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I think we can all agree that the threshold of getting scared varies greatly with each individual. To some, an itsy bitsy spider is as scary as Lucifer himself, while others might find the aforementioned lord of darkness a harmless kitten. The same applies to watching movies - some might find the suspense and the plot twists in the Miss Marple series too much, thank you, while others might be able to watch Sinister without covering their eyes with their hands, not even once. Not. Even. Once. So, that proves to us that we, the viewers are different, but is there an actual way to figure out which movie is truly the scariest? Glad you asked for there is definitely a way to scientifically measure the level of the scariness of each horror movie! And the way they are ranked in this list, dedicated to the scariest movies ever, is based exactly on that. 

Let’s go back a bit to the part where we said ‘scientific measure’ and clear the air about it. In 2020, a UK broadband company started doing research to figure out the truly scariest movies ever. How do they do it? Well, first of all, they hand-pick their ‘victims’ who are to endure a screening of some 40 horror movies (not all at once, of course). The list of films is changed up a bit each year, and the ‘victims’ come from a fresh roster each year. Then, the people watching these scary movies are equipped with heart monitors that write down the person’s average resting heart rate, then the average while watching a certain movie, and the highest spike in BPM that it has caused. A perfectly reasonable way to measure the chills! 

So, get ready for spooks, chills, and blood-curdling stories, for the scariest movies are, as usual, just a bit further down. If you do not agree with the way they are ranked, give your favorites a vote to change it up! Also, be a good friend and share the joy of a sleepless night after watching one of these creepy movies with your friends. 

#1

Sinister

Sinister

2012 | 1 hour 50 minutes | Directed by Scott Derrickson
 

Starring Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, James Ransone

While most movies are written based on an idea that the writer got while fully conscious, Sinister was directly inspired by a nightmare its writer got after watching The Ring. And if you’ve ever had a truly chilling dream, you know how scary it would be to see it on a big screen in your waking hours. Paralyzing shocks and diabolical twists make Sinister a movie you just might wish to unsee.

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#2

The Conjuring

The Conjuring

2013 | 1 hour 52 minutes | Directed by James Wan
 

Starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston

You know what's more terrifying than even the best horror movie? A horror movie based on a real, definitely undeniably true story. Yup, Ed and Lorraine Warren are real, and so is the possessed Perron family. And even if you can distance yourself from the fact that this sort of weird stuff can happen to you, The Conjuring is nonetheless horrifying. Filled with old-school horrors and minimum CGI effects, this horror movie will creep up on you heavier and heavier with each minute. A paranormal movie that'll surely scare even a seasoned horror fan.

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#3

The Exorcist

The Exorcist

1973 | 2 hours 2 minutes | Directed by William Friedkin
 

Starring Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair

Filming marked by accidents and a release riddled with controversies and even riots; The Exorcist made a grand entrance into the movie industry history. And if you haven’t seen it already, here’s the plot in its basics - The Exorcist follows a twelve-year-old girl that has been possessed by a demon and needs it to be expelled. With such a sure-shot horrifying premise, great acting, and severe shocks throughout, The Exorcist is still one of the best paranormal horror movies after some 50 years of its release.

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Falcon
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Speaking of exorcisms. The Exorcism of Emily Rose is also a pretty good horror movie.

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#4

Insidious

Insidious

2010 | 1 hour 43 minutes | Directed by James Wan
 

Starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins

Astral travel already sounds like a dangerous thing to be capable of, and such a premise pays off big time in Insidious. But add that ability to a seemingly comatose boy, and it gets a whole lot scarier. Malevolent spirits, unexplained happenings, and an uncharted territory inhabited by tortured souls make this horror movie a truly terrifying watch.

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#5

The Descent

The Descent

2005 | 1 hour 39 minutes | Directed by Neil Marshall
 

Starring Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid

The Descent follows six women who find themselves lost in a cave system and struggling to survive against the humanoid monsters living there. So, if you think a horrific cat-and-mouse game would be enough to scare the bejesus out of you, then add in the factor of overwhelming claustrophobia, and voila - a demonically scary movie is at your service. Do we need to remind ourselves with a warning not to watch The Descent before embarking on a speleological expedition?

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Lyop
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The end of this movie is the sum of all my greatest fears!!

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#6

A Nightmare On Elm Street

A Nightmare On Elm Street

1984 | 1 hour 31 minutes | Directed by Wes Craven
 

Starring Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp, Robert Englund

Our list wouldn't be complete without such a classic paranormal slasher horror as A Nightmare On Elm Street. Right from the first minute, you're haunted by dark mystery, actual unexplained slashings, and just good old terror occupying the space in your veins. And to make it even better, there's no happy ending for A Nightmare On Elm Street - that alone will horrify you long after the movie has ended.

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Cold Contagious
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This was such a great movie, with a original spin on a stalker/thriller when it came out, the concept was truly frightening. The razors scraping along everything as he's coming for you, along with the song that the little girls were singing, very creepy.

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#7

The Ring

The Ring

2002 | 1 hour 55 minutes | Directed by Gore Verbinski 
 

Starring Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, Brian Cox

All the horror movies based on Japanese or Korean originals are bound to be blood-soaked, demonic, and should come with a warning. And that’s precisely the case with The Ring - remember the cursed video and the seven-day note? If not - give The Ring a shot, but for the love of all that’s great, don’t watch it alone in the dark. 

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#8

It

It

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Scotira
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The book freaked me out waaaaay more! I was 16 when I tried to read it and had to stop halfway through 🙈 and tbh looked under my bed before sleeping for quite some time. 😅 but the story is good nontheless!

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#9

The Conjuring 2

The Conjuring 2

2016 | 2 hours 14 minutes | Directed by James Wan
 

Starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe

A second installment in The Conjuring series, this movie follows the same paranormal investigators that we’re already acquainted with Ed and Lorraine Warren. This time they’re headed to England to dig deeper into a poltergeist case. Once again, we get to see old-school horror tricks done in a fresh and unnerving way, raising our hair and tingling our spines.

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#10

28 Days Later

28 Days Later

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The lavender Fox
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I overall liked 28 weeks better,but,thays just bc it still gave off horror vibes,but was more of an action movie.like aliens

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#12

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

1974 | 1 hour 23 minutes | Directed by Tobe Hooper
 

Starring Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal, Allen Danziger 

Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a horror film that not only originated some of our beloved elements of the slasher genre but has also become one of the most influential horror movies ever. The story here, although quite a simple one, proves that a good horror flick might not need a complex premise to be a genuinely scary one. Thus, here it's a group of friends that fall victim to a family of cannibals while on their way to visit an old homestead. Seems familiar? Well, we told you that Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the most influential horror movies of all time!

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#13

Halloween (1978)

Halloween (1978)

1978 | 1 hour 31 minutes | Directed by John Carpenter
 

Starring Donald Pleasance, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tony Moran

Halloween is an independent slasher film directed and scored by the horror master himself - John Carpenter. The plot centers around Michael Myers - a mental patient who killed his sister on the night of Halloween when he was six years old. After fifteen years spent in a sanitarium, Michael escapes only to terrorize the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois once again. Now, Halloween might not have been as popular upon its release but has since gained a true cult following and praises from contemporary cinema critics.

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Cold Contagious
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a magnificent movie! Michael Myers is the epitome of The Boogeyman! John Carpenter is a iconic director of horror! Even the theme music would instill fear in people.

#16

Paranormal Activity

Paranormal Activity

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Linda Lee
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Paranormal Activity movies are scary-fun. Lots of jump scares. Definitely a popcorn and soda movie.

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#17

The Babadook

The Babadook

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Skylar
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Babadook! I've seen that movie. I was in high school and sat through it with my friend pinching my arm the whole time because she was scared. I had a bruise for the next few days. Honestly though, I was most sad about the dog...

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#19

Scream

Scream

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Cold Contagious
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love Scream! The plot is very good. The quirky characters are great. Some creative ways of kîlling people. The comedic timing was so fantastic as well.

#20

The Silence Of The Lambs

The Silence Of The Lambs

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Cold Contagious
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

An excellent murder mystery/psychological thriller! Some of the best parts are the headgames that Dr. Lecter plays with Agent Starling. And who can forget Buffalo Bill... "It puts the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hose again" , his quoted words have been utilized for everything under the sun now, for almost three decades. They're carved into history ,immortalized.

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#27

Get Out

Get Out

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Cold Contagious
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It was a creative and interesting movie, but I had pretty much figured it out within 6-10 minutes of him being introduced to her family. Maybe even sooner. They made it too obvious with the way the staff acted.

#31

Poltergeist (1982)

Poltergeist (1982)

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Cold Contagious
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still love me some Poltergeist! Fantastic concept, well written and executed. The cgi is out of date on some things now but it's still such a good movie.

#36

The Birds

The Birds

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Lisa H
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Excellent film. Moves a little slow at first, but overall very good!

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#39

The Fly

The Fly

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Linda Lee
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Jeff Goldblum was fantastic in this movie. You may know him better in the Jurassic Park movies, "Must go faster".

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#43

Train To Busan

Train To Busan

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Jacob Nunez
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1 year ago

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The ending when the dad died was sad. Otherwise an amazing movie

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ItsJess
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Downvoted for spoiling the movie. Im sure many people haven't seen it yet, now you've ruined the ending.

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#44

Suspiria (1977)

Suspiria (1977)

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K- THULU
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dario Argento. True master of horror.... Though shame "Opera" isn't in this list, it's a truly fkd up movie.

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#48

Friday The 13th

Friday The 13th

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Cold Contagious
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Friday The 13th 1&2 are magnificent stalker/thrillers. Them and Halloween were groundbreaking movies in the horror genre. Friday The 13th was such an epic movie, especially due to the role of the killer. These movies started it all.

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#50

Midsommar

Midsommar

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Note: this post originally had 90 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.