People Are Sharing The Scariest Horror Movies Ever, And TBH, We Won’t Be Able To Sleep Again
We asked writers and members of the BuzzFeed Community to share horror movies that they personally found so disturbing, they literally kept them up at night. So scroll to start losing sleep.
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
1.Puppet Master (1989)
"I watched this when I was really young. I thought it would be cute because of the puppets. I still have nightmares about it to this day."
2.The Orphanage (2007)
"There’s a terrifying scene where a woman gets hit by a car and her face gets deformed, but that’s nothing compared to the twist ending. I had to look at pictures of dogs on my phone for over an hour before I could even think about trying to go to sleep."
3.Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)
"A lot of people think the remake is just a dumb movie, but I’m a fully grown adult, it’s been YEARS since I saw it, and I STILL have a ridiculous fear that those little things are going to show up."
4.Baskin (2015)
"The only horror movie I’ve seen that I have no desire to ever see again is this one from Turkey. The whole time, I felt like it was something I shouldn’t be watching. It’s bizarre, and I still find myself thinking about it every now and then. This might sound dramatic, but it kinda hurt my soul. I’ve seen a lot of gory and demonic films, but this is truly diabolical."
5.The Human Centipede (2009)
"Don't forget The Human Centipede; that movie is fucked!"
6.Creep (2014)
"It's about the videographer who takes a job to help this guy record a film for his unborn son, since he has cancer and wanted to have something for his son to watch when he’s passed. Let me tell you, NOTHING scares me, but this was so (for lack of a better word) CREEPY. Each scene gave me so much anxiety that I had to watch The Office afterward to fall asleep."
7.Atrocious (2010)
"It’s a Spanish-language found-footage movie. I’m pretty much only afraid of clowns, but this movie made me cry and gave me nightmares."
8.Eden Lake (2008)
"The kids in that movie were both unbelievably cruel AND realistic. To be a stranger in a strange town and to then be targeted by kids who are protected by their parents is actually pretty frightening. It stayed with me for a long time."
—D
9.México Bárbaro (2014)
"Like an appetizer platter from hell, this anthology series contains eight separate horror short films by eight different Mexican filmmakers. The stories mainly focus on urban legends involving things like trolls, demons, and zombies...so, you know, the stuff childhood nightmares are made of."
10.The Woman in Black (2012)
"This one messed with me. Like, I would wake up and see her everywhere. I think it lasted about a week."
11.The Fourth Kind (2009)
"The 'actual footage' shown next to the movie footage freaked me out so much that my then-boyfriend (now-husband) had to stay the night because I was NOT about to sleep alone. I have yet to watch it again."
12.The Conjuring (2013)
Warner Bros. Pictures
"This film is legitimately frightening. While there are a few moments of gore, much of the reason people don't finish it is that it's filled with creepy imagery that stays with you long after it's finished. Basically, if you scare easily, I wouldn't watch this one alone or, like, at all."
13.Terrifier (2016)
"No exaggeration — it took me at least five tries to finish the whole movie."
14.Piranha (2010)
"This is the absolute perfect option if you just want to throw on something inexplicably ridiculous. Basically, during a sex-fueled spring break celebration, an earthquake opens up the bottom of the lake and unleashes a bunch of angry, toothy fish onto the unexpected partyers. Also, Adam Scott is in it???"
15.Holidays (2016)
"It's an anthology film with little horror shorts based around different holidays, and the St. Patrick's Day segment scared me so much that I actually burst into tears and hid under my duvet. I am a massive horror fan, and it takes a hell of a lot to frighten me, but that one pushed at an existing phobia and added a whole new level of terror to it."
16.Burnt Offerings (1976)
“It’s this movie from the late ’70s that no one’s ever heard of, for some reason. It's basically about a family that rents a large estate one summer, and a whole lot of weirdness goes down. It will mess you up for life.”
17.Funny Games (1997)
"This bad boy's mostly terrifying because it could definitely happen in real life: Two guys hold a wealthy family hostage and play some really sick mind games with them."
18.The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)
"The Poughkeepsie Tapes scared the shit out of me for years."
19.Cabin Fever (2016)
IFC Midnight / Via youtube.com
"This is a remake of Eli Roth's 2002 debut, which fully made me scared to shave my legs for months. The story follows a group of teens staying in a cabin, slowly being picked off by an insane virus. It's gory and icky and just BLECH, which is likely why viewers never finish it."
20.The Evil Dead (1981)
New Line Cinema / Via giphy.com
"The first Evil Dead is widely regarded by horror fans as actually having been pretty well done and is the only scary-ish film out of the series. Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness are the ones that were over-the-top masterpieces of cheese. I love all of them, and Bruce Campbell is everything."
—jaib
"The original Evil Dead film fucked me up for literally years afterward, and I wouldn't watch it again for all the money in the world."
21.House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
"A group of teens traveling cross-country to write a book about roadside attractions come across a hitchhiker who tells them about 'the Museum of Monsters and Madmen' — but when they arrive, they're horrified to learn they're meant to become part of the attraction."
22.Audition (1999)
"A widower holds 'auditions' for women to be his new wife, but the lady he chooses is a completely different person from what he expected. You'll be confused for all but 10 minutes of the movie, and those 10 minutes are utterly unrelenting."
23.Cube (1997)
"Years before Saw, there was Cube — another movie about a group of people finding their way through a series of traps in order to survive. Except in this movie, they're in a gigantic cube, and the only thing they can remember about themselves is their own name."
24.Sinister (2012)
"If you're not usually freaked out by horror films, this one will do the trick: A family moves into a house that's haunted by a creature named Bagul who EATS CHILDREN'S SOULS. What the heck?!?!"
25.The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
"A group of friends pick up a hitchhiker who ends up being from a family of cannibals. The villain, Leatherface, was inspired by real-life serial killer Ed Gein. HAHAHA, NOPE."
26.The Void (2016)
"This Canadian passion project was completely funded through Indiegogo and follows a pretty standard formula for horror. Basically, a group of unsuspecting people get trapped in an isolated hospital surrounded by cult members and, you know, scary monsters and stuff."
27.The Ring (2002)
"You've probably heard of this one: There's a creepy tape going around, and if you watch it, you'll die in seven days. Oh, and during those seven days, the spirits will mess with you and make your life a living hell."
28.The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence (2011)
"This requires no explanation. As Raven-Symoné would say, 'Ya nasty.'"
29.Antichrist (2009)
"A couple retreat to the woods after losing their child. While there, they start having strange visions and partaking in grossly violent acts. People who've seen this movie say they squirm thinking about it, long after watching."
30.1408 (2007)
"A man who writes about haunted houses and the paranormal is prompted to visit allegedly haunted Room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel in New York City, and a shitstorm of scary stuff ensues. This is based on a short story by Stephen King, so you won't be disappointed."
31.Shutter (2004)
"A couple starts seeing some disturbing images in some of their photos — ghosts, demons, blood, you name it — and even worse, they learn that these strange occurrences are very personal messages from the underworld."
32.Suspiria (1977)
"This movie's gorgeous, but don't let that fool you — it's so terrifying. A young girl joins a prestigious ballet company but soon finds herself in the midst of a series of murders. Life hack: Never be ambitious."
33.Hellraiser (1987)
Arrow Video / Via giphy.com
"Most disturbing horror movie ever."
34.Raw (2016)
"Even if you have the most basic, limited knowledge of horror movies, you've probably heard of Raw. The film quickly became defined by its word-of-mouth publicity a couple of years back, which involved everything from people getting physically sick to full-on fainting in theaters. I would definitely NOT recommend it if you have a soft stomach."
35.Rec (2007)
"A TV reporter and her cameraman respond to a late-night emergency call that turns into a living nightmare. If you're into zombie movies, you'll honestly poop your pants during this one. This is the film that inspired Quarantine."
36.It (1990)
"An entity, referred to as 'It,' appears in the form of its victim's worst fears in order to exploit them. Um, that's TERRIFYING?!"
37.The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
"A family from the 'burbs is on a road trip when they encounter a group of savages in the middle of nowhere, Nevada. You'll never want to vacation again after watching this."
38.Bloody Reunion (2006)
"Bloody Reunion is a pretty good one."
39.Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)
"Has anyone seen Silent Hill: Revelation? I didn't sleep for four days after watching that."
40.Dark Water (2002)
"Are we not gonna talk about Dark Water? Not the American one, the original one. That movie has some disturbing, and sadly realistic, things to say about our expectations for motherhood. It remains the scariest movie I've ever seen, I think."
41.Teeth (2007)
"The plot of this one sounds like something you'd say to your friends when you're really, REALLY drunk: "Okay, guys, but, like, what if my vagina had teeth?" That's the whole plot of the film. It's ridiculous, but somehow also amazing. The poor girl probably needs a gynecologist AND a dentist at the same time, and it sounds like an insurance nightmare."
42.Strange Circus (2005)
"Strange Circus is one of the craziest, most effed-up movies ever...tons of plot twists and an ending that will stick with you, along with all the creepiness you've come to know and love from Japanese horror."
43.The Blair Witch Project (1999)
"Am I alone in thinking that The Blair Witch Project should be on here? I get nightmares just thinking about it."
44.The Possession of Michael King (2014)
"The Possession of Michael King is by far the scariest movie I have ever seen. Found it in a red box a while ago."
45.Jeruzalem (2015)
"Two American tourists and an anthropology student travel to Jerusalem at the absolute worst possible time, when it is being overrun by demons on a (literal) biblical level. It's an actual nightmare and will remind you that religion is terrifying, in case you somehow forgot."
46.A Quiet Place (2018)
"I'm fine with horror movies, but — for absolutely no reason at all — I got night terrors for three days straight after watching this."
47.Fire in the Sky (1993)
"No exaggeration, this movie nearly put me in therapy. I watched it not knowing what it was about, and I already had an irrational fear of aliens. I almost had a heart attack."
48.Candyman (1992)
"This was the very first horror movie I ever saw. I was having a sleepover with a friend that night, but we did not sleep At ALL. I couldn't look into a mirror for months afterward."
49.The Perfection (2018)
"I just watched this last night, and it's disturbing AF. I really recommend it if you're bored by ordinary monster/demon/Satan/entity horror movies and jump scares. It's disturbing and has like three major plot twists."
50.A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
New Line Cinema / Via giphy.com
"A Nightmare on Elm Street still does it for me. I blame that movie for my insomnia to this day lol."
51.Grave Encounters (2011)
"My cousin told my sister and me about it. I had just gotten into horror, and I was loving it. Nothing really scared me. Then my sister and I saw this was coming on TV one night, so we stayed up to watch it. It came on at like 1 a.m., and we watched it. I literally jumped multiple times. We were so freaked out afterward that my sister went straight to her room and left me in the dark corridor alone. Safe to say, I watched Cartoon Network until the sun came up. I only slept the next day while my mom and sister were home with me."
—[deleted]
52.Event Horizon (1997)
"Fucked-up shit right there!"
53.Darkness Falls (2003)
"I watched this at a very young age, and I'm now an adult who sleeps with a night-light. Thanks, Dad."
54.White Noise (2005)
"It's a really good, creepy movie with Michael Keaton that not a lot of people know about, but I highly recommend it!"
55.Jacob's Ladder (1990)
"The 'Anybody in there? Anybody home?' scene from this movie was so unexpected, it made me jump out of my seat the first time, and it gave me nightmares for days afterward. I still enjoy the film from time to time, but that scene makes me uneasy."
56.The Exorcist (1973)
"The original deserves a spot on this list."
57.Begotten (1990)
"It’s a surrealist film about the story of creation, and it’s pretty much just those Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark book illustrations by Stephen Gammell come to life. Need I say more? It'll give you nightmares for life."
58.Creepshow 2 (1987)
"When I was little, I watched it and was petrified of the 'Thanks for the ride, lady!' story. My parents would chase me around the house yelling it to scare me! Thirty-plus years later and my mom STILL brings it up (and it STILL gives me goosebumps). I don't like dark roads, even as an adult."
59.Phantasm (1979)
"I saw it when I was about 8, and — although I had already seen other horror movies because my parents were huge horror fans — this movie was the only one to give me nightmares. To this very day, I get apprehensive around undertakers, especially if they are tall and wearing a dark suit."
60.The Cell (2000)
"I know some people don't consider it a horror movie, but man, that movie is fucked."
This article contains content from Allie Hayes, Anna Kopsky, and Angela Andaloro. It was compiled by Kelly Rissman.
