A Glean movie guide
Beyond the Rating: Scariest PG-13 Horror
High stakes, zero gore.
Proof that you don't need an R rating to deliver genuine chills and relentless tension.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Ring
A masterclass in psychological dread that proves unsettling imagery is more effective than graphic gore.
Rachel Keller is a journalist investigating a videotape that may have killed four teenagers. There is an urban legend about this tape: the viewer will die seven days after watching it. Rachel tracks down the video... and watches it. Now she has just seven days to unravel the mystery of the Ring so she can save herself and her son.
- 02
Insidious
Renowned for its aggressive sound design and some of the most effective jump scares in modern horror.
A family discovers that dark spirits have invaded their home after their son inexplicably falls into an endless sleep. When they reach out to a professional for help, they learn things are a lot more personal than they thought.
- 03
A Quiet Place
A high-tension survival thriller that uses silence to make every small sound feel like a death sentence.
A family is forced to live in silence while hiding from creatures that hunt by sound.
- 04
The Others
A chilling gothic ghost story that relies entirely on atmosphere and a mounting sense of psychological unease.
Grace is a religious woman who lives in an old house kept dark because her two children, Anne and Nicholas, have a rare sensitivity to light. When the family begins to suspect the house is haunted, Grace fights to protect her children at any cost in the face of strange events and disturbing visions.
- 05
Ouija: Origin of Evil
A rare sequel that surpasses the original by focusing on character-driven terror and unsettling visuals.
In 1967 Los Angeles, a widowed mother and her two daughters add a new stunt to bolster their séance scam business and unwittingly invite authentic evil into their home. When the youngest daughter is overtaken by the merciless spirit, this small family confronts unthinkable fears to save her and send her possessor back to the other side.
- 06
1408
An intense, surreal descent into madness that weaponizes psychological horror within a single hotel room.
A man who specializes in debunking paranormal occurrences checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel. Soon after settling in, he confronts genuine terror.
- 07
Under the Shadow
A claustrophobic nightmare that uses supernatural dread to mirror the real-world trauma of wartime Tehran.
After Shideh's building is hit by a missile during the Iran-Iraq War, a superstitious neighbor suggests that the missile was cursed and might be carrying malevolent Middle-Eastern spirits. She becomes convinced a supernatural force within the building is attempting to possess her daughter Dorsa, and she has no choice but to confront these forces if she is to save her daughter and herself.
- 08
The Grudge
Brings the terrifying tropes of J-horror to a wider audience with its pale, contorted figures and eerie sounds.
An American nurse living and working in Tokyo is exposed to a mysterious supernatural curse, one that locks a person in a powerful rage before claiming their life and spreading to another victim.
- 09
Lights Out
A relentless horror film that preys on the universal fear of the dark with frequent, high-energy scares.
Rebecca must unlock the terror behind her little brother's experiences that once tested her sanity, bringing her face to face with a supernatural spirit attached to their mother.
- 10
The Sixth Sense
A landmark supernatural drama that balances emotional weight with genuinely frightening ghost encounters.
Following an unexpected tragedy, child psychologist Malcolm Crowe meets a nine year old boy named Cole Sear, who is hiding a dark secret.
- 11
Signs
Builds incredible suspense by focusing on the 'unseen' threat lurking just outside the frame.
A family living on a farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields which suggests something more frightening to come.
- 12
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
A disturbing take on the possession subgenre that uses physical performances to create lasting chills.
When a younger girl called Emily Rose dies, everyone puts blame on the exorcism which was performed on her by Father Moore prior to her death. The priest is arrested on suspicion of murder. The trial begins with lawyer Erin Bruner representing Moore, but it is not going to be easy, as no one wants to believe what Father Moore says is true.