Expert Study Declares The 10 Scariest Movies Ever

Orlando Sentinel - As Halloween nears, scary movie-viewing tends to increase. In fact, a recent study by Gigacalculator.com found that searches for “horror films” are up 2,750 percent this year, based on an Oct. 13 Google Trends analysis.

Inspired by these Google searches, Gigacalculator.com — which provides online calculators to help solve various tasks — wanted to determine the scariest horror movie, the one that gets pulses racing the most.

The company first invited 2,542 horror film fans to name the 10 scariest movies of all time. From the survey results, they selected the top 10 films and then asked 150 volunteers to wear a heart rate tracker while watching each of these flicks for the first time. Gigacalculator.com analyzed this data to determine which films increased participants’ heart rates the most, using a normal resting heart rate between 60-100 BPM as the baseline.

The results:

• “Hereditary” was the scariest film, with participants having an average of 115 BPM.
• “Saw” follows closely behind with an average of 113 BPM. Participants described the torture scenes as “harrowing” and “disturbing.”
• “The Babadook” averaged 110 BPM, followed by “Insidious” at 108 BPM, “A Quiet Place” at 106 BPM, “The Descent” at 103 BPM, “Us” at 100 BPM, “It” at 99 BPM and “The Conjuring 2” at 97 BPM.
• Rounding out the top 10 was the 1973 classic “The Exorcist,” with an average of 96 BPM.

Not gonna lie. I've never seen Hereditary. So I looked up the trailer and after watching it I can say I have no desire to.

Fuck that shit.

Same goes for The Babadook. Had never even heard of this one. Didn't even finish the trailer.

I'm on the record as admitting I am terrified of real life possibilities - getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, left in the middle of the ocean, kidnapped by mountain men and raped and murdered while a banjo plays. Stuff like that. 

The same goes for demonic possession. 

I am way the fuck out on when it comes to that too. 

Scoff if you want but that shit is 100% real and I don't even want it crossing my mind. 

I saw The Conjuring back when it came out and I'm pretty sure it scarred me for life. Great movie, but terrifying. And a true story. 

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But why do we like these frightening flicks that make our hearts flutter? Gigacalculator.com turned to psychologist and wellbeing expert Lee Chambers for answers.

“First, it’s a form of entertainment. Our desire to seek sensations and avoid boredom draw us to a type of movie where something gruesome could happen any minute,” he said in a press release.

Chambers also noted that watching from our homes provides comfort.

“You can be terrified but still be safe, you can even hide behind the sofa if it’s too much,” he said. “This emotional regulation activation is powerful, and it allows us to test our fear and anxiety in a controlled environment.”

Lastly, Chambers describes scary movies as powerful mindfulness devices.

“You’re unlikely to be worrying about anything else while watching one, and they are a distraction from the monotony of everyday life, creating a novel experience,” he said. “They are also a tense experience, and we are able to psychologically distance ourselves as we know it is not reality, which gives us the shock sensation without the disgust.”

And with all the craziness of 2020, horror movies might be the escape from reality we all need.

The Chainsaw Massacres and Friday The 13th slasher stuff is great for the jump scares and surprises and all but those don't really mess with your head the way the Insidious, It, and The Exorcist's do. So without having seen two of these top ten I'm going to say this is a pretty damn good list. 

If they left anything out drop them below.