Below is a list of the top 20 that we think have fared as the scariest movies, in no particular order.
1. Hereditary
Made in 2018, this is the story of a grieving family that is haunted after its matriarch passes away. It stars Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, and Gabriel Byrne and was written and directed by Ari Aster. After the death of their secretive mother, the family is faced with many disturbing occurrences with no explanation for the same. The movie is sure to keep its audience at the edge of their seats, throughout! Click the link below to watch the official trailer
2. I’ll Take You Dead
This story is about a man who disposes of bodies for gangsters but is faced with a real dilemma when one of his “corpses” turns out to be alive. The movie explores the true raw nature of human suffering and is sure to alter your perspective on everything, including your relationships. It was released in 2018 and has been a favorite ever since. Directed by Chad Archibald, the entire 83 minutes will see fans hooked to the storyline as the protagonist faces one of the biggest dilemmas of his career.
3. Apostle
Released in 2018, Apostle is set in 1905 and follows the story of a man who infiltrates a religious cult on a remote island with the intention of rescuing his kidnapped sister. The movie embraces the supernatural with some unimaginable and horrific torture, nightmarish imagery, and some terrible fights. Apostle is definitely one of a kind and stands out in the current horror movies available. Directed by Gareth Evans, this is a must-watch for all.
4. The Mist
A freak storm unleashes a special bloodthirsty creature in a small town. In an attempt to survive and ward of this horror, a small band of citizens attempts to shield themselves in a supermarket and fight for their lives. It premiered in 2007. Adapted from Stephen King’s 1980 novella of the same title, “The Mist” is an unsettling and utterly hopeless film that stands in line with the most cynical and depressing classics of the good old ’07’s.
5. Evil Dead
Released in 2013, the story follows a drug addict who is taken to the WORST intervention venue by her well-meaning brother and friends in an attempt to detox. Placed in an old Woodland cabin, things start going wrong when her mind starts getting tormented and things just get worse from there. The movie delivers the most rampant, grueling, and obsessively dedicated cavalcade of nightmarish disgust that’ll make it difficult to digest.
6. Ringu
This movie is based on the Urban legend of the cursed movie tape that destines its viewers to unavoidable death 7 days later, after watching the tape. Ringu presents the purest strain of Japanese horror. It has been a fan favorite since its release in 1998, after watching a few frames of the tape, are we too destined to meet our end? The movie features gore and bumps on screen, giving viewers a sense that the content they consume may alter their lives forever.
7. REC
The crew of a morning TV show follows a team of firefighters when a call comes in about a woman behaving strangely in her apartment. The TV crew excitedly follows the firefighters into literal Hell. This film’s setup is similar to found-footage horror movies. It premiered in 2007 and feature horror that “creeps” upon you. You won’t even realize just how tense you are till it’s a little too late. The real-life footage as it is shown, only adds to the fear factor.
8. 28 Days Later
This movie follows a similar strain as “The Walking Dead”. A man wakes up in a hospital bed and staggers out into a London in shambles, that will never be the same again. As the survivor’s quest for safety in Scotland, this movie has everything from heartbreak to horror. Released in 2002, this is definitely a must watch!
9. It Follows
While the 21st Century lore about a sexually transmitted curse sounds like it should’ve been done away with by the studio that produced it, “It Follows” is genuinely a horrific experience in all the right ways. The horror is brought to the forefront when a teenager who is plagued by a ghost that no one else can see, “passes” it on to his partner. Released in 2014, this ghost is a sexually transmitted one!
10. The Babadook
This is the story of a young grieving widow who is trying to look after her son. This movie is sure to creep under your skin and stay there! It is sure to leave you asking questions, if you had a pop-up book with a creepy black-clad figure in a top hat? Would you read it o your already traumatized young son? And then what would you do about the haunting that follows? The Babadook released in 2014.
11. Suspiria
Described as less of a movie and more as an assault of your senses, “Suspiria” released in 1997 and follows the story of a young dancer as she arrives at a ballet school. Unfortunately, she is witness to a horrific murder where young girls are picked off one by one. Making her experience a rather frightening one.
12. The Cabin In The Woods
Five teenagers head to a secluded cabin in the woods for the weekend. All hell breaks loose when the cellar door flings open and the gang ventures in and finds an old book. One of them reads an extract from it and unknowingly unleashes a demonic force that they were not prepared to deal with. With all the gore possible and every nasty creature lurking in the dark that you can imagine, this movie is sure to leave you shaking.
13. The Descent
Released in 2015, with its claustrophobic horror and its terrifying creature feature, “The Descent” tells the story of Sarah, who, after the tragic death of her family embarks on a cave trip with her friends to make her feel better. However, once they enter below the Appalachian mountains, it seems like their return to the light might never be possible.
14. The Conjuring
This is definitely a favorite for all the horror fans out there! With all the right jump scares, this movie is based on the real-life chapters of paranormal researchers, Ed and Lorraine Warren. It follows them as they try and save the Perron family from the horrors that haunt them. Voted as one of the scariest movies of modern history, this one is sure to leave you trembling days after.
15. Get Out
Get out follows the story of a young Afro-American and his girlfriend that travels upstate to visit her parents for the weekend. When the family seems overly accommodating, he tries to pass it off in the beginning only to find disturbing discoveries that lead him to believe that their nervous behavior may mean more. Get Out draws the viewer’s attention to the real frightening truths rooted deep in the identity politics of contemporary America.
16. The Exorcist
No horror movie list can be complete without “The Exorcist”. It follows the tale of Regan, the daughter of a successful movie actress who one day passes her time playing the Ouija board in her basement Using the Ouija board as a means to escape, the spirit enters the body of Regan and the rest is of course history.
17. A Nightmare On Elm Street
The monstrous spirit of a slain janitor seeks revenge by invading the dreams of teenagers whose parents were responsible for his untimely death. A Nightmare On Elm Street has definitely gone down in history as one of the best horror movies of all time with its gore, and over the top death scenes. It introduces the villain – Freddy Krueger, one of the scariest villains of all time.
18. Us
Us follows the Wilson family as they head to their holiday home and take a trip to the beach. After a day of fun, they are ready to get some rest when a “family” arrives in the drive. However, this “family” looks a lot like them but they aren’t welcoming and wield a pair of sharp scissors. What happens next can only be found out soon enough! Released in 209, this sure holds a place on this list!
19. The Ritual
The Ritual follows the story of four men that go on a camping trip after the death of their friend. However, this holiday from hell is the last thing they needed. This movie dodges all of the predictable bits of the standard “woods” story line that one might imagine. It is a must watch.
20. The Blair Witch Project
This “found footage” horror follows 3 young documentary makers as they journey to Burkittsville. It begins with them conducting interviews with the locals on the legend of The Blair Witch, this particularly nasty tale follows them as they head into the woods where the Witch apparently resides. It most definitely does not go well for them. “The Blair Witch Project” can be credited with bringing the “found footage” format to the forefront. The cinematography was so real that it convinced most of its viewers that it was in fact real!
