A Glean movie guide
Pure Dread: Horror Without the Jumpscares
Fear that stays with you.
Masterpieces of atmosphere and psychological tension that linger long after the credits.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Witch
A masterclass in period-accurate dread and the slow, chilling erosion of a family’s sanity.
In 1630, a farmer relocates his family to a remote plot of land on the edge of a forest where strange, unsettling things happen. With suspicion and paranoia mounting, each family member's faith, loyalty and love are tested in shocking ways.
- 02
The Shining
Kubrick’s legendary descent into madness relies on unsettling imagery and a lingering sense of psychological decay.
Jack Torrance accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren't prepared for the madness that lurks within.
- 03
Pulse
An existential nightmare that uses uncanny, slow-moving figures to create a profound and inescapable sense of doom.
In the immense city of Tokyo, the darkness of the afterlife lures some of its inhabitants who are desperately trying to escape the sadness and isolation of the modern world.
- 04
Cure
A chilling psychological thriller that builds an oppressive atmosphere through long, static shots and quiet menace.
A detective starts spiraling out of control when a wave of gruesome murders with seemingly similar bizarre circumstances is sweeping Tokyo.
- 05
The Blair Witch Project
This found-footage pioneer proves that what you don't see is far more terrifying than any visual effect.
In October of 1994 three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary. A year later their footage was found.
- 06
The Lighthouse
A claustrophobic and surreal descent into madness fueled by isolation and a haunting, dissonant score.
Two lighthouse keepers try to maintain their sanity while living on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.
- 07
Midsommar
A rare 'daylight horror' that uses bright, floral aesthetics to mask a deeply disturbing and visceral pagan ritual.
Several friends travel to Sweden to study as anthropologists a summer festival that is held every ninety years in the remote hometown of one of them. What begins as a dream vacation in a place where the sun never sets, gradually turns into a dark nightmare as the mysterious inhabitants invite them to participate in their disturbing festive activities.
- 08
Session 9
The real-life decay of an abandoned asylum provides a haunting backdrop for this audio-driven tension builder.
Tensions rise within an asbestos cleaning crew as they work in an abandoned mental hospital with a horrific past that seems to be coming back.
- 09
The Wailing
An epic, slow-burn investigation that masterfully weaves cultural folklore into a web of supernatural chaos.
A stranger arrives in a little village and soon after a mysterious sickness starts spreading. A policeman is drawn into the incident and is forced to solve the mystery in order to save his daughter.
- 10
Saint Maud
A sharp, internal character study that escalates into a disturbing climax of religious fervor and obsession.
Having recently found God, self-effacing young nurse Maud arrives at a plush home to care for Amanda, a hedonistic dancer left frail from a chronic illness. When a chance encounter with a former colleague throws up hints of a dark past, it becomes clear there is more to sweet Maud than meets the eye.
- 11
It Follows
Paranoia takes center stage as a relentless, slow-moving entity creates a constant feeling of being hunted.
A young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter.
- 12
The House of the Devil
A deliberate throwback that prioritizes the agonizing suspense of being watched over immediate, cheap thrills.
A young college student who’s struggling financially takes a strange babysitting job which coincides with a full lunar eclipse. She slowly realizes her clients harbor a terrifying secret, putting her life in mortal danger.