I don’t think I’ve seen it mentioned in this thread so far, so I may suggest: Some nature documentaries, particularly more recent ones, can be pretty scary, and beutufulaa and intresting too, but also scary (and not particularly gory, that’s nit generally the focus) . Dread/state-of-tge-climate sort of scary, among others, and no less scary for that I think. Nature documentary movies.
Some hosted by Netflix, are free on their yt cahnnel, i think.
Weird recommendation but the first half of Insidious (2010) is some of the best truly scary (not jump-scare) horror I’ve seen. The second half is a shit show, so don’t expect a great movie overall, but man that first half is brilliant.
Leftist punk rock band plays in a nazi bar and opens up with the song “Fuck Off Nazi Punks”. But it gets worse when they witness a murder and get trapped in a room and have to get out.
Pretty realistic movie you wouldn’t even expect to go to horror. With a great Patrick Stewart as the leader of the Nazis.
I love all types of scary movies. But there are so many different categories of “scary”.
creepy and ominous
Hereditary - I figured this one out pretty early on but Toni Collette’s acting is top notch. Movie is still really good.
Signs - one of the scariest movies I’ve seen
It follows - this one stuck with me and made me think for days
Pontypool - really good flick about a zombie outbreak told from a secure radio station
Let the right one in (Swedish original) - just an amazing movie that happens to be a vampire flick
intense and brutal
Malignant - topped my list immediately. It’s batshit. Absolutely insane. If you don’t like James Wans’ typical output you’ll love this. It was obviously his whatever-the-fuck-i-want movie and it. Is. Awesome.
Barbarian - The Malignant of 2022
20 weeks later - I prefer this one over 20 days, mainly for the intense opening sequence
Dawn of the Dead (2000s version) - opening sequence
Red Sky (Netflix) - go in blind if you can. Like, don’t even look at the thumbnail… vampires …
comedy horror I actually like comedy horror movies so have to incorporate them
Wyrmwood Road of the Dead - maybe belongs in the list above but is more tongue in cheek than anything. Really got me into ozploitation movies
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil - fuck you, slasher movies
Cabin in the Woods - ending sequence is pretty insane but the movie was a must watch
Renfield - I’m a sucker for a good vampire flick and this did it for me
Killer list! Saves me from having to post my recommendations.
I actually like comedy horror movies so have to incorporate them
Me too, it can be tricky to juggle that and provide scares but Cabin in the Woods nails it. Shaun of the Dead, Evil Dead 2, Peter Jackson’s Braindead, Tremors and both Zombielands are also worthy contenders.
Malignant - topped my list immediately. It’s batshit. Absolutely insane. If you don’t like James Wans’ typical output you’ll love this. It was obviously his whatever-the-fuck-i-want movie and it. Is. Awesome.
It seemed to fly under the radar, unlike Barbarian, a bit but is fantastic.
In that category Cobweb could work. It’s a Marmite film and you need to suspend disbelief but it worked for me and the audience I saw it with.
Amongst slightly older films The Mist, Cube, Timecrimes and From Dusk Till Dawn (just the first one) are still solid.
And with classics… you can never go wrong with The Thing and I know it’s recommended every single time but there’s a reason for that.
From Dusk Till Dawn is such a banger. My brother knew I wouldn’t watch it unless he told me they were vampires in it at some point. Little did I know, this was a well respected twist and I’m a bad person for selling it as such.
I’ll have to check Cobweb out. I have never heard the term Marmite Film before but I immediately knew what you were talking about!
I think “A Tale of Two Sisters” is incredibly underrated, really great Korean ghost story. Acting is top notch, solid scares, and beautiful cinematography. Highly recommended!!
Looking for stuff that’s truly scary and not just gore
1. Hereditary (2018) - Still one of the most unnerving things I’ve ever seen. Does NOT rely on gore and has only maybe 30 seconds of blood in the entire thing. The horror of it comes from the skill of the storytelling and only at the end did I realize how many little things were said throughout the movie.
2. It Follows (2014) - Unique and does an incredible job of making you constantly check the background for potential danger. Did not scar me like Hereditary did but instead offers a very fun version of anxiety for its runtime if that makes any sense. The first is a must-see. Skip the sequel.
3. The Ritual (2017) - Brings some of that Lovecraftian style horror. One of those movies that just creeps you out and brings that fear of the unknown in style, yet brings out that primal survival instinct at the same time.
4. The Others (2001) - Just a damn good ghost story. I won’t say anything else to avoid spoiling it.
5. Nope (2022) - I’ll say that there are a lot of layers going on here. This is probably better recommended for movie nerds that love intertwining story themes, characters and backgrounds that serve as a foil to the main plot, a slow buildup of details that culminate into an expertly told story, and an emphasis on sound design and symbolism.
Honorable Mention: Coherence (2013) - I know, I know. It’s not a horror movie. But that existential dread, that fear of the unknown, that feeling that makes you panic, it’s all there. This is a sci-fi puzzle movie somewhat like Primer so I’ll say the dread and terror is not in itself horror. That said, it’s a creepy watch and I’ll always recommend it as a good palette cleanser after something like Hereditary traumatizes you or after binging fun, dumb classic horror style stuff.
I feel like this movie doesn’t get enough love, but Dark Skies (2013) is a really great all around scary movie.
There’s also all the A24 movies that have come out obviously (Hereditary, Witch, Midsommar). They released Talk to Me this year too which I thought was really good.
The VVitch is one of the few movies I’ve found truly scary. Not a ton actually happens, but the movie leverages its isolated and dreary setting to the max.
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