, while Aurora walks SLOWLY and silently to her doom.
It also gives the implications that Maleficent is taking desperate measures to make sure that Aurora will touch the spindle. The princess does realize what is going on after catching a brief bit of the Fairies' warning only to be forced to touch it anyway.
At the very beginning, Aurora is alone, in a darkened room, sobbing... The audience first notices the fire dying away, and becoming filled with the sickly green glow... Then for a brief moment, the audience sees Maleficent's face in the fireplace, transforming into a ball of green fire... And slowly Aurora's sobs die down as the chilly call "Aurora" continues. When she looks up from crying, she immediately falls into a zombie-like trance, complete with wide, staring eyes... Just the knowledge that before she was hypnotized by Maleficent, her last free moments were spent heartbroken and crying. From Bad to Worse indeed; Maleficent couldn't have chosen a more heartbreaking and frightening time to strike.
And on a smaller note, we don't hear Aurora speak for the rest of the movie, even when she wakes up. That's right; her sobbing is the last thing the audience hears of her voice for the rest of the film.
As the fairies race to find Aurora, it's terrifying, and yet there's a Hope Spot when Merryweather cries out to her and she hesitates and almost regains her senses...
Merryweather: Rose! Don't touch anything! Maleficent: Touch the spindle. Touch it, I say!
Maleficent: Oh come now Prince Phillip. Why so melancholy? A wondrous future lies before you — you, the destined hero, of a charming fairy tale come true. Behold — King Stefan's castle. And in yonder topmost tower, dreaming of her true love, the Princess Aurora. But see the gracious whim of fate — why, 'tis the self-same peasant maid, who won the heart of our noble prince but yesterday. She is indeed, most wondrous fair. Gold of sunshine in her hair, lips that shame the red red rose. In ageless sleep, she finds repose. The years roll by... but a hundred years, to a steadfast heart, are but a day. And now, the gates of the dungeon part, and our prince is free to go his way. And off he rides, on his noble steed, a valiant figure straight and tall! To wake his love, with love's first kiss, and prove that true love conquers all! Ahahahaha!
The close-up of Maleficent's face, when she delivers part of this speech while surrounded by green mist, can feel creepy.
Remember Maleficent's death scene? No Body Left Behind. Nothing but a cloak impaled by a sword. All we see before that is she got hurt pretty badly, then her shapeshifting, winged self fell.
Right before Maleficent dies, she gets stabbed by the Sword of Truth. This has to be the goriest thing that Disney has ever done because you actually see BLOOD come out of her dragon form. Not substitute blood, actual red blood. Not to mention the scream of pain she emits before she falls, which is actually recycled from the Wicked Queen's death scream in Snow White.
Even more frightening? Right before she falls onto the precipice, breaking it beneath her weight, Maleficent opens her mouth and lunges towards Phillip, snapping her jaws like a crocodile. She was going to eat Phillip alive... or at least take him with her if he couldn't move fast enough.
Let's not forget about Maleficent's Goons' demented dance around that green bonfire as a celebration after successfully capturing Prince Phillip. The music doesn't help either.
Even though it's awesome, any time Eleanor Audley does that cackle will have you wet yourself in terror...
The scene where Phillip is ambushed and captured by Maleficent and her goons. Phillip is riding his horse and arrives at the cottage where he was supposed to meet the girl he fell in love with (unknown by him to be his betrothed). He knocks on the door with a voice telling him to come in. He does so and the door closes. By itself. The goons then jump out of nowhere and simultaneously very loud intense music plays as Phillip is tied up and gagged by the goons, Maleficent all the while watching in the shadows with a VERY satisfied grin and Diablo crowing excitedly.