Scariest movie you've ever seen?

[Royal]

As a child I'd say it was the Mini-Series IT. I remember seeing the hanging sheets scene while my parents were watching it at a hotel during a vacation and being crazy frightened. Though would a mini-series count?

Recent movie though I'd say Incantation.



It didn't put any childhood dread in me, and I wouldn't say scary enough to keep me up at night, but the whole movie itself and its element of slow horror was really great; especially the ending. No horror movie for a good while has made go "Damn, that's scary" like this one. It might become a staple of Halloween watching for me from now on.

What's everyone's scariest movie(s) choice?

[Delahada]

American horror movies never scared me. I don't know what it was about them, but it wasn't until I saw my first Japaense horror film, Ju-On (The Grudge), that I remember feeling genuinely terrified of what I was watching. The American remake wasn't nearly as spooky, in my opinion. The only other movie I remember creeping me out was One Hour Photo starring Robin Williams. Not a comedy! Psychological thrillers leave a more lasting impact on me than horror does.

[Josette Wheeler]

I usually avoid scary movies. ‘It’ is definitely a huge reason why because…clowns! My other choices are the original ‘When a Stranger Calls,” ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘The Amityville Horror.’

[Royal]

I think I saw the Ring and The Grudge before seeing their Japanese counter parts. I have to give it to the remakes though, without them I probably wouldn't have seen the others.

One day I'll watch Sadako vs Kayako. I have a feeling it won't be as scary as their predecessors but it could be fun.

[Mesteno]

Also have a long standing issue with clowns... And 'The Ring' is probably the only movie I still have issues with as an adult. When I first saw it back in the early 2000s, there was an 'extra' on the DVD simply titled 'Do Not Watch This'. And I did not watch it because I had a feeling it was going to be what was on the VHS tape in the film!

[Delahada]

Also have a long standing issue with clowns... And 'The Ring' is probably the only movie I still have issues with as an adult. When I first saw it back in the early 2000s, there was an 'extra' on the DVD simply titled 'Do Not Watch This'. And I did not watch it because I had a feeling it was going to be what was on the VHS tape in the film!

Iiiiiiiii remember this! And I think I likewise did not watch it, because I don't remember doing so. That one was also creepy, but again the original was better. True, like Royal said, though. If not for the remakes I might not have even heard of the originals.

[Isaac Wheeler]

As a kid, Poltergeist really got to me. That clown doll, to keep the theme going, and Craig T. Nelson’s “You son of a bitch! You moved the cemetery, but you left the bodies, didn't you? You son of a bitch, you left the bodies and you only moved the headstones! You only moved the headstones!” 1980s for the win.

I’ll also throw in Event Horizon as well. That one stayed with me for awhile after seeing it in theaters. Something about space cosmic horror.

[Izumi Takamine]

I loved horror ever since I was little, and my mom used to let me stay up late to watch reruns of a TV show called Tales from the Darkside in the 80s. It was usually pretty innocuous, but there was one episode - titled "Inside the Closet" that terrorized me for years. I tracked it down and watched it as an adult and it wasn't really scary but it got me good back then!

More recent, I don't know what it would take to put fright in me anymore, but the best one I have seen in many years is The Wailing by Na Hong-jin. The plot and pace was great and I can't imagine anyone actually guessing where it's going. Also it left me mildly upset and uncomfortable and melancholy in that way that horror from Korea seems to be great at doing.

[Reign]

I lovelovelove scary movies and being scared and all of that. Trying to think of ones that genuinely scared the crap out of me and weren't just pop scares...

Barbarian comes to mind as a recent film that scared the heck out of me. Smile was also another recent one. Train to Busan, The Strangers, The Descent, The VVitch, and The Shining probably round out my top faves.

[Royal]

Seeing Stephen King based films has me recalling Storm of the Century. I still remember the whole "Give me what I want and I'll go away." bit. It's been so long since I've seen it and I barely remember what happened beyond the conclusion.. I'll have to revisit it sometime.

I'd honestly like to see a new Fatal Frame movie. The camera obscura is a cool concept.

[Marissa]

Hi! Interesting question!

I'm one of the oldsters here, so most of the scary movies I've seen are pretty old (and tame), compared to more recent films. Personally, I like a scary movie with a good story, so I rarely watch anything that's just made to scare the bejeebers out of me.

Vampires, werewolves, and zombies don't really scare me. Ghosts and haunted house movies are fun. I like gothic horror, but don't really find it scary.

Almost anything by Stephen King is creepy. Clowns, dolls, creepy kids, and exorcisms freak me out. I've never seen The Exorcist all the way through and probably never will. I hate slasher films and do my best to avoid them.

Poltergeist, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Rosemary's Baby (the book is better), Alien, 30 Days of Night, and Crimson Peak are all favorites. Carrie scared the crap out of me as a teenager and was one of the first scary movies I saw at the theater.

But to answer the original question, I'd have to say Texas Chainsaw Massacre - the original. Saw it at the drive-in as a teenager because a former boyfriend insisted he had to see it. Once was enough for me. Never again. Possibly why I hate slasher films so much!

And I have probably now dated myself.

[Royal]

I wouldn't say I hate slasher films but they don't pull my interest the same as paranormal horror. There's something about the unknown that grabs me more. I watched slashers a lot more as a teenager so maybe I burnt myself out on them lol.

[Josette Wheeler]

Paranormal horror definitely scares me the most. Anything Stephen King has done completely freaked me out. ‘The Stand!’ Also, I don’t know if this counts as a scary movie, but one of the scariest and most disturbing scenes I sat through and stayed with me that I can remember was in ‘War of The Worlds.’(2005) The scene where Tom Cruise’s character is trying to get his daughter out of a van before all hell breaks loose and the scene in the basement with Tim Robbins really scared me.

[Mesteno]

Paranormal horror definitely scares me the most. Anything Stephen King has done completely freaked me out. ‘The Stand!’ Also, I don’t know if this counts as a scary movie, but one of the scariest and most disturbing scenes I sat through and stayed with me that I can remember was in ‘War of The Worlds.’(2005) The scene where Tom Cruise’s character is trying to get his daughter out of a van before all hell breaks loose and the scene in the basement with Tim Robbins really scared me.

'War of the Worlds' had some amazing scenes. That whole section with the ferry they were trying to reach when the Tripods appeared over the hill, and the utter panic it caused were top notch.

[Royal]

I can only imagine what the sound of the Tripods would've been like to experience in a movie theater. The way it booms and vibrates would've probably shook through the body.