Auteur filmmaker Ari Aster terrified the world with his chilling 2018 masterpiece Hereditary. A film best described as a darkly atmospheric, inescapable nightmare, Hereditary has stood out as a benchmark of the modern horror genre, a film so intense and foreboding that it’s liable to leave anyone scared out of their minds long after the end credits. With its eerie tone, menacing presence, and enduring influence on the films made today, it’s undeniable that it’s one of the scariest horror movies in history.
Truly, it’s hard to beat the terrifying brilliance of Aster’s film. Few others even came close to reaching it’s impressive scare factor. But, like any film credited as the scariest of all time, there are those who have challenged Hereditary’s legacy. The following are such terrifying and memorable horror classics that some could arguably be far scarier, more unsettling, and profound than Hereditary. Some are timeless classics; others are modern rivals, but they all provide tons of fear that no one will ever forget.
10
‘It’ (2017)
Adapted from the bestselling novel by horror legend Stephen King, Andy Muschietti‘s 2017 version of It is a terrifying roller-coaster ride of a film, one that’s become wildly praised for its intensity and memorable acting. It’s one of King’s most celebrated adaptations now, hailed for its shocking jump scares, intense dread, and a now iconic performance by then-newcomer Bill Skarsgard as the sinister Pennywise.
Though Hereditary has this one beat in terms of mood and atmosphere, It excels at giving audiences what they want: unrelenting terror from start to finish. Skarsgard’s terrifying presence as Pennywise is enough to evoke an intense feeling of fear every time he appears on screen, and it’s not just the appearance, but the voice and mannerisms that truly sell his performance as an otherworldly monster. These scares are too captivating to ignore, making It a contender for one of the scariest films of the 2010s.
9
‘Ringu’ (1998)
Terrifying the horror community by taking full advantage of rising technology, Japan’s 1998 classic Ringu is a film drenched in paranoia and dread. As a prime example of the techno-horror subgenre, it was one of the first films to popularize, blending modern technology with supernatural terror, featuring a monumentally frighting story of a vengeful ghost who uses a videotape to curse her victims.
Even those who haven’t seen this film are at least aware of its legendary shot of the ghost Sadako (Rie Ino) slowly creeping out of a TV screen. It’s a timelessly unsettling and unforgettable moment in horror history, perfectly showing how utterly terrifying Ringu truly is. Like Hereditary, it shocks audiences to their very cores and burrows deep beneath the skin. Who can ever truly forget this one?
8
‘The Descent’ (2005)
Neil Marshall, the man behind the cult classic werewolf action movie Dog Soldiers, gave his greatest contribution to horror with his intense, claustrophobic survival thriller The Descent, released in 2005. Viewers with deep-seated fears of the dark or tight spaces might find this film too hard to watch, as it amplifies these fears and a lot more in a frightening story of a group of women trapped in a collapsed cave full of flesh-hungry humanoid monsters.
The Descent‘s greatest strength relies heavily on its build-up, leading to the reveal of the monsters. The first act is more of a survival and psychological thriller, but it then picks things up once the cave dwellers make their presence known. If being trapped alone in a cramped cave was bad enough, the second is where things really get hardcore as the monsters arrive and things get bloody and shocking really quickly. Like Hereditary, this film starts off a bit slow, but leads to a wild second half that’ll make everyone cower in their seats.
7
‘The Witch’ (2015)
Showing that he’s a master of suspense and dread, director Robert Eggers stunned audiences in 2015 with his tense, slow-burning supernatural film The Witch. A film that’s tightly written, expertly acted, and darkly oppressive, The Witch powerfully digs right under the audience’s skin, terrifying them beyond belief slowly but effectively with its story about a Puritan family in 17th-century New England being picked off one at a time by a witchly presence in the woods.
The Witch and Hereditary are today considered quintessential elevated horror masterpieces. They’re classics that share compelling themes, slow-rising tension, and a great use of atmosphere to give audiences the best horror experience. But arguably, The Witch is more atmospheric as its dark forest setting and lack of warmth and sunlight make it more oppressive and obvious that something terrifying is about to occur at any moment. It truly needs to be experienced by those who appreciate mood and tension more than just jump scares.
6
‘It Follows’ (2014)
Providing something terrifyingly new to the monster genre, 2014’s It Follows instantly hooks audiences in with its creative premise about a slow-moving, shapeshifting entity that calmly approaches its victims. It’s hailed as one of the most disturbingly original horror films of the modern century, one that’s packed with suspense and paranoia, as the main character, Jay (Maika Monroe), is in incredible danger as she’s the only one who can see this creature as it moves towards her.
It’s a simple yet very effective premise that’s frighteningly unique and imaginative, much like Hereditary. But what makes it a step above is its unrelenting suspense; the monster can be anywhere and anyone, and attack Jay at any moment. Some of the forms the creature turns into look utterly unsettling and help keep it mysterious and unpredictable. It even ends on an eerie cliffhanger to keep the audience deeply disturbed and thinking long after seeing it.
5
‘The Thing’ (1982)
A horror masterpiece that truly doesn’t need any further introduction, John Carpenter‘s The Thing excels in every way to make viewers paranoid beyond belief. What do you do when you’re locked inside with a menacing alien beast that’s able to disguise itself as one of your friends? That’s the plot of this intense nail-biter as an Antarctic research crew battles a shapeshiftng extraterrestrial that was originally buried beneath the ice.
The Thing uses claustrophobia and people’s fear of the unknown to provide the ultimate horror experience. Besides the haunting score, exceptional performances, and the flawless effects, its most compelling and scariest strength is not knowing which of the characters is an imitation at any point and never truly predicting when the creature will strike next. It’s a very tense and bleak film that can certainly rival Hereditary in terms of scare power.
4
‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (1974)
A benchmark of the slasher subgenre, Tobe Hooper‘s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a film that’s hard to beat when it comes to shocking audiences. This gritty masterpiece was ahead of its time in 1974, creating many now-iconic slasher and horror tropes that made it a highly inspirational piece of cinematic history, and its terror is considered timeless.
From the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) to gritty realism and the dark tone, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is filled to the brim with dread and legendary terror. It’s full of disturbing imagery and chilling suspense in its second half, which is so intense that fans continue to be scared by what it has to offer. Hereditary may often represent the peak of modern horror, but The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has remained high on the pedestal among some of horror’s all-time scariest classics.
3
‘The Conjuring’ (2013)
James Wan, the mind behind Insidious and the Saw franchise, delivers arguably his most intense horror experience, 2013’s The Conjuring. The ultimate of the haunted house subgenre, this is a nightmarish modern classic full of supernatural terror and a brilliantly dark atmosphere that perfectly captures this menacing story about a real-life event involving a paranormal investigation couple trying to save a family in a cursed house.
A film that powerfully blends mood with well-placed jump scares, The Conjuring is unforgettably terrifying and features moments that’ll cause viewers to leap out of their seats. This effect is so powerful that it can even feel potent even after multiple rewatches. While Hereditary is subtler in its approach to terror, The Conjuring matches that film in terms of intensity and wants to keep scaring viewers every moment throughout its runtime.
2
‘Sinister’ (2012)
Scott Derrickson‘s 2012 supernatural thriller Sinister is a top contender for one of the most disturbing movies in history. It’s one where the terror never stops for a second, and it only gets more intense and breathtaking after each scene. It stars Ethan Hawke as a washed-up true-crime novelist who gets more than he bargained for when he moves into the house of grisly mass murder, only to discover something far more terrifying was behind the tragic event.
With a chilling score, a dark, foreboding setting, and arguably the most startling jump scares ever brought to screen, Sinister‘s ability to scare can’t be ignored. Hereditary is about slow-building terror and atmosphere, while Sinister has that but also much more startling turns and a tone so bleak that it’s truly distressing.
1
The Exorcist’ (1973)
At number is widely considered to be the only film to overshadow Hereditary with its horror. There was no mention of the most terrifying movies today without discussing The Exorcist, of course. The late William Friedkin’s 1973 supernatural masterpiece is the pinncale of terror, a film so scary that it has the same effect on audiences now, even after all these years.
Composer Krzysztof Penderecki‘s chilling theme song, the mounting dread mixed in with the dark atmosphere, and Linda Blair‘s legendary performance as the possessed Reagan make The Exorcist the horrifying legend it is today, with hardly any other film, including Hereditary, able to match or outshine its iconic scares. It’s a timeless terror that so many others try to be.
The Exorcist
- Release Date
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December 26, 1973
- Runtime
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122 minutes
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