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The goal of horror movies has always been the same: to entertain their audiences by scaring them. Fans of the genre love sitting back with a bowl of popcorn and letting these movies do what they do best. They may not be for everyone, but horror movies, especially the ones considered masterpieces, are among the most effective ways to get some satisfying chills whenever the mood strikes. However, as the genre has evolved over time, one fact has become increasingly clear: there is more than one way to scare people.
While shocking jump scares and gross amounts of gore may both be highly effective at scaring viewers, they can just as easily deter a large portion of their audience. Many film lovers enjoy the thrills of a good horror movie, but don't find pleasure in these particular elements whatsoever. Fortunately, many popular horror subgrenes implement a different device to scare their audiences: suspense. After all, few things are scarier than the anticipation of a danger soon to come. Putting gore and jump scares aside, these psychological horror movies effectively utilize suspense to give their viewers the fright they crave.
10 The Witch (2015)
Directed by Robert Eggers
Distributed by A24, The Witch marks the feature directorial debut of Robert Eggers and the first film appearance of Anya Taylor-Joy. Written by Eggers, The Witch follows a puritanical family in New England in the 1630s who are forced to leave their community after a religious dispute. Attempting to set up a farm in the New England countryside, the family soon find themselves beset by malevolent and supernatural forces beyond their comprehension.
Studio(s) A24
Distributor(s) A24 , Universal Pictures
Multiple notable names launched their Hollywood careers with the 2015 horror film, The Witch, which served as the feature directorial debut for Robert Eggers, as well as the feature film debut for the film's lead actress, Anya Taylor-Joy.The Witch offers a captivating setting, taking place in and around a small Puritan household in 17th-century New England, where strange occurrences have begun to torment a family after being banished from their settlement. With seemingly no other option, the family begins to blame their misfortune on the work of a witch living in the nearby woods.
Viewers are constantly on the edge of their seats, wondering what is truly to blame for all the tragedies, and whether anyone will survive to the end.
The real horror of The Witch lies in the suspense created by the gradual nature in which the horrific events unfold upon the various family members. While the mysterious evil at work certainly appears to have the power to wipe the family out all at once, the decision to torment them individually made for a much more haunting experience for the audience. Viewers are constantly on the edge of their seats, wondering what is truly to blame for all the tragedies, and whether anyone will survive to the end.
9 Frailty (2001)
Directed by Bill Paxton
Frailty is a psychological horror film directed by and starring Bill Paxton. Released in 2002, the film follows FBI agent Wesley Doyle as he investigates a man who claims his brother is a serial killer driven by visions from God. The narrative unfolds through flashbacks, revealing the family's dark history and the chilling grip of fanaticism. Matthew McConaughey co-stars in this unsettling tale of faith and murder.
Director Bill Paxton
Release Date April 12, 2002
Writers Brent Hanley
Runtime 100 minutes
Even though Frailty may present a chilling story about gruesome serial killers, the film does not rely on gore or jump scares to convey the real horror at its core. This 2001 directorial debut from Bill Paxton (who also starred in the film alongside Matthew McConaughey) slowly unravels the story of two brothers who are coerced into helping their father commit a series of violent crimes while believing that he is being commanded by a higher power.
The structure of Frailty puts an interesting spin on the story, presenting it largely as a series of flashbacks while one of the brothers recounts the tale to an FBI agent in Dallas.
Even with the majority of the story taking place in the past, however, the audience can sense that something feels not quite right, and that a dark twist is looming in the near future. This creates a foreboding, suspenseful nature throughout the film, with the audience desperate to know how the story ends, and why it is being told now.
8 The Invisible Man (2020)
Directed by Leigh Whannell
Inspired by H.G. Well's novel of the same name, The Invisible Man is a modern retelling of the sci-fi horror classic. After narrowly escaping her abusive and powerful tech mogul boyfriend (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) is relieved to hear of his death. However, she soon becomes convinced that he's watching her, and little by little, she comes to believe that he's found a way to not only cheat death but the laws of reality, too.
Director Leigh Whannell
Release Date February 28, 2020
Writers Leigh Whannell
Cast Zara Michaels , Storm Reid , Sam Smith , Oliver Jackson-Cohen , Anthony Brandon Wong , Aldis Hodge , Amali Golden , Harriet Dyer , Bianca Pomponio , Elisabeth Moss , Benedict Hardie
Runtime 124 minutes
Sometimes the scariest enemies are the ones you can't see. This idea is one of the driving forces behind Leigh Whannell's 2020 film, The Invisible Man, a modern reimagining of the classic horror story. In the film, a woman named Cecilia is terrorized by her aggressive ex-boyfriend, who uses an invisibility suit he invented in order to continue manipulating her after she tries to leave him. Cecilia's fear and feelings of helplessness are compounded by the frightening discovery that hardly anybody seems to believe her.
The antagonist of The Invisible Man is one that thrives entirely on suspense and mystery. Because of his unique ability, the audience never knows where exactly he may be. Therefore, every scene is effectively infused with a degree of psychological torment. Every passing second just builds the suspense further and further until his violent, manipulative ways come to the surface once again. This ever-present threat creates a frightening atmosphere that persists for the duration of the movie, making The Invisible Man an impressive demonstration of how horror doesn't need to rely on any visual elements.
7 The Wicker Man (1973)
Directed by Robin Hardy
The Wicker Man is a horror film released in 1973 and follows Police Sergeant Neil Howie, who heads to an island on the coast of Scottland in search of a missing girl. Howie discovers that the disappearance is related to a pagan society that conflicts with his Christian values - but his continued search leads him to the heart of something sinister.
Director Robin Hardy
Release Date December 6, 1973
Writers Anthony Shaffer
Runtime 88 minutes
In terms of suspenseful movies, few horror classics achieve the slow burn feeling quite as effectively as Robin Hardy's 1973 iteration of The Wicker Man. This unsettling folk horror film stars Edward Woodward as Sergeant Neil Howie, a devout Christian man who ventures to a remote island off the coast of Scotland in order to investigate the disappearance of a young girl.
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Matters begin to spiral for Howie as he unveils more and more unsettling truths about the island, leading him to the dark secret of its people. The Wicker Man doesn't use gore or jump scares in the way that many horror movies do, nor does it need to.
The chilling mystery at the film's core is more than enough to scare the audience. As soon as Howie arrives, it is clear that something sinister is afoot, and that something terrible is hiding below the surface of the island's residents. By not revealing the truth in advance, The Wicker Man allows its viewers to experience each haunting discovery with Howie, putting them right in the character's shoes as he gets closer to the film's shocking conclusion.
6 Signs (2002)
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Signs is a sci-fi horror film by director M. Night Shyamalan. It follows devout priest Graham Hess and his family as they find themselves in the middle of a mysterious event where crop circles appear in the middle of their farmland. Then, seeing the entire world begin to experience similar phenomena, the family starts to worry about their safety and the end of days as they ponder what may be coming.
Release Date August 2, 2002
Runtime 106 minutes
While alien invasions are a common trope in horror movies, M. Night Shyamalan's 2002 film, Signs, is unique in the way it explores this concept. The film offers a refreshing take on the alien invasion trope by choosing to focus on how one particular family reacts and responds to the shocking events happening worldwide. Led by a pair of brothers played by Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix, Signs manages to be an effectively scary alien invasion film, even though the otherworldly beings are only on-screen for a few minutes of the nearly two-hour-long movie.
The audience is frequently given brief, obstructed views of the creatures, but seldom anything more than these blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearances.
In fact, a significant reason why the extraterrestrial antagonists are so terrifying is actually because they are barely ever seen. The audience is frequently given brief, obstructed views of the creatures, but seldom anything more than these blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearances. These little moments give the audience just enough information to know that something evil is lurking in the shadows, without giving them the comfort of knowledge. Viewers are constantly in suspense, wondering what these creatures are, and what they are capable of doing.
5 The Shining (1980)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick's horror classic starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall tells the story of the Torrance family, who move to the isolated Overlook Hotel so that father Jack Torrance can act as its winter caretaker. Stuck at the hotel due to the winter storms, the malevolent supernatural forces inhabiting the building slowly begin to drive Jack insane, causing his wife and psychically gifted son to be caught up in a fight for their lives when Jack is pushed over the edge.
Release Date June 13, 1980
Runtime 146 minutes
One of the most iconic horror films of all time, Stanley Kubrick's 1980 feature, The Shining, weaves a complex, disturbing tale that showcases an impressive psychological approach to horror. Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, The Shining follows Jack Torrance, a struggling writer who agrees to serve as the winter caretaker of a mysterious, remote hotel with his family. The situation soon descends into chaos, with the combination of supernatural occurrences and severe isolation fostering a newfound madness in Jack.
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Being a story about a man's descent into madness, The Shining could only truly thrive as a work of carefully built suspense, and it manages to do exactly that. As soon as he sets foot in the hotel, viewers get the sense that Jack may not have made a wise decision in agreeing to do the job. The suspense builds further and further, with audiences knowing that Jack will eventually break down entirely. This consistent buildup makes The Shining's climactic ending all the more terrifying, as it could be felt coming from the very beginning.
4 The Thing (1982)
Directed by John Carpenter
A team of researchers set out to study an alien spacecraft found in Antarctica, where they also discover an alien body on the site. The alien buried in ice is actually alive and has the ability to imitate human form. The group must find a way to distinguish who the real person is from The Thing and stay alive. John Carpenter's 1982 film is a remake of 1951's The Thing from Another World and stars Kurt Russel as the hero RJ MacReady.
Release Date June 25, 1982
Writers Bill Lancaster
Runtime 109 minutes
One of the most effective ways to build suspense is to eliminate the feeling that directly counters it: trust. This is precisely what John Carpenter did while making his science fiction horror feature, The Thing. With a cast led by Kurt Russell, The Thing follows a team of researchers at a base in Antarctica who are terrorized by the arrival of an otherworldly creature capable of perfectly imitating its victims. Paranoia begins to run rampant as the team members are slowly picked off by the mysterious being one by one.
The characters in The Thing are able to deduce the abilities of the creature fairly soon after its arrival, but this information is hardly enough to solve their problem. The surviving researchers know that any of their fellow workers could actually be the alien in disguise, leading them to act in a violent, paranoid manner toward each other. By eliminating the trust of not only the characters, but the audience as well (by not revealing who the monster actually is in advance), The Thing creates a level of suspense that only grows as more of the humans are killed off.
3 The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduárdo Sanchez
The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 horror film that follows three film students who venture into the Black Hills near Burkittsville, Maryland. As they document their search for the Blair Witch legend, strange and unsettling events unfold. Presented as found footage, the film is directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, and it pioneered the found footage genre in mainstream cinema.
Director Eduardo Sánchez , Daniel Myrick
Release Date July 30, 1999
Cast Joshua Leonard , Michael C. Williams , Heather Donahue
Runtime 81 minutes
The groundbreaking 1999 horror feature, The Blair Witch Project, scared audiences around the world by capitalizing on an underappreciated weapon of horror: imagination. While the film tells the captivating story of three students attempting to make a documentary about the mythic Blair Witch, where the film really stands out from others is in the creativity of its storytelling. The Blair Witch Project paved the way for future found footage-style horror films, presenting an eerily realistic portrayal of the supposed events that took place.
The real terror of The Blair Witch Project lies in what the audience doesn't know. Throughout the film, viewers are never given a full, concrete explanation of the supernatural phenomena unfolding all around the characters. Instead, audiences are left to imagine for themselves what kind of evils may be lurking in the forest, and what gruesome fates the characters may have ultimately met. Thanks to this lack of answers, the suspenseful feeling of The Blair Witch Project is one that is bound to last for a long time after the film ends.
2 Psycho (1960)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
In this now-iconic Alfred Hitchcock thriller, a secretary embezzles forty thousand dollars from her employer's client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel. The place is run by a young man under the domination of his mother -- and he soon turns out to be far more threatening than he appeared at first.
Release Date September 8, 1960
Cast Janet Leigh , Martin Balsam , Anthony Perkins , John Gavin , Vera Miles
Runtime 109 minutes
Psycho, the iconic horror feature by Alfred Hitchcock, proved over sixty years ago that an excellent horror film does not require excessive gore and frequent jump scares. The classic film explores the deadly events unfolding at the Bates Motel, under the watchful eye of its shady proprietor, Norman Bates. Like many Hitchcock films, Psycho is a masterclass in suspense, establishing a deadly threat early on, and then letting its presence linger just below the surface for most of the film, culminating in a shocking twist ending.
Part of what helps build suspense in Psycho is the way the film frequently switches which character the focus is put on, pulling the rug out from under the audience. The film is impressively unafraid to kill off individuals that appear to be the main characters of the story, establishing the looming threat that no one is safe. Once this high level of danger is made clear early in the film, the buildup of suspense is only natural. The seamless growth of the suspense plays a major role in making Psycho the iconic film it is today.
1 Nope (2022)
Directed by Jordan Peele
Written and directed by Jordan Peele, Nope follows the owners of a family-run Hollywood horse ranch whose lives are changed by extraterrestrial phenomena. Siblings Otis (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald (Keke Palmer) scramble to understand events that seem to defy all explanation, even as their neighbor (Steven Yeun) tries to turn the strange occurrences into a alien tourist attraction.
Release Date July 22, 2022
Studio(s) Universal Pictures
Runtime 131 minutes
For a modern example of suspense-driven horror, audiences need to look no further than Jordan Peele's 2022 feature, Nope. This third film written and directed by Peele features a pair of siblings who become determined to capture the otherworldly entity flying above their ranch on film. The film only uses gore and jump scares extremely minimally, instead capitalizing on well-crafted suspense and the audience's natural fear of the unknown.
In the early scenes of the film, the being isn't really seen at all, but is rather merely implied to be flying overhead.
Nope builds suspense most effectively through its gradual reveal of the extraterrestrial figure captivating the film's main characters. In the early scenes of the film, the being isn't really seen at all, but is rather merely implied to be flying overhead. Gradually, as the film progresses, the viewers are shown more and more of it, thus revealing more about its true nature. By the time the audience is shown the true form of the alien entity, they are surely already on the edge of their seats with anticipation.
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