All of us Cinephiles have the thrills for the chills. Sometimes a shiver down the spine gives you the required adrenaline, Other times it just does way more. Being an avid lover of the Horror genre; Here is a list of a few of the Scariest and the best Horror movies of all time in Hollywood.
The Most Scariest Movies of All time!
If you have a taste for barbaric bloodshed, if ghosts creep the goosebumps out of you or if gore flesh is the taste you have, This is your cup of tea. Here is the list of some of the scariest horror films available today.
The Conjuring (2013)
Director- James Wan
Streaming Platform- Amazon Prime Video
The first film that comes in the mind when the word is Horror is being discussed around is “The Conjuring”. Establishing it’s cult status in the first week of it’s release, The Conjuring lives up to it’s legacy, terrifying people to their bones even after 8 years. Based on the tabloid exploits of infamous paranormal investigators Ed & Lorraine Warren, The master of horror James Wan provides a look-see of the other side to his audience. If you are looking for a cool ‘atmos-fear’ to spend your weekend in. This might be what you’re looking for i.e. The scariest horror movie.
Hereditary (2018)
Director- Ari Aster
Streaming Platform- Netflix
Making his debut to the world as the Writer/Director of “Hereditary”, Ari Aster became a popular name among horror fans. Hereditary depicts a complex and dark family drama venturing the nature of grief in Aster’s iconic style. Toni Collette described her character as the most difficult role she had ever played, earning her various accolades and nominations. Hereditary also prevails as the most successful film of A24 Productions. The film’s complexity is sure to get you some wild nightmares about the supernatural.
The Shining (1980)
Director- Stanley Kubrick
Streaming Platform- Youtube
“Here’s Johnny”
Preferably the most iconic dialogue that stays at the tip of every tongue even today. The Shining is considered as one of the best and pristine in the respective genre. With a career defining performance by Jack Nicholson and Kubrick’s impeccable direction, The Shining puts itself in the Hall of Fame as the queen of all horror movies. What makes the film so iconic is that the number of jump scares though bone chilling, is not a big one but the audience follows Jack Nicholson into his “descent of madness” relating to his madness like no other. The slaying performances by the cast, the detailed production design and the compelling cinematography add the remaining stars to the film.
To help Nicholson descend into a world of anger and frustration, He was only served with cheese sandwiches throughout the production of the film which he “hated to his core”.
Stanley Kubrick made Shelley Duvall do over 925 takes for a single scene spanning over a year, just to record her breakdown for real. That’s just some of the craziness the film is filled with. Do not call yourself a horror fan if you haven’t seen “The Shining”.
Insidious (2010)
Director- James Wan
Streaming Platform- Disney Hotstar
James Wan and Patrick Wilson have got to be the two princes when it comes to making horror movies. Before collaborating for “The Conjuring”, the duo came together to make Insidious. Thumping the first installment in the series, Insidious follows the story of a comatose boy who gets lost in the world of the spirits where an evil spirit latches to him. Whether it is a demon chained & locked up for good or it is a ghost without any face, Insidious has it all. The series has been so popular that it’s followers have created pages and blogs, just to discuss what to expect from the next installment.
Sinister (2012)
Director- Scott Derrickson
Streaming Platform- Netflix
The horror reaches it’s climax as we come to the film which tops the list as the Scariest film in Hollywood. We might know Scott Derrickson as the director of MCU films such as Dr. Strange but strange is the fact that he puts the credits for the scariest horror movie in his pockets. Sinister is a dark, gore tale of a crime writer Ethan Hawke who in a pressure of doing something significant for his declining career, rents a house stained with the mystery of a family murder. Only to discover the supernatural tenant which may prove fatal to him and his family. The film Sinister bleeds horror to it’s core and is sure to scare you to your wits. Watch at your own risk.
The Exorcist (1973)
Director- William Friedkin
Streaming Platform- Rental
Ever heard of a film banned for being too scary? The most successful and critically acclaimed film in the history of horror cinema is “The Exorcist”. The Exorcist underwent several cuts and several scenes were removed from it just to make it watchable for the audience. The nightmarishly haunting story derives it’s roots from the the novel with the same name. The Exorcist became the first of it’s kind to be nominated in 10 academy award categories with Best Picture being one of them and finally went home with two. The film sets have reported several mishaps and had to be blessed by a priest on a regular basis just to make the place workable. Many also reported sensing the presence of a supernatural identity on the sets including many tabloid conjectures. This film has to be the last nail to the coffin.
*Special Mention*
Begotten (1989)
Director- E. Elias Merhige
Streaming Platform – Youtube
DO NOT WATCH THIS FILM IF YOU ARE FAINT HEARTED! The film Begotten is the most disturbing film ever made, so much that the images from “Trainspotting” pale before it. Not much can be explained about the experimental black and white film. The first scene involves a godlike figure disemboweling himself with a straight razor and the rest of the haunting series of images just makes it worse and worse up to the mark of ‘Unbearable to Watch’. If you really want to test your control on your guts, I’d recommend watching this film.
