A Glean movie guide
The Scariest Movies Ever Made
Not for the faint of heart.
From timeless classics to modern nightmares, these films are guaranteed to keep you up.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Hereditary
A masterclass in building unbearable dread through family tragedy and occult mystery.
Following the death of the Leigh family matriarch, Annie and her children uncover disturbing secrets about their heritage. Their daily lives are not only impacted, but they also become entangled in a chilling fate from which they cannot escape, driving them to the brink of madness.
- 02
The Exorcist
Decades later, this remains the definitive and most visceral depiction of demonic possession.
When a mysterious entity possesses a young girl, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.
- 03
The Conjuring
A perfectly executed haunted house story that masters the art of the sustained jump scare.
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.
- 04
Sinister
This dark investigation into cursed home movies features some of the most unsettling imagery in modern horror.
True-crime writer Ellison Oswalt is in a slump; he hasn't had a best seller in more than 10 years and is becoming increasingly desperate for a hit. So, when he discovers the existence of a snuff film showing the deaths of a family, he vows to solve the mystery. He moves his own family into the victims' home and gets to work. However, when old film footage and other clues hint at the presence of a supernatural force, Ellison learns that living in the house may be fatal.
- 05
Talk to Me
A high-tension supernatural thriller that uses practical effects to deliver a truly aggressive experience.
When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.
- 06
The Descent
An intense survival horror that weaponizes claustrophobia before unleashing a relentless creature threat.
After a personal tragedy, Sarah joins her friends on a caving expedition in the Appalachian Mountains. But when a rockfall traps them deep underground, their adventure turns into a nightmare. As they search for a way out, the group discovers they are not alone—lurking in the darkness are savage, cave-dwelling creatures. With rising tension and dwindling trust, the women must fight to survive against both the predators and each other.
- 07
The Shining
Stanley Kubrick’s atmospheric masterpiece creates a pervasive sense of isolation and psychological collapse.
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.
- 08
Barbarian
A wildly unpredictable ride that shifts from subtle suspense to visceral, basement-dwelling terror.
In town for a job interview, a young woman arrives at her Airbnb late at night only to find that it has been mistakenly double-booked and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgement, she decides to stay the night anyway.
- 09
Smile
This psychological nightmare uses disturbing visuals and high-impact scares to keep you constantly on edge.
After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can't explain.
- 10
Alien
A masterclass in pacing that transforms a sci-fi mission into a terrifying, claustrophobic game of hide-and-seek.
During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.