I’ve been watching scary movies since I was 8 years old. In my household, my family can never agree on a movie genre; the boys always want to watch action movies, while the girls prefer cheesy rom-coms. The only genre the entire family can agree on is horror. Even though I’m a teenage girl, I’m a huge scary movie nerd. Name a horror movie, and chances are I’ve already seen it. I’ve watched almost every horror movie from classics like Children of the Corn and Poltergeist to modern films like Weapons and Bones and All. Since I’ve watched so many horror movies, I have become somewhat desensitized to most films. A horror movie’s “scariness” is subjective, but for all you fellow horror enthusiasts, here are a few films that spiked my heart rate and kept me up at night.
TRIGGER WARNING: The following article discusses a variety of scary movies with premises surrounding violence, mental health, suicide, gore, trauma, death, the supernatural, disturbing imagery and other sensitive topics within the horror genre. Reader discretion is advised, especially to those sensitive to these subjects.
1. Sinister (2012)
The first time I ever watched Sinister was on my living room couch with my parents in 2014, and it’s still undoubtedly the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. Directed by Scott Derrickson, Sinister tells the story of a failing true-crime writer, Ellison Oswald (played by Ethan Hawke), searching for new writing material. At the beginning of the movie, Ellison discovers a box of old tapes, each one a recording of gruesome killings that took place in the house. After watching the tapes, he decides to buy the home and move his family in, but keeps the murders a secret. Through his selfishness, Ellison makes his family vulnerable to a “sinister” evil. The film’s combination of unsettling found footage, violent visuals and jump scares deeply disturbs even the most seasoned horror fans.
After watching this movie as a child, I became afraid of my attic because I thought I’d stumble upon possessed videotapes and murder my family (Lol).
FUN FACT: According to a scientific study called The Science of Scare, Sinister ranks #1 as the scariest movie ever made. The study explained, “Our audience experienced a 34% uplift in heart rate when watching the movie, from 64 bpm, up to 86 bpm across the movie, with the film’s scariest moment sending hearts pounding to 131 bpm.”
2. Hereditary (2018)
Directed by Ari Aster, Hereditary is a movie that explores grief, trauma, mental illness, and supernatural forces. The film follows a family grieving the loss of their grandmother, but the plot quickly takes a gruesome turn as family secrets are revealed. As an A24 fan, this movie is one of the first I’ve seen from the indie film company. It really disturbed me due to its visual imagery and unsettling premise; this is definitely not the right pick for viewers sensitive to graphic violence and scary religious imagery!
(I’m always cautious when rolling down my window now… IYKYK).
3. The Strangers (2008)
This film makes me reconsider booking Airbnbs and vacation rentals. In The Strangers, directed by Bryan Bertino, a young couple’s stay at an isolated vacation home takes a terrifying turn when a trio of intruders joins them. What makes this movie so frightening is that it contains no supernatural elements; this situation could happen to anyone in real life. I’ve always feared someone breaking into my house, and this movie amplifies that fear and reminds me to lock my door.
4. As Above So Below (2014)
Possibly a controversial take, but I find As Above So Below, directed by John Erick Dowdle, quite unsettling. The story follows a crew of archaeologists diving into the depths of the Paris Catacombs to uncover an ancient artifact, but their quest proves difficult when they encounter sinister entities. Personally, I find found-footage films terrifying because the poor quality heightens realism, making jump scares feel much more organic. If you’re claustrophobic or afraid of darkness or religious mythology, As Above So Below will make you even more scared of those things.
5. Saw (2004)
Saw, directed by James Wan, is undeniably one of the most famous horror franchises in history. The movie series follows the story of Jigsaw, a serial killer who kidnaps various groups of people and tests their will to live through deadly games. In the first movie, Saw (2004), a photographer and an oncologist wake up chained to pipes in a bathroom next to a dead body. The two men receive different instructions from Jigsaw: one is told to attempt escape, while the other is ordered to kill his companion to save his wife and daughter. Despite spanning ten films, the franchise manages to keep its premise psychologically intriguing, fresh, and consistently disturbing. The gore in every movie is extensive, and the deaths are graphically nauseating. These movies are not for people who get queasy easily.
6. Smile (2022)
The recent horror film Smile, directed by Parker Finn, follows a doctor who witnesses her patient take their life. She begins to struggle with disturbing visions from her past as a parasitic entity invades her mind. The film’s unreliable narration blurs the line between reality and imagination, keeping viewers on edge. While I’m generally not a fan of sequels, I have to admit—Smile 2 might have outdone the original. In the second film, the parasitic “smile” virus infects a pop star, and we watch as her mental state and music career unravel as she loses control. I especially enjoyed the Smile 2’s ambitious visuals, and while I won’t spoil the ending, the movie’s final reveal had my jaw dropped to the floor.
7. The Ritual (2017)
In The Ritual, directed by David Bruckner, a group reunites for a hike in the Scandinavian forest to honor their deceased friend. However, their trip takes a sinister turn when a spiritual entity begins to follow them. I’ve always found this film scary because I’m interested in Norse mythology; The way the producers brought the folklore to life is so frightening. Unfortunately, because I enjoy camping and hiking, this movie always makes me feel paranoid whenever I’m out in the wilderness (I hope I NEVER encounter that creature).
8. Mother! (2017)
I’ve only watched Mother!, directed by Darren Aronofsky, once, and to be honest, I don’t think I can watch it again. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Mother! follows a pregnant woman living with her husband, then a mysterious man knocks on the door, moves in, and a series of strange events begin to occur. In an avant-garde style of writing, none of the characters have real names – just “Mother,” “Him,” “Man,” “Woman” and so on. The movie uses symbolism and allegories to communicate with its audience. This film starts mellow but becomes increasingly intense. Mother! had me sitting in silence for 30 minutes after it ended, googling summaries to understand what violence I just witnessed. If you’re into complex psychological movies, I recommend this one.
9. Insidious (2011)
Another famous horror franchise, Insidious, directed by James Wan, follows a married couple who fight to save their comatose son from evil entities living in their home. A deeply supernatural film, the movie explores a paranormal realm called “The Further,” a dimension between Heaven, Earth and Hell. Filled with jump scares and complex lore, Insidious instills a sense of psychological fear and dread in its viewers. Generally, I find supernatural horror to be cheesy and predictable, but Insidious is an exception. I find this movie franchise deeply unsettling due to its original storyline, intricate world-building, and unexpected plot twists.
10. The VVitch (2015)
Last but not least, The VVitch, directed by Robert Eggers, follows a family in 1600s New England who were banished from their Puritan colony due to their Separatist beliefs. Shortly after this, their youngest son vanishes, and the family blames their eldest daughter (played by Anya Taylor-Joy). Between paranoia, accusations and fighting, the family is torn apart and preyed on by a sinister force in the woods. Based on 17th-century New England folktales, the film incorporates dated language, records of witch trials, and quite gruesome imagery to completely immerse viewers in the time period.
Fun Fact: Eggers named this movie The VVitch instead of “The Witch” to add historical accuracy. In an interview with Bloody Disgusting, Eggers explains, “The two ‘V’s was from a witch pamphlet from the 1640s. My understanding is that if you were a printing house, you might not spend all the money on the different typefaces. So, there is this pamphlet that says ‘vvitch’ and I thought, ‘That looks good and it’s from the period, let’s do it.’”
I want to reiterate that horror is a subjective genre: what is scary to me might not be scary to you, and vice versa. Therefore, take my suggestions with a grain of salt. After having watched so many horror movies, it was very hard to pick only 10 films. Horror is my favorite genre, and hey, if you made it this far in my article, it might be your favorite too! I hope you enjoyed my recommendations, and I hope that at least one of them will make you choke on your popcorn.