10 Terrifying Horror Movies You'd Have To Be Very Brave To Watch Alone

Horror movies have been a staple of the film industry for decades, shocking and exciting audiences in ways you won't find in any other genre. It's a broad category, covering everything from ghosts and ghouls to folklore and even fears grounded in reality. Horror movies remain as relevant as ever. 2026 has already been an unforgettable year for the genre, with releases such as Hokum, Scream 7, and Other Mommy. Movies in the horror genre can also be surprisingly tricky to recommend because each viewer finds something different frightening. For example, The Exorcist is widely regarded as one of the best horror movies of all time. However, if you find possession stories dull, it will likely fail to impress, regardless of its accolades. Similarly, movies about clowns or serial killers will terrify some audiences, but not others. Jump scares are a staple of the genre, though often the sudden loud noise does the work, regardless of what's shown on screen. 10 Event Horizon (1997) Image via MovieStillsDB Event Horizon was critically panned when it premiered in the 90s, though it arguably holds cult classic status today. Miller (Lawrence Fishburne) is the captain of the Lewis & Clark spacecraft, and his crew has just been sent on a classified mission with Dr. Weir (Sam Neill) along for the ride. The Event Horizon is actually a spaceship. It uses experimental technology for faster-than-light travel and disappeared for seven years. The ship reappears, and Miller is sent to investigate, though it's immediately clear something terrible happened on board. Miller's crew become stranded on the Event Horizon, and the ship seems to react to their presence. It assaults the crew with disturbing visions, which only escalate the longer they stay. Event Horizon is a chilling sci-fi movie full of scary imagery and body horror, and it has aged remarkably well. 9 The Autopsy Of Jane Doe (2016) The Autopsy of Jane Doe is an ominous supernatural horror thriller set in an isolated autopsy room. Tommy (Brian Cox) and Austin (Emile Hirsch) are a father-son duo, and a woman's body has just arrived. A storm is raging outside, so the pair use their time to begin an examination. The officer who brought Jane Doe's (Olwen Kelly) body in explains she was found in a house where a massacre occurred. However, despite the grim scene, Tommy and Austin realize the condition of the body doesn't match what supposedly happened. The duo makes several discoveries that don't make sense, and a mystery begins to unfold as their subject is quite unlike anyone they've seen before. The Autopsy of Jane Doe is a horror movie that's more effective the less you know going in. Our description is deliberately vague to avoid spoilers, but Jane Doe has more to her than meets the eye. 8 Wolf Creek (2005) Wolf Creek plays on a more grounded type of fear than many movies on this list, making it particularly effective if you're numb to paranormal scares. Three hikers are on holiday in the Australian Outback and encounter a group of unsavory locals at a rest stop. They continue their trip, but disaster strikes in a secluded area of the outback when their car breaks down. One of the locals arrives and offers them a lift, but has a far more sinister motive, turning their holiday into an unthinkable nightmare. Wolf Creek is a brutal horror movie playing on fears of getting stranded in an unknown area. Mick (John Jarratt) is a brilliantly sadistic, vile antagonist and genuinely scary once audiences realize what he's capable of. 7 Hell House LLC (2015) Hell House LLC is a terrifying movie, particularly for audiences afraid of clowns. The film is shot in a faux-documentary style and tells the story of a doomed group of friends who open a haunted house attraction in the abandoned Abaddon Hotel. The group is keen at first, as an abandoned hotel is the ideal setting for such an attraction. However, they quickly experience unexplained phenomena that only escalate the longer they stay. Some of those occurrences feature a particularly scary clown mannequin that seems to be able to move around the hotel. The intensity of the scares in Hell House LLC largely depends on how susceptible you are to the faux-documentary presentation. If the movie terrifies you, the sequels greatly expand the lore of the Abaddon Hotel. 6 The Tunnel (2011) The Tunnel is a shocking found-footage horror set in abandoned train tunnels beneath Sydney. Natasha (Bel Deliá) is a journalist desperate for a big break. She sneaks into the tunnels with her crew to run a story on missing homeless people, where she suspects the authorities are hiding something. The tunnels are pitch-black and claustrophobic, making the area incredibly dangerous if the team's lights fail. Their fears are realized when Tangles (Luke Arnold), the mic operator, suddenly goes missing. The crew venture deeper into the tunnels to find their friend but soon realize someone, or something, is down there with them. Tunnels underneath a city are a great setting for a horror movie, as the environment is ominous and scary even without external threats. Natasha and her crew are also believable in The Tunnel, as circumstances start to create rifts among the group. 5 Hereditary (2018) Hereditary is more of a slow-burning horror than some other movies on this list, with some particularly chilling scenes as a dysfunctional family falls apart. It's a bleak movie, with a wild, jaw-dropping finale that can shock even horror veterans into silence. The Graham family is mourning the loss of a family member. Steve (Gabriel Byrne), Annie (Toni Collette), and their son Peter (Alex Wolff) each cope with their trauma in their own way. Annie turns to the supernatural, but may have unknowingly unleashed something demonic on her already exhausted family. Hereditary is a heavy movie at times, with some high-budget scares and horrifying imagery. The movie relies less on jump scares, and the slow build-up is arguably more effective at making the audience uneasy, even after the credits. 4 Grave Encounters (2011) Grave Encounters is an intense found footage horror set in an abandoned asylum. Lance Preston (Sean Rogerson) stars in a paranormal investigation show called Grave Encounters. However, an episode filmed in the Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital would end up being their last. Lance and his crew intend to stay in the hospital overnight, and even ask the caretaker to lock them inside until morning. The crew is open about faking scares for cheap thrills, at least, until they experience some genuine paranormal phenomena. That paranormal activity only escalates as the Grave Encounters crew becomes hopelessly lost in a building that seems to be toying with them. The ghostly scares are genuinely frightening, and the movie boasts one particularly effective shock moment as they try to escape that I won't spoil here. 3 The Ritual (2017) The Ritual is another slower-paced movie on this list, with an incredible payoff in the second half as it delves into folklore horror. A group of friends plans a hiking trip in Sweden to honor a friend who recently died. The group reaches their destination but becomes hopelessly lost when they try a shortcut through dense forest on the way back. They seek shelter in a secluded cabin in the heavy rain, but it's immediately clear that something is very wrong inside. Some of the group suffer terrifying nightmares during their stay. They also find occult paraphernalia and unexplained occurrences outside as they try to find a way out of the forest. The Ritual is wonderfully atmospheric, and the group dynamic feels believable, as their friend's death affects them all differently. 2 The Descent (2005) The Descent tells a nightmarish story about a group of friends who become trapped during a caving expedition. Juno (Natalie Mendoza) leads the expedition, but a sudden cave-in seals the entrance, leaving them hopelessly lost underground. Even worse, nobody is coming to help. Fortunately, Juno and her friends came prepared, and they have ropes, lights, and the right equipment for the environment. The group stumbles across ancient climbing gear, suggesting others had attempted their climbing route before. However, events take a terrifying turn when they encounter creatures living in the caves, adept at hunting in the dark. The creatures in The Descent are scary and grotesque, but they are only one element that makes the movie so frightening. The group dynamic is believable, and the film doesn't shy away from some particularly graphic injury detail. 1 Sinister (2012) Sinister is a shocking psychological horror movie starring Ethan Hawke as Ellison Oswalt. He's a true-crime writer who moves into a home with a dark past to help with his work, even if his family is unaware. Oswalt finds a box of old films in the attic and discovers they are snuff movies, showing grim and often elaborate murder scenes from years ago. The films may also have links to the occult and a disturbing entity known as Bughuul. The movies show unspeakable acts performed at the home, and the situation becomes far more terrifying when unexplained phenomena begin to occur. The murder films in Sinister are terrifying in their own right, and the supernatural element makes them even scarier. Baghuul is intimidating, and Sinister 2 explores the character more thoroughly.