Noah Romsdal Hallundbæk Sørensen
From psychological nightmares to relentless supernatural terrors, these films have terrified audiences for generations.
Some movies frighten audiences with monsters and shadows. Others unsettle us in quieter ways, digging into grief, addiction or the collapse of ordinary lives.
Together they form a canon of films that stay with viewers long after the lights go up.
They may not all be traditional horror, but each confronts fears most people would rather ignore.
Stephen Holland, a Classic Movies writer at Screenrant, with experience covering crime, human-interest, politics, and social justice movements, pop culture and entertainment, he shares what he thinks is the scariest movies of all time through time.
Buried emotions
Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream, adapted from Hubert Selby Jr.’s novel, is often cited as a film that viewers endure only once.
According to reporting on the film’s release, its portrait of four people spiralling into addiction shocked audiences with its frankness.
Jared Leto’s character sees his values erode, Jennifer Connelly’s descent turns exploitative, and Ellen Burstyn’s Oscar-nominated performance captures a mother slipping into delusion.
David Lynch’s feature debut Eraserhead pushed viewers into a different kind of dread.
Critics have long argued that its industrial wasteland and surreal take on parental fear established the thematic blueprint for Lynch’s later work. Jack Nance’s Henry navigates a distorted world where even his own child becomes a source of terror.
Obsession and collapse
In Mark Romanek’s One Hour Photo, Robin Williams set aside his comedic persona to play a solitary photo technician who fixates on a family whose prints he develops.
Coverage at the time underscored how Williams’ calm exterior masked a deeply troubling unraveling.
Ari Aster’s Hereditary quickly became a modern classic, driven by Toni Collette’s portrayal of a mother consumed by grief.
As noted in reviews comparing it to Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, the film fused domestic trauma with occult dread, leaving viewers stunned by its most shocking moments.
Worlds turned to ash
The BBC drama Threads depicted nuclear catastrophe with documentary-like severity. It explored societal breakdown in the wake of atomic attack, reflecting 1980s Cold War tensions.
Commentary from creators such as Charlie Brooker later described it as some of the most frightening television ever aired.
The Safdie brothers’ Uncut Gems offered a different kind of panic: Adam Sandler’s gambling addict hurtles through high-risk schemes, creating nearly unbearable tension that left audiences breathless.
Fear in its purest form
A 2020 Broadband Choices study, reported by Nerdist, found that Sinister triggered the strongest physiological fear response among more than 100 horror films tested.
Ethan Hawke’s discovery of horrific home videos anchors its grim momentum.
War drama Come and See remains one of cinema’s most harrowing depictions of wartime brutality, following a Belarusian boy witnessing atrocities during the Nazi occupation.
Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs, a hallmark of France’s New Extremity movement, shocked international audiences with its graphic cruelty, prompting debates documented in Martyrs vs. Censorship.
And more than five decades on, The Exorcist still stands as a defining text of supernatural terror.
Reports from its early screenings described viewers fainting as the story of a possessed child pushed boundaries few films had touched.
Sources: Screenrant
