20 Horror Movies That Gave Us Nightmares
From demonic possessions to vengeful spirits, these 20 horror movies don't just scare you—they invade your dreams and leave you sleeping with the lights on.
- Alyana Aguja
- 6 min read
Horror movies possess an eerie quality that haunts us long after the credits roll, making shadows into monsters and quiet nights into sleepless ordeals. From The Exorcist to the modern nightmare Hereditary, these 20 films surpass scares, crawling into your mind and staying there. If you are brave enough to relive the terror, remember: once you see them, you can’t unsee them.
1. The Exorcist (1973)
Warner Bros. from Wikipedia
Regan MacNeil’s demonic possession made sleepless nights for audiences and existential crises for priests. From the spider-walk to spinning heads and guttural voices, this movie terrified the world and made exorcisms a pop-culture phenomenon. Its horrifying realism is why many still call it the scariest movie ever made.
2. Hereditary (2018)
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Ari Aster’s unsettling family drama delivers unrelenting, emotionally disturbing, and spine-chilling tension. The iconic “cluck” sound, a decapitation that leaves you breathless, and Toni Collette’s gut-wrenching performance will make you clutch your blankets. It’s not just about terror—it’s a deep dive into grief that leaves your soul rattled.
3. The Shining (1980)
Warner Bros. Inc. from Wikipedia
Jack Nicholson’s descent into madness is horror gold, fed by Stanley Kubrick’s iconic visuals. The haunted Overlook Hotel, its creepy twins, and the “Here’s Johnny!” scene sear into your nightmares. This is psychological horror at its best, blending isolation, insanity, and ghosts in one disturbing package.
4. The Ring (2002)
DreamWorks Pictures from Wikipedia
A cursed videotape that killed its viewers within seven days made VHS tapes an object of fear. Samara crawling out of the television is one of horror cinema’s most iconic and frightening images. If you hear a phone ring after this, good luck sleeping.
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
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Sleep turned deadly with Freddy Krueger as he invaded dreams with his bladed glove and burnt visage. Wes Craven gave us a villain who punished teenagers in the most creatively grotesque ways. Because Freddy is waiting, you won’t be able to close your eyes after watching
6. Paranormal Activity (2007)
Paramount Pictures from Wikipedia
This found-footage hit made even the subtlest nighttime creaks feel like impending doom. It felt too real by relying on realism and slow, creeping dread instead of jump scares. Audiences everywhere kept the lights on for weeks and peeked cautiously under beds.
7. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Wikiphotos from Wikipedia
Gritty, raw, and unrelentingly horrifying, Leatherface and his chainsaw revolutionized slasher films. Tobe Hooper’s grim masterpiece feels like a nightmare in the barren Texas heat. Its unnerving tone and unfiltered brutality leave a mark long after the screen goes black.
8. It Follows (2014)
Wikiphotos from Wikipedia
Imagine being followed by a shape-shifting entity that no one can see unless you pass the curse. David Robert Mitchell turned this premise into one of this century’s most original horror films. Minimal scores and paranoia-inducing visuals leave you looking over your shoulder.
9. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
MP Awards from Wikipedia
This found-footage pioneer convinced audiences it was real. Fear builds with every eerie sound and cryptic symbol as the three filmmakers become hopelessly lost in the woods. The terrifyingly ambiguous ending still chills down spines—nothing is scarier than the unseen.
10. Insidious (2010)
IMP Awards from Wikipedia
Anyone can have nightmares from this movie, known for its good jump scares, unnerving visualizations, and astral projection of horror. It frightens not only haunted houses but even our dreams.
11. Halloween (1978)
Wikiphotos from Wikipedia
Michael Myers’ blank mask and silent stalking redefined slasher horror. John Carpenter’s eerie score still haunts audiences, heightening the dread with every slow step. Laurie Strode’s survival against The Shape became legendary—and so did Michael’s chilling ability to keep coming back.
12. The Babadook (2014)
Wikiphotos from Wikipedia
This is a chilling Australian horror that intertwines grief and motherhood. The dark Mister Babadook, clad in a top hat, invades not just a home but the characters’ minds and the viewers. It’s a horror that goes deep psychologically and unsettles for days.
13. The Conjuring (2013)
Wikiphotos from Wikipedia
Based on the real-life cases of Ed and Lorraine Warren, this film delivers relentless scares. The eerie claps, ghostly apparitions, and the demonic Annabelle doll make every shadow feel alive. James Wan’s direction keeps your heart racing, and the Perron family’s suffering feels uncomfortably honest.
14. Alien (1979)
Imp Awards from Wikipedia
“In space, no one can hear you scream,"—but we sure heard ourselves scream watching this. The Xenomorph’s grotesque design, claustrophobic corridors, and sheer unpredictability made sci-fi horror legendary. That chest-burster scene alone guaranteed no one finished their popcorn.
15. Sinister (2012)
IMP Awards from Wikipedia
Super Eight home videos are the unlikely stars of one of the darkest horror movies in recent memory. Watching each disturbing film, with families meeting unspeakable ends, is like a punishment you can’t look away from. The malevolent spirit Bughuul sticks with you—whether you like it or not.
16. Jaws (1975)
Roger Kastel from Wikipedia
Steven Spielberg made people afraid of the water for decades. Its simple yet terrifying score and massive shark attacks redefined fear of the unknown lurking beneath the waves. Even today, the suspense makes you second-guess that beach vacation.
17. The Witch (2015)
Wikiphotos from Wikipedia
Set in 1630s New England, this slow-burn horror dives deep into isolation, paranoia, and satanic terror. Anya Taylor-Joy shines as a girl struggling with her family’s unraveling sanity, while Black Phillip becomes one of horror’s most unsettling symbols. It’s an atmospheric nightmare of dread and despair.
18. Poltergeist (1982)
IMP Awards from Wikipedia
“They’re here…” The ominous words, accompanied by a demon-possessed TV, haunted clown dolls, and skeletons, provided the unending fear to ’80s audiences. This is both whimsical and horrifying—more or less a perfect mixture of family trauma and supernatural terror.
19. Midsommar (2019)
A24 from Wikipedia
Ari Aster strikes again, transforming daylight into pure terror. A disturbing pagan festival hides horrors in plain sight, from brutal rituals to mental unraveling. With its unnervingly bright visuals and visceral violence, Midsommar proves horror isn’t always in the dark.
20. The Grudge (2004)
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This western remake of a Japanese classic brought Ju-On’s curse into Western territories. The emaciated crawling ghost Kayako and the deathly whispering scream put too much fear into people so they wouldn’t lift covers or check inside dark alleys. Nothing can keep the curse once it grabs you from that moment on–not even in your dreams.