By Hannah Saab , Alyssa De Leo & Robert Lee III
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Content Warning: The following article contains discussions of graphic violence, animal cruelty, sexual assault, and rape.Everybody loves a good scare, as the undying popularity of horror movies continues to prove. From unexpected jump scares and eerie atmosphere, to terrifying creatures and supernatural occurrences, a lot of fun can be had with the genre. However, these films aren’t always meant to be a pleasant experience, and there are some horror movies that are actually scary and truly disturbing and twisted that even the most seasoned enthusiast would struggle to sit through.
Whether it’s due to graphic violence, excessive gore, controversial subject matter, or unsettling imagery, these movies are hard to unsee. The scariest horror movies will definitely have viewers questioning the filmmaker's intentions and leave them with no desire to revisit them in the near future. These most disturbing horror movies in cinematic history are full of controversial plots and genuinely nightmare-inducing sequences, which often end up becoming hot topics of discussion among fans and critics alike. Feel good family fun, this certainly is not.
60 '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.
In a Violent Nature
Horror
Drama
Thriller
- Release Date
- January 22, 2024
- Director
- Chris Nash
- Cast
- Lauren-Marie Taylor , Andrea Pavlovic , Ry Barrett , Reece Presley
- Runtime
- 94 minutes
59 '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.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
58 '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 to uncover 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.
Longlegs
R
Horror
Thriller
- Release Date
- July 12, 2024
- Director
- Oz Perkins
- Cast
- Maika Monroe , Nicholas Cage , Blair Underwood , Alicia Witt , Michelle Choi-Lee , Dakota Daulby , Lauren Acala , Kiernan Shipka
- Runtime
- 101 Minutes
57 '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.
The Exorcist
R
Horror
Supernatural
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- Release Date
- December 26, 1973
- Director
- William Friedkin
- Cast
- Ellen Burstyn , Max Von Sydow , Linda Blair , Lee J. Cobb
- Runtime
- 122 minutes
56 'The Blair Witch Project' (1999)
Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez
The face of found footage horror that revolutionized what was possible with a low budget in the digital era of filmmaking, The Blair Witch Project succeeds thanks to its grounded approach, feeling more real than any other horror movie before it. The film follows a trio of student filmmakers who disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland in October 1994 while shooting a documentary. The film is presented as surviving footage that was found after the fact, with the whereabouts of the students still unknown.
It speaks volumes that The Blair Witch Project proved to be so effective in its storytelling and execution of a realistic story that many audiences still believe that the film is a true documentary and captures real events. While some audiences may find the constant close-ups and experimental filmmaking style to be distracting, it creates an alluring energy and discomfort that is undeniable, methodically building up tension until its iconic final act.
The Blair Witch Project
55 '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.
Barbarian
54 '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.
53 '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.
The Conjuring
52 'The Substance' (2024)
Directed by Coralie Fargeat
Taking the themes of impossible body standards and painful female self-hatred while adding an overwhelming portion of extravagant body horror, The Substance creates an instantly memorable concoction that doesn't fail in terms of disturbing visuals and striking themes. The film follows a fading celebrity who, in an effort to win back her time in the spotlight, decides to take a black-market cell-replicating drug that makes a younger version of herself. However, after she begins to abuse the balance between her old and new body, nightmarish consequences occur.
The Substance fully delivers in terms of its over-the-top and in-your-face style, amplifying its themes thanks to its excess visuals and expanding body horror throughout the film. While its horror elements are more downplayed during the beginning aspects of the film, as they grow throughout the film with grosser and grosser practical effects, it all comes to one of the most shocking and memorably disgusting final 20 minutes in recent memory. It's undeniably an exhilarating and fun watch, while at the same time not being something that people would be quick to watch again.
The Substance
R
Horror
Drama
- Release Date
- September 20, 2024
- Director
- Coralie Fargeat
- Cast
- Demi Moore , Margaret Qualley , Dennis Quaid , Gore Abrams , Hugo Diego Garcia , Olivier Raynal , Tiffany Hofstetter , Tom Morton , Jiselle Burkhalter , Axel Baille , Oscar Lesage , Matthew Géczy , Philip Schurer
- Runtime
- 140 Minutes
Watch in Theaters
51 '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.
The Perfection
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- Release Date
- September 20, 2018
- Director
- Richard Shepard
- Cast
- Allison Williams , Alaina Huffman , Steven Weber , Logan Browning , Glynis Davies , Christina Jastrzembska
- Runtime
- 90
- Main Genre
- Horror
50 'The Strangers' (2008)
Director: Bryan Bertino
While not always the flashiest horror films out there, home invasion films have the potential to be great avenues for mellow, dread-inducing horror that makes the most of subtle changes and high-tension silence. One of the best when it comes to capitalizing on these facets is The Strangers, a film that largely popularized showing subtle horror in the background in an era when horror was loud and in your-face. The film follows a couple's getaway being transformed into a night of terror when a trio of masked strangers invade their remote home, forcing them to fight for their lives.
The Strangers is a horror film that excels at creating dread and tension not through its display of horrific deaths and gore but instead through a slow burn of building stakes and silence, letting the situation and fear of the reveal speak for themselves. It's a style of film that doesn't land with everyone but constantly skirts the lines to create a deeply uncomfortable and unnerving horror experience. While the series has received several additional installments that attempt to tap into this same dread, none hold a candle to the ingenuity of the original.
The Strangers
49 '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.
Funny Games (1997)
48 '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.
Deliver Us from Evil
47 '[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.
[REC]
R
Horror
Mystery
- Release Date
- November 23, 2007
- Director
- Jaume Balagueró , Paco Plaza
- Cast
- Manuela Velasco , Ferran Terraza , Jorge-Yamam Serrano , Pablo Rosso , David Vert , Vicente Gil
- Runtime
- 80
Rent on Amazon
46 '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.
Host
45 'The Midnight Meat Train' (2008)
Directed by Ryûhei Kitamura
A gripping metro train mystery film that goes all in on gore and bloodshed, The Midnight Meat Train balances its graphic content with a compelling central mystery to make for a deeply underrated yet disturbing horror experience. The film follows photographer Leon Kaufman (Bradley Cooper), who on his unending quest and search for dark and disturbing subject matter to photograph ends up discovering the work of a deranged serial killer who stalks late-night commuters. Leon slowly grows more and more obsessed with the work and methodology of this killer, seeing how he butchers them in increasingly gruesome ways.
While its mystery premise feels more akin to a dramatic crime procedural, the film doesn't shy away from horror elements with its use of increasingly disturbing and visceral gore sequences. The bloodshed on display acts as a major highlight of the film that largely elevates the central mystery and its themes of obsession with one's work. It makes for a one-of-a-kind horror mystery experience, yet the top-notch gore makes it difficult to watch more than once.
Midnight Meat Train
R
- Release Date
- August 7, 2008
- Director
- Ryuhei Kitamura
- Cast
- Bradley Cooper , Leslie Bibb , Brooke Shields , Vinnie Jones , Roger Bart , Tony Curran
- Runtime
- 100
- Main Genre
- Horror
44 '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.
The Descent
R
Horror
Adventure
Thriller
- Release Date
- August 4, 2006
- Director
- Neil Marshall
- Cast
- Shauna Macdonald , Natalie Jackson Mendoza , Alex Reid , Saskia Mulder , MyAnna Buring , Nora-Jane Noone
- Runtime
- 99 minutes
43 '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.
Verónica
R
Supernatural
Horror
- Release Date
- August 25, 2017
- Director
- Paco Plaza
- Cast
- Sandra Escacena , Ana Torrent , Claudia Placer , Bruna González
- Runtime
- 105 minutes
42 '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.
The Hills Have Eyes
41 '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.
The Poughkeepsie Tapes
R
Horror
Mystery
Thriller
- Release Date
- January 30, 2009
- Director
- John Erick Dowdle
- Cast
- Stacy Chbosky , Ben Messmer , Samantha Robson , Ivar Brogger , Lou George , Amy Lyndon
- Runtime
- 86
Watch on Amazon Prime
- Movie
- Horror
- August Underground
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