For this Top Ten I thought I’d take a look at famous, or perhaps infamous, toilet scenes in movies. Scenes that are set in bathrooms or toilets and involve some form of trauma, stress or embarrassment. Because surely one fear that most people have is to have some kind of toilet related accident. Or is it just me?

First let’s have a look at some honourable mentions that didn’t quite make it.

The Shining – There are two toilet/bathroom related scenes in The Shining. Both pretty scary but neither really specifically ‘toilet’ related. One is when Jack Nicholson is talking to the guy in the red restroom and he learns that he’s always been the caretaker. Pretty chilling, and even more awkward as it takes place right next to the urinals. The other bathroom scene of course is in Room 237 when the lady comes out of the bathtub.

The Karate Kid – There is the scene where Daniel, while dressed as a shower, gets Johnny wet while he’s in a cubicle.

Witness – The kid witnesses Danny Glover and someone else committing a murder in the toilet.

Game of Thrones – Not a movie, but it’s still worth noting that Tyrion kills his dad while he’s on the toilet.

Reservoir Dogs – Not the most awkward or funny one but it nearly made the list. Tim Roth’s character is inventing the story about him bumping into a bunch of cops in the toilet. It’s just one of those awkward moments when you meet someone or make eye contact with someone in a toilet that you don’t want to.

So now onto my actual Top Ten.

10. Pulp Fiction
Another Tarantino one just making the list. Vincent goes to the loo and stupidly leaves his gun outside. The noise of the flush gives him away and Butch is ready and waiting for him when he steps out. What a way to go. 

9. There’s Something About Mary
Possibly every male’s nightmare. Not just having an accident with a zip, but having an accident with a zip whilst over at a girl’s house right before prom. We got a bleeder! Ouch.

8. Jurassic Park
The guy hides from the T-Rex in a toilet cubicle and then we have that iconic shot from behind where the guy is sitting on the loo and then the T-Rex gobbles him up.

7. RoboCop
This is one I just had to include. It always stuck with me. Miguel Ferrer is standing next to the urinals saying stuff he shouldn’t about Dick Jones, and then all of a sudden everyone starts zipping out and rushing out of the loo. The best one is the guy who dribbles pretty badly down his trouser leg whilst making his exit. That one really makes it hit home how bad the next bit is going to be, when Dick Jones himself walks out of the cubicle having heard what Miguel Ferrer said. After watching that film I’ve always been very careful what I’ve said in a toilet if there was someone in one of the cubicles.

6. Dumb and Dumber
Now we start getting to the ones that involve really nasty toilet scenarios. And this one I’m sure many people would agree is perhaps the funniest of all toilet scenes. Kudos to Jeff Daniels here.

5. American Pie
This scene from American Pie just edges in front of the Dumb and Dumber one for me as it is a bit more realistic, and therefore more shocking. This could actually happen, and particularly for someone like Finch who doesn’t like using public toilets it makes you feel even worse for him. And then there is the ritual humiliation when he walks out of the toilet. Horrible all round.

4. Austin Powers
This scene from Austin Powers makes it quite high in the list because it is so well known and for the number of times I’ve heard people quote the line “Who does no.2 work for!”. Classic.

3. Trainspotting
I’ve walked into many a public toilet in my days and wondered if this was where they filmed ’The worst toilet in Scotland’ in Trainspotting. There really are some shocking toilets out there, and this scene encaptured them perfectly. And the image of Ewan McGregor climbing out of the toilet is pretty iconic and disturbing too. For the sheer number of times I’ve thought about this scene when having to use a public toilet means it has to rank highly on this list.

2. Along Came Polly
Ben Stiller’s second appearance in this list. The American Pie and the Dumb and Dumber ones are nightmare scenarios but it’s more rare to actually have diarrhea in those kind of situations. This one had to rank highly, as it is more realistic, and cringeworthy, and would be an absolute nightmare, with or without the ferret. Having a slightly dodgy stomach whilst on a date and having to use the loo at the girl’s apartment, only to realise there is no toilet paper. I wonder how many people have actually been in this situation (without the ferret). Nightmare.

1. Lethal Weapon 2
But for me there is one really iconic toilet movie scene and that is the toilet bomb scene in Lethal Weapon 2. That image of the toilet landing on the car bonnet is great and it also has the very quotable section about going on 3 or going after 3, when they’re counting down. It’s just all done really well. There’s the embarrassment of having the whole bomb squad have to come into Rog’s toilet while he was on the loo, so it has the toilet embarrassment aspect, but this scene also manages to be funny, emotional and tense all at the same time. Best toilet scene in my book.

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