Fainting at the sight of blood is the result of a condition known as vasovagal syncope, a sudden increase in heart rate and blood pressure triggered by a horrifying experience. It is also a trope filmmakers have exploited since the dawn of cinema to punctuate a shock or show a character's vulnerability.
Whether they are generally squeamish or blood is their one fear, a ton of movie characters find that the sticky red stuff is the bane of their existence. Many of the most memorable movie scenes are built upon a character's fear, aversion, or flat-out hatred of blood.
10 Martha's Fear Of Blood Is Her Undoing
The Tingler
Martha faints at the sight of blood, which wouldn't be an issue, but The Tingler features a parasite that lives on the spines of all humans and feeds off fear, growing with every fright to the host. The effects of a Tingler can be countered by screaming, but Martha, who is unable to hear or speak, is defenseless against it.
Martha's husband, Oliver, wants her out of the way, so he devises a plot to exploit her fear of blood. Oliver orchestrates a hand reaching up from a bathtub full of blood to frighten Martha. Unable to scream, she succumbs to the Tingler.
9 David Isn't Afraid Of Ghosts, But Blood Is A Different Story
Just Like Heaven
David has no problem with supernatural phenomenon that would terrify most people, but when it comes to blood he's not so brave. In Just Like Heaven, David falls in love with the ghost of an ER doctor who was involved in a car accident. The twist is that Elizabeth being a ghost isn't what scares David, it's the sight of blood.
A medical emergency at a restaurant requires David to perform an impromptu life-saving surgery. With no medical experience, ghost Elizabeth must walk him through the procedure. Afterward, David asks Elizabeth about a spot on his hand, and she tells him it is blood. Despite the fact he performed graphic surgery, being coached by a ghost, one drop of blood causes him to faint away.
8 Surgical Student And Zombie Slayer Martin Doesn't Care For Blood
Dead Snow
Martin in Dead Snow has an aversion to blood, which makes his career and vacation choices a bit peculiar. In an outing with friends, he admits that despite studying to be a surgeon, he can't stand the sight of blood. Complicating matters is a Nazi zombie outbreak that leaves him awash in gore.
For what must seem like an eternity, all Martin sees is blood as he chops up an army of the dead and watches his friends die gruesome deaths. Martin's hatred of blood comes to a head when he is bitten by a zombie and must chainsaw his arm off to stop the infection, leaving him covered in the last thing he wants to see.
7 Michael's Fear Of Blood Got Him Fired
In The Darwin Awards, Michael Burrows suffers from a fear of blood that seems at odds with his job with the San Francisco Police Department. As a criminal profiler, he helped take down some of the most notorious criminals, but his blood fear allowed a serial killer go free and he was fired.
Michel encountered the killer again in his next job as an insurance investigator. Dangling by a rope off the side of a building, Michael saw the killer open up a gushing wound on his partner's hand. The killer was hoping the fear would send Michael plunging to his death, but he overcame his blood aversion long enough to make the rescue.
6 Richmond Valentine Is A Mass Murderer Who Is Afraid Of Blood
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Eco-terrorist Richmond Valentine hatches a plan to stop global warming by wiping out most of humanity in Kingsman: The Secret Service. Despite masterminding such a violent gruesome plot, Valentine is deathly afraid of blood, with even one drop causing a panic attack.
In the final battle, protagonist Eggsy can't get to Valentine in time to stop the supervillain from activating worldwide pandemonium. Using Valentine's fear against him, Eggsy hits him with sharpened prosthetic limb. The sight of his own blood sends him into a panicked, vomiting death.
5 Marilla Doesn't Like Blood Or Boxing
Designing Woman
In the 1957 film Designing Woman, Mike and Marilla met by chance and after a 7-day whirlwind romance, got married. The mismatched couple had their differences, but it was Marilla's distaste for boxing and blood that nearly ended their relationship.
In an effort to share in Mike's interests, Marilla attended a boxing match with him but was soon horrified by the blood coming from the brutal bout. Mike explained to her that all the other people in attendance were holding newspapers in front of their faces to block the blood splatter, and she walked out disgusted.
4 Michael Refuses To Drink Blood
The Lost Boys
Vampires must feed on blood to survive, but sometimes the undead are reluctant. In The Lost Boys, Michael was turned into a half-vampire, but he refused to feast on human prey. In fact, he was repulsed by the idea of drinking blood.
Michael unknowingly drank tainted blood, which transformed him partially into a creature of the night. He understood that he had to feed to survive, but also that it would transform him into a full-vampire, and his human side wouldn't let him do it. Luckily, his blood aversion allowed him to return to normal when the head Vampire was defeated.
3 Gordie Faces His Fears, Except His Fear Of Blood
Stand By Me
In Stand By Me, Gordie is unsure of himself, self-conscious, but most of all afraid of blood. The film is Gordie's journey to overcome his fears, but while he faced such scary situations as a vicious junkyard dog, a barreling train, and armed thugs, he couldn't overcome his fear of blood.
While trudging through a swamp, the boys realized the waters were teeming with leeches. As his friends ripped the blood-suckers off, Gordie reached into his underwear and pulled out a bloody leech, causing him to pass out cold. He confronted many insecurities, but the blood fear would have to wait.
2 The Thing About Blood Is...
The Thing
An extraterrestrial parasitic organism that replicates and replaces other life forms has found its way to an Antarctic research facility in The Thing. While the organism lives within the host's blood, it is also afraid of blood being drawn because it risks exposing the infection.
To reveal the alien invader, R. J. MacReady devises a test where he draws blood from everyone and hits the samples with a heated wire. Though it is the other researchers who protest this test, it is The Thing that hates the blood because it threatens its existence.
1 Carrie Is The Wrong Person To Pick On
There is no one in cinematic history who hates blood more than the title character from Carrie. With a fanatically abusive mother and weird telekinetic powers she doesn't understand, Carrie White is a social outcast who is often bullied at school.
At the prom she was deceived into attending, the bullies dumped a bucket of pig blood on Carrie's head, triggering her frightening powers. After she set the gym on fire and took out the bullies, Carrie silenced her overbearing mother, which qualifies as the most extreme negative reaction to blood ever.