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Psychologically scary movies


The 20 best psychological horror movies of all time

These must-see psychological horror movies will leave even the most reverent scary film fans questioning what’s waiting out there in the darkness.

By Steven Thrash November 01, 2022 at 05:27 PM EDT

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Psychological horror films span back to the Golden Age of Hollywood, with Universal Pictures' two biggest stars playing a part in the subgenre's inception: In The Black Cat (1934) Bela Lugosi's Dr. Vitus flays Boris Karloff's Hjalmar, while he's still alive, but viewers can only witness the crime via the characters' shadows.

Picking the crème de la crème of this horror subgenre proves most difficult with such a rich wealth of selections to choose from. Ingmar Bergman's Hour of the Wolf (1968) or Roman Polanski's Repulsion (1965) seems good starting places for novices, while the more mature scary film fan might appreciate classics like The Killing Kind (1973), Jacob's Ladder (1990) and Don't Breathe (2016).

Now, enjoy EW's list of the 20 best psychological horror movies of all time.

Film Title: Get Out

Credit: Universal Pictures

20.

Get Out (2017)

Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) gets more than he bargains for when he spends the weekend with his girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) and her parents at their white flight-esque estate. Filmmaker Jordan Peele's venture into the realm of horror is an almost flawless, emotional rollercoaster that races on the tracks of both Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and The Stepford Wives (1975).

The scene where groundskeeper Walter (Marcus Hendersen) runs aimlessly across the lawn borders on the ridiculous, but, without getting into spoilers, the only other mistake Peele makes is the film's antagonist. It's immediately obvious who the true baddie is because the character simply can't be anyone else, so Peele's cleverness misses the mark here, though Get Out remains a stunning example of modern psychological horror with ample social commentary to spare.

You'll also enjoy Us (2019).

blairwitch

Credit: Artisan

19.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Heather, Josh and Mike journey to the woods of Maryland so they can film a documentary about the urban legend of the Blair Witch, but the trio disappears during their expedition — and they're never found. However, the footage they shot is recovered, and their harrowing time in the woods of Blair is purchased by Artisan Entertainment then shown in theaters nationwide. 

There's also no way to discuss the psychological effect this footage had on moviegoers without spoilers. The infancy of the internet in 1999 allowed the filmmakers to pull off one of the greatest marketing campaigns of all time. As a result, Blair Witch Project became an indie sensation, costing a mere $60,000 to produce but grossing nearly $249 million worldwide, and is a film that remains the definitive cornerstone of the found-footage subgenre to this day.

You'll also enjoy Paranormal Activity (2007).

THE WICKER MAN

Credit: Everett Collection

18.

The Wicker Man (1973)

A girl vanishes into thin air, and Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) arrives on the remote island of Summerisle to investigate. There, Howie finds Christianity discarded as Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) leads a pagan community, but he also learns a human sacrifice must be made to ensure a bountiful harvest.

The Wicker Man boasts a conclusion that is one of the most haunting and disturbing climaxes to a horror film in any era, but the inclusion of Lee as the wicked Lord Summerisle is a casting coup. Lee's distinguished career includes his indelible performances as Dracula for Hammer Film Productions, and even with his illustrious list of acting credits, Lee considered Lord Summerisle one of his finest roles.

You'll also enjoy The Witch (2015).

American Psycho

Credit: Everett Collection

17.

American Psycho (2000)

Bret Easton Ellis composes the decadent world of the late 1980s in his stream-of-consciousness novel American Psycho, and it's captured perfectly by director Mary Harron's adaptation, but there aren't enough business meetings, dinners at Dorsia, or videotapes to quell yuppie Patrick Bateman's (Christian Bale) need to kill — or is the mayhem Bateman causes all in his mind?

Part of the fun comparing the source material to the film can be summed up in two words: Tom Cruise. A number of actors were attached to the movie production before Bale won the role of Bateman, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Edward Norton, but Cruise is actually written into the novel and stage plays as Patrick's neighbor.

You'll also enjoy The House That Jack Built (2018).

Best Japanese horror movies

Credit: Everett Collection

16.

Audition (1999)

Shigeharu (Ryo Ishibashi) is a widower attempting to get back in the dating pool, but he goes about it by holding a phony audition to meet women. It's there he falls for Asami (Eihi Shiina), but he can't love her the way she wants, and Asami doesn't handle rejection well.

Audition is a slow burn, spending the better part of two hours setting up audiences for arguably one of the most graphic climaxes in horror history. One scene in particular will test the mettle of even the truest horror fan: Asami feeds a bowl of vomit to her mutilated prisoner. Quentin Tarantino said in an interview that Audition is a "true masterpiece if ever there was one."

You'll also enjoy Fatal Attraction (1987).

Black Swan (2010) Natalie Portman

Credit: Niko Tavernise/Fox Searchlight

15.

Black Swan (2010)

Nina (Natalie Portman) lands the role of a lifetime as both Odette and Odile in Tchaikovsky's famed Swan Lake, but she barely has time to enjoy it. Her anxiety stems from her domineering mother (Barbara Hershey) and rival dancer (Mila Kunis) who may or may not be after her part of the ballet. Is the danger all in Nina's head, or does she have real cause to agonize?

Black Swan excels by offering breathtaking dance choreography, and the film's gorgeous cinematography provides viewers with a tapestry of imagery unparalleled by most psychological horror films. Natalie Portman owns each and every single moment of her screen time, and she spent an entire year training as a dancer. Her dedication earns her the Best Actress in a Leading Role Oscar.

You'll also enjoy Suspiria (2018).

Best psych horror films

Credit: Everett Collection

14.

Don't Look Now (1973)

John Baxter (Donald Sutherland) and his wife Laura (Julie Christie) grieve for the loss of their daughter in Venice, but a clairvoyant (Hilary Mason) insists their little girl is trying to reach out to them and warn her parents of some unknown danger. Meanwhile, a serial killer terrorizes the city.

John believes he catches a glimpse of his little girl wearing her red raincoat, as the shadow of grief clouds the couple's outward perception and inward relationship.   Don't Look Now manipulates audiences' minds, mixing elements of the occult with the overwhelming need for hope into a plot twist audiences will find difficult to swallow.  

You'll also enjoy Antichrist (2009).

Best psych horror films

Credit: Everett Collection

13.

Cat People (1942)

Ah, it's the oldest love story in the books: Boy meets girl, boy marries girl, and then girl transforms into a giant, blood-thirsty panther. Irena (Simone Simon) seems like a nice enough girl, so Oliver (Kent Smith) courts her and they fall in love, but when it comes to consummating the marriage… meow!

Val Lewton's legacy as a scary movie producer begins with Cat People, where he leaves an indelible mark on the horror genre. Lewton's pictures always operate on a psychological level, and his films rely more times than not on the viewers' imaginations to conjure up the terrors being alluded to on screen. Cat People is no exception, and a golden-age must-see.

You'll also enjoy The Body Snatcher (1945).

the-babadook1

Credit: Matt Nettheim/IFC Films

12.

The Babadook (2014)

Amelia Vanek (Essie Davis) does her best as a single mother after her husband dies in a car accident right before their six-year-old son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman), is born. The loss continues to torment Amelia, and Samuel turns to a children's pop-up book, Mister Babadook, for macabre comfort. The film's brilliance is how it folds elements of the supernatural and possession into the psychological trauma Amelia endures.

The Babadook begs for a sequel, but director Jennifer Kent promises that won't happen. "I had the foresight to make sure that my producer and I owned the rights to any sequels," Kent says in an interview. "The reason for that is I will never allow any sequel to be made, because it's not that kind of film. I don't care how much I'm offered; it's just not going to happen."

You'll also enjoy It Follows (2014).

Best psych horror films

Credit: Everett Collection

11.

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Two things will happen while watching the ordeal Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) goes through: It'll be hard to trust anyone again, and the notion of nosy neighbors will take on a whole new meaning. Poor Rosemary is tricked by those closest to her through what is quite literally a hellish pregnancy, culminating in an unforgettable ending and an enduring performance from a wide-eyed Farrow. 

Producer William Castle desperately wanted to direct an important film, so he'll be remembered for more than the string of B-movies that first launched his career. So, Castle acquired the rights to Ira Levin's novel, and Paramount Pictures paid Castle a handsome sum to produce Rosemary's Baby. But much to Castle's disappointment, Paramount handed over the directing reins to Roman Polanski, who sandwiched the film between 1965's Repulsion and 1976's The Tenant in his informal "Apartment Trilogy. "

You'll also enjoy The Omen (1976).

Best psych horror films

Credit: Everett Collection

10.

The Vanishing (1988)

Rex (Gene Bervoets) faces the unthinkable when his girlfriend Saskia (Johanna ter Steege) inexplicably disappears when they briefly separate at a gas station. He spends three years trying to find her without any luck, and his torment is palpable, until Raymond (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu) finally comes forward claiming to have abducted his love.

Saskia's boyfriend is so desperate to know what happened to her that he does the unthinkable: Raymond assures Rex that if he drinks some drugged coffee, he'll discover what happened to his girlfriend. Rex is so psychologically compromised by obsession that he accepts Raymond's bargain. What happens next in the final minutes of The Vanishing will leave viewers squirming in their seats and hoping against hope for our vulnerable leading man.

You'll also enjoy Let the Right One In (2008).

Best psych horror films

Credit: Everett Collection

9.

Les Diaboliques (1955)

Michel Delassalle (Paul Meurisse) is a schoolmaster juggling relationships, and his wife Christina (Véra Clouzot) and mistress Nicole (Simone Signoret) have had enough of his wickedness. The women team up to deal with their mutual problem, but as is the theme for this list, things are not as they seem. And when Christina finds her husband's body in the bathtub, the truth comes to life.

It's not clear until the end who the real mastermind is, and the infamous bathtub scene is guaranteed to scare someone to death. In the documentary Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story, the famed B-movie producer notes that he was inspired to make scary movies after seeing throngs of people lined up for blocks outside a movie theater to see French thriller Les Diaboliques.

You'll also enjoy Macabre (1958).

Best psych horror films

Credit: Everett Collection

8.

Wait Until Dark (1967)

The plot of Wait Until Dark mirrors The Night of the Hunter (1955) in that a doll is used to smuggle something obtained through nefarious means, but this time around it's heroin, not money. And instead of Robert Mitchum, it's Alan Arkin and his crew of criminal cronies trying to get the doll away from a blind woman named Susy (Audrey Hepburn).

During the last eight minutes of Wait Until Dark, theater owners dim the auditoriums' lights as Susy tries to escape her own apartment for ultimate effect. Movie fans won't find any spoilers here, but bringing down the lights is an ingenious Alfred Hitchcock-like gimmick which sets up a spine-tingling surprise.

You'll also enjoy See No Evil (1971).

SEVEN, Gwyneth Paltrow, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, 1995

Credit: Everett Collection

7.

Se7en (1995)

Detective David Mills (Brad Pitt) is the hungry new kid on the block, and detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) readies himself to bask in retirement. Unfortunately, the serial killer known as Jon Doe is ritualistically slaying victims by turning the seven deadly sins into symbolic, atrocious murders.

Se7en's gut-wrenching plot twist will leave viewers with goosebumps, but here's where the real chills crawl up the spine: Denzel Washington passed on the part of David Mills. "And I just thought 'no this is so dark,'" Washington explained to Larry King in an interview on why he turned the part down, which he later regrets. "Then I saw the movie and cried."

You'll also enjoy Zodiac (2007).

MSDMISE EC002

Credit: Everett Collection

6.

Misery (1990)

Author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) suffers a terrible car accident and is discovered by super-fan Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), who nurses Paul back to health in her isolated home. However, once she discovers the writer of her favorite stories kills off the series' main character, Misery Chastain, uh oh, a hobbling Annie goes! Bates' riveting performance garnered her an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and she absolutely earns it.

Jack Nicholson was originally courted to play the role of Paul Sheldon, but passed because he didn't know if he wanted to make another Stephen King adaptation. However, the director of Misery, Rob Reiner, did work with Nicholson in his next venture, 1992's A Few Good Men.

You'll also enjoy Dolores Claiborne (1995).

THE SIXTH SENSE

Credit: Everett Collection

5.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Cole (Haley Joel Osment) is a young boy who possesses the power to see ghosts, and he turns to a psychologist, Dr. Malcom Crowe (Bruce Willis) for help. As the pair work together, Cole realizes his curse might just be a gift, leading to one of the most unexpected movie twists in cinema history.

The Sixth Sense is the third film by M. Night Shyamalan, and the actress portraying the ghostly Kyra Collins is none other than Mischa Barton from The O.C. No spoilers here, but the movie demands to be watched twice. It's so much fun to go back, especially with friends, and see how the vaunted twist fits together seamlessly in the story like puzzle pieces in a jigsaw.

You'll also enjoy Split (2016).

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

Credit: Everett Collection

4.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Stopping murderer Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) proves too daunting a task to solve without direct insight into pure evil, so FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) must team up with the even more dangerous Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a jailed serial cannibal and certified genius, to stop the killings of young women.

The Silence of the Lambs was the first horror film to break through and win the Oscar for Best Picture. The movie also took home Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Hopkins), Best Actress in a Leading Role (Foster), Best Director, Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay), Best Sound Design and Best Editing. Oh, and it delivered perhaps the most iconic on-screen villain of all time thanks to the always excellent Hopkins, who shines in an especially sinister light here.

You'll also enjoy Deranged (1974).

Best psych horror films

Credit: Everett Collection

3.

M (1931)

M's opening ingrains the deplorable, unseen acts of the serial killer, Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre), in audiences' imaginations. Hans lures a little girl, Elsie, into a false sense of security when he buys her a balloon. Whatever evil befalls the poor child is left up to viewers' imaginations, and this is accomplished by a chilling series of shots and a daunting musical motif. 

Elsie's mother calls out desperately from their apartment's window. An empty stairwell, an untouched place setting, and the sight of the little girl's balloons drifting into the power lines provides cinematic context to the child's chilling fate as the ball she once bounced rolls to a lonely stop in the leaves. Will the citizens find justice for their slain children? The resounding tension of this nearly 100-year-old psychological masterpiece will leave modern audiences guessing until its emotional apex. 

You'll also enjoy The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920).

THE SHINING, Jack Nicholson, 1980. ©Warner Brothers

Credit: Everett Collection

2.

The Shining (1980)

Recovering alcoholic Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) goes to extremes when it comes to getting away from it all, taking a job as the winter caretaker of the snowed-in Overlook Hotel to finish his novel with his wife (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd) in tow — but he doesn't count on the company of the ghosts. Although the film strays drastically from Stephen King's novel, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is a complex film that teeters between the psychological and supernatural horror subgenres.

The Overlook is clearly haunted, but perhaps rather than simply going mad, Jack's rotting mind "shines" as his son's does with a clairvoyant glow. Now, if fans want to try their own luck at the Overlook, they can book a room. Yes, the lodging is real, but it is known as the Stanley Hotel.

You'll also enjoy Doctor Sleep (2019).

Janet Leigh Screaming in Psycho Shower Scene

Credit: Getty Images

1.

Psycho (1960)

Alfred Hitchcock's first horror film makes it fashionable to prefer baths over showers, but the tale of motel keeper Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and his knife-wielding mother inspired almost every subgenre of scary movies. Even now, Psycho remains the epitome of psychological horror, but it's hard to discuss the "wigged-out" particulars without spoiling the big twist.

Hitchcock put up most of his own money to make the film, and the budget came in at just north of $800,000. After he acquired the rights to Robert Bloch's novel, the filmmaker decided to shoot the picture in black-and-white to save money, with Psycho going on to gross $32 million during its original theatrical release.

You'll also enjoy What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962).

Related content:

    • By Steven Thrash

    The 25 Best Psychological Horror Movies of All Time

    Jump scares in horror films are good for a quick jolt to remind you that you're alive, but psychological dread is what really follows you around for a lifetime. Some say that the mind is the true enemy, and nothing exploits the fear of going insane or losing trust in your mental faculties than classic horror films like The Shining and Rosemary's Baby.

    Bumps in the night may be one thing, but no one believing that you heard it is another level of terror entirely. Including modern mind-melters like Get Out and Hereditary, we've compiled a list below of the most unnerving psychological horror movies of all time.

    Lupita Nyong'o and Winston Duke star in Us, a Jordan Peele-directed thriller about identity, privilege, and a family who encounters their horror doppelgängers. Called the "Tethered," these look-alikes have a lot of terror in store for the whole world, as their history and connection to themes of "the Other" unfolds.

    Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+

    Eyes Without a Face

    Georges Franju's 60's French horror about a plastic surgeon looking for a face transplant for his daughter after a horrific car accident is both chilling and beautiful. Equal parts The Body Snatcher and The Mask of Another, Eyes Without a Face focuses on the daughter as she slowly discovers the lengths her father will go to fix his mistake.

    Watch on HBO Max Watch 0n Amazon Watch on Apple TV+

    Carrie

    One of the greatest Stephen King stories to hit the big screen, 1976's Carrie stars Sissy Spacek as a teenager who is ridiculed and pushed to the edge before discovering that she has psychic powers. Bullies beware!

    Watch on Amazon

    Diabolique

    Diabolique is a psychological thriller by French noir director Henri-Georges Clouzot, who optioned the screenplay rights before Hitchcock could claim the tale for his own. Featuring a disappearing murder, an old boarding house, and an actually surprising twist, Diabolique has everything a story needs to provide thrills and chills.

    Watch on HBO Max

    Psycho

    Alfred Hitchcock ascended to "the master of suspense" after Psycho, a horror classic about a scary motel, a creepy caretaker, and a piercing score. Taking a shower was never the same again.

    Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+

    The Silence of the Lambs

    Anthony Hopkins stars in The Silence of the Lambs as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, an incarcerated cannibalistic serial killer and former psychiatrist who must help an FBI trainee (Jodie Foster) catch another psychopath nicknamed "Buffalo Bill. "

    Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+

    The Blair Witch Project

    A groundbreaking film centered on found-footage of horror, The Blair Witch Project follows three film students as they head into the woods to investigate the rumors of a ghost--"the Blair Witch." The film, as the movie alleges, is what was recovered after all three students mysteriously disappear.

    Watch on HBO Max Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+

    Candyman

    Candyman is the story of a Chicago projects boogeyman, based on the true 1987 murder of a woman killed by an intruder who hid in an unknown crawl space behind her bathroom's medicine cabinet. The urban legend was dramatized in this 90's horror classic, about a killer who appears if you say his name in the mirror five times in a row.

    Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+

    Hour of the Wolf

    A young, artistic couple retreat to a cabin on the small island of Baltrum in this Swedish psychological horror that turns insomnia and loneliness into horrific visions and explorations of past trauma.

    Watch on The Criterion Channel Watch on Apple TV+

    Get Out

    The breakout debut film for comedian Jordan Peele, Get Out began his transition into a horror visionary with the story of a young Black man (Daniel Kaluuya) who discovers his white girlfriend's dark, family secrets.

    Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+

    Repulsion

    For a director like Roman Polanski (who has been the subject of sexual assault allegations himself) to make a beloved film about a woman's fear of unwanted male desire may be a little telling, but this Catherine Deneuve-starring film is considered one of the greatest performances of paranoia on screen.

    Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+

    Black Swan

    Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis star in Black Swan, a psychological thriller about the life of a ballet dancer who drives herself to insanity as she attempts to secure the lead role in Swan Lake--an all too fitting analogue.

    Watch on Amazon Watch on Hulu Watch on Apple TV+

    The Sixth Sense

    A young boy's ability to "see dead people" as they walk around and haunt Earth's inhabitants is just one of many twisted ideas in The Sixth Sense, a Bruce Willis-starring thriller that made director M. Night Shyamalan a household name.

    Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+

    Bunny Lake Is Missing

    Gaslighting and missing children are at the center of Bunny Lake is Missing, a horror film about a woman who goes to pick up her daughter from school and learns that she has mysteriously disappeared.

    Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+

    Audition

    A grotesque and tortuous Japanese film, Takashi Miike's Audition follows a widower who auditions the "role" of his next wife to find a match, only to discover dark secrets about the strange woman he's chosen to love.

    Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+ Watch on Tubi

    Winner of the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, Nanny is the story of an undocumented Senegalese woman working as a caretaker for an affluent Manhattan family. Tortured by visions of African folklore, she struggles to keep her job and make enough money to bring her son overseas.

    Onibaba

    Set during a civil war in Japan during the 14th century, Onibaba ("Demon Hag") follows two women who murder and rob wandering soldiers to sell their possessions. When a male neighbor returns from war, his close proximately tears their relationship apart.

    Watch on HBO Max Watch on The Criterion Channel

    In the Mouth of Madness

    Paying homage to the sci-fi/horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness is a small town mystery surrounding the death of novelist Sutter Cane, something of a Stephen King stand-in. Cane's final novel, aptly titled "In the Mouth of Madness," has been said to drive readers insane.

    Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+

    Hereditary

    One of the most disturbing films of the past decade, Hereditary solidified director Ari Aster as a modern master of horror and actress Toni Collette as an undervalued star. After the death of their grandmother, a family is haunted by a demonic presence named Paimon.

    Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+ Watch on Showtime

    The Wicker Man

    The Wicker Man, a terrifying effigy held secret until the film's final scene, is a sight that caps off this 1973 horror masterpiece about a missing girl on an isolated Scottish island with deranged, religious inhabitants.

    Watch on Amazon

    The Shining

    Stanley Kubrick's tragic horror about an aspiring writer driven insane during his stay at the remote Overlook Hotel, The Shining is a Stephen King adaptation starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall. Supernatural forces are also at work, however, including creepy identical twins and corridors of blood.

    Watch on HBO Max Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+

    Rosemary's Baby

    Rosemary's Baby follows a young woman (Mia Farrow) who starts to believe her neighbors are all part of a Satanic cult, grooming her and her husband (John Cassavetes) to be part of some bizarre ritual. After she becomes pregnant, she's no longer sure what to believe.

    Watch on Amazon

    Paranormal Activity

    A modern found footage hit that spurned countless sequels, Paranormal Activity struck at the universal fear of someone doing something to you while you sleep. Night after night, a couple films themselves sleeping and records increasingly hair-raising events of a supernatural entity entering their bedroom.

    Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+ Watch on Paramount+

    The Lighthouse

    Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe star as two lighthouse keepers in this Robert Eggers period piece about a storm that traps volatile figures in close quarters and drives them both mad as they fight for survival.

    Watch on Showtime Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+

    The Thing

    The "Thing," a parasitic monster that can look and talk like its victims to deceive a crew of Antarctic researchers, is enough of a mind-fuck without the addition of its horrendous true appearance. Directed by John Carpenter, the Kurt Russell-starring sci-fi/horror turned friend into foe as the crew tries to uncover who among them is the "Thing."

    Watch on Amazon Watch on Apple TV+

    Josh Rosenberg Josh Rosenberg is an entertainment writer living in Brooklyn, keeping a steady diet of one movie a day; his past work can be found at CBR, Spin, Insider, and on his personal blog at Roseandblog.com. 

    Psychological horror films

    • Misery (1990)

      1990, USA

      Stephen King Very scary

    • Come back to me (2014)

      USA, 2014

      Maniacs

    • Hansel and Gretel (2007)

      Korea, 2007

      ChildrenForest

    • Apollo 18 (2011)

      USA, 2011

      CosmosVery ScaryMockumentary

    • Silence (2014)

      USA, 2014

      ManiacsVery scary

    • Vampire Spider (2012)

      Argentina, 2012

      VirusesSpiders

    • Others (2001)

      USA, 2001

      Houses Very scary

    • Annihilation (2017)

      UK, 2017

      Aliens

    • Fragility (2005)

      Spain, 2005

      Mental hospitals Abandoned places

    • 1408 (2007)

      2007, USA

      HotelsVery ScaryStephen KingSurvival

    • Drift (2006)

      Germany, 2006

      SeaCompany of friendsSurvival

    • Suspiria (2018)

      Italy, 2018

      Witches

    • Visit (2015)

      USA, 2015

      KidsMockumentariesVery scary

    • Children's room (2006)

      Spain, 2006

      HomeFamily

    • The Uninvited (2008)

      USA, 2008

      GhostsVery scary

    • Dead Silence (2006)

      USA, 2006

      Very Scary Dolls

    • Rite (2011)

      USA, 2011

      Obsession Real events Very scary

    • And the lights go out. .. (2016)

      USA, 2016

      HousesVery scary

    • Dark skies (2013)

      USA, 2013

      AliensVery scaryFamily

    • Underground (2013)

      USA, 2013

      Dungeons Real events

    • Riding a Bullet (2004)

      USA, 2004

      Roads Stephen King

    • Possum (2018)

      UK, 2018

      Spiders

    • 1922 (2017)

      USA, 2017

      Stephen King Family

    • Paranormal Activity (2007)

      USA, 2007

      HomeFamilyMockumentariesVery scary

    • Hide and Seek (2005)

      USA, 2005

      Very Scary Kids

    • Call of Cthulhu (2005)

      USA, 2005

      Monsters

    • Sect (2019)

      Italy, 2019

      ForestFamilySects

    • Gift (2000)

      USA, 2000

      GhostsVery scary

    • Dark Waters (2001)

      Japan, 2001

      Houses

    • The Shining (1980)

      USA, 1980

      HotelsFamilyStephen KingVery Scary

    • Dangerous Nature (2008)

      Australia, 2008

      AnimalsForest

    • Open grave (2013)

      USA, 2013

      Viruses

    • Shelter (2007)

      Spain, 2007

      Very scary children

    • House at the end of time (2013)

      Spain, 2013

      Houses Abandoned places

    • Dark Forces (2005)

      UK, 2005

      HomeFamily

    • Frozen (2012)

      USA, 2012

      MountainsSurvivalWinterForest

    • Eye (2008)

      USA, 2008

      Ghosts

    • Astral (2010)

      USA, 2010

      ChildrenVery scaryFamilyAt home

    • Shadowland (2017)

      Spain, 2017

      ChildrenVery scaryFamily

    • Don't breathe (2015)

      USA, 2015

      ManiacsVery scary

    • Sinister (2012)

      USA, 2012

      HousesVery scaryFamily

    • Eli (2019)

      USA, 2019

      Children

    • Vault (2010)

      USA, 2010

      GhostsSoul Transmigration

    • Hannibal (2001)

      UK, 2001

      Cannibals Doctors

    1 2 3

    Supernatural

    7

    killers

    7

    Animals

    7

    Nature

    Country

    90,000 Psychological horror films - 20 best novelties of recent years

    Frighten modern spectators, but the creators of psychological films do not catch up, and the creators take something that gives you goosebumps. These are exciting stories about paranoia, phobias, crimes, where they try to drag the audience into souls cut off from reality and engulfed in chaos. If you're not impressed by slasher movies or horror movies about vampires and zombies, then try watching a horror movie from this list to finally get your fill of fear.

    You will not be alone (2022)

    The plot of the horror film will take viewers to 19th century Macedonia, where mystical creatures hide in dense forests. Young Bosilka was kidnapped by an ancient spirit, turning the girl into a powerful witch. A young sorceress with curiosity studies the life of people and accidentally kills a peasant woman, taking on the appearance of the deceased. First blood creates a desire to know what it means to be human, and Bosilka goes in search of more victims.

    More New: 20 Cool Horror Movies of 2022

    Beth, the heroine of a new psychological horror film built in a dramatic vein, is having a hard time with the death of her husband. The girl cannot find a place for herself in their huge house on the lake and every night she feels the presence of her beloved. In order to somehow distract herself, Beth begins to sort out old things and finds blueprints. And the deeper she digs into the past, the more clearly she realizes that her husband had secrets that she did not know about.

    30 psychological thrillers with a high rating of

    This psychological horror film is a remake of the 1977 film of the same name. The plot takes place in Berlin. Talented girl Susie Bennion comes to the famous dance school to learn from one of the most famous and outrageous teachers. Step by step, the main character plunges into the psychedelic atmosphere of the educational institution and comprehends the terrible side of this closed society.

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    A young ambitious gallery keeper finds many paintings in her deceased neighbor's apartment. As it turned out, the man was an unknown self-taught artist. The heroine of the film decides to show the world the works of the late creator, and at the same time earn extra money. However, his paintings are fraught with something mystical and sinister. Everyone who somehow intersects with these works begins to die under strange circumstances.

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    A black photographer from New York has a tough weekend ahead of him. Together with his girlfriend, he goes to meet her parents. Everything would be fine, but a simple guy is not used to either the elite "white" society, or to small talk, or to life in a luxurious country house. However, all this will turn out to be a trifle when the hero finds out why he is really here - the horror prepared by a strange family will make the guy run away without looking back.

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    922 (2017)

    Another adaptation of the horror king Stephen King is a tough family drama in the horror genre. The plot tells about a family of farmers, where at some point there were disagreements over hundreds of hectares of land. The consequence of the feud was a crime - the head of the family, Wilfred, together with his son, kills his wife and throws the body into a well, where the remains will be destroyed by rats. The police find nothing and it seems the man will get away with it. However, soon fate will severely punish the killer and his accomplice - a real horror awaits them ahead. And retribution begins with the pursuit of carrion-eating rats.

    Visit (2015)

    The heroine of a horror movie filmed in the style of amateur photography has not communicated with her parents for 15 years. However, she still decides to introduce her two children to her grandparents. Teenage grandchildren go to visit, but already on the first day they notice the strange behavior of relatives - the granny walks at night and makes incomprehensible sounds, and in the barn where children are forbidden to go, the old people are clearly hiding something.

    Top 20 horror movies for amateur camera

    American detective horror film introduces the viewer to the practicing psychiatrist Kara. She single-handedly raises a child and is engaged in the fact that she is trying to refute the existence of a split personality syndrome. The doctor is convinced that everyone who claims to have multiple personalities is just a scammer pursuing their own goals or maniacs who want to get away from punishment. But when she is invited to work with patient David, her convictions are shaken, and a chilling horror awaits Kara.

    A shy fellow film student Stephen meets the enigmatic Quaid after philosophy class. After exchanging a few phrases, they decide on a joint project - a student film on the nature of fear. The research includes on-camera interviews with volunteers who talk about what scares them. However, the further the experiment goes, the weirder Quaid behaves. It looks like the guy has old mental wounds and they have not yet healed.

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