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The 10 Best Horror Movies That Will Give You Goosebumps For Weeks

The 10 Best Horror Movies That Will Give You Goosebumps For Weeks

While being frightened is typically something people try to avoid, horror fans seem to have a bit of an addiction to it. That’s because when we are scared, we get a heavy dose of an adrenaline rush, which makes people feel powerful and ready to take on anything. Which is why, as the horror genre has progressed over the years, filmmakers try harder and harder to reach a level of terror that will send chills up your spine.

The ability to scare someone comes in many forms, whether this is done with the use of an invisible presence, like in the Paranormal Activity franchise, or horrifying visuals, like in Hereditary. And with them all comes a unique experience that will (hopefully) send that sense of fear straight into your brain, where it will linger for days to come.

‘Smile’ (2022)
From fledgling writer and director Parker Finn, and based on his short film Laura Hasn’t Slept, the 2022 horror film Smile tells the story of a therapist (Sosie Bacon) who witnesses a brutal suicide in her office, and then begins seeing disturbing things she can’t explain.

This film manages to take something as innocuous, and typically friendly, as a smile and make it absolutely terrifying. The subtlety of the scares and the build-up of tension throughout is incredibly done, especially for a first-time director, and it sticks with you long after. The trailer alone gives you the chills, and that’s just a fraction of what you see in the film.

‘Dead Silence’ (2007)
Just a few years after launching the hit Saw franchise, director James Wan ventured off into the realm of the creepy doll horror genre with 2007’s Dead Silence. After the death of his wife, Jaime (Ryan Kwanten) returns to his hometown in search of answers, though he may not like what he finds.

Long before The Conjuring and haunted Annabelle doll, Dead Silence tapped into the always creepy idea of a living ventriloquist dummy. Their dead, ever-staring eyes are unsettling enough, but when they start moving, that’s when sleep becomes much more difficult for many who watch.

‘The Babadook’ (2014)
The Babadook takes a hard look at depression and grief, but through the lens of the supernatural. Widowed mother Amelia (Essie Davis) is struggling to cope with the death of her husband, while also raising their son on her own. But, after reading a creepy children’s book that her son found, things get much more difficult and terrifying as they are seemingly tormented by a being known simply as “The Babadook.”

In her directorial debut, Jennifer Kent takes the childhood fear of the “monster under the bed” and elevates it to a new level. It not only dives into the terrifying things that may be living in the dark corners, but also what can happen when you lose your grip on reality. And the most chilling part of this film is the creepy imagery from the children’s book, as it has this horrifying quality to it that just lingers in your brain.

‘The Conjuring’ (2013)
James Wan struck gold yet again with The Conjuring after creating two other successful franchise-starting films, Saw (2004) and Insidious (2010). In this film, inspired by a real-life case, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga) travel to Rhode Island to investigate some paranormal events surrounding the Perron family that may indicate the presence of a malevolent spirit.

The Conjuring is filled with enough intense imagery and suspense that, even without many deaths, it’s still a terrifying film. Whether it’s the haunting visuals of the nun, the bedroom cupboard scene with Andrea & Cindy (Shanley Caswell & Mackenzie Foy), or the spine-chilling clapping scene where hands come out of the darkness, this film has more than enough scares to keep you up at night.

‘Lights Out’ (2016)
What horrifying creatures lie in the darkness is one of the most terrifying concepts to ever cross the human mind, and David F. Sandberg’s Lights Out dives head-first into this brand of horror. This film tells the story of a family tormented by a being that lives solely in the darkness, and the light is their only chance for survival.

The simplicity of this idea is what makes it so incredibly scary. Everyone has thought, at one point or another, that they’d seen something strange in the dark. It’s what cultivates one of the most common fears. Your mind can play tricks on you, especially when the lights go out, but the idea that those strange things are actually real is enough to make you sleep with the lights on for days to come.

‘Poltergeist’ (1982)
Directed by Tobe Hooper and written by Steven Spielberg, 1982’s Poltergeist tells the story of a young girl (Heather O’Rourke) who is abducted by malevolent spirits, and the struggle her family must go through to get her back.

This classic horror film leans into the suspense and tension, thanks to some great visuals and an even greater score. That, combined with some disturbingly memorable scenes (freaky clowns are always good for a scare), is why Poltergeist remains one of the scariest films of that era, and for good reason.

‘Hereditary’ (2018)
Considered by many to be one of the best horror movies of the last decade, Ari Aster’s directorial debut film, Hereditary, tells the eerie tale of a dysfunctional family that begins to unravel after the matriarch of the family dies. They soon learn that their fates may be sealed by a sinister force they can’t escape.

This film took the idea of “elevated horror” and brought it to a whole new level. Aster’s ability to create such slow-building tension throughout, mixed with some incredibly brutal and jaw-dropping visuals (such as the telephone pole scene) make this one of the most bone-chilling films ever made. There are so many scenes that stick with you, leaving you shaken to your core after watching.

‘Paranormal Activity’ (2006)
After The Blair Witch Project in 1999, there wasn’t another smash-hit, found-footage horror movie until 2007’s Paranormal Activity, which opened up the flood gates for films like REC, Cloverfield, and even District 9 to gain a massive audience. The first of this long-running franchise, Paranormal Activity tells the story of a young couple, Katie and Micah (Katie Featherston & Micah Sloat), who find that they are being haunted by a malevolent spirit of some kind. They decide to set up a camera to try to capture a glimpse of this being, not knowing what they’ll find.

What makes this film so terrifying is the fact that you never actually see what’s haunting them. It’s an entirely invisible being that’s tormenting them, and the closest we get to seeing it is a glimpse of a shadow on the bedroom door. Oren Peli does a masterful job creating nail-biting, edge-of-you-seat tension on such a small budget.

‘Eden Lake’ (2008)
Eden Lake sees Kelly Reilly and a pre-X-Men: First Class Michael Fassbender as a couple who decide to go out of town for a camping trip to a small lake. However, they soon realize that this trip isn’t going to be the relaxing vacation they hoped it would be, as a gang of teens begins to torment them.

The idea of a pleasant weekend away being upended in such a brutal manner is absolutely bone-chilling, as it could happen to anyone. The events of this film keep you on the edge of your seat, and may shake you to your core. The ever-increasing tension throughout can make it hard to watch at times, as it is completely unsettling. And the ending will stick with you for a good long while.

‘The Exorcist’ (1973)
This 1973 classic from director William Friedkin was considered one of the most terrifying films to ever grace the big screen, and even today that seems to hold true, with much of the audience continuing to tout it as one of the greats. This film tells a simple story of the demonic possession of a young girl named Regan (Linda Blair) and how her mother, along with two Catholic priests, attempt to save her by performing an exorcism.

Whether it be the intense, graphic imagery of this film, the superb special effects, or the non-stop build of tension, The Exorcist is one that grabs ahold of your psyche and doesn’t let go. It will linger in your mind for years, chilling you to the bone when you least expect it.

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