A clip in a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio has been described as the ‘creepiest scene in movie history’.

When it comes to disturbing moments there is no shortage of choice in the rich history of cinema.

Some strong candidates could be the river boat scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, where Gene Wilder recites a terrifying rhyme as horrifying images play in the background.

Another contender could be the home invasion scene in Clockwork Orange, where Alex and his goons terrorise a couple while crooning the title song from Singin in the Rain.

Leonardo DiCaprio stars in the movie. (Paramount Pictures)

If we’re talking straight up horrifying, we have to mention the final scene of the original Wicker Man when the devout police officer Sergeant Howie comes to the terrifying realisation of his fate, shortly followed by his preaching the gospel deteriorating into screams of agony as he burns alive.

So it’s fair to say there’s some pretty stiff competition out there.

But this film has one moment in particular which manages to condense creepiness into one shot.

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the movie is Shutter Island, with DiCaprio playing a US Marshall who travels to a prison for the ‘criminally insane’ to investigate a disappearance.

So what is the shot in particular? Take a look:

As DiCaprio’s character is walking, he makes eye contact with a decrepit older woman.

Her hair is thinning, her teeth look black and rotten, and most of all her eyes appear sunken and abnormally large.

It gives the appearance of an animal with large eyes to help it to hunt nocturnally.

The woman looks him directly in the eye and holds his gaze, before slowly and deliberately putting a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture.

The creepy scene. (Paramount)

As Dicaprio glances back, she lowers her hand and cracks a smile, exposing her rotting teeth.

That’s definitely got to be up there as a way to immediately set the scene!

DiCaprio spoke with The Guardian about how the movie was one of the hardest he had made.

He told the outlet: “This is the most challenging one to date for me. Physically – yes, but emotionally more so.

“It was the nature of the material. It was obviously a complex jigsaw puzzle and it was surprising for both of us at times, and it really shocked us.”

Alluding to the plot, he added: “It’s a very difficult narrative to talk about in detail because we want the audience to have that virgin experience.”