The Scariest Movie Doctors

For many people, a trip to the doctor's office can instill a sense of sheer terror, and not just because of the astronomical cost of health care. Doctors know things about the human body that most people don't and even more, they know things about our own bodies. Plus, they have access to medicines and tools that could kill us or at the least maim us (if they wanted to, that is). The paranoia caused by medical personnel has not been wasted on the movie industry. Here is a list of the best scary doctors in movies.

Dr. Hannibal Lecter, "The Silence of the Lambs"

Dr. Lecter might be one of the most refined cannibalistic serial killers to appear on film. He is a brilliant psychiatrist, he speaks in a soft tone with an extensive vocabulary, and he enjoys cooking, art, and Bach. In "Silence of the Lambs" Dr. Lecter spends most of the movie behind bars as he tries to assist Agent Clarice Starling on the Buffalo Bill murder case. Don't let his calm demeanor lull you into a sense of false security, as one nurse found out the hard way after having her tongue torn out during an examination. Dr. Lecter went on to terrorize and torture the public at large as well as Agent Starling in several other prequels/sequels based on Thomas Harris' novels.

Dr. Channard, "Hellbound: Hellraiser II"

Despite overkill on doctor puns, Dr. Channard is frightening in this movie, fueled by his obsession with becoming a Cenobite. His quest for knowledge about Hell results in some very gory film sequences, including the resurrection of Kristy's step-mother from a bloody mattress and Dr. Channard transforming into a disgusting demon through tentacles that grow from his body and cut him with sharp instruments.

Dr. West, "Re-Animator"

Dr. Herbert West is a creepy medical student with a dry sense of humor and a bizarre interest in bringing the dead back to life with his syringe of bright green liquid. Based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft, "Re-Animator" is more of a horror comedy but Dr. West's obsession with reanimation and willingness to experiment on both humans and cats lands him on this list of scary doctors.

Of course there are too many scary doctors in movies to pack into one list. If you're looking for other menacing medical practitioners, check out Dr. Satan in "House of 1000 Corpses," Dr. Frankenstein, "Dr. Giggles," Dr. Heiter in "The Human Centipede, First Sequence," Dr. Abraham Van Helsing in "Dracula," or Dr. Caligari in "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari."

Sources:

Yahoo! Movies