Scientists have revealed the so-called scariest movies of all time, and it seems horror movie buffs have a lot to say about the definitive list.
Ask a cinephile what the spookiest horror film of all time is, and they’ll probably come at you with a ream of answers.
Cult classics like The Exorcist and Psycho are likely to make the list, as are modern-day favourites such as Jordan Peele’s Get Out, The Witch, and maybe even some spooky Stephen King book adaptations.
And while some will choose Scream because of its suspense or Rosemary’s Baby because of its eerie, psychological aspects, it doesn’t necessarily mean these top picks are the most frightening on paper.
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Now, this is where The Science of Scare Project comes in.
Every year, a team of researchers works tirelessly to discover which film is categorically the scariest among viewers.
To do this, the team curated a list of the most terrifying English-language films and put them to the 250-strong MoneySuperMarket broadband panel.
Over the space of a few weeks, each horror-fanatic watched a listed flick at a special screening while wearing a heart rate monitor.
Their heartbeat was measured in beats per minute, while heart rate variance (measured in milliseconds, or m/s) was also observed.
50 films made the final, spine-chilling list, with Hell House LLC, The Conjuring 2, It Follows, and The Dark and the Wicked all missing out on the top ten spot.
Full top ten list below
Coming in at fifth was The Conjuring, Insidious made fourth, and Skinamarink, released in 2022, was crowned the third most petrifying movie of all time.
Second was Host, and the top film, which experts claimed is the scariest movie based on scientific evidence, is 2012’s Sinister.
The audience reportedly experienced a 34 percent uplift in heart rate when watching the movie, from 64 bpm to 86 bpm, according to the official results.
The film's scariest moment also reportedly sent hearts pounding to 131 bpm, with scientists claiming Sinister contained the ‘perfect balance of startling moments and slow burn scare’.
Horror fans have been having their say on Sinister’s crowning moment via Instagram, with one user claiming: “Whoever made this list hates horror.”
“Sinister truly is a great movie. I really enjoyed it,” replied another, while a third typed: “This is a horrible list. According to science.”
Someone else remarked: “I am sorry ... SINISTER?!”
A fifth wrote: “Sinister is definitely cursed. I swear I had get a pastor to bless my home. I been hearing hella noises at night after watching that movie.”
The top 10 scariest movies, according to science
1 - Sinister. Scare Score: 96
2 - Host. Scare Score: 95
3 - Skinamirink. Scare Score: 91
4 - Insidious. Scare Score: 90
5 - The Conjuring. Scare Score: 88
6 - Hereditary. Scare Score: 81
7 - Smile 2. Scare Score: 79
8 - Smile. Scare Score: 78
9 - The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Scare Score: 76
10 - Talk To Me. Scare Score: 75
Topics: TV And Film, Entertainment, Science
Ella Scott