15 Movies That Use The Wilhelm Scream

More than 15 movies use the Wilhelm Scream, but it’s always fun to hear it. Sometimes, it’s easy to miss, but it’s a great addition to many movies.

Kung Fu Panda

The escape of Tai Lung was a great chance to use the fabled Wilhelm Scream since the rhinos guarding the prison were a little too cocky. Yeah, it’s a movie that shows Kung Fu in the same light as the Shaw brothers, but it was a great flick.

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Who else but a stormtrooper will be used to utter this scream? You need to pay attention since back in 1977, it was likely that many people hadn’t recognized the scream yet.

Raiders of the Lost Ark

There are movies, such as this one, that made it possible to enjoy the decimation of the bad guys, such as the Nazis. But using the Wilhelm scream was perfect.

Poltergeist

This is another movie where you must pay attention to hear the scream. But when you listen to it, you’ll probably get a smile.

Howard the Duck

The MCU has made it a point to bring Howard into the limelight. But hearing the scream is something you’ll need to watch the original movie for.

Spaceballs

Mel Brooks probably figured this was a great addition to this movie, and he was right. It’s not that one has to use the scream multiple times; it’s a matter of timing that makes it great.

Willow

Hey, the Nockmar soldiers had it coming, right? They were following orders to retrieve a child to be sacrificed, for crying out loud. That deserves the kind of fate that many of them met.

Always

You wouldn’t fully expect the Wilhelm scream in some movies, especially those featuring Richard Dreyfuss and John Goodman in such wholesome roles. But hey, if it works, it works.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch

The scream is often used in movies where background noises can swallow it up after a few seconds. But it’s also used in situations with many bad guys or with those who are merely background characters.

Batman Returns

Remember what I just said about using the scream for bad guys? It works since it robs them of whatever little power they might have had and makes them comical in the process.

Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino knows how to use background noises to fill in the blank spots of his films. The Wilhelm scream is one of those effects that fans appreciate.

Toy Story

It’s funny to hear this effect in an animated movie, even though it’s just as effective. But one has to wonder if this was an intentional part of the story or an afterthought.

The Fifth Element

Sometimes, it feels as though this scream is just tossed in there for an amusing effect. But sometimes, it does manage to serve a good purpose, which is to appease the fans.

Kill Bill vol. 1

Tarantino knows how to use something to death just like anyone else. But he also knows how to be judicious when using specific sound effects when needed.

Hellboy

It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of the Ron Perlman or David Harbour movies; the fact that this scream was used in a Hellboy movie is excellent enough. Seriously, this is one of those movies where collateral damage demands excellent sound effects.