Top 5 Scariest Movies

Movie viewers may use several criteria to identify the scariest movies. They may cause you to jump in your seat, cover your eyes or keep you from sleeping afterwards. The best scary movies accomplish these feats in a unique way. Additional features common to many scary movies are a large number of sequels and imitators.

The Exorcist

The Exorcist is a supernatural horror film made in 1973 and directed by William Friedkin. It is a film adaptation of the novel with the same name by William Peter Blatty, which is loosely based on actual events. The Exorcist was the first horror film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

The primary feature that makes The Exorcist so scary is the premise of a 12-year-old being possessed by a demon. Her transformation over the course of the film relies on special effects that were unusually graphic at the time. This film was re-released in 1998 with enhanced special effects and restored footage that makes it even scarier.

Poltergeist

The 1982 supernatural thriller Poltergeist was written and produced by Steven Spielberg. The credited director is Tobe Hooper, but critics generally agree that Spielberg was the de facto director of this film.

The film features involves a suburban family that begins to experience some unusual events. They are initially harmless and even amusing, but soon become more menacing when the five-year-old daughter in the family disappears. The audience is frequently startled when a scene of ordinary life suddenly becomes terrifying.

The Omen

The original 1976 version of The Omen is often considered the best film from that year and one of the best horror films ever made. The chilling theme is unforgettable to anyone who has seen the film, and won Jerry Goldsmith the Academy Award for Best Original Score.

The basic premise of this film is a six-year-old boy who is the son of the Devil. The boy himself is harmless, but his enemies meet with extremely gruesome deaths. The graphic scene of a nanny hanging herself at a children’s birthday party is especially disturbing.

Alien

Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film that spawned three direct sequels and several other films within the same franchise. Director Ridley Scott used much older actors than was typical for horror films at the time, which provides the film with an unusual amount of texture.

The horror in Alien comes from the fact that the characters are on a spaceship and are therefore unable to escape. No one who sees the film will forget the scene of the baby alien bursting out of Kane’s chest.

Jaws

This 1975 thriller was the second feature film directed by Steven Spielberg. It won three Academy Awards and is often considered the greatest film of all time.

The monster in Jaws is a great white shark, an animal that actually exists. The mechanical sharks often malfunctioned, requiring Spielberg to greatly reduce the shark’s screen time. He accomplishes this to great effect with a minimalist approach that is often compared to the work of Alfred Hitchcock.