As one of the industry’s most popular core genres, as well as the scariest and frequently most disturbing, the films that fit into the horror genre are often the reason why global audiences lose sleep. Nonetheless, they are equal parts entertaining and challenging, allowing enthusiasts to delve into the darkest sides of humanity (and the unknown) in a safe environment.
It is known that, throughout the course of a horror movie, the viewer’s brain releases adrenaline, which prepares the body for stressful situations. But which are the most anxiety-inducing films of the genre? From The Night Houseto Green Room, these are Reddit users’ picks.
10 ‘The Night House’ (2020)
In David Bruckner‘s 2020 horror feature, audiences follow an emotionally scarred and traumatized widow played by Rebecca Hall who attempts to deal with grief by returning to the vacant lake house that he built for her in a gloomy forest. What initially began as a getaway ends up turning into something much more sinister when Beth slowly unveils her ex-husband’s buried secrets.
Equal parts thrilling and terrifying, supernatural whodunit The Night House was one of the films that left a mark on audiences thanks to its stressful storyline. ArmeniusLOD on Reddit reveals that the film “literally made me have a panic attack when I saw it in the theater.”
9 ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (1974)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was the first installment of a highly popular horror franchise, and it marked the beginning of an iconic horror villain’s journey. The 1974 feature centers on five friends who head out to Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather but stumble across an abandoned house on the way, where they fall prey to a cannibalistic family.
Tobe Hooper‘s iconic film endures a treasured one among horror enjoyers; there is no doubt that its terrifying premise manages to stress viewers out even today. “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the 1974 original),” AgtCooper wrote when asked which horror movies are excruciatingly intense. “I saw it in theaters in october and was so tense the whole time,” a user replied.
8 ‘Grave Encounters’ (2011)
In Colin Minihan, John Poliquin, and Stuart Ortiz‘s film, a production team locks itself inside an abandoned mental hospital that is rumored to be haunted for the sake of their ghost-hunting reality show to totally disastrous results.
A highly uncomfortable found-footage horror film, Grave Encounters is likely to linger on viewers’ minds for a while after watching it, and groovy604 believes that it features effective storytelling. “I just finished giving Grave Encounters a rewatch. Those poor people suffered some of the most psychological distress I have ever seen,” they wrote. “Not high budget, sometimes cheesy, got god damn its good.”
7 ‘Evil Dead’ (2013)
The 2013 remake of the original Evil Dead illustrates five friends in their 20s who end up isolated in a cabin, stumble upon a Book of the Dead, and unintentionally awaken sleeping sinister presences who slowly possess the group until only one is left alive to fight for their life.
On the platform, two different users about how anxiety-inducing the Fede Alvarez film in the franchise actually is. “Totally relentless. The whole film draws you in as the characters struggle to survive the night. I remember being physically tired and scared of turning dark corners after I had watched it,” DragonflyFantastic95 said.
6 ‘Hereditary’ (2018)
Ari Aster‘s A24 fan-favorite, Hereditary, dals with familial trauma and abuse as it depicts a grieving family haunted by dark forces and bizarre events after the death of their grandmother. It also counts on excellent acting by those involved (namely Toni Collette, who absolutely nailed the role).
Through its various disturbing scenes, it is quite clear that the complex 2018 movie (which features a few easter eggs along the way) is very nerve-racking. Mothershipq reveals that the feature is so intense that they had to take a stroll after the credits rolled: “So far the only movie that I have watched, and at the end I went for a walk. I ended up at my local bar and drank for a few hours to decompress.”
5 ‘Mother!’ (2017)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky, mind-bending horror Mother! follows a couple’s relationship (masterfully played by Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem), which is rapidly put to the test when unexpected guests arrive at their home and disturb their tranquility and threaten the wellbeing of their newborn child.
According to FrecklesAndFelines, the shocking film is guaranteed to push viewers to the limits. On the website, the user says it is “absolutely relentless. More psychological horror than anything. I felt like I’d just done a workout by the end. I know a lot of folks didn’t like it, but it’s definitely worth a watch.”
4 ‘The Wailing’ (2016)
The Wailing illustrates the spreading of a mysterious sickness shortly after a stranger arrives in a little village Goksung in South Korea. After being drawn to the occurrence, policeman Jong-Goo (Kwak Do-won) investigates the bizarre murders linked to the disease in order to save his daughter.
Na Hong-jin‘s movie is one of the many that come to Redditor’s minds when the subject is stressful features — and the truth is that it really gets under the audience’s skin. “I recommended this as well. I loved that the tension never let’s up even through the very end. You really have no idea of what’s going to happen or how it will resolve,” Bookislovakia wrote.
3 ‘I Saw the Devil’ (2010)
Through several captures and releases, a secret agent (Lee Byung-hun) plans revenge on a serial killer (spoiler alert: Choi Min-sik) in this intriguing and stylish horror South Korean film that also manages to combine action and crime elements seamlessly.
“This movie made me go ‘OH F*CK’ more than maybe any other movie I’ve seen I think. Phenomenal film. Great action too,” ihopethisworksfornow admitted when a user mentioned the film. In truth, Jee-woon Kim‘s I Saw The Devil makes for quite a gripping watch.
2 ‘Train to Busan’ (2016)
Centering on the aftermath of a zombie virus that breaks out in South Korea, Sang-ho Yeon‘s fast-paced horror film follows a few passengers who struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan. Among them are Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) and his daughter Soo-an (Su-an Kim).
Easily one of the most beloved zombie flicks out there, Train to Busan is easily among the most anxiety-ridden flicks of all time, and its expertly-executed intense premise is obviously a big part of it. Specialist_Debt_7515 agrees: “Super stressful the whole way through.”
1 ‘Green Room’ (2015)
Jeremy Saulnier‘s incredibly intense A24 crime horror flick follows a punk rock band who is left fighting for their lives after witnessing a murder in a neo-Nazi skinhead pub (led by Patrick Stewart‘s terrifying villain) and become the only eye witnesses to such horrific acts of violence.
As for how chaotic and wild Green Room is? “Pure dread and edge of your seat tension throughout, Poorfocus said, adding that the film left them “caring deeply for the characters safety. So much so that I was praying the film was almost over and the conflict close to being resolved.”