Trainspotting bedroom scene-1
The horror genre used to be great but it has died out a lot lately. Surprisingly, some non-horror movies seem to feel much more terrifying than the majority of modern horror movies nowadays. I'm going to count down the 10 movies which I feel are the most terrifying. You may disagree on some but remember that this is just my opinion. If you think I missed one then feel free to leave it in the comments. Anyways, enjoy my list.
10. 127 Hours (2010)
This movie is based on the true story of Aron Ralston who got his arm stuck under a rock while mountain climbing. The hallucinations he experiences are frightening but the most infamous scene is when he cut his arm off. It's quite a gory scene which left many people in the theater disgusted. This movie is made even more terrifying since the events portrayed in it actually happened.
9. Trainspotting (1996)
What this film is most famous for is its depiction of heroin and how difficult it is to quit it. It shows the highs of smoking but it isn't afraid to show the absolute lows. It's most famous scene is when a baby dies as a result of neglect. Then subsequent hallucinations show it crawling on the ceiling and doing an Exorcist style 360 head spin which gives us the shock of our lives.
8. Inland Empire (2006)
David Lynch is known for his disturbing and strange films. Inland Empire is a great example of it. After an actress starts to adopt the persona of a character in a film, she begins to dwell into madness. This is a brilliant psychological thriller where the character has mood swings where she dips in and out of sanity. It seems to be comprehensible a bit at a time before it dips into nightmarish sequences.
7. Mulholland Drive (2001)
Like much of Lynch's work, this is a non-linear tale that is ultimately left to the viewer to interpret. As Naomi Watts' character loses her mind, so does the audience. It is really unnerving how Lynch can toy with the viewer's mind. It's something which is hard to put into words and it really is frightening. Plus, it has one of the scariest jump scares ever which I will include in this list.
6. American History X (1998)
This is a movie which deals with concepts such as racism, murder, rape, and hate crimes. It's about an older brother who tries to save his younger brother from going down the same path that he did. What makes it so terrifying is its portrayal of hate crimes. It displays it so well and it is guaranteed to move everyone. Also, its ending is real tragic and it's really hard to watch.
5. Watership Down (1978)
It's surprising that an animated movie about bunnies would make it very high onto this list. In it, it showed the animals fighting each other. In those fights, it showed blood being shed in those fights and dead corpses covered in blood. It scared many kids for years. Many people think that this wasn't really meant for kids due to its graphic instances of violence. It's also very surprising that this film is rated only "PG".
4. Se7en (1995)
This movie is about 2 detectives who search for a killer who kills people in ways based on the seven deadly sins. The ways he kills people are disturbingly realistic. The most infamous scene is the victim of sloth when we find out that the victim is still alive and we get the jumpscare of our lives. It is a very disturbing film which leaves everyone who watches it beyond disgusted.
3. Irreversible (2002)
Irreversible is by far the most controversial film on this list. It's about 2 men who seek revenge on the culprits of a sexual assault. The most infamous scene in this is the sexual assault scene. To call it violent would be a massive understatement on my part. It is so shockingly violent that it's almost impossible to watch it. That such horrors are all too real which make it hit harder than any other horror film. It's all too relevant.
2. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Sometimes, the most realistic films are the most powerful. This movie details the lives of 4 people whose lives are ruined as a result of drugs. Many scenes in this are disturbing. Those scenes include disturbing hallucinations, the fridge coming to life, an arm slowly withering away as a result of drug use, and a woman forced to parade her body. The most terrifying part about it though is that things like this happen every day. This is by far the most powerful anti-drug film ever made.
1. Come and See (1985)
This movie is about a boy who finds an old rifle and uses it to joins WW2. He then experiences the horrors of war. This movie has some of the most powerful massacre scenes ever put to screen. The most famous one is the scene when the Germans burn down a church with many Jews trapped inside it. Also, I have never seen the subject of women being raped done more powerful. In cinema, rape is often portrayed as something that looks like rough sex. In Come and See, rape is shown as nothing but pure, unadulterated, hate-fueled violence. Unlike other raped women on film, you cannot imagine those in Come and See ever healing from their scars. But the fact that a young cast is experiencing this is what makes it so powerful as an anti-war film. It is by far the most terrifying non-horror film ever made. Also, just to clarify - this is not Russian propaganda.