Some movies are just purely horrifying. Since the dawn of cinema, horror has been at the forefront of entertainment, delivering some of the most spectacular and terrifying films in history. They captivate audiences, sending a shiver down their spines at how thrilling and creepy they can be.
Yes, the horror genre is full of some truly frightening movies, but which ones stand out as the most chilling? The following entries are top contenders for the scariest of all time. They're iconic and unquestionably disturbing stories that have endured throughout the decade, continuing to scare viewers and filling them with unimaginable terror. They have retained their ability to scare and are as effective today as when they first came out. From Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Pulse to William Friedkin's The Exorcist, here are the scariest movies from horror cinema.
15 'The Babadook' (2014)
Directed by Jennifer Kent
Image via Umbrella Entertainment
The Babadook is an Australian psychological horror drama directed by actress/filmmaker Jennifer Kent in her feature film directorial debut. Featuring an Oscar-worthy performance by Essie Davis, it sees her as a depressed, overworked single parent who must protect her young son when a malevolent entity, manifested from unresolved grief for her late husband, begins terrorizing her home.
Its terror comes not from directly seeing too much of the monster but from the characters' reactions and the implications of what will happen when the creature finally gets them. It's also an emotionally gripping story, enhanced by its two powerful lead performers, who expertly play their characters brilliantly. Coupled with its few effective jumpscares and chilling score, The Babadook is one of the most intense and atmospheric horror movies in recent memory.
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The Babadook
Release Date November 28, 2014
Director Jennifer Kent
Cast Essie Davis , Noah Wiseman , Hayley McElhinney , Daniel Henshall , Barbara West , Ben Winspear , Cathy Adamek , Craig Behenna , Hachi , Tim Purcell , Chloe Hurn , Jacquy Phillips , Bridget Walters , Adam Morgan , Pippa Wanganeen , Peta Shannon , Michelle Nightingale , Tony Mack , Carmel Johnson , Michael Gilmour , Craig McArdle , Terence Crawford , Tiffany Lyndall-Knight , Lucy Hong , Sophie Riggs , John Maurice , Stephen Sheehan , Alicia Zorkovic , Lotte Crawford , Chris Roberts , Annie Batten
Runtime 94 Minutes
14 'Poltergeist' (1982)
Directed by Tobe Hooper
Image via United International Pictures
For the ultimate in suburban terror, look no further than the Tobe Hooper-directed and Steven Spielberg-produced supernatural horror classic Poltergeist, released in 1982. Starring Jobeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson, it follows an average American family who start experiencing bizarre and violent paranormal activity in their home, which is later revealed to be on top of a desecrated burial site.
Hooper and Spielberg certainly knew how to frighten their audience with this film. From creepy kids, killer dolls, decaying corpses, to menacing living trees, there sure are plenty of terrifying and thrilling moments in Poltergeist that surely leave viewers shivering at night.
The Conjuring is a go-to for anyone looking for shocking scares and unnerving suspense. Seen as one of the most frightening and intense supernatural horror movies in recent cinema, this modern classic is a truly nightmarish experience. Inspired by supposedly true events, it follows a paranormal investigating couple as they help a struggling family who are being tormented by a horrifying entity lurking in their new home.
Featuring some of the most intense jump scares in horror history, The Conjuring is an absolute thrilling horror masterpiece from beginning to end. It shocks and excites audiences at every moment with its unexpected surprises and nail-biting suspense. The Conjuring would go on to spawn a decade-defining hit horror franchise that continues to scare up big bucks at the box office.
Release Date March 20, 2013
Runtime 112
12 'Evil Dead' (2013)
Directed by Fede Alvarez
Image via Sony
From the creative mind that brought Alien: Romulus to cinemas, Fede Alvarez, Evil Dead is a 2013 splatter horror film that is a remake of the 1981 B-movie original directed by Sam Raimi. It follows a small group of friends who travel to an isolated cabin in the woods to help one of their members kick a serious drug habit. However, it soon becomes a battle for survival when they accidentally read from an ancient book that summons demons to possess them one by one.
It's an intense, brutal, and spectacularly bloody horror remake that certainly leaves an impression. It's elevated by a stellar cast who nail their roles, especially actress Jane Levy, who steals the show in her twisted performance as the struggling addict Mia and her terrifying possessed form. While Raimi's '81 version will always be an enduring classic, Alvarez's film is arguably the more terrifying version and definitely the most shocking.
John Carpenter's 1978 film Halloween is one of the essential slasher flicks that defined the subgenre. A thrilling holiday-themed horror flick, it tells the story of an escaped masked serial killer, Michael Myers (Nick Castle), who goes on a killing spree through his old hometown on Halloween, leaving his former psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), and find and stop his rampage.
It's an eerie, suspenseful horror classic that hasn't lost its potency over the years. The plot is memorable, the characters are iconic, and Michael Myers continues to be one of the most fearsome and intimidating horror villains of all time. Its scares continue to amaze audiences today and will continue to terrify for generations.
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Halloween
Release Date October 27, 1978
Runtime 91 minutes
10 'Pulse' (2001)
Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Image via Toho
An iconic ghost thriller from Japan, Pulse is a 2001 supernatural horror film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. It's a dreary, unrelentingly bleak, nightmarish story about two groups of Tokyo residents as they slowly piece together that sinister spirits are using the internet to travel into the real world and convince people to harm themselves.
Pulse is overwhelmingly terrifying, featuring haunting and disturbing imagery that keeps viewers shivering with fright. There's no gore or intense jump scares, just perfect suspense, and scenes that build with mounting horror. It even features one of the most horrifying scenes of any film, in a moment where a character encounters an eerie ghost with unnatural body movements. The score is also quite unsettling and effectively creeps right under the skin. The movie is purely nightmare-inducing and sticks with the audience well after the credits roll.
The most recent entry to this list is 2018's Hereditary, directed by indie filmmaker Ari Aster. Considered one of the most frightening and recognizable folk horror movies in cinema, it's a pulse-pounding story about a grieving family that, after the death of their cryptic grandmother, begins descending into chaos as strange supernatural occurrences happen all around them.
Hereditary is a modern horror masterpiece that fills audiences with dread. As part of the elevated horror sub-genre, it's a slow-burner thriller with powerful storytelling and intense suspense to hone in on its scares. It's also backed by some of the best acting in the horror genre, especially by actress Toni Collette, who is utterly captivating in the lead role. It's an eerie, compelling film that takes its time and doesn't fail to leave a frightening impact.
Release Date June 8, 2018
Runtime 2h 7m
8 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984)
Directed by Wes Craven
Image via New Line Cinema
Now, onto one of the most iconic and darkest slasher flicks in horror history, Wes Craven's 1984 classic A Nightmare on Elm Street. A bloody, intense serial killer film with a fresh concept, it follows the story of a group of neighborhood friends as they find themselves being stalked and killed one by one by a horrifying supernatural murderer who claims them in their sleep.
A Nightmare on Elm Street is one of the most recognizable slasher movies ever. It introduced the world to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a frightening pop-cultural icon who made an entire generation of kids afraid to dream at night. The idea of a serial killer stalking people in their nightmares is a unique concept that raises the stakes and continues to be one of the most creative ideas for any horror movie. The film is still terrifying and has iconic moments that have become legendary in cinema. Just make sure not to watch this before bed.
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A Nightmare on Elm Street
7 'Ringu' (1998)
Directed by Hideo Nakata
Image via Toho
Hailing again from Japan, at number seven is 1995's Ringu, a supernatural horror mystery thriller directed by Hideo Nakata. The story follows a female reporter who, after the horrific death of her niece, links a string of other grizzly murders to a supposed cursed videotape that kills anyone who watches it in seven days.
It's a chilling ghost story with memorable scares that'll make just about anyone afraid that something terrible will crawl out of their TV screens. Ringu is often regarded as one of the scariest horror movies of the 1990s, a film dripping with so much terror. The iconic scene of the ghost Sadako Yamaura (Rie Ino'o) eerily creeping out of a television set has become legendary in horror cinema and one fans certainly haven't forgotten. The film spawned several sequels, including an equally memorable American remake directed by Gore Verbinski.
Directed by James Wan, the chilling mind behind Saw and The Conjuring franchise, Insidious is a 2010 supernatural ghost movie packed to the brim with intense scares. Starring Patrick Wilson and Lin Shaye, it tells the story of a family of five trying to make a fresh start in a new home. However, when the eldest son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), accidentally falls into a coma, a series of strange events leads the rest of the family to believe a terrifying demon is lurking somewhere in the house and is trying to collect Dalton's soul.
Insidious is a wild, thrilling haunted house ride. It boasts some of the biggest and most memorable jump scares in movie history. It's also expertly paced and dripping with suspense, keeping the audience invested right from start to finish. There's enough shock and terror to take anyone's breath away. It truly is a stand-out in the supernatural genre and can still be pretty intense to watch today.
Release Date April 1, 2011
Runtime 103 minutes
5 'Sinister' (2012)
Directed by Scott Derrickson
Image Via Summit Entertainment
Sinister is a 2012 supernatural horror thriller directed by Scott Derrickson and starring Ethan Hawke. Today, considered one of the most terrifying films of the 2010s, it's an intensely eerie story that follows a True Crime author as he moves his family into a home once the site of a grizzly mass murder, so research his next book. However, as he looks further into the house's dark history, he shockingly discovers the murders were all orchestrated by a terrifying Babylonian god called Bughuul.
Sinister combines thrilling jump scares and a dark, creepy atmosphere to create a solid and chilling haunted house story. The suspense and terror build with each passing scene, and some of its most horrifying moments are straight-up nightmare fuel that'll make anyone hesitant to fall asleep after watching the movie. It's become a stand-out in recent years and continues to terrify viewers. It's probably not recommended to watch this one in the dark.
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Sinister
Release Date March 29, 2012
Director Scott Derrickson
Runtime 110
4 'The Thing' (1982)
Directed by John Carpenter
Image via Universal Pictures
Directed by the legendary horror filmmaker John Carpenter, The Thing is a 1982 remake of Christian Nyby's The Thing from Another World, also based on a novella called "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell. Set in the bleak, frigid environment of Antarctica, it follows a group of American researchers as they try to survive the winter while cut off and trapped in an isolated outpost with a hostile alien life form able to disguise itself among the crew.
The Thing is quite simply one of the greatest horror movies ever made. The suspense is powerful, the setting is tense and claustrophobic, the acting is exceptional, and its scares are effective and incredibly memorable. The alien itself looks straight out of someone's worst nightmare. It is as fascinating as it is mysterious. The effects created by makeup artist Rob Bottin to bring the creatures' many forms to life continue to look flawless and terrifying. This is the director's masterpiece and undoubtedly the scariest film Carpenter's ever made.
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The Thing
Release Date June 25, 1982
Runtime 109 minutes
3 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (1974)
Directed by Tobe Hooper
Image via Bryanston Distributing Company
Now, on to one of the influential slasher movies in cinema history. Tobe Hooper's low-budget B-movie horror classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has left a considerable mark on the horror pop culture that continues to be felt today. It tells the story of five friends driving through the Texas countryside to stay at a family home. However, once there, they encounter a horrifying chainsaw-wielding serial killer named Leatherface (Gunner Hansen) and his deranged family of murderous cannibals.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a gritty, grim, slasher masterpiece that continues to shock and terrify audiences today. Despite its low-budget feel, it's oddly a timeless film and features many iconic moments that have become immortalized in the horror genre. Despite what its title suggests and the controversy surrounding its violence, the film is actually much more tamed and less bloody than one might expect. Despite less gore, it's still a disturbing classic that gets right under people's skin.
Release Date October 11, 1974
Cast Marilyn Burns , Allen Danziger , Paul A. Partain , William Vail , Teri McMinn , Edwin Neal
Runtime 83 minutes
2 'Alien' (1979)
Directed by Ridley Scott
Image via 20th Century Studios
Alien is a 1979 sci-fi monster horror film directed by legendary English filmmaker Sir Ridley Scott. It's a very dark, atmospheric horror classic that also serves as a slasher film in space. The story follows a group of astronauts as they're picked off one by one by an unstoppable alien organism that has stowed away onboard their ship back to Earth.
Alien thrives in its simplicity, allowing terror to come from the audience's fear of the unexpected. Some of its scariest moments come from not knowing when or where the creature will appear next, much like when watching Jaws or The Thing. But the story is also a great slow-burner. Its first act takes its time before leading up to the alien, allowing for great character development and establishing the tone of the story. It's a remarkably creepy tale with an iconic monster and scares that are still as effective today as in 1979.
Finally, at number one is a terrifying supernatural horror classic almost universally hailed as the scariest movie of all time, The Exorcist. Featuring incredible scares and disturbing imagery, this iconic chiller tells the story of two Catholic priests who must perform a dangerous exorcism to rescue an innocent little girl from a ghastly demonic possession.
The Exorcist is an unsettling nightmare with horrific moments that continue to shock and disturb viewers. It has terrified audiences for generations since its first release in 1973 and possibly for decades more. Linda Blair's performance as Reagan during the different stages of her possession has become a stand-out of horror and continues to be praised as some of the most compelling acting in the genre's history. Truly, there is no topping this intense masterpiece. The Exorcist reigns supreme as the ultimate scary movie.
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