Everybody loves a good, harmless prank… emphasis on “harmless.” Unfortunately, not every trick or gag results in a particularly funny outcome — even for the pranksters themselves — and many signature instances of this can be found on the big screen and the small screen. We decided to only count our favorite fictional examples, so do not expect to see any of the real-life victims of Johnny Knoxville or Sacha Baron Cohen among our picks for the most disastrous pranks from movies and TV shows.
Dumping Pig Blood On Carrie (Carrie)
In the iconic climax of Brian De Palma’s 1976 adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie, bratty Chris Hargenson (Nancy Allen) conspires to humiliate Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) by dumping pig blood on her head at prom. Unbeknownst to her, the meek student is telekinetic and the stunt unleashes a rage within her that results in an all-out massacre in the high school gym with very few survivors.
The Prank War (Boy Meets World)
It starts when Cory (Ben Savage) and Shawn (Rider Strong) sneak Rachel’s (Maitland Ward) car into her and Angela’s (Trina McGree) dorm room. They and Jack (Matthew Lawrence) retaliate by gluing Cory, Shawn, and Topanga (Danielle Fishel) to their desk chairs, dousing them with honey, and letting a bear loose on them. Cory and Shawn’s retort, in the form of posting an enlarged, revealing photo of Rachel in the student union, hurts her to tears and nearly ruins the relationship between these characters from the Boy Meets World cast.
Kidnapping Niedermeyer’s Horse (National Lampoon’s Animal House)
After helping D-Day (Bruce McGill) and Bluto (John Belushi) kidnap a horse belonging to Omega House member Neidermeyer, Flounder (Stephen Furst) is convinced to shoot the animal, not realizing they only put blanks in the pistol. Still, when Flounder shoots upward, the sound gives the horse a fatal heart attack, resulting in one of the darkest gags from National Lampoon’s Animal House, which is really saying something.
Lloyd Gives Harry A Laxative (Dumb And Dumber)
To get even with Harry (Jeff Daniels) after learning he spent the day with Mary behind his back, Lloyd (Jim Carrey) puts a heavy dose of laxative in his coffee before he goes to see Mary again. This leads to, easily, the grossest scene from Dumb and Dumber in which Harry ends up violently unloading his waste into Mary’s toilet, which he only then discovers is broken.
Getting Back At Mrs. Slater (The House On Sorority Row)
In the 1982 slasher, The House on Sorority Row, seven female college students attempt to prank their house mother, Mrs. Slater (Lois Kelso Hunt), by stealing her cane and forcing her to retrieve it from their pool herself while holding her at gunpoint. When the older woman retaliates by startling Vicki (Eileen Davidson), she accidentally shoots her, which makes them a target of a killer using her cane as the murder weapon.
Winston Convinces Nick And Jess They Are Evicted (New Girl)
The entire New Girl finale, in which Nick (Jake Johnson) and Jess (Zooey Deschanel) are forced to leave the loft, was an elaborate prank by Winston (Lamorne Morris). While the couple did successfully find a new place to live, the gang chalks up this gag as an example of when “Prank Sinatra” takes his sense of humor way too far.
Michelle And Natalie’s Car Chase Game (Urban Legend)
In a late ’90s slasher called Urban Legend, a wave of murders related to popular myths reminds Natalie (Alicia Witt) of a game she played with her high school friend, Michelle (Natasha Gregson Wagner). The object was to drive without headlights on and chase after the first car to flash its lights at them, which resulted in the death of the other car’s driver.
Jim Hides Andy’s Cellphone (The Office)
Dwight (Rainn Wilson) is the victim of Jim’s (John Krasinski) best pranks on The Office, but one that backfired a bit was targeted at Andy (Ed Helms) in retaliation for his annoying new ringtone. In the series’ third season, Jim hides the former Stamford Branch salesperson’s cell phone in the ceiling and calls it repeatedly, which sends him into a rage that, ultimately, leads him to overreact by punching a hole in the wall.
Squidward Tries To Get Back At SpongeBob (SpongeBob Squarepants)
In an April Fool’s Day episode of one of the best-animated series of all time, Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob Squarepants, Squidward (Rodger Bumpass) decides to get even with his eponymous co-worker (Tom Kenny) simply for enjoying one of his favorite holidays by setting an elaborate, Rube Goldberg-style trap in the Krusty Krab. However, the cantankerous octopus’ prank only causes SpongeBob physical and emotional pain and earns criticism from bystanders, forcing him to apologize.
Flaming Poop Bag Blows Up A Competing Bar (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia)
A classic example of the aggressively dark humor on FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia in the second season when the gang conspires to get back at a business developer who tries to claim he owns half of Paddy’s. One of their acts of vengeance is throwing a flaming bag of fecal matter into their rival’s property, unaware that there is a gas leak occurring at that moment, which causes an explosion inside.
The Gym Rats Make Melvin Kiss A Sheep (The Toxic Avenger)
After Melvin (Mark Torgl) is tricked into wearing a pink tutu and kissing a sheep he thinks is his crush, Julie (Cindy Manion), the embarrassed gym custodian accidentally runs through a window and falls into a vat of toxic waste. However, you could argue that this had a positive outcome, since the accident transformed him into a grotesque, but powerful, vigilante known as the Toxic Avenger.
Hiding Fish Causes A Deadly Standoff (Dirty Work)
In the cult favorite, 1998 Norm Macdonald movie, Dirty Work, professional revenge artists Mitch (Macdonald) and Sam (Artie Lange) try to make a client’s rowdy neighbor’s mansion literally smell fishy. When the owner returns with others to complete an illegal business deal, the buyer points out the odor, which the seller assumes is a signal that he is being set up, leading to a bloody massacre offscreen.
The Haunted Rock Quarry (Trick ‘R Treat)
One of the most chilling segments from the 2007 anthology horror movie classic, Trick ‘R Treat, sees Rhonda (Samm Todd) in hysterics by fellow-trick-or-treaters pretending to be the vengeful spirits of children who died at the bottom of a local quarry years earlier. Rhonda gets the last laugh, however, when she leaves the pranksters to die as the actual spirits of the murdered kids emerge to attack them.
Bart’s Exploding Duff Can (The Simpsons)
Bart Simpson (Nancy Cartwright) is one of pop culture’s most legendary pranksters, but one of his biggest bombs occurred in an April Fool’s Day episode of The Simpsons as fate would have it. He shakes up a can of Duff so vigorously that, when Homer (Dan Castellaneta) cracks it open, it literally blows the roof off their house.
A Flaming Halloween Prank Leads To Victor Crowley’s Death (Hatchet)
A horror movie villain we have some sympathy for is Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder), whose brutal murder streak in the Hatchet franchise is out of vengeful retaliation for the cruel Halloween prank that inadvertently led to his demise. When the grotesquely deformed man becomes trapped in his house as it is lit on fire by trick-r-treaters, his father (also played by Hodder) uses a hatched to break in and save him, but accidentally kills him with the tool instead.
Geoffrey Thinks He Won The Lottery (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)
In Season 3 of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will (Will Smith) and Carlton (Alfonso Ribiero) convince Geoffrey (Joseph Marcell) that he won a $26 million jackpot, to which he excitedly responds by resigning as the Banks’ live-in servant. This forces the cousins to come clean about their trick (achieved by playing him a tape of the previous week’s lottery reading and buying a ticket with corresponding numbers), to which he responds by nearing choking them to death.
Aiden And Mia Convince Grace They Are Dead (The Lodge)
In many great horror movies, the inciting incident or entire plot revolves around a prank gone awry and a most devastating example is 2020’s The Lodge. The major reveal of the holiday horror movie is that Aiden (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh) successfully convince their father’s girlfriend, Grace (Riley Keough), that they are all in purgatory, but are unable to get her to realize it was a joke, leading the unstable cult survivor to shoot their dad (Richard Armitage) under the belief that he has also joined them in the afterlife upon his return to the cabin.
Frasier’s Clown Costume Gives His Dad A Heart Attack (Frasier)
To get back at his father, Martin (John Mahoney), for spooking him earlier, Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) sneaks up on him dressed as a killer clown. The gag works too well, causing the startled Martin to end up in the hospital with a mild heart attack.
Scott And Cartman’s Prank War (South Park)
It probably came as no surprise to South Park fans that a series of retaliative pranks between Scott Tenorman (voiced by Toby Morton) and Eric Cartman (Trey Parker) would lead to extreme circumstances, but just how it came to be was shockingly absurd. After Scott tries to trick Cartman into eating his body hair, Cartman gets even by tricking Scott into eating his own parents.
Columbus Gets Spooked By Bill Murray In Zombie Makeup (Zombieland)
The 2009 horror-comedy classic Zombieland features one of the most memorable Bill Murray cameos, especially for the tragic turn it takes when he tries to sneak up on Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg). Because the comedy legend’s disguise as a walking corpse is so convincing that, Columbus ends up shooting him in the chest, ending his life for real.
Joey Gets His Head Stuck In A Turkey (Friends)
In one of the best Friends episodes set on Thanksgiving, a flashback reveals a time when Joey (Matt LeBlanc) placed his head inside the dinner’s main course and could not take it off. He explains to Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) that he put the turkey on in the first place in hopes it would scare Chandler (Matthew Perry).
Lewis And Fuller Accidentally Prank A Psychopath (Joy Ride)
The 2001 thriller Joy Ride stars Paul Walker, Steve Zahn, and Leelee Sobieski as three road-trippers stalked by a sadistic trucker known as Rusty Nail (voiced by Ted Levine), but really have no one to blame but themselves for the ordeal. Walker and Zahn’s characters, Lewis and Fuller, played a practical joke on Rusty Nail — posing as a woman on CB radio and luring him to a racist businessman’s motel room — that he clearly did not find funny.
Liz’s Fake Birthday Kidnapping Results In Her Death (Jawbreaker)
One of the darkest high school movies of the ‘90s is Jawbreaker, in which a clique of popular young men (Rose McGowan, Julie Benz, and Rebecca Gayheart) decides to surprise their fourth member, Liz (Charlott Ayanna), with a birthday dinner by pretending to kidnap her and throwing her in the trunk of a car. However, they are the ones who end up being surprised when they discover that, on the way, she choked to death on the titular piece of candy.
Max’s War On Bullies (Max Keeble’s Big Move)
When he learns he is moving by the end of his first week at school, the title character of Max Keeble’s Big Move (Alex Linz) decides to get back at his bullies with, not just one prank, but a series of elaborate and uproarious gags. Unfortunately, when his dad quits his job, allowing his family to stay home instead, all of Max’s tormentors come for him at once. At least his friends come through and help save him from a grisly fate.
Scaring Cropsy (The Burning)
The 1981 slasher The Burning follows a former summer camp caretaker named Cropsy, who seeks murderous vengeance years after he was the victim of a prank gone awry by a group of campers. An attempt to scare Cropsy by placing a burning, bug-infested skull near his bed works too well, resulting in an inferno that engulfs his cabin and leaves him horribly disfigured.
Just About All Of Junior’s Mischievous Acts (The Problem Child Movies)
Dennis the Menace and Home Alone’s Kevin McCallister may be the more famous mischievous youngsters, but pop culture’s true, most fearsome troublemaker might be Junior (Michael Oliver) from 1990’s Problem Child and its sequel from the following year. The seven-year-old wreaks havoc by throwing the family cat on his grandfather (which ends him up in the hospital) and turning the propane on his new neighbor’s gas-powered barbecue pit high enough to cause an explosion.
Booker Thinks He Saw A U.F.O. (The Famous Jett Jackson)
On Disney Channel’s The Famous Jett Jackson, Jett (Lee Thompson Young), Kayla (Kerry Duff), and J.B. (Ryan Sommer Baum) mess with a working flying saucer prop from the Silverstone set that ends up hovering over Booker (Andrew Tarbet). While the trio never intended to prank him with it, they indulge in the opportunity when the deputy appears visibly shocked by the sight. However, they come to regret it when Booker spreads the word and causes a ruckus across town that ends up costing him his job.
Rachel Teaches Ben The Art Of Pranking (Friends)
Desperate to find some way to relate to young Ben (Cole Sprouse), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) shows him some of the ways she and her siblings used to mess with each other in their youth, such as putting saran wrap around the toilet. Rachel ends up in the dog house, though, when Ben’s gags begin to upset his father, Ross (David Schwimmer), and mother, Carol (Jane Sibbet).
The Badger At Cece’s Wedding (New Girl)
In the Season 2 finale of New Girl, Schmidt (Max Greenfield) wants to sabotage Cece’s (Hannah Simone) wedding to Shivrang (Satya Bhabha) and enlists the help of “Prank Sinatra,” Winston, who conspires to drop a live badger onto the officiant from inside the venue’s vents. Unfortunately, he and Nick never get that far into the plan because they get trapped in the vents with the badger after it springs loose from his crate.
A Crank Call Leads To Manslaughter And Murder (Don’t Hang Up)
In the 2017 thriller, Don’t Hang Up, Sam (Gregg Sulkin) and Brady (Garret Culkin) convince a woman over the phone that there is an intruder in her home and, unwittingly, reveal the truth only after she had dropped the phone. Hearing someone that she believes is the intruder, she fatally shoots them before discovering it was her own daughter entering the house. This incident makes Sam and Brady the target of a cruel killer who punishes pranksters like them.
The Haunted Warehouse (The Office)
As part of the Dunder-Mifflin Scranton branch’s Halloween haunted house attraction, Michael (Steve Carell) suspends himself from the ceiling with a fake noose around his neck, absolutely traumatizing their young guests. The cold open proved controversial in real life, too, and has since been removed from the episode, called “Koi Pond,” wherever The Office is available to stream.
Faking Megan’s Death Proves Fatal (Sorority Row)
The inciting incident of the 2009 slasher, Sorority Row (a reimagining of 1982’s The House on Sorority Row), is a prank to punish Garrett (Matt O’Leary) for cheating on Megan (Audrina Patridge) by convincing him he killed her. However, he ends up killing her for real by mortally wounding her with a tire iron.
It should go without saying, but you should be careful about who you prank and how you prank them. If you don’t believe us, just check out these examples of pranks from movies and TV for reference.