The 14 Grisliest Moments In Zack Snyder Movies
If there is anything that goes along with Zack Snyder’s signature style, it is grisly violence. They simply go hand in hand. There is something about oversaturated slow-motion filmmaking that lends itself to savage imagery. And it’s hard to say Snyder hasn’t made a name for himself on the back of brutality that would feel at home in a Mortal Kombat video game. After all, what would Dawn of the Dead and 300, the two films that put him on the map, be without all the blood and guts?
With all of this in mind, now is as good a time as any to run through some of the most ruthless and violent moments the director has put on film. From a zombie being blown to absolute bits in Army of the Dead to Doctor Manhattan disintegrating Vietnamese soldiers in Watchmen, here are some Zack Snyder moments that simply make you wince in your seat.
The Opening Scene In ‘Dawn of the Dead’
If there is one undeniable truth that the horror genre has figured out over the years, it’s that kids can be uncannily creepy when utilized properly. Think about it. The Omen. Village of the Damned. Orphan. Pet Sematary. The Exorcist. The list goes on and on and on. Snyder was clearly aware of this trend when making his directorial debut, 2004’s Dawn of the Dead.
Talk about turning the idea of “childhood innocence” on its head. Ana and Luis Clark wake up to what they assume will be another normal morning. Alas, a zombified girl is in their house and immediately takes a chunk out of Luis’s neck. Obviously, things go sideways from there. There is nothing quite like watching a child rip into an adult’s throat with their teeth.
Big Figure’s Armless Henchman In ‘Watchmen’
- Photo:
- Warner Bros. Pictures
There are plenty of Rorschach scenes that could qualify as “grisly.” His death scene at the hands of Doctor Manhattan is pretty nasty. The scene where he dumps boiling hot oil on a man’s face is quite disgusting. The moment where he breaks and repeatedly bludgeons a dude’s head with a cleaver is another standout.
All that being said, the one Rorschach scene that is by far the grisliest is the one where Big Figure and his henchmen confront the man in prison. One of the henchmen, clearly a moron, tries to grab Rorschach from outside his cell. The vigilante then breaks his thumbs and ties his hands together so the man can’t break free. Big Figure, crime boss that he is, tells the other henchman to cut the guy’s arms off… and, well, imagine all the blood that comes out when a man’s arms are separated from his body by a buzzsaw.
Astinos’s Death In ‘300’
- Photo:
- Warner Bros. Pictures
Watching a parent see their child die onscreen can prove to be a harrowing experience for any moviegoer. It’s a fate worse than death. Every parent on the face of the planet can imagine the kind of hurt that would cause in their soul. It was memorably brutal in Steel Magnolias. It was memorably brutal in A Quiet Place. And it was memorably brutal in 300 as well.
When Artemis calls out his son’s name, Astinos looks up at his father and smiles. Artemis gives his boy a nod of approval and the slow-motion starts. That’s never a good sign. A Persian soldier on horseback emerges from the smoke behind Astinos and Artemis tries to warn him, but it’s too late. His head is cut off. His body crumples to the ground. Artemis, overtaken by grief, is thrust into a “bloodlust” where he kills at least 12 Persian fighters on the way to his son’s headless body.
Maria’s Death In ‘Army of the Dead’
- Photo:
- Netflix
As soon as the melodramatic piano music began to play, we all should’ve known something bad was going to happen, right? That’s how it works. This is a zombie movie where pretty much every single character is expendable, after all.
Still, having a zombie leap out of an opening elevator door and twist Maria’s head a full 180 degrees certainly was something. Having her spine pop out before she crumples to the ground also added significant flair. Then Dave Bautista’s Scott Ward goes full-on rage mode on the nearby zombies, stabbing one in the top of the head multiple times.
The Zombie Queen’s Head In ‘Army of the Dead’
- Photo:
- Netflix
There’s nothing quite like a decapitated, still-animating zombie head, is there? Especially when you get to watch all the ghastly details of said decapitation in a close-up shot! It is pretty funny to see Garret Dillahunt, perhaps best known for playing sitcom dad Burt Chance on four seasons of Raising Hope, revel in messing around with the Zombie Queen’s head, though.
Shortly after, there is another gruesome scene where the Alpha zombie leader, nicknamed Zeus, carries the body of his beloved queen to where a bunch of zombies mourn her death. Then he rips a now-deceased zombie fetus from her body, causing the horde to yell out in sadness.
The Jacuzzi Attack In The ‘Army of the Dead’ Credits
- Photo:
- Netflix
There are few scenes as terrifying in a horror film as a horde of ravenous zombies. They have to be up there with the ubiquitous jump scare, murderous maniacs, and killer clowns. Therefore, it is not surprising that Snyder fully leaned into the gory aspect of such a horde when he returned to the zombie genre with 2021’s Army of the Dead.
The opening credits of the Netflix movie let Snyder go wild as he is typically wont to do during credits sequences. Unlike Watchmen and Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, however, Army of the Dead gets to go full-on carnage. The first kill of the credits sequence, set to “Viva Las Vegas,” sees a man get eaten by three topless zombies in a jacuzzi. There isn’t much else to say outside of the obvious: blood gets absolutely everywhere.
The Uber Immortal In ‘300’
- Photo:
- Warner Bros. Pictures
What would 300 be if not for its cartoonish, over-the-top battle sequences? While Frank Miller and Lynn Varley’s comic book series of the same name is based on the Battle of Thermopylae, the movie is simply based on that five-issue limited series. As such, all traditional storytelling and historical accuracies are thrown out the window in favor of gratuitous violence and lots of it.
Take Leonidas’s battle with the Uber Immortal, for example. This hulking, orc-like brute can take punishment that would stop a human being right in their tracks. He takes a blade to the bicep… and pulls it out. He takes a dagger to the eyeball… and pulls it out. Ultimately, Leonidas has to chop the Uber Immortal’s head clean off, and viewers are treated to a slow-motion shot of it falling from his body. Have you ever seen skin rip apart in slow-mo?
Doctor Manhattan’s Walk Through Vietnam In ‘Watchmen’
- Photo:
- Warner Bros. Pictures
If Doctor Manhattan is a Superman allegory turned up to 11 (complete with the ability to reconstruct himself when his body is disintegrated), then having him do some heinous things on behalf of the American government slams the point home. Think of him as the Clark Kent from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns but even more blunt and brutal.
As such, Snyder’s Doctor Manhattan gets to shine in all his dead-faced, murderous glory during a sequence where he uses his powers to fight for the United States in the Vietnam War. Not only has he blown himself up to Giant-Man size, but he causes the bodies of five Vietnamese soldiers to combust in an instant.
The Car Shambler In The ‘Army of the Dead’ Credits
- Photo:
- Netflix
Viewers take much more kindly to the mutilation of a zombie than they do a human. It’s kind of like when children’s action shows have the heroes fighting a bunch of robots or aliens… you can get away with more if the baddies aren’t human beings. That’s simply the way it works.
As such, getting to see a shambler blown to utter bits during the Army of the Dead‘s credits sequence isn’t as revolting as it could be. Sure, it’s still quite disgusting, and the scene is obviously something Warner Bros. wouldn’t let Snyder do in a DC-related project. But pretend that the zombie is still a sentient, non-flesh-eating human being and it gets that much worse.
The Zombie Tiger In ‘Army of the Dead’
- Photo:
- Netflix
What’s more dangerous than a zombified human? That’s correct! A zombified tiger! Tigers, depending on the species, top out around 500-600 pounds and can reach a length of almost 13 feet when including the tail. Not only can they reach a top speed of around 35-40 miles per hour, but they can leap around 30 feet in one jump as well. Can you imagine a zombified version of something that fast and that heavy who wants nothing more than to bite your face off?
Well, Snyder provided just that when he let a zombified tiger loose on Garret Dillahunt’s Martin in Army of the Dead. Not only does the tiger maul Martin’s face to bits as it flings him around like a ragdoll, it ends up biting his head off as well. All for your viewing pleasure!
The Warehouse Rescue In ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’
- Photo:
- Warner Bros. Pictures
When reading The Dark Knight Returns, it’s clear Zack Snyder took one takeaway and one takeaway only: Batman can kick some serious behind. To be fair to the director, it is one of the core tenants of the character. Bruce Wayne knows how to fight, can use numerous fancy gadgets to his advantage, and is much smarter than your average henchman on their best day.
Even people who despise Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice love the scene where Ben Affleck’s Dark Knight takes on a battalion of baddies to save Martha Kent. It’s expertly choreographed, appropriately brutal, and shows that Batman is powerful but certainly not impervious. Basically, Bat-fans finally got what they had been waiting decades for… a well-executed fight scene. The Christopher Nolan trilogy may be great, but it isn’t home to a plethora of great fight sequences.
The Smallville Fight In ‘Man of Steel’
- Photo:
- Warner Bros. Pictures
The final fight in Man of Steel that takes place in Metropolis may have a ton more overall carnage, but it doesn’t have the weight of the one that happens earlier in Smallville. There is something desensitizing about two superhumans using an entire city as their personal battleground. It’s impressive to behold, but some of the spectacle is lost as Zod and Supes shrug off blows that would kill any normal person.
Where the Metropolis battle feels like anime come to life without much of the panache, the Smallville fight is awesome. It is a slower brawl where each impact is felt more acutely. The United States Army trying to take on the Kryptonians adds even more brutality to the affair, and the scene ends up not only being the grisliest in the movie, but arguably the most entertain
Jimmy Olsen’s Death In ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’
- Photo:
- Warner Bros. Pictures
Zack Snyder’s take on the Man of Steel was never going to be all that faithful to the thousands of Superman-related DC Comics over the decades. The director is probably best known for stylized hyper-violence. Does that sound like Clark Kent to you?
2013’s Man of Steel somewhat toed the line between Snyder’s sensibilities and the traditional idea of a Superman narrative. 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was a whole different story. The creative team turned wholesome photographer/sidekick Jimmy Olsen into an undercover CIA agent who is murdered in Africa right in front of Lois Lane. The Ultimate Edition cut of the movie goes further with the scene that immediately follows, showing a pile of still-simmering bodies burnt to a crisp.
The Kryptonian Fighter Jet Takedown In ‘Man of Steel’
- Photo:
- Warner Bros. Pictures
It’s one thing when you watch Kryptonians battle each other. Two beings of such strength going toe-to-toe is clearly exhilarating, but it’s hard to get a feel for the difference in power. Like, Zod vs. Superman can be an exciting watch, though the two are basically a match for one another, which cancels out a lot of the suspense.
It’s another thing when you watch a Kryptonian take on a human being. It’s like a kid crushing an anthill with their foot. There’s no way that is a fair fight. Case in point is when one of Zod’s Kryptonian buddies leaps onto a fighter jet and treats it as if it were a massive paper airplane. He rips the pilot out of it, causes one of the engines to explode, and sends it careening down into the town below with almost no effort at all.
