Cringe Factor: 11 Scenes That We Can't Watch

Even our favorite TV shows and movies can have some excruciatingly awkward moments that are tough to watch. Whether it’s bad writing, poor acting, or a plot that has fallen apart, these cringe-worthy moments often live forever in our brains.

Below are eleven scenes that define cringe and make you want to look away to avoid the pain.

1. JAMIE LEE CURTIS’ DANCE SCENE, TRUE LIES (1994)

While people love to praise James Cameron’s work, True Lies is slightly different from his other movies. In one scene, Jamie Lee Curtis does this bizarre, racy dance for her husband, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s meant to be somewhat funny and clumsy, but the cringiness is next level.

2. TOBY MAKING A PASS AT PAM, THE OFFICE (2005-2013)

The Office is teeming with cringe and blundering moments that make viewers uneasy. However, one of the worst ones is when Toby, Pam, and Jim are all sitting side-by-side chuckling, and Toby very calmly places his hand on Pam’s leg. The laughing stops, and Toby basically flees the country.

3. DEB TELLING DEXTER SHE LOVES HIM, DEXTER (2006-2013)

This show really went off the rails. Deb and Dexter are adoptive siblings who are pretty close in an endearing way. But in season seven, she confesses that she doesn’t just love him; she is “in love” with him. It was supposed to be edgy and surprising, but it’s honestly just embarrassing to watch.03

4. WHEN JACOB IMPRINTED ON RENESMEE, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN (2011)

Every scene in the Twilight movie featuring Edward and Bella’s baby daughter is hard not to laugh at because of the creepy CGI they used to make the baby. However, the scene in which Bella freaks out on Jacob for imprinting on Renesmee is pure comedy, but it’s supposed to be serious. The dialogue is atrocious and super unrealistic — not that the movies are based in reality.

5. SINGING IN FRONT OF THE CLASS, RAISE YOUR VOICE (2004)

Raise Your Voice has many cringe-worthy moments, but the scene when Hilary Duff stands up in class and sings might be the worst. It gives strong second-hand embarrassment to anyone watching and is like having to do an icebreaker amplified by a hundred. Everyone’s reaction and Hilary Duff’s face throughout make it all the more awkward.

6. THE “I’M WEIRD” MONOLOGUE, RIVERDALE (2017-2023)

While we all loved Cole Sprouse on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, it’s clear his adult acting is not phenomenal. In Riverdale, his character gives a very cliche and uncomfortable monologue about how he’s so weird and different from everyone. Sprouse isn’t great in the scene, but the writing is the real crime here.

7. ROSS’ WORK PICNIC FOR RACHEL, FRIENDS (1994-2004)

This scene is especially painful for people who adore Ross and Rachel together. In a desperate attempt to save his relationship, Ross ambushes Rachel at her job with a romantic anniversary picnic. Watching him try to light candles and feed her while she’s dealing with work chaos hurts, and he doesn’t seem to get the message that he needs to go.

8. DOMINIC FIKE SERENADING ZENDAYA, EUPHORIA (2019-)

Dominic Fike, who plays Elliot in Euphoria, is a genuine and talented musician. But that doesn’t make his serenading scene on the show any less unsettling. Not only do we have to watch the odd serenade, but he sings the entire song, so the awkwardness goes on for 3+ minutes.

9. THE KRUMP SCENE, BRING IT ON: ALL OR NOTHING (2006)

Bring It On is an iconic movie franchise with some clumsy moments. Hayden Panettiere’s character is a white girl in a school of people of color trying to adapt to her new peers. In one awful scene, she learns to krump in one of the most unbelievable interactions in a movie ever.

10. THE MILLION DOLLAR HOME RUN, SUCCESSION (2018-2023)

Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Strong, and Sarah Snook in Succession (2018) — Image Credit: HBO Entertainment.

In Succession’s pilot episode, Roman offers a young boy one million dollars to hit a home run to win the game. When the boy can’t make it happen, Roman ruthlessly tears up the million-dollar check in front of him, which is so cruel and unrealistic it’s hard not to cringe.

11. THE CONSENSUAL VAMPIRE FEEDING, BLADE (1998)

In Blade, there is a moment right before the big fight scene when Blade needs blood. The leading lady in the film tells him that he can drink some of her blood, but the scene quickly becomes strangely erotic and melodramatic. The body movements and noises are very raunchy and are beyond uncomfortable to watch.