The Scariest Movies of All Time, According to Science

If you’re looking for the ultimate horror movie to make your heart race this Halloween, science has the answer. The Science of Scare Project has released its 2025 list of the Scariest Movies According to Science, using data from viewers’ heart rates to determine which films were the most terrifying.

How They Measured Fear

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Participants were hooked up to heart monitors while watching some of the most popular horror films of the past two decades. Researchers then analyzed how often and how intensely viewers’ heart rates spiked during each movie. The results reveal which films are not just spooky—but scientifically proven to be pulse-pounding.

The Full Top 10 Scariest Movies

Heart monitors reveal which films truly get pulses racing.

10.) Talk to Me (2022)

A group of teens discovers an embalmed hand that allows them to communicate with spirits. But when they take the ritual too far, the line between the living and the dead blurs in terrifying ways.

9.) The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

Inspired by true events, this film tells the story of a priest on trial after a failed exorcism leads to a young woman’s death. It’s part courtroom drama, part demonic horror, and entirely chilling.

8.) Smile (2022)

A therapist begins seeing disturbing hallucinations after witnessing a patient’s suicide. The creepy, smiling faces that follow her are only the beginning of a haunting curse.

7.) Smile 2 (2024)

The sequel to the hit 2022 film, Smile 2 expands on the cursed entity that feeds on trauma and fear, delivering more psychological scares and unsettling tension.

6.) Hereditary (2018)

After the death of their secretive grandmother, a family begins to unravel terrifying secrets about their ancestry. Hereditary blends grief and horror into one of the most disturbing family dramas ever made.

5.) The Conjuring (2013)

Based on the real-life cases of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, The Conjuring follows a family tormented by a dark spirit in their farmhouse. It’s a classic haunted-house story that revitalized modern horror.

4.) Insidious (2010)

A family tries to rescue their son after he slips into a mysterious coma and becomes trapped in a dark, ghostly dimension known as “The Further.” Insidious mixes jump scares with deep psychological horror.

3.) Skinamarink (2022)

This experimental horror film captures childhood fears through unsettling imagery and distorted sound. Two children wake up to find their father missing and the doors and windows of their home mysteriously gone. It’s a nightmare come to life.

2.) Host (2020)

Filmed entirely over Zoom during the pandemic, Host follows a group of friends who hold an online séance—only to accidentally summon something truly evil. Its realistic format and short runtime make it feel all too real.

1.) Sinister (2012)

A true-crime writer moves his family into a home where a horrific murder took place, only to discover a box of old home movies that reveal a disturbing supernatural presence. With its eerie soundtrack and shocking visuals, Sinister builds tension from start to finish.

So, if you’re ready to test your nerves, start at the top of this list—but don’t be surprised if your heart skips a beat or two.