As people around the world mark Halloween, our editors pick the frightening scenes that have truly stayed with them.

David Lynch's film was named the best film of the 21st Century in a BBC critics' poll. It's also one of the scariest films of the 21st Century, largely because of a five-minute scene that shouldn't be scary at all. The deceptively simple sequence consists of nothing more than two friends in a Los Angeles diner talking about a dream one of them had, and then walking outside into the broad daylight – and yet, thanks to Lynch's mastery of pacing and atmosphere, it's almost unbearable. The classic jump scare is a factor, of course, but it's the dread that builds beforehand that really chills the blood, as the protagonist realises that he is trapped in his own worst nightmare. And, like anyone in a nightmare, he has no control over what happens next… (Nicholas Barber)

Scarier than many more bombastic horrors, Ringu is a quiet but deeply uneasy film. Set in 1990s Japan, it tells the tale of Sadako, a girl murdered for her supernatural powers, whose vengeful spirit is trapped inside a cursed videotape. The climax comes when a lead character, Ryuji, is killed by the curse. He is alone when the tape spontaneously begins to play on his television, showing Sadako crawling towards the front of the screen. You can’t help but recoil. Jaws-esque music builds and she jerks unnaturally forwards. Her iconic long black hair covers all but one manic eye – which is looking directly at you. Then she climbs right out of the TV. The ghost pierces the fourth wall and breaks into the real world. At least, that's what it feels like. Ringu was revolutionary in its depiction of viral media and its dangers – and promises to haunt those who watch it forever. (Katherine Latham)

There are plenty of scary moments in Peter Jackson's thrilling Lord of the Rings trilogy, but Shelob, Orcs and Ringwraiths aside, there's one blink-and-you'll-miss-it scary moment to rule them all. In the series' first instalment, an injured Frodo (Elijah Wood) is reunited in a cosy Rivendell setting with Bilbo Baggins (played by the twinkly Ian Holm), who briefly loses his senses in the presence of the Ring. Using a mixture of animatronics, makeup and digital effects, Jackson (who had a background in horror) transforms Holm's face momentarily into a grotesque vision of greed and desire. Acting as a chilling harbinger of doomy events to come, it's the unexpected nature of this genuine jump scare that made it so terrifying – to this day, I still have to watch it through my fingers. (Rebecca Laurence)

Bo Burnham's critically acclaimed coming of age film, about the trials and tribulations of shy, awkward 13-year-old Kayla (Elsie Fisher), is a masterclass in tonal shifts – and there is no greater shift than in the terrifying scene in the backseat of a Toyota. Desperate to fit in, Kayla has spent a joyful evening at the mall with some high school seniors and is then offered a lift home by one of the boys, Riley (Daniel Zolghadri). At first the conversation is light, but when Riley pulls over under the guise of wanting to chat more and jumps into the back with her, a deep sense of dread sets in. The tension racks up as........

© BBC