The scariest movie of all time? We wanted to know that, so we put it to you in a poll on RT a week and a half ago! This list of 40 of the scariest movies ever created was created using information from various lists and suggestions from the RT staff.
That’s not all; a British broadband service comparison website experimented on its own, and the findings were, to put it mildly, unexpected. To what extent do Rotten Tomatoes users concur with the conclusions? See which horror films our readers deemed to be the ten most terrifying by reading on.
1. The Exorcist (1973)
This movie is among the “best horror movies hollywood.” Even if you don’t think The Exorcist is the scariest film ever, it took the top spot on our list with a staggering 19 percent of all votes cast shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
“The Exorcist” by William Friedkin, a cinematic version of the same novel, was the highest-grossing R-rated horror picture ever and the first to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture (earned nine other nominations and took home two trophies).
There are numerous stories of people feeling ill or fainting as a result of the image, but it is best known for the enormous hysteria it created across the country.
While the film’s dramatic pacing and slightly antiquated effects may look old-fashioned compared to another recent horror, there is no disputing its power over those who encounter it for the first time.
2. Hereditary (2018)
When Ari Aster made his film debut as a writer and director with his dark family drama about the nature of grief, it was an instant success. In addition to Toni Collette’s portrayal of Annie, the movie’s biggest surprise came from.
We won’t ruin it for you here. In the wake of Hereditary, Aster became a director to watch and jumped up our list from third to second place in our rankings.
3. The Conjuring (2013)
James Wan, the director of Saw, Dead Silence, Insidious, and this chiller based on the experiences of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren has established himself as one of the current masters of horror.
In the Amityville Horror flicks, which inspired The Conjuring 2), Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga were excellent as The Warrens, bringing a real sense of fatigue to the film’s significant jump scares and freak-out moments. As a result of Wan and his co-lead’s collaboration, a gigantic cinematic universe that only grows in scope and scope.
4. The Shining (1980)
Several of Stephen King’s best-known works have been made into films, including Pet Sematary and Carrie, Misery). However, Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining is by far the greatest of them all.
The Shining is one of the most outstanding examples of set and production design and a haunting spin on the typical haunted house theme.
A few jump scares are still unsettling, but the true brilliance of the picture is its ability to creep up on you and make you feel like you’re in the shoes of Jack Torrance. As one of the greatest horror films, it came in fourth place in our survey.
5. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
The top four films on this list received 42% of the total votes counted. However, the following six films on the list received an average of 3% of the votes. This means that no more than 60 votes separated the top six films.
Tobe Hooper directed and co-wrote this low-budget slasher partly based on the exploits of Ed Gein. This could happen, you guys!” was made further scarier by the gritty imagery of Texas Chainsaw and the appearance of Gunnar Hansen’s Leatherface, who helped pave the way for future maniacs like Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees.
There have been other attempts to revive the franchise — and we have another one on the way — but none have come close to the original in sheer, over-the-top, power tool-inspired fear.
6. The Ring (2002)
Gore Verbinski pulled it off with The Ring, a film that successfully translates a formula from one culture to another.
No matter where moviegoers came from, Verbinski’s version of Hideo Nakata’s critically acclaimed film about a cursed VHS had the same effect on them: a young girl’s ghost in a white dress with long black hair concealing her face.
While it didn’t receive the same critical acclaim as its predecessor, this picture functioned as a gateway to East Asian horror for many because of Naomi Watts’s spirited performance at the time.
7. Halloween (1978)
Introducing all-time scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis and launching John Carpenter’s career, we have “It” at number seven on our list.
One of the first examples of slasher films as we know them today, Halloween is packed with tension and some imaginative thrills in a very small-scale package despite its lack of realistic gore we’ve come to anticipate from films in that category.
The film’s reputation is also unbreakable: Michael Myers’ mask has become the stuff of folklore, and the gigantic, unstoppable murderer and the “final girl” have become engrained in horror vernacular. A good explanation for the franchise’s longevity is that it has lasted for more than four decades.
8. Sinister (2012)
When it comes to “scientific studies,” we’ve finally arrived at a film deemed the scariest by one. Before directing 2016’s Doctor Strange, Scott Derrickson had a slew of horror credits, two of which garnered him cult status.
For example, this intimate tale of a true-crime writer (Ethan Hawke) and his family moving into an abandoned house where a family was brutally murdered, only to learn that the new place may already be home to an evil spirit.
Robert Cargill was inspired to write the script by a nightmare he had after seeing The Ring, and the tale does share a remote connection with that picture due to the disturbing snuff film theme.
However, for many viewers, the suspenseful revelations and eerie set pieces overcame whatever rehashed genre cliches that could have been present in the movie. It’s also been described as the scariest film ever filmed, so that has to mean something.
9. Insidious (2010)
Before The Conjuring, James Wan and Patrick Wilson collaborated on a supernatural thriller about a young child who goes into a coma and begins to channel an evil spirit.
Leigh Whannell, a frequent collaborator of director James Cameron’s, imbued the tale with intriguing mythology that led to three other films in this series.
Wan intended to make Insidious as a spiritual sequel to Saw, and the result is a superb chiller with what is widely considered one of the best jump scares ever placed on the film.
10. IT (2017)
Clown phobia is real, even though announcing it has become so ubiquitous as to be insincere. We’ll give you one more piece of evidence: in 2017, IT, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, became the highest-grossing horror film, breaking the 44-year record held by The Exorcist.
Oh, and it came in at number ten on this ranking is a given. One way Andy Muschietti’s big-budget production used nostalgia to convey its story of traumatized children was odd and scary in all the right ways.
Bill Skarsgard’s portrayal of Pennywise, the evil, shapeshifting clown, was. Jump scares unique sets, and top-notch CGI all come together to create a horror picture that’s both enjoyable and terrifying.
11. The Nun (2018)
There are few films as terrifying as The Nun, casting Bonnie Aarons, Taisa Farmiga, and Demian Bichir. When the Vatican learns of the suicide of a young Romanian nun, it sends a priest with a troubled background and Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga), a witness to the crime, to investigate.
Together, they uncover the order’s secret and face the evil nun, sacrificing their lives and their souls in the process. Dark and haunting, The Nun is a standout in the Conjuring canon. We were blown away by the cast’s performance and effects, which made the picture look so lifelike.
12. Annabelle (2014)
Ward Horton, Patrick Wilson, Annabelle Wallis, and Alfre Woodard star in the romantic comedy about a husband who surprises his pregnant wife with a vintage wedding doll. Things shift when Satan worshipers break into their homes and attack the couple.
The cultists then attempt to call a demon and drip Mia’s doll with blood, turning it evil. The plot shifts to John and Mia’s battle against the demonic entity. You’ll leap out of your seat in this flick, and the scares never let up. If you enjoy horror films, you’ll enjoy this one very much.
13. The Witch (2015)
It is among the top 10 horror movies of all time. There are no other families in the enormous secluded forest where the farmer and his family started leading a Christian life in the 1630s in New England.
The Witch stars Ralph Michael Ineson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Harvey Scrimshaw, Kate Dickie, Sarah Elizabeth Stephens, and Ellie Grainger.
Upon the disappearance of their newborn son and the failure of the family’s crops, the story takes an unexpected turn.
After a short time, everyone begins to turn on one another. We have never seen a better example of the psychological terror genre in the film than this. You should watch it if you haven’t already because it’s so compelling from start to finish.
14. Host (2020)
We knew it was coming, but a Zoom call gone awry has already arrived in the form of post-pandemic misery.
An online mid-lockdown seance was organized by a group of pals looking for a break from the monotony of unending lockdown quizzes. An adrenaline rush of found footage adrenaline is what follows in a 56-minute run duration.
This is not the first horror film to take place entirely on a computer screen; REC and The Blair Witch Project are just some of the examples. However, the Host delivers a terrifyingly recent and chilling experience. We hope you have a wonderful Halloween season.
This is a terrible situation since we’ve learned to speak the same language because of quarantine: Zoom. Every joke about parents refusing to stay in and the frustrations of lockdown is uncomfortably relevant.
As a result, when this group of women lights candles and something arrives where they’re supposed to be safe, we can’t help but join in the fun. Innovative utilization of current technology, coupled with excellent performances, creates the ultimate 2020 scares.
After seeing Rob Savage’s work in this film, I’m eager to see what he can achieve with a cast that he doesn’t meet in person.
Conclusion
Horror movies always keep us guessing what will happen next. A good horror movie is the one that keeps us on our toes. Horror movie brings traffic because of their intense scenes. In this article, we have discussed the top horror movies. These old and new horror movies perform well because they have a good storyline, and the audience loves them.