55 Scariest Horror Movies That Are Too Disturbing to Re-Watch

55 'In a Violent Nature' (2024)

Directed by Chris Nash

Acting as a complete deconstruction of the slasher genre that goes beyond simply featuring ultra-violent kills, but relishes in the monotony and process surrounding them, In a Violent Nature is an engaging, terrifying, and sometimes comical take on a slasher. While the plot is relatively simple, following a dangerous undead killer as he lays waste to a group of teens that awoke him, what makes the film stand out is its unique perspective and execution. The film entirely follows the perspective and viewpoint of the killer, Johnny, showing his entire process and viewpoint during his murderous rampage.

In a Violent Nature certainly delivers when it comes to gruesome, wince-inducing and creative kills, but its greatest strengths and most terrifying aspects come from the slow monotony in between the carnage. The film does an excellent job of letting the killer's fractured and animalistic mindset simmer between kills, allowing the audience to sit in silence and dread as he goes through the motions of walking from victim to victim. It manages to make each kill hit much harder, and while the film's experimental approach won't be for everyone, it will surely leave a pit in your stomach.

Watch in Theaters

54 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' (2017)

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

Director Yorgos Lanthimos is known for his unique movies, like The Favourite and Poor Things, which usually feature an offbeat tone, quirky characters, and deadpan delivery. However, the director’s darkest film to date is the horror-thriller The Killing of a Sacred Deer, which still retains the director’s signature elements, but in a far more sinister manner. Colin Farrell plays Steven Murphy, a wealthy surgeon and family man who has a seemingly perfect life.

When Steven meets the strange and awkward teen Martin (Barry Keoghan), he takes him under his wing. Martin then infiltrates his family home, and violent and unsettling occurrences begin to take place. While The Killing of a Sacred Deer isn’t as graphic as some traditional horror movies, it has an eerie and uncomfortable tone that is hard to stomach, making for an uncomfortable viewing experience.

53 'Longlegs' (2024)

Directed by Osgood Perkins

One of the biggest independent horror hits of recent memory that made massive waves for being considered by critics to be one of the scariest horror movies in decades, Longlegs found immediate worldwide success. The film follows FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) who is assigned with uncovering the mystery surrounding the terrifying serial killer known as Longlegs (Nicolas Cage), who is responsible for a connected string of family murder-suicides. As she delves deeper into the case, the risk of danger finds itself slowly increasing as Longlegs begins to toy with Harker's psyche in a game of cat and mouse.

While it may not be the neverending display of gore and jumpscares that the marketing campaign led some audiences to believe, Longlegs is still unchallenged in its ability to build tension and dread throughout numerous harrowing sequences. Much like the great horror crime procedurals that came before it, the film finds great success in establishing unnerving terror from the unknown, letting the aura of mystery fuel the horror itself. Cage's performance also finds an effective line between disturbing, comedic, and sorrowful, creating a new horror villain icon that will be remembered for the ages.

Watch in Theaters

52 'The Exorcist' (1973)

Directed by William Friedkin

Arguably the most iconic demonic possession horror movie, The Exorcist is a classic within the genre, and influenced a whole new generation of horror movies. The film follows Regan (Linda Blair), a young girl who becomes possessed by a demonic entity, and her mother, Chris (Ellen Burstyn), who enlists the help of two priests to save her.

At the time of release, The Exorcist was the scariest horror movie audiences had ever seen, with viewers even fainting. While some of the film’s scare factor has become outdated thanks to the evolution of filmmaking and effects, and almost seems tame compared to other movies, The Exorcist is still scarier than some horror movies released today. It is striking and unnerving, with visceral imagery that has become legendary in the horror pantheon.

51 'Barbarian' (2022)

Directed by Zach Cregger

Barbarian is one of the most bonkers horror movies to hit screens in recent memory. On the surface, it seems like your standard creepy horror flick. A woman named Tara (Georgina Campbell) books an Airbnb, only to find it has been double-booked by a mysterious stranger named Keith (Bill Skarsgård). Just when you think you know where the narrative is going, Barbarian flips the script and goes to a totally unexpected and wild place.

The film’s second half is completely demented and gross, but it does not reach the disturbing level of some of the higher-ranked films on this list due to its unexpected humor and self-awareness. Barbarian is a totally wild and unpredictable ride that will have viewers questioning what it is they just witnessed.

50 'Saw II' (2005)

Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman

While the first Saw film did a great job of establishing the concept and world of Jigsaw's death games and traps, it's the iconic sequel that helped cement the franchise's legacy at the forefront of mainstream body horror. Saw II continues the exploits of John Kramer, placing people into deadly traps in able to give them a better appreciation for life, this time placing a group of people into a single, trap-filled house. At the same time, Detective Eric Matthews is tasked with solving the riddle of how to save these people during a high-stakes interrogation of Kramer himself.

The vast majority of the trends and icons of the Saw franchise find their origins within Saw II, from following a varied cast fighting against a large selection of traps to the increased focus on gore and shock value. While the vast majority of the sequels would fail to find the effective balance between over-the-top gore and genuine horror/mystery, Saw II finds the perfect middle ground that has made it one of the most defining films in the Saw franchise.

Watch on Max

49 'The Conjuring' (2013)

Directed by James Wan

James Wan is one of the most popular horror directors working in the industry today, responsible for hits like Saw and Insidious. However, it was his 2013 film The Conjuring that reinvigorated the horror genre for the first time in years, giving it new life. Based on true events (what everybody wants to hear at the start of a horror movie), the film follows paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga), who help a family being terrorized by a supernatural presence.

Along with a genuinely intriguing story and fleshed-out characters, The Conjuring brought back old-school scares in a way that remains fresh and exciting. The film also introduced fans to the now infamous Annabelle doll, and its success would go on to launch a franchise.

48 'The Perfection' (2018)

Directed by Richard Shepard

Netflix has released a slew of original horror films, but one that stands out (and is easily underrated) is The Perfection, starring Get Out and M3GAN’s Allison Williams. Williams plays troubled music prodigy Charlotte, who returns to her prestigious music school to find that she has been replaced by new star pupil Lizzie (Logan Browning).

The pair are sent down a sinister path there is no returning from, embarking on the ultimate revenge plot. While viewers may initially make comparisons to a rivalry narrative like Black Swan, it turns out The Perfection is much more David Cronenberg's body horror style. The film takes big swings and risks, featuring some incredibly repulsive and striking imagery that will leave you squirming.

47 'Funny Games' (1997)

Directed by Michael Haneke

Despite not technically being a horror movie, Michael Haneke’s original Funny Games is one of the most terrifying non-horror films of all time, and is truly difficult to stomach. The psychological thriller follows two young men (Arno Frisch and Frank Giering) who hold a family hostage in their lakeside vacation home. They abuse and force them to play sadistic games for their own sick entertainment.

The psychotic Paul (Firsch) and Peter (Giering) often break the fourth wall throughout the film, directly addressing the audience. The pair tease the viewers, asking them moral questions and therefore making them feel complicit by simply watching the torture play out on screen. It’s an effective narrative technique that makes the whole viewing experience much harder to digest. By the end of Funny Games , audiences will be asking themselves what exactly they got out of watching something so horrid.

46 'Deliver Us from Evil' (2014)

Directed by Scott Derrickson

While there are definitely better exorcism films out there than Scott Derrickson’s Deliver Us from Evil, there is no denying that it leaves you feeling unsettled and frightened. Eric Bana plays Ralph, a police officer who teams up with Mendoza (Édgar Ramírez), a priest, to combat possessions that are wreaking havoc on New York City.

From gruesome corpses to otherworldly demons, Deliver Us from Evil features some truly grotesque and scarring imagery that leaves an impact. Its religious themes are also extremely dark and disturbing, but thanks to its cop drama element and moments of levity, it is not the scariest movie on this list. However, the film is still a gnarly and bleak horror outing that is not for the faint of heart.

45 '[Rec]' (2007)

Directed by Paco Plaza and Jaume Balagueró

The use of found-footage filmmaking is extremely popular within the horror genre, thanks to the success of films like The Blair Witch Project. One of the most effective and frightening uses of the stylistic technique can be seen in the Spanish horror film[Rec]. Entirely using found footage, it depicts a television reporter (Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman (Pablo Rosso), who follow emergency workers into a dark apartment building.

There is a virus outbreak, trapping everybody inside and slowly turning people into vicious cannibals. The found-footage presentation makes [Rec] feel terrifyingly authentic and intimate, fully immersing the viewer in a very realistic manner. The gruesome effects, convincing acting, and production elements make it feel as if you are watching a real TV report, and the film’s bleak ending will leave viewers feeling extremely unsettled.

Rent on Amazon

44 'Host' (2020)

Directed by Rob Savage

We have all become far too familiar with Zoom and communicating remotely through work meetings and social catch-ups during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, director Rob Savage capitalized on the popularity of the application (and social circumstances) to make Host, a film that proves you don’t need a big budget to make something terrifying.

Filmed entirely through webcams and set on a computer screen, a group of friends perform an online seance and accidentally invite a demonic presence into their homes. Savage uses simple tricks to conjure up genuinely nasty scares during a heart-pounding runtime of just under an hour. Host is a brilliant technical experiment, and Zoom meetings will never be the same again.

43 'The Descent' (2005)

Directed by Neil Marshall

One of the most terrifying and claustrophobic movies ever made, The Descent is a lean and nasty horror experience. The film follows a group of friends on a cave expedition, where they become trapped inside and are hunted by bloodthirsty creatures. The film is a back-to-basics horror thriller, utilizing the isolation and limited space of its setting for some truly horrific and visceral sequences.

It starts with a slow-burn build and then releases full carnage for its remaining runtime. The suffocating atmosphere of the caves and the situation makes this film so uncomfortable and scary to watch, as it plays on people’s real-life fears of closed and small spaces. The Descent’s ending is also incredibly grim, leaving viewers with a sense of hopelessness as the credits roll.

Watch on Amazon Prime

42 'Veronica' (2017)

Directed by Paco Plaza

Commonly referred to as one of the scariest movies on Netflix, Veronica is full of well-executed scares and demonic imagery that will haunt audiences. During a solar eclipse, a teenage girl (Sandra Escacena) uses an Ouija board with her friends to summon her father. Afterward, she becomes plagued by evil forces.

Veronica features all the unease and spookiness of any possession film, but what really makes it so memorable and frightening is the fact that it is loosely based on a true story. It takes inspiration from the Vallecas case, where a young girl similarly used the board to contact a loved one, and died soon after. The movie has a sense of realism that makes it incredibly creepy and difficult to sit through.

Watch on Netflix

41 'The Hills Have Eyes' (2006)

Directed by Alexandre Aja

While the 1977 version of The Hills Have Eyes is definitely a horror classic, its 2006 remake is certainly more effective and brutal, and might even be a better version. The film follows a family traveling to California to celebrate an anniversary, but things turn nightmarish when they are captured by mutated cannibals.

The Hills Have Eyes features extreme gore and repulsive elements like animal cruelty and sexual assault, with certain scenes that are particularly hard to stomach. It will make your skin crawl and have you most likely avoiding any kind of road trips in the near future. The mutant cannibals, and the acts they commit, are absolutely horrific. While it’s a well-made horror film that certainly leaves a mark, it is equally traumatizing.

40 'The Poughkeepsie Tapes' (2007)

Directed by John Erick Dowdle

A fake documentary that revels in its disturbing and uncomfortable material, The Poughkeepsie Tapes quickly became the mainstream icon for serial killer-found footage filmmaking. The film takes an examined look into the life and mystery behind a series of hundreds of VHS tapes, each including graphic and painful imagery of a serial killer's various means of torture, murder, and dismemberment over the years. The film sees numerous interviews and closer looks in able to understand the psyche and answer to these snuff films.

The Poughkeepsie Tapes brings some of the scariest and most prominent trends from some of the most terrifying films of all time to the world of fake documentaries, creating a terrifying experience with masterful realism. Its levels of extreme realism add to the inherent horror, with several audiences believing that the contents of the film were real. The Poughkeepsie Tapes' disturbing serial killer POV made it simply too disturbing for distributors to want to pick up the film, with the film being lost and believed to be banned for a decade before it eventually got an official release.

Watch on Amazon Prime

39 'Sinister' (2012)

Directed by Scott Derrickson

Considered by many to be the scariest modern horror film of all time, Sinister is… well, pretty darn sinister. Ethan Hawke plays Ellison Oswald, a true crime non-fiction crime writer who moves his family into a house where gruesome murders took place. Desperate for inspiration for his work, he delves into who may have been responsible for those murders, but his research reveals horrifying discoveries.

The film has a simple plot but is executed in a way that will be lodged in your subconscious for a long time. The Super-8 tapes Hawke’s character stumbles upon featuring various murders are already uneasy to watch, but it’s the demonic face that keeps popping up in each of them that is the stuff of nightmares. Its terrible twist has also become well-known among horror fans, who likely wish they could watch it all again for the first time.

38 'Would You Rather' (2012)

Directed by David Guy Levy

Would You Rather is the perfect example of how a premise and character dynamics can go the extra mile in making a viewing experience that much more dreadfully painful and horrific for an audience. The film follows Iris, a young woman looking to earn money in order to pay for her brother's leukemia treatment, and finds herself competing in a deadly dinner party game hosted by philanthropist Shepard Lambrick (Jeffrey Combs). Throughout the party, Lambrick forces the guests to perform increasingly vile and painful challenges and tests, with only one winner getting their needed money and making it out alive.

Death games have been a common part of horror and modern media for a while now, ranging from classics of the genre like Saw to modern smash hit twists like Squid Game and Escape Room. What makes Would You Rather stand out as an especially painful viewing experience is its relishing and embellishment of the desperate state of these characters and Jambrick's masochistic enjoyment of their suffering. It takes the "eat the rich" approach to the genre nearly a decade before Squid Game, and delivers even harder when it comes to painful and cringe-inducing kills.

Rent on Apple TV

37 'Hereditary' (2018)

Directed by Ari Aster

Director Ari Aster has cemented himself as a profound and fresh new voice in horror over the last few years, as exhibited with his debut Hereditary. The film follows a grief-stricken family after the death of their matriarch, as they discover sinister ancestral secrets through supernatural disturbances.

The scariest movie ever from A24's collection, Aster’s film is bleak and utterly hopeless, littered with unnatural and explicit imagery among its unnerving ambiance. Toni Collette’s performance is incredibly chilling, and one particular scene involving a nut allergy takes an abhorrent turn that viewers will not soon forget. That one scene has likely shocked and terrified viewers into never seeing the film again. Dark, dark stuff.

36 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' (1974)

Directed by Tobe Hooper

Many argue that modern horror films are always scarier, but that’s not the case when it comes to 1974’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The film sees Leatherface and his cannibal family hunt down a group of unsuspecting hitchhikers for the first time, with mean and bloody results.

Thanks to its balance of sheer dread and extreme gore, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was banned in several countries when first released, and is still considered one of the scariest movies of all time to this day. Disgusting and remarkably impressive for its time, it is certainly not for the faint of heart. Although later entries in the Texas Chain Saw Massacre haven't managed to reach the impressive heights of the first, there's still something to be said for the way the 1974 film established an enduring franchise beloved among horror fans.

Watch on Peacock