History Main / ShadowDiscretionShot

* ''Webcomic/{{TREVOR}}'': [[spoiler:Trevor]] gutting [[spoiler:Colin]] is shown in silhouette.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' uses this trope liberally:

** ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'': A non-lethal example is used to show the final phase of Lampwick's transformation into a donkey.

* The [[AnimatedAdaptation HBO Series]] of WesternAnimation/{{Spawn}} uses this trope frequently. One prime example comes from the very first episode, just a couple of minutes in. Spawn bends a mob enforcer's arm back at an impossible angle and makes him [[HoistByHisOwnPetard shoot himself with his own gun]]. But, perhaps the best example comes from episode 11 (Season 2, Episode 5); after [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown protecting]] [[BerserkButton Wanda]] from one of [[spoiler: Jason Wynn's]] assassins, Spawn finishes the guy off by lifting him into the air with his chains and ''snapping him in half''! While both of these deaths are shown only in shadow, Wanda witnesses the latter firsthand, and is justifiably [[StunnedSilence horrified at the sight]].

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty World at War'': The opening scene shows a Japanese officer [[ColdBloodedTorture torturing]] an American POW, but if you turn on the mature content filter the camera will be fixed on their shadows, the scene actually becomes a lot more scary when you can't tell what he's doing.

* ''Webcomic/{{TREVOR}}'': [[spoiler: Trevor]] gutting [[spoiler: Colin]] is shown in silhouette.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'' subverts this; we get Gwen and Martha staring in horror at the shadow indicating [[spoiler: Dr. Curt Connors is turning into the Lizard]], but then they bring the camera around to show the rest of the transformation.

* Used in ''WesternANimation/TheLandBeforeTime'' when Sharptooth bites a chunk of flesh off of Littlefoot's mom's back.

* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanMaskOfThePhantasm'', when The Joker attacks Arthur Reeves and injects him with Joker Venom with a needle, the injection is shown in shadows.

* ''WesternAnimation/MoralOrel'': In "Alone", when Agnes Sculptham is listening to Reverend Putty on the radio while remembering [[spoiler:when Mr. Creepler raped her.]] We see her imagining [[spoiler:Creepler climb out of the window and approach her, they hold hands and "become one,"]] but in shadows. [[NightmareFuel She ''enjoys'' this fantasy.]]

* Particularly common in Franchise/{{Disney|AnimatedCanon}} films, as a way of dramatically portraying the DisneyVillainDeath.
** When the hyenas turn on Scar in ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'', the implied pack leaping on him to tear him apart is rendered in shadow, with a quick pan upwards and a roaring curtain of flame to hide the scene.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'': When Ursula undertook her transformation to her [[OneWingedAngel Giant Monster]] form, we got a silhouette of her laughing with her head thrown back and her tentacles waving. However, with Ariel's painful transformation from mermaid to human, in which her tail is literally torn in two, they only darkened the lighting a bit. If you lighten the screen on your monitor during her transformation, you can see plenty.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}'': In the final battle between Tarzan and Clayton, the latter is more interested in killing Tarzan with a machete than paying attention to the vines and their fall from the treetops, despite Tarzan's efforts to warn him. Tarzan lands safely on the ground and looks away. Then there's a [[LightningReveal lightning flash]] and the audience gets to see, rendered in shadow, that Clayton accidentally [[NooseCatch hanged himself on the vines]]. Though it just may be a blink and you'll miss it sort of deal. The shadow itself appears for only a brief second right on a tree in a dark background, and you'll more likely to be focused on Tarzan himself rather than the background where the shadow appears.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'': The trope is spoofed. You hear Yzma's evil laughter, see her glowing eyes and a roiling mass of smoke, which clears to reveal [[spoiler: she's a tiny little kitten]].
** Mickey Mouse hacking the enchanted broom to bits in ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'' is done this way. As originally planned, we were to have seen this moment played out right in front of the camera. It was restaged in silhouette specifically to make it less scary.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}}'' during the fight scene.
** ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'': for the first third of the movie, the Beast is seen only in shadows, saving his [[TheReveal big reveal]] to when Belle first sees him. The scene of him taking Maurice away to the dungeon is done with his shadow over the servants.
** Shows up a few times in ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'', first with the opening scene of Fidget kidnapping Hiram Flaversham. The fight itself is quite intense and violent, with the inside of Hiram's toy shop left completely trashed once it's over, but all we see of Hiram and Fidget themselves are their shadows being cast over Hiram's daughter Olivia as she watches from a cabinet. A little later, when Ratigan's cat is about to eat one of his henchmen, it cuts away to the shadow of her dangling him over her mouth. Finally, when Ratigan prepares to kidnap the Queen, her guards are dragged away from their stations outside her door and the shadow of the scuffle is shown for a few seconds through the door's window.

** In ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'', Big Daddy is scolding young Charlotte, and it looks like she's about to get a spanking for being so spoiled -- but he inverts the trope by producing a then-puppy Stella.
** The Queen's final stages into her transformation into an ugly old hag from ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'' are rendered in shadow.

* In ''WesternAnimation/ChickenRun''. the scene where [[spoiler: Edwina is beheaded]] was originally. However, Creator/NickPark cut the shot of the axe coming down, and only the axe being raised, making it a SoundOnlyDeath.

* Used in Tim Burton's ''WesternAnimation/CorpseBride'', to save the bride's lover's [[TheReveal identity]], although it's [[TheUntwist pretty obvious anyway]].

** Shows up a few times in ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'', first with the opening scene of Fidget kidnapping Hiram Flaversham. The fight itself is quite intense and violent, with the inside of Hiram's toy shop left completely trashed once it's over, but all we see of Hirram and Fidget themselves are their shadows being cast over Hiram's daughter Olivia as she watches from a cabinet. A little later, when Ratigan's cat is about to eat one of his henchmen, it cuts away to the shadow of her dangling him over her mouth. Finally, when Ratigan prepares to kidnap the Queen, her guards are dragged away from their stations outside her door and the shadow of the scuffle is shown for a few seconds through the door's window.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}'': The ringmaster explaining the Pyramid of Pachyderms act and the clowns celebrating after the show are both shown as shadows seen from inside the tents. Also, the {{Delivery Stork}}s at the opening and the roustabouts setting up the big top in the rain.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt'' uses this when [[MessianicArchetype Moses]]' snake devours the two produced by [[ThoseTwoBadGuys Huy and Hotep]], cutting back just in time to see their tails vanish into its mouth.

** ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}'': The ringmaster explaining the Pyramid of Pachyderms act and the clowns celebrating after the show are both shown as shadows seen from inside the tents. Also, the {{DeliveryStork}}s at the opening and the roustabouts setting up the big top in the rain.

* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'': Jo's naked workout. PlayedForLaughs, because of a [[VomitIndiscretionShot bird vomiting.]] This is one of the moments on the show that [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar got past the television censors]].

* The main villain of ''Bollywood/{{Magadheera}}'' gets [[OffWithHisHead his head ripped off in this manner]], seen only as a shadow reflected on sand.

* In the intro cinematic to the campaign mode in ''VideoGame/Heroes of Might and Magic 2'', the assassination by poison of the third Royal Seer is shown through a shadow on the wall of the banquet hall, and an empty cup rolling past the camera after the shadow collapses. This may have been done to bypass graphical limitations, since the campaign cinematics generally avoid showing characters close up.

* The main villain of ''Bollywood/{{Magadheera{}'' gets his head ripped off in this manner, seen only as a shadow reflected on sand.

* In ''Series/RedDwarf'' the despair squid is showed only in shadow. Of course, this was almost ''certainly'' shown because they couldn't afford a squid special effect.

* In ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics'' June 1942 issue #64, "SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker Walks the Last Mile", there is a shadow of the Joker strapped to an electric chair in the death chamber as the warden pulls the switch and shocks him to death. Not a pretty sight on page 4.

* In ''Film/TheLastEmperor,'' a character's [[spoiler: the Empress's chauffeur]] brains were blown out in silhouette. The same thing happened to an Israeli soldier in an Israeli movie about the '80s Lebanon war (I forget the name, but it was made around 1992).

* Several times in ''Film/TheMummy1999'', Anck Su Bamun and Imnotep killing the Pharaoh ''starts'' with us seeing it, but then changes to this. [[spoiler: Anck Su Namun's suicide]] is done this way, so we just see the silhouette lifting the knife and striking. Likewise, the Mummy's absorption of one of the doomed Americans is done with shadows only. And the [[spoiler:destruction of Anck Su Namun's animated corpse]] is shown entirely in shadow. The ''same way'' the Pharaoh was killed in fact.

* 'WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail 3: Treasure of Manhattan Island'' has a scene where one of main villains, NYPD chief Chief Mc Brusque, and one of his men beat a mouse that is smaller than either of them because he was protesting. To be even more brutal, the protestor had big glasses that after the beating were broken.

** When the hyenas turn on Scar in ''Disney/TheLionKing'', the implied pack leaping on him to tear him apart is rendered in shadow, with a quick pan upwards and a roaring curtain of flame to hide the scene.
** ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'': When Ursula undertook her transformation to her [[OneWingedAngel Giant Monster]] form, we got a silhouette of her laughing with her head thrown back and her tentacles waving. However, with Ariel's painful transformation from mermaid to human, in which her tail is literally torn in two, they only darkened the lighting a bit. If you lighten the screen on your monitor during her transformation, you can see plenty.
** ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}'': In the final battle between Tarzan and Clayton, the latter is more interested in killing Tarzan with a machete than paying attention to the vines and their fall from the treetops, despite Tarzan's efforts to warn him. Tarzan lands safely on the ground and looks away. Then there's a [[LightningReveal lightning flash]] and the audience gets to see, rendered in shadow, that Clayton accidentally [[NooseCatch hanged himself on the vines]]. Though it just may be a blink and you'll miss it sort of deal. The shadow itself appears for only a brief second right on a tree in a dark background, and you'll more likely to be focused on Tarzan himself rather than the background where the shadow appears.
** ''Disney/TheEmperorsNewGroove'': The trope is spoofed. You hear Yzma's evil laughter, see her glowing eyes and a roiling mass of smoke, which clears to reveal [[spoiler: she's a tiny little kitten]].
** Mickey Mouse hacking the enchanted broom to bits in ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}'' is done this way. As originally planned, we were to have seen this moment played out right in front of the camera. It was restaged in silhouette specifically to make it less scary.
** ''Disney/{{Bambi}}'' during the fight scene.
** ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'': for the first third of the movie, the Beast is seen only in shadows, saving his [[TheReveal big reveal]] to when Belle first sees him. The scene of him taking Maurice away to the dungeon is done with his shadow over the servants.
** Shows up a few times in ''Disney/{{The Great Mouse Detective}}'', first with the opening scene of Fidget kidnapping Hiram Flaversham. The fight itself is quite intense and violent, with the inside of Hiram's toy shop left completely trashed once it's over, but all we see of Hirram and Fidget themselves are their shadows being cast over Hiram's daughter Olivia as she watches from a cabinet. A little later, when Ratigan's cat is about to eat one of his henchmen, it cuts away to the shadow of her dangling him over her mouth. Finally, when Ratigan prepares to kidnap the Queen, her guards are dragged away from their stations outside her door and the shadow of the scuffle is shown for a few seconds through the door's window.
** ''Disney/{{Dumbo}}'': The ringmaster explaining the Pyramid of Pachyderms act and the clowns celebrating after the show are both shown as shadows seen from inside the tents. Also, the {{DeliveryStork}}s at the opening and the roustabouts setting up the big top in the rain.

** ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' has one as the genie-empowered Jafar turns from banishing Aladdin to advance on Jasmine and her father.
** Mushu uses the ShadowDiscretionShot in ''Disney/{{Mulan}}'' to pull off the image of an intimidating fierce dragon, until we see he's just [[BigShadowLittleCreature a little guy]].
** In ''Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'', Big Daddy is scolding young Charlotte, and it looks like she's about to get a spanking for being so spoiled -- but he inverts the trope by producing a then-puppy Stella.
** The Queen's final stages into her transformation into an ugly old hag from ''Disney/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'' are rendered in shadow.

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