Viewers Left Traumatized After Watching ‘Scariest Horror Film’ According To Science

Horror movie fans now have an answer to the question of which is the scariest film of all time, and it is backed by science. 

Is there anything better than the thrill of a horror film that gets your heart pounding? 

Countless films have terrified audiences for decades, many of them becoming ‘cult classics’ along the way. 

Iconic movies like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Exorcist have maintained a dedicated audience of fans who love to be scared.

Whether it’s these classics or newer hits like Get Out or Weapons, all horror fanatics will have their favourite scary film. 

But which of these scary films is the ‘scariest?’

What is the ‘Science of Scare?‘

The Science of Scare Project is a project which aims to categorically find the scariest movie of all time.  

MoneySuperMarket, which founded the study, say they want to cut through the endless amount of horror on streaming services to find you the best of the best for your next film night. 

The project curates a list of some of the most terrifying English-language films and tracks audiences watching them. 

To allow the viewers a break from the scares, the films are shown over several weeks throughout the year. 

How is the ‘scariest’ movie decided?

The study tracks viewers’ resting heart rates and compares the spikes when something terrifying happens. 

It also takes into consideration the average heart rates across the movie to ensure that the tense slow-burners are not left off the list.

These factors make up the ‘Scare Score’ system, which combines both heart rate (measured in beats per minute, BPM) and heart rate variance (measured in milliseconds, or m/s).

Horror is seeing a major resurgence in film and television, as newer audiences around the world fall in love with the genre. 

In fact, the horror genre is still booming in cinemas, with Weapons and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 both grossing over $100m each at the box office last year. 

These movies have even begun to receive more recognition from the major awards shows in recent years, with films like Sinners and The Substance both getting Best Picture nominations at the Oscars. 

But did any of these newer hits make it onto the list of scariest? 

The Top 10

The list of truly terrifying films includes Talk To Me (2023) in 10^th place, The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) at 9, and Smile (2022) at 8. 

Smile 2 (2024) is scientifically scarier than the original, coming in 7^th place with a Scare Score of 79/100. 

Ari Aster’s Hereditary (2018), which has become a modern cult classic, just misses out on the Top 5, placing at 6 with a Scare Score of 81. 

The Conjuring (2013) is at 5 with a Scare Score of 88, being beaten narrowly by Insidious (2011), which scored 90. 

Now for the Top 3 scariest, and they are not the three I am sure you are expecting. 

Number 3 is Skinamarink (2022), an experimental Canadian film from first-time director Kyle Edward Ball, which scored at 95.

The movie follows two children, Kevin and Kaylee, who begin to experience some creepy things, like the doors, windows and toilet disappearing, after their father vanishes. 

It might not be the most famous film, but science has spoken, and it is one of the scariest. 

In second place on the list is Host (2020). 

This ‘found footage’ film was shot entirely on Zoom during the Covid-19 pandemic, as crazy things happen to a group of friends whilst they are catching up on a call. 

It is a pretty unique film, but whatever they did has worked as it lands second on the list with a Scare Score of 95. 

Maybe it’s the memories of the pandemic which left viewers so scared! 

But topping the list, and therefore the scariest film of all time is… Sinister! 

The 2012 movie, directed by Scott Derrickson, scored a whopping 96 on the Scare Score scale. 

The film stars Ethan Hawke as true-crime writer Ellison Oswald, who discovers some eerie footage of his family’s murder, and vows to solve the mystery. 

Average heart rate data was 86 bpm, but the movie saw spikes of 131 bpm. 

Now you know what to watch for your next scary movie night! 

The full list

Here is the full top 50 scariest film list for you to work your way through:

1. Sinister
2. Host
3. Skinamarink
4. Insidious
5. The Conjuring
6. Hereditary
7. Smile 2
8. Smile
9. The Exorcism of Emily Rose
10. Talk to Me
11. Hell House LLC
12. The Conjuring 2 (equal 12th)
13. It Follows (equal 12th)
14. The Dark and The Wicked (equal 12th)
15. The Descent
16. Paranormal Activity
17. The Babadook
18. A Quiet Place Part 2
19. The Autopsy of Jane Doe
20. Insidious 2
21. Oddity
22. The Ring
23. Terrifier 2
24. Bring Her Back
25. Terrifier 3
26. Stopmotion
27. A Quiet Place
28. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
29. Barbarian
30. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
31. Halloween (1978)
32. Insidious: The Red Door
33. Hush
34. The Nun 2
35. The Exorcist
36. The Visit
37. IT (2017)
38. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
39. The Blair Witch Project
40. Paranormal Activity 2
41. Evil Dead Rise
42. Immaculate
43. Lights Out
44. Longlegs
45. Saw X
46. 28 Days Later (equal 46th)
47. The Grudge (equal 46th)
48. Oculus
49. The Conjuring: Last Rites
50. Weapons

Watch the chilling trailer for Sinister here…

Sinister is available to stream on Prime Video.

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