Skip to main content
Games Radar Newsarama Total Film Edge Retro Gamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The smarter take on movies
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
Yu Shu Lien from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Movies The 32 greatest action films ever made
Matthew McConaughey as Joseph "Coop" Cooper and Anne Hathaway as Dr. Amelia Brand in Interstellar.
Streaming Services The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
Chris Pine and Denzel Washington in Unstoppable
Movies The 32 greatest train movies of all time
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker
Movies Fans are debating the best trailers of all time: "May even be better than the film itself"
The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time: pictures of Alien, Arrival, Terminator, Brazil and 2001.
Sci-Fi Movies The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time
Tom Hanks in Sully
Movies The 32 greatest plane movies of all time
Drama Movies The 10 best drama movies of all time, ranked
Speak No Evil
Horror Movies The 25 best Shudder movies, ranked
Hideo Kojima in a screenshot from the Xbox and Bethesda 2022 showcase.
Horror Movies Hideo Kojima has revealed his top 4 movies of the year, and the Death Stranding creator might just help you broaden your horizons
The hammer scene from Oldboy
Movies The 32 greatest revenge thrillers ever made
Kaya Scodelario as Grace and Keira Knightley as Lo in The Woman in Cabin 10.
Movies The 25 best movies on Netflix to watch this week
Cillian Murphy in 28 Days Later
Horror Movies The 25 best zombie movies of all time
Ralph Fiennes in 28 Years Later
Horror Movies The best horror movies of 2025 have already been announced, and 28 Years Later didn't even make it into the top 10
Best superhero movies: close-up images of Captain America, Batman, and Wonder Woman.
Superhero Movies The 25 best superhero movies of all time
Connor McGregor as Knox and Jake Gyllenhall as Elwood Dalton in Road House.
Amazon Prime Video The 25 best movies on Amazon Prime to watch right now
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

20 Best Movie Scenes Of 2012

Features
By Total Film published 20 December 2012

The greatest film moments of the year...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

The cemetery shoot-out - Seven Psychopaths

The cemetery shoot-out - Seven Psychopaths

It's hard to make a movie about movie violence without giving some examples.

And so it proves in Martin McDonagh's In Bruges follow-up, in a scene where Billy (Sam Rockwell) excitably pitches his idea for how struggling screenwriter Colin Farrell's latest project should end.

His fantasies explode on screen in a gory, hilariously gratuitous graveyard shoot-out.

As it's all make-believe, McDonagh gets away with (multiple) murder.

"We just went crazy," he admits. "You couldn't be too big..."

Page 1 of 20
Page 1 of 20
Motion-capture sex - Holy Motors

Motion-capture sex - Holy Motors

Love it or "Eh?" it, there was nothing quite like Holy Motors in 2012. Well, apart from Cosmopolis (the whole limo/constant weird shit combo).

Memorable scenes? Too many to mention. But one of the hardest to forget is when protagonist Denis Lavant dons a motion-capture gimp suit.

Levant lays down some Darth Maul moves, then simulates sex with a female co-star for a XXX mutant-dragon animation we'll guiltily admit we want to see more of.

No longer is The Lawnmower Man the benchmark for virtual sci-fi sex. Thank God.

Page 2 of 20
Page 2 of 20
The lab massacre - The Bourne Legacy

The lab massacre - The Bourne Legacy

The Matt Damon-less Legacy was a disappointment to many.

All the elements were in place, yet something seemed to be missing.

Oh yes, Matt Damon.

Still, it had a handful of on-the-money set-pieces.

Prime example: the scene where brainwashed boffin Dr Foite (Zeljko Ivanek) goes on a lab-based shooting spree.

Suspenseful and horrible, it's an extended pulse-pumper that you only wish the rest of the film took its cue from.

Page 3 of 20
Page 3 of 20
"I see a lot of lawbreakers up in this house tonight..." - Magic Mike

"I see a lot of lawbreakers up in this house tonight..." - Magic Mike

Magic Mike? For us, it was all about Magic Matt.

McConaughey plays stripper svengali Dallas to the manor born in Soderbergh's flick.

He steals every scene he's in, but his showstopper is explaining the "What you can touch and not touch rule" to the audience.

"Can you touch this?" he asks, fondling himself in various areas. "No, no, no, no, no..." he drawls, finger wagging.

"The law says you cannot touch," he smirks. Pause. "But I see a lot of lawbreakers up in this house tonight..."

Magnetic.

Page 4 of 20
Page 4 of 20
The Cookie Monster / Elmo argument - The Five-Year Engagement

The Cookie Monster / Elmo argument - The Five-Year Engagement

"Mommy, do Elmo voice!" asks Suzie's (Alison Brie) daughter. And so she does.

In a very grown-up discussion with sister Violet (Emily Blunt). Who then does starts to do Cookie Monster voice.

"Elmo thinks you should shit or get off the pot!" "Cookie not got everything handed to him on a fucking plate!"

Simple, spontaneous, silly and very, very funny. Alison Brie's verbal gymnastics deserve a gold medal.

Page 5 of 20
Page 5 of 20
Threesome - Shame

Threesome - Shame

The (ahem) climax of Brandon’s (Michael Fassbender) descent into a netherworld of sexual addiction arrives when he finds himself in an animalistic threesome with two strangers.

Director Steve McQueen keeps his camera close to the action, creating grubbily poetic images as muscles flex and throats tighten and mouths stretch.

The hunger on display is alarming, the desperation shocking.

One look at these grimacing faces and there’s no doubting it’s a thin line between pleasure and pain.

Page 6 of 20
Page 6 of 20
Fairground ride - Take This Waltz

Fairground ride - Take This Waltz

Not since Tommy twirled Carrie around the dance floor has the giddy intoxication of the first flush of romance been so perfectly captured.

Married Margot (Michelle Williams) and neighbour Daniel (Luke Kirby) clamber into a cheesy fairground ride.

The Buggles’ ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ blasts out as the machine spins and the neon bulbs flash against the blackness.

The world melts away and all that is left is the centre of the universe – Margot and Daniel, laughing, snuggling.

Then the ride grinds to a halt, the lights crash up and reality reasserts itself.

Love, it seems, is fleeting.

Page 7 of 20
Page 7 of 20
Whale show - Rust And Bone

Whale show - Rust And Bone

Beautiful Stéphanie (Marion Cottilard) trains killer whales for a living.

Today she’s putting the sleek, mighty mammals through their paces in front of packed bleachers as Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’ booms from the speakers.

It’s one of the most exciting, awe-inspiring scenes of the year, awash with beauty and power and… foreboding.

Masterly edited, an ominous charge throbs from every cut, the tension damn near unbearable.

And then, sure enough, things turn catastrophic…

Page 8 of 20
Page 8 of 20
Chuck Norris' snake story - The Expendables 2

Chuck Norris' snake story - The Expendables 2

We’re not sure when the Chuck Norris story meme first started, but we’re pretty sure this scene is where it should end.

After all, it’s the logical conclusion.

Chuck Norris telling a Chuck Norris story.

We’re honestly not sure how the universe hasn’t imploded already.

Page 9 of 20
Page 9 of 20
The chicken drumstick - Killer Joe

The chicken drumstick - Killer Joe

William Friedkin turned 77 in 2012.

But this demon-dark scene from the year’s weirdest American film proves the Exorcist director has lost none of his fire.

It’s become a cliché to say that you’ll never see KFC the same way after watching this scene, but honestly, if you tucked into a bargain bucket on the way home from Killer Joe , you’re made of sterner stuff than we are.

Page 10 of 20
Page 10 of 20
The hotel room fight - Ted

The hotel room fight - Ted

One of the funniest running jokes in Family Guy sees Peter Griffin having a series of extended fist fights with a man dressed as a giant chicken.

In 2012, Ted transferred that concept to the cinema screen, pitting Mark Walhberg against a small cuddly teddy bear in a fight to the near death.

And just when you thought it was going to end, it didn’t.

Dignam from The Departed being whipped on the ass by Teddy Ruxpin’s ruder cousin.

We didn’t realise how much we needed this moment in our lives until it was happening in front of us.

Page 11 of 20
Page 11 of 20
The trip - 21 Jump St

The trip - 21 Jump St

The spread of a new synthetic drug going by the street name of HFS is being investigated by undercover cops Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum).

They’ve researched the different phases a user goes through after dropping HFS (the giggs / tripping major ball sack / over-falsity of confidence / fuck yeah motherfucker) but nothing can prepare them for the experience of having to actually take it, to maintain their cover as high school students.

Things take a turn for the worse when they run into one of their teachers.

A teacher who suddenly starts to look a hell of a lot like a giant robot cat / talking ice cream.

Page 12 of 20
Page 12 of 20
The caesarian - Prometheus

The caesarian - Prometheus

Despite Sir Ridley’s protestations that Prometheus wasn’t an Alien prequel, it definitely, definitely was.

It had Engineers, Peter Weyland, and this stomach-slicing scene - 2012’s Chestburster moment.

The scene was shocking, gruesome, and with an extra-terrestrial baby the end result, it couldn’t be more Alien if it featured a Sigourney Weaver cameo.

Page 13 of 20
Page 13 of 20
The Jumbo jet - Chronicle

The Jumbo jet - Chronicle

Our heroes are busily enjoying their increasingly evolving superpowers.

They take flight, to enjoy a bit of sky football.

However, they haven’t considered the possibility of cloud-company.

Cue a massive jumbo jet, and one of the biggest shocks of the movie.

Page 14 of 20
Page 14 of 20
Sound booth torture - Berberian Sound Studio

Sound booth torture - Berberian Sound Studio

Italian grot-horror The Equestrian Vortex is being shot at a claustrophobic studio more disturbing than the film.

The director and producer (Cosimo Fusco, Antonio Mancino) are exploitation ‘masters’ who will do anything for their ‘art’.

Including aurally assaulting an actress with extreme dissonance, ensuring her screams are real.

Just watching it makes your ears bleed.

Page 15 of 20
Page 15 of 20
The closing getaway Argo

The closing getaway Argo

For sheer entertainment, it didn’t get much better than Affleck’s Argo this year.

And the closing getaway attempt was an exercise in tension that Hitchcock himself would be proud of.

We won’t spoil it for those who haven’t seen it, but when we first experienced it, the escalation of events was enough to make us wave our hands in front of our faces in a misguided attempt to make it stop.

Brilliantly acted, scripted and shot – take a bow, Ben.

Page 16 of 20
Page 16 of 20
The House Invasion - Martha Marcy May Marlene

The House Invasion - Martha Marcy May Marlene

Up until this moment, Sean Durkin’s cult debut is all slow-burn menace and creepy atmosphere.

Then Patrick’s (John Hawkes) disciples break into a house and, caught by the owner, events escalate to violence.

Shocking in its suddenness, the echoes of Charles Manson make the action all the more disturbing.

Page 17 of 20
Page 17 of 20
The year-by-year montage - Looper

The year-by-year montage - Looper

We knew the basic concept going into Looper .

Loopers kill their future selves, get a big pay-out, then live out their final thirty years in style, before being sent back in time to be blasted by a blunderbuss.

What we didn’t expect was that we’d see those final years play out, in a glorious montage sequence that saw a seamless transition between Joseph Gordon Levitt’s Joe, to Bruce Willis’ version.

Stunning.

Page 18 of 20
Page 18 of 20
Joaquin Phoenix wrecks the prison cell - The Master

Joaquin Phoenix wrecks the prison cell - The Master

The Master splits audiences directly down the middle – with its apparently lackadaisical narrative frustrating as many as it mesmerises.

For those who loved it, this scene epitomises the majesty of the movie.

Two incredible performances, side-by-side; with Joaquin Phoenix’s animalistic Freddie Quell unleashing every ounce of anger, while his equal and opposite companion Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Lancaster Dodd calmly tries to reason with his captors.

The last time Phoenix smashed up a toilet, he was nominated for an Oscar. We expect the same to happen here.

Page 19 of 20
Page 19 of 20
The opening airjack - The Dark Knight Rises

The opening airjack - The Dark Knight Rises

Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises ’ opener is as jaw-dropping as anything in the trilogy.

But, despite the awe-inspiring combination of insane practical effects and suicidal stuntwork, you can’t take your eyes (or ears) away from Tom Hardy’s brilliant Bane.

Epic, weird, and completely compelling.

As villain intros go, it’s up there with the Joker’s bank robbery. But of course it is. In Nolan we trust.

Page 20 of 20
Page 20 of 20
Total Film

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

See more Movies Features
Read more
Yu Shu Lien from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
The 32 greatest action films ever made
 
 
Matthew McConaughey as Joseph "Coop" Cooper and Anne Hathaway as Dr. Amelia Brand in Interstellar.
The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
 
 
Chris Pine and Denzel Washington in Unstoppable
The 32 greatest train movies of all time
 
 
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker
Fans are debating the best trailers of all time: "May even be better than the film itself"
 
 
The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time: pictures of Alien, Arrival, Terminator, Brazil and 2001.
The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time
 
 
Tom Hanks in Sully
The 32 greatest plane movies of all time
 
 
Latest in Movies
Ed, Tony, and Lorraine in The Conjuring: Last Rites
Last Rites director leaves no room for "other Conjuring movies" even after the success of the latest film: "It is absolutely the end"
 
 
Mark Ruffalo reveals why a Hulk movie might not happen any time soon: "Does anyone really want another one?"
 
 
The Velocipastor 2
The sequel to one of the best horror comedies has a trailer and, yes, the inflatable dinosaur suit is back
 
 
Dune 2
Timothée Chalamet shares behind the scenes picture from Dune: Messiah set as he teases the next chapter: "Dun3 loading"
 
 
Lily Sullivan as Beth in Evil Dead Rise
The next Evil Dead movie celebrates production wrap with a brutal first teaser that promises a new bloodbath
 
 
George Lucas Star Wars
Star Wars creator George Lucas says he's not thinking about managing the franchise since Disney took over: "Of course I've moved past it. I've got a life"
 
 
Latest in Features
Phyre stands in front of Seattle in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2
Step aside Duskbloods, Dawnwalker, and Bloodlines 2 – somebody give me a Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG to commemorate the series' revival
 
 
A pink-haired trainer faces Yveltal in Pokemon Legends: Z-A.
Pokemon Legends Z-A and Arceus are true successors to the classic Pokemon games I first fell in love with
 
 
All the Helsmiths of Hashut Army Set models laid out on a wooden table
Which Warhammer Helsmiths of Hashut models should you buy for your army? I've made all them, so here's what I think
 
 
Storm, Wolverine, Nova, and Spoider-Man fight bug enemies on the streets in Marvel Cosmic Invasion
I spent an undisclosed but fireable amount of time playing games at work, and here are my 10 Steam Next Fest demos you shouldn't miss before they're gone
 
 
Disney Lorcana Fabled box, boosters, dice, and dial on a wooden surface
If you want to get into Disney Lorcana, Fabled is your golden ticket
 
 
Strange Antiquities screenshot of a cat sitting on the store shelf
I'm just as obsessed with Strange Antiquities as I was with Blue Prince, and it's easily one of the best detective puzzle games I've played this year
 
 
  1. The lighthouse looks across a vista in Keeper
    1
    Keeper review: "One of the most wonderfully bizarre games I've ever played – a stunning slice of magic"
  2. 2
    Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 review: "My dream vampire RPG has been staked – this blunt-toothed sequel is just a boring, linear action brawler instead"
  3. 3
    Ball x Pit review: "Vampire Survivors and Breakout collide in this brilliant roguelike ball basher that struggles with repetition"
  4. 4
    Pokemon Legends: Z-A review: "Fast fluid real-time fights and a world worth exploring make this finally feel like the anime come to life"
  5. 5
    Little Nightmares 3 review: "An overly safe, uneven, and half-baked follow-up where co-op is a hindrance instead of the evolution it should've been"
  1. Tron: Ares
    1
    Tron: Ares review: "Misses out by swapping the Grid for the real world"
  2. 2
    One Battle After Another review: "One of the best studio movies in years and an instant classic"
  3. 3
    The Conjuring: Last Rites review: "Not bold or memorable enough for the Warrens' final chapter"
  4. 4
    Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle review: "Roars past Mugen Train as Demon Slayer's best adventure yet"
  5. 5
    The Long Walk review: "One of the best Stephen King adaptations ever made"
  1. Splinter Cell Deathwatch
    1
    Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"
  2. 2
    Marvel Zombies review: "A fun expansion of the What If episode with delightful MCU Easter eggs and truly gross R-rated kills"
  3. 3
    Gen V season 2 review: "As strong as the first season, if not stronger"
  4. 4
    Wednesday season 2 part 2 review: "Ortega shines, but it's a zombie who steals the entire show"
  5. 5
    Peacemaker season 2 review: "Darker and sadder than the first year, but there's still a lot of fun to be had with the 11th Street Kids."

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...