Top 5 Scary Movies About Nurses

Nurses are often perceived to be gentle and caring, but in horror movie land, it is a whole different story. That chilling contrast of the caring demeanors and dark, evil deeds produces an unsettling atmosphere with which audiences can relate to. Here are the top 5 scary movies about nurses that will make you surely reconsider what's behind those soothing smiles.

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1. Nurse 3D (2013)

Nurse 3D is a psychological thriller that really takes this "angel of death" trope to new levels. The film is helmed by Doug Aarniokoski, who puts the viewer right in the middle of Abby Russell, a nurse by day and psychopathic murderer by night, brought to vivid life by Paz de la Huerta. Obsessed with punishing unfaithful men, Abby's obsession with her colleague Dani spirals into a terrifying campaign of manipulation and violence. The movie is full of graphic scenes that will simultaneously make it disturbing and thrilling to watch. Nurse 3D comes out a little different as it mixes the slasher style of horror with psychological tension; it offers the look at dark possibilities which can hide beneath the compassionate exterior of a nurse.

2. The Ward (2010)

From horror master John Carpenter, The Ward tells the story of Kristen, played by Amber Heard, a young woman who gets committed to a psychiatric ward after burning a farmhouse to the ground. Kristen is treated by Nurse Lundt, played by Susanna Burney, while continuing to go through a series of strange and terrifying events involving the other patients. In itself, the mental institution is creepy; the disappearance of the patients under a shroud of mystery ups the ante on tension. At the center of this macabre environment is the character of Nurse Lundt. It is a psychological horror film playing on basic fears of confinement, vulnerability, and being at the mercy of one's caregiver.

3. The Nurse (1997)

The Nurse, by Robert Malenfant, is less popular but a thrilling piece of psychological horror. Laura Harriman is a vengeful nurse played by Lisa Zane, whose father dies by suicide following some kind of financial scandal. The woman believes her family was destroyed by a wealthy businessman, and accepts an offer to be his live-in nurse while plotting her dark revenge. The tension builds as Laura manipulates those around her while continuing to appear professional. This is quite a suspenseful and eerie movie because it builds just that level of horror only a person can inflict with the psychological and physical torture without raising suspicion. It leaves one with the thought that nurses do have deadly control over the lives of their patients.

4. Misery (1990)

Adaptation from Stephen King's novel, Misery is a classic horror-thriller made by Rob Reiner. Kathy Bates took home the Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of Annie Wilkes, a sweet-looking nurse who kidnaps novelist Paul Sheldon, played by James Caan, in the wake of a car accident. What begins as a caring role soon rapidly deteriorates into psychological torment and physical brutality. Annie's obsession with Paul's work drives her to terrifying excesses, landing her a place in movie magic as one of the most iconic and terrifying nurses in film history. Misery is a superb study of captivity, madness, and the horrific repercussions wrought by all-consuming obsession.

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5. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

While One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is more of a psychological drama than a traditional horror movie, Nurse Ratched, as brought to life by Louise Fletcher, has to feature as one of the most terrifying film characters ever. Her cold, authoritarian grasp of the patients in the mental institution is oppressive and covers ground all at the same time. Ratched's cool, yet manipulating persona, forces fear not just within the patients but within the audience through her merciless application of power. The quiet horrors of dehumanization and the abuses within said institution create a peeking look into how a nurse can yield a huge amount of power with disastrous consequences.

So, while nurses are more often than not understood as saviors to human life and health, in these films, they come to signify control, manipulation, and fear. Showing the dark side of caregiving, whether through psychological terror or physical brutality, characters showcase the arts. If you like films that take comforting roles and make them sources of dread, then here are five scary movies about nurses that are sure to send chills down your spine.