What is the scariest movie of all time? Well, as it turns out, there's a science to determining this. Here are the most frightening films of all time.
The movie industry has been making scary movies for over a century, ever since pioneer Georges Mlis created The House of the Devil. From that moment, Hollywood has been trying to figure out the perfect recipe for the scariest of scary movies. The best ingredients have to include a healthy dollop of suspense, a sprinkling of creepy locations, and, most important of all, moments that make the audience jump out of their skins!
RELATED: 10 Best Supernatural Horror Movies Of The 1990s (According To Metacritic)
Scientists have carried out studies to establish which are the scariest movies ever released, based on the heart rates of those watching, and the results say that these are the most frightening movies you can watch.
The Babadook has become one of the most legendary horror movies of recent years, and it works as a scary movie because the monstrous Babadook doesnt hide in creepy locations, but lurks instead in the family home of single mom Amelia and her son, Noah.
Our homes are supposed to be our sanctuary, but that is certainly not the case with The Babadook, which features plenty of jump-scare moments, including the terrifying scene when Amelia first realizes that the Babadook really is in her home.
Many horror fans would not consider A Quiet Place to be part of the genre, but when it comes to keeping an audience on the edge of their seat, few movies have done it better. Viewers often find themselves holding their breath and trying their best to remain quiet themselves while watching John Krasinskis 2018 movie.
And while there are some genuine jump scare moments, the real terror comes from the fear of the family themselves when they accidentally make a sound.
The Science of Scare study by Broadband Choices found that The Conjuring was the scariest horror franchise of all time, as it was the only franchise to have two of its movies in the top 20.
RELATED: 10 Horror Movie Protagonists (Who Are Actually Pretty Bad People)
The first movie, simply called The Conjuring, was released in 2013, but there have now been two sequels and several spin-offs. All use the usual tricks to scare their audiences, but perhaps the scariest thing about these movies is that they are based on the real-life exploits of paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren.
In the late 90s, The Blair Witch Project started a craze for so-called found footage movies. These were movies that pretended to be true stories, by using what was claimed to be real footage of supernatural happenings. One of the most successful was Paranormal Activity, which consisted mainly of CCTV coverage from inside the house of a couple who had been plagued by ghostly events.
Impressive special effects made this CCTV footage looks real, and the lead actors often didnt know what would be happening and had to improvise their responses.
Japan is infamous for its impressive horror movies, and Hollywood remakes have not always been as successful.
The remake of The Ring, starring Naomi Watts, was, in many ways, more frightening than the original, thanks to more jump scares, but the bad guy was the same in both movies - a creepy young woman with black hair hanging over her face who pursues her targets to their death. The first time that Samara crawls out of the TV is one of the most memorable horror movie scenes ever.
James Wan could easily claim to have taken over from Wes Craven as the new king of horror, thanks to his successful Saw, Conjuring, and Insidious movie franchises. While the first two rely on blood and guts and jump-scare moments, Insidious is a little more grown-up although there are still enough scary scenes to set the pulse racing!
RELATED: 8 Horror Films Where Actors Were Intentionally Harmed
The best thing about Insidious is the genuinely engaging storyline, which provides some plot twists that wouldnt be out of place in a big-budget Hollywood thriller.
The Descent is a horror movie with a difference, with the movies caving heroines putting themselves in a situation that, at first, seems to be scary for very normal reasons, only to find that there is something supernatural trapped with them in the depths of the earth.
This is definitely not a movie for anyone claustrophobic, and the scenes filmed with night vision add an extra layer of terror especially when the audience can see the otherworldly predators that the girls themselves cannot!
Slasher movies were in their heyday in the 1980s when movie franchises like Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street made their debut. The antagonist was the star of these movies, not his victims, and in Elm Street that was the sinister Freddy Krueger, who haunted the dreams of terrified teens.
Kruegers exploits may have been inspired by a terrifying true story, but the idea that there was no escaping a villain who could kill you in your sleep was a petrifying prospect back in 1984.
Like The Conjuring and Paranormal Activity, the scariest thing about Netflix horror flick Hereditary is that it feels very normal and realistic - the kind of situation that any of us could find ourselves in.
The excellent acting skills of lead Toni Collette are also important to Hereditary, as it is her reactions to the crazy events going on around her which make the movie so spine-tingling. The first shock may not come until 30 minutes into the movie, but it is one that is well worth waiting for!
The 2012 horror movie Sinister came out on top in the Science of Scare study, making it scientifically the most frightening scary movie of all time. Ethan Hawke plays a crime writer who moves his wife and children into the house where a bloody murder took place years before. It's hardly surprising that the family soon find themselves terrorized by the things that go bump in the night.
The study found that viewers had an average heart rate of 86 beats per minute (bpm) while watching Sinister, compared to a resting heart rate of 65bpm, while the movies scariest moment saw the numbers shoot up as high as 131bpm.
NEXT: 10 Popular Actors Who Got Their Start In Horror Movies (First Movie Appearance)
Next 5 Funniest Scenes From Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (& The 5 Scariest)
Here is the original post:
These Are The 10 Scariest Horror Movies (According To Science) - Screen Rant
- AI In Late Night With The Devil Sparks Controversy - Forbes - March 24th, 2024
- A horror movie based on a Stephen King novel with a disappointing Rotten Tomatoes score is climbing Netflix's top 10 - Gamesradar - March 24th, 2024
- This is why we're so obsessed with nuns in horror movies - according to the official source, a nun - Gamesradar - March 24th, 2024
- Stephen King reveals the one horror movie he couldn't sit through as he was too scared - UNILAD - March 24th, 2024
- Late Night With the Devil directors address the use of AI art in the film - JoBlo.com - March 24th, 2024
- David Dastmalchian on Late Night with the Devil, The Life of Chuck and Good Fiend Films - Kansas City Pitch - March 24th, 2024
- Welcome to the Poohniverse: Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey Team to Unite Pooh, Bambi, Tinkerbell and More in Low-Budget Horror Crossover (EXCLUSIVE)... - March 24th, 2024
- Late Night with the Devil is the best horror movie of the year so far - Yahoo Movies Canada - March 24th, 2024
- Sydney Sweeney 'wanted to be drenched in blood' in 'Immaculate' - Entertainment Weekly News - March 24th, 2024
- Film of the Week: 'Stopmotion' - The best horror film of 2024 so far - Euronews - March 24th, 2024
- How to Watch Immaculate: Is the Sydney Sweeney Movie Streaming? - TheWrap - March 24th, 2024
- THE FIRST OMEN: A Battle With The Devil And An NC-17 Rating FANGORIA - FANGORIA - March 24th, 2024
- Elevated Horror: The New Wave of Artful Scares Taking Over Hollywood - LRM Online - March 24th, 2024
- Late Night With the Devil Plot Explained: The True Meaning of the Movie - The Direct - March 24th, 2024
- David Chase is directing his first film in 12 years. Its a horror movie. - NJ.com - March 24th, 2024
- Us Was The Box Office Hit That Gave Jordan Peele True Power In Hollywood - SlashFilm - March 24th, 2024
- Cast of 'Gremlins': Catch Up With the Stars of the '80s Hit - First For Women - March 24th, 2024
- 'Immaculate' Review: Sydney Sweeney Is Wide-Eyed but Sly - The New York Times - March 24th, 2024
- Sydney Sweeney explains that bloody 'Immaculate' ending - Entertainment Weekly News - March 24th, 2024
- When Will Sydney Sweeney's Horror Film, 'Immaculate,' Be Available to Stream? - AOL - March 24th, 2024
- Blumhouse to Return Insidious and Other Titles to Theaters for Halfway to Halloween Fest - Hollywood Reporter - March 16th, 2024
- Every Movie In The Wrong Turn Franchise Ranked - SlashFilm - March 16th, 2024
- Blumhouse Celebrating 'Halfway to Halloween' With Five Horror Movies Returning to 100 AMC Movie Theaters - Bloody Disgusting - March 16th, 2024
- DeWanda Wise Sings Creepy Theme Of New Horror Film: 'Imaginary' - The Root - March 16th, 2024
- Hostel: Part II (2007) WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? - JoBlo.com - March 16th, 2024
- New LEPRECHAUN Movie Will Be Funny, Scary And Full Of Practical Effects - FANGORIA - March 16th, 2024
- Blumhouse Celebrating Halfway to Halloween With Five Horror Movies Returning to 100 AMC Movie Theaters - IMDb - March 16th, 2024
- The Horror Nail-Biter On Max With A Controversial Ending - Giant Freakin Robot - March 16th, 2024
- "Says the person who was in Madame Web": Sydney Sweeney is Getting Skewered for Saying Modern Horror Movies ... - FandomWire - March 16th, 2024
- First trailer for horror movie reboot The Crow features an unrecognizable Bill Skarsgrd on a bloody mission of revenge - Gamesradar - March 16th, 2024
- You'll Never Find Me Is Unforgettable Horror, See The Terror In Action - Giant Freakin Robot - March 16th, 2024
- The First Omen star has seen all of your internet theories about the horror movie prequel and, well, they're all wrong - Gamesradar - March 16th, 2024
- Sltface take on horror movies with their new single, 'Final Grl' - Dork Magazine - March 16th, 2024
- From 'Five Nights at Freddy's' to 'Imaginary': Why Blumhouse loves PG-13 horror - theday.com - March 16th, 2024
- The First Omen's Big Death Reveal Really Doesn't Bode Well For The Prequel - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- 20 Scariest Horror Movies to Come Out in the Last 5 Years - MovieWeb - March 16th, 2024
- 'The Animal Kingdom' Exclusive Clip Previews the Gnarly Body Horror of Magnet's New Movie - Bloody Disgusting - March 16th, 2024
- 'Oddity' Review: This Supernatural Horror Film Will Tear You To Pieces | SXSW 2024 - Collider - March 16th, 2024
- "Marketing is failing this movie tremendously": David Dastmalchian's Late Night With the Devil Dubbed as One of the ... - FandomWire - March 16th, 2024
- STOPMOTION is a handcrafted tale of beauty and horror - Moviejawn - March 16th, 2024
- Horror Lovers Will Love this Dining Spot in Texas - klaq.com - March 8th, 2024
- Is Late Night With The Devil Based On A True Story? - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- Kooky King: 6 of the Weirdest Stephen King Film Adaptations - Nightmare on Film Street - March 8th, 2024
- The Unknown, the Viral Willy Wonka Experience Villain, Is Already Getting Their Own Horror Movie - IGN - March 8th, 2024
- 13 Original Horror Movies We Can't Wait to See in 2024 - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- From 'Imaginary' to 'Five Nights at Freddy's.' Why Blumhouse loves PG-13 horror - Los Angeles Times - March 8th, 2024
- Imaginary Movie Review: M3gan Meets The Boogeyman - Mama's Geeky - March 8th, 2024
- Christopher Nolan Originally Conceived Inception As A Horror Movie - SlashFilm - March 8th, 2024
- 'Whalefall' Movie in the Works From 'No One Will Save You' Director Brian Duffield - The Mary Sue - March 8th, 2024
- Horror Movie Based On THE UNKNOWN From Glasgow's WILLY WONKA Experience In The Works Horror Movie ... - CBM (Comic Book Movie) - March 8th, 2024
- Horrifying 'Late Night With The Devil' Trailer Released - Outkick - March 8th, 2024
- Imaginary review: M3GAN, take the wheel - Dexerto - March 8th, 2024
- The Unknown: Horror Movie Based on Unofficial Willy Wonka Experience Is in the Works - ComingSoon.net - March 8th, 2024
- Imaginary Film Review: Light on Frights - Loud And Clear Reviews - March 8th, 2024
- Dead Mail Directors on Their '80s Horror Influences - MovieWeb - March 8th, 2024
- HORROR BEAT: Blumhouse offers a non-update on the future of THE EXORCIST - Comics Beat - March 8th, 2024
- And the Oscar for best picture doesn't go to ... horror! - NPR - March 8th, 2024
- Shaitaan OTT Release: When And Where To Watch R Madhavan And Ajay Devgn Starrer Horror Thriller Film - Indiatimes.com - March 8th, 2024
- The 'Wonka Experience' Is Being Turned Into A Horror Movie - UPROXX - March 8th, 2024
- 8 new horror movies on Netflix, Max, Shudder and more in March 2024 - TechRadar - March 8th, 2024
- 10 Horror Movies More Deserving of the Best Picture Oscar Than the Winner - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- The Horror Movie That Inspired 'The Shining' Actually Scared Stephen King - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- 10 Most Anticipated Movies Of March 2024 (According To Real Data) - IMDb - February 28th, 2024
- 10 Best Classic Horror Movies with No Oscar Nominations - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- THE WATCHERS Trailer Puts Voyeuristic Creatures in the Irish Woods - Nerdist - February 28th, 2024
- Christopher Nolan Originally Conceived 'Inception' as a Horror Film - IMDb - February 28th, 2024
- The Watchers trailer: Dakota Fanning is stalked by the unknown - BGR - February 28th, 2024
- This Czech Horror Film Turns the Terror of 'The Zone of Interest' Into Weird Comedy - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- The Jennifer Lopez Horror Movie That's More Interesting Than It Seems - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- This '90s Kids Movie Is the Grossest Flick of All-Time - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- Eli Roth's Big 2024 Movie Couldn't Be More Different Than His Thanksgiving Horror Hit - Screen Rant - February 28th, 2024
- How The Butterfly Effect with Ashton Kutcher filled a void in US cinema - Post Magazine - February 28th, 2024
- 'Stopmotion' Review This Hand-Crafted Horror Film Is One of a Kind - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- 10 Tasty Horror Movies (Including Thanksgiving) Streaming on Netflix - Gizmodo - February 28th, 2024
- They Did the Mash, They Did the Monster Mash: 10 Epic Horror Crossovers You Can't Miss! - Nightmare on Film Street - February 28th, 2024
- 20 movies that mostly take place in one location - Yardbarker - February 28th, 2024
- Scream: What Happened To Jenna Ortega's Character? - GameRant - February 28th, 2024
- One of 2024's most anticipated horror sequels finally gets a promising update, as director teases "weird idea" for fourth ... - Gamesradar - February 28th, 2024
- DYK This Christopher Nolan Classic Was Conceived As A Horror Film? - Republic World - February 28th, 2024
- New Paranormal Activity Video Game Revealed by the Mortuary Assistant Team - Beebom - February 28th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero