7 Most Shocking "What Have I Done" Moments On Screen

I’m quite sure that if we were made to sit and watch our own “what have I done” moments afterwards, it wouldn't be as fun.

But when it happens with a movie character? Hand me the popcorn and count me in!

A “what have I done” moment in cinema is an extremely versatile trope. You can use it to intensify the drama or simply as a much-needed comic relief. Heck, you can use it as the central theme of your narrative. These moments work so well because they’re so universal. We’ve all done something stupid and cursed ourselves afterwards.

In this article, we’re looking at iconic “what have I done” moments in TV and movies.

Top “What Have I Done” Moments in Cinema

1. “Kevin’s Not Here”—Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

It’s a wonder that a family this size doesn’t notice that Kevin’s missing, again!

Not until they reach the destination and are at the baggage claim, at least. If Kevin had no checked bag of his own, I wonder how long it would take the family to notice he was gone.

This time, Kevin's separation from his family during their Christmas vacation was an unfortunate accident.

Mrs. McCallister’s (Catherine O’Hara) scream is hilarious. I’m sure it must have been her biggest nightmare, especially because this time, Kevin could be practically anywhere in the world after boarding the wrong flight. But from a third-person perspective, it’s straight-up funny!

2. Edward Kills His Wife’s Lover—Unfaithful

Richard Gere's Edward, a middle-aged man, learns that his wife is having an affair with a younger guy who sells used books. Insulted, hurt, and embarrassed, Edward goes to confront the man at his apartment. But when he sees a gift he got his wife, a gorgeous snow globe, at her lover’s apartment, he loses his mind. He attacks her lover with the same snow globe and kills him on the spot.

The moment the victim collapses on the floor, his head cracked open and blood oozing out, Edward comes back to his senses and psychologically breaks down, realizing that now he is a murderer with a secret that he must take to his grave.

Okay, this is one of my nightmares… to do something irreversible in the fit of rage. It’s scarier because it’s usually the non-violent ones who end up in such “what I have done” situations, very much like Edward here.

3. Peter Parker Hits Mary Jane—Spider-Man 3

After an alien symbiote attaches itself to Spider-Man, our superhero is a changed man. He is hot-headed, impulsive, and arrogant, flexing his powers instead of using them responsibly.

In one such fit of rage, Peter gets into a fight at a jazz club. He loses his temper and begins hitting a guy, as the rest of the patrons try to stop him, including Mary Jane. Peter, engrossed in his fight, fails to recognize Mary Jane as she comes from behind to hold him back, and he hits her, which throws her to the ground.

Mary whimpers in pain, bringing Peter back to his senses and everything to a cold standstill. Peter, ashamed of his actions, just stares at Mary Jane with regretful eyes as she shakes her head in disappointment and pain.

4. Caleb Realizes Ava’s Real Intention—Ex Machina

There’s no reason for Caleb to be harsh on himself. Each one of us has done what he did in Ex Machina, at least once in our lifetime: give a near-stranger all the control of our life in the name of love.

Caleb witnesses Ava’s betrayal in real time as she traps him inside the building and uses his card to escape while he stands there banging the doors, watching her leave in the elevator.

Clearly, you can trust no one—not humans, not machines.

5. Murdoch Kills Two Innocent Passengers—Titanic

The Titanic is rapidly sinking. The desperate passengers are trying to cram into lifeboats, while First Officer Murdoch is trying his best to manage the hysterical crowd. Failing with his words, he takes out his pistol and starts threatening that he will shoot if they add to the chaos, but it doesn’t really work.

Suddenly, Murdoch fires, killing two people back-to-back with his bullets. The firing is completely unintentional, purely an accident, but First Officer Murdoch is shaken with guilt as he stares at the two dead bodies.

Unable to live with blood on his hands, he immediately shoots himself in the head.

I guess I have seen one too many crime movies to always remember that the guilt of killing someone can be fatal. But anytime I watch this scene, I’m reminded.

6. Vincent Kills Marvin—Pulp Fiction

Marvin’s accidental death at the hands of Vincent is probably one of the most iconic deaths in the Quentin Tarantino universe.

Two hitmen, on their way back home after successfully finishing the job for the day, bicker about the uncertainty of life as they drive down the busy city streets, when suddenly, a pistol goes off accidentally, blowing off their captive’s head.

Now they’re roaming around the city with a blood-splashed car and a dead body until they find a way to dispose of the evidence.

7. Benjamin and Elaine Escape Her Wedding—The Graduate

In this scene, Benjamin and Elaine escape the latter’s wedding to start a new life together. Both are unemployed and college-aged, so clearly aren’t prepared to grapple with this decision.

This “what have I done” moment is something my paranoid single mother used to warn me against over and over again, until she realized I'm not really the “find my soulmate” type.

8. Lt. Col. Nicholson Kills Himself—The Bridge on the River Kwai

Imagine trying to make your country proud, only to end up sabotaging its position in war—now that’s an irony for a colonel.

At the end of this movie, when Colonel Nicholson learns that all this time he was helping the wrong side, he screams in shock and disappointment, “What have I done!”

Those are his last words, after which he is shot, and he falls on a detonator, destroying his own work in the process.

9. “I Married My Own Rapist?”—Law & Order: SVU, Season 10, Episode 1

Gwen and Noah are happily married until one day, suddenly, the police storm into their home with an arrest warrant for him.

The warrant is linked to a complaint Gwen filed five years ago after she was raped. As the husband is taken away, the wife rushes after him, trying to convince the police that they are mistaken, and that it couldn’t have been him that ominous night.

But the detective explains to her that his DNA matched that of her rapist. Bewildered, she goes to ask Noah, but his answer crushes her spirit. She realizes it was indeed Noah who strategically manipulated her into falling in love with him and building an entire life together. This is a kind of betrayal that both stings and scares you.

Did we miss any? Let us know your favorite “what have I done” moment in the comments below!