SCARIEST MOVIES I’ve Seen

What's your favorite scary movie? (Scream)

What's your favorite scary movie? (Scream)

(Insert obligatory & mandatory October intro here) But honestly, I watch horror movies year-round from 4am and on so let’s skip the basics and crank the fear factor up to 11:

I’m a sucker for a horror movie. I love being frightened, though sometimes I push myself too far and have to step away from horror for months/years (Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House). That poor family.

It was during Covid, I started to notice the background, that combined with the constant reality of the pandemic, absolutely broke me. Bent-neck-lady story is phenomenal and horrific storytelling.

There are ghosts lurking in the background of scenes - and it literally had me like:

There is an exultant delight in conjuring a tear through fear

When I saw Hokum in theaters, the tension was almost unbearable.

I sat frozen in my seat, tears streaming down my face, caught between dread and anticipation, fear and excitement.

Every moment felt like a countdown to the inevitable trip to the basement. And when it finally came, she did not disappoint.

I was terrified, exhilarated, and completely at the mercy of whatever nightmare waited in the dark below.

Here’s my list for scariest movies I’ve seen - paired with the heart pounding moments that made it appear on this list.

WARNING: SPOILERS & SCARY

WARNING: SPOILERS & SCARY

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Scariest scene: Sleep has never felt less safe.

Annabelle: Creation (2017)

Scariest scene: The bedroom sequences.

The Babadook (2014)

Scariest scene: Bed scenes and motherhood.

Candyman (1992)

Scariest scene: Any time Candyman appears and starts pulling people toward their doom.

Caveat (2020)

Scariest scene: Meeting the sister for the first time. She's sitting there with her hands covering her face, and you're immediately thinking:

"Girl... what have you seen? What's wrong with you?"

The Conjuring (2013)

Scariest scene: Crawling under the house trying to find her child. Absolutely. Not.

Curve (Short Film)

Scariest scene: Realizing how many people came before her and what will happen next.

The Dark and the wicked (2020)

Scariest scene: The priest scene.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

Scariest scene: Emily's guttural sounds and the nighttime encounters.

The Exorcist (1973)

Scariest scene: Possession. Demonic voices. Satan himself.

The Grudge (2004)

Scariest scene: The attic. Also the stairs. Everything involving stairs.

Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)

Scariest scene: That entire back half of the movie when everything starts spiraling out of control.

Hell House LLC (2015)

Scariest scene: The clown mannequin.

Hereditary (2018)

Scariest scene: The car scene. A lot of spooky ceiling crap.

Insidious (2010)

Scariest scene: You know the jump scare.

Incantation (2022)

Scariest scene: Going into the cave.

Jaws (1975)

Scariest scene: The opening attack. When the shark emerges near the end - pure nightmare fuel.

Lights Out (2016)

Scariest scene: Silhouettes. Thank God for the boyfriend.

No One Will Save You (2023)

Scariest scene: Sneaking around and hiding in her own house while something else is in there with her.

The Omen (1976)

Scariest scene: The nanny's birthday party.

The Other Side of the Box (Short Film)

Scariest scene: The bottom of the staircase.

Oddity (2024)

Scariest scene: The wooden man.

Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)

Scariest scene: The daughter quietly watching from the darkness.

The Others (2001)

Scariest scene: The séance and the realization of who they really are.

Paranormal Activity (2007)

Scariest scene: When the priest takes one look around and basically says, "Jesus Christ, what have you people done? I can't help you."

Not even God wants that assignment?

Physical tears in my eyes.

The Portrait of God (Short Film)

Scariest scene: I'm a sucker for two glowing eyes staring back from pitch-black darkness.

[REC] (2007) / Quarantine (2008)

Scariest scene: The ending. Being trapped like a rat.

The Ring (2002)

Scariest scene: "You weren't supposed to help her."

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Scariest scene: There's something uniquely horrifying about being completely dismissed and gaslit by everyone around you. The ladies know.

The Shining (1980)

Scariest scene: Room 237. Jack chasing them.

Sinister (2012)

Scariest scene: The home movies. Those tapes are some of the most deeply unsettling things I've seen in horror.

Terrified (Aterrados) (2017)

Scariest scene: The dining room scene and everything involving the little boy.

The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)

Scariest scene: Deborah stalking people through the house.

The visit (2015)

Scariest scene: Grandma’s night stalking.

The Woman in Black (2012)

Scariest scene: The hallway scene.

On My Watchlist

If you know any genuinely terrifying horror movies, especially short films, please drop your recommendations below. I'm always looking for the next movie that'll make me regret turning off the lights.

Free speech encouraged, bad comments deleted.

-Madeline

Last updated: Sept. 27, 2026