Screenshot: YouTube
There are the horror movies that networks show every year around Halloween, and then there are the ones that you only find out about by word of mouth or doing research. These are the movies that aren’t for casual fans or those just looking for some jump scares. These are truly horrifying movies that leave you dwelling on them for days after they’re over. Here are 14 horror movies that might be too terrifying for you to finish.
14 Horror Movies Too Terrifying To Finish
1. The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)
You’re not going to find this one on Netflix or at RedBox, but you can find the whole film on YouTube, which almost makes the faux documentary even creepier. The low budget vibe works so well because it makes the found footage and interviews about this horrific killer feel even more realistic.
2. Martyrs (2008)
There might not be a movie on this list that’s more brutal and relentless than Martyrs. From the moment it begins, you quickly realize that no one is safe and the lucky ones get to die quickly instead of being slowly and methodically tortured to death.
3. Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
Before The Blair Witch Project, Cannibal Holocaust was the found footage film that stirred up an incredible amount of controversy. Animals were actually killed in the filming process, which still makes it very hard to watch. That wasn’t even the biggest shock of the film. though. It turns out that it was a little too realistic, and the director was charged with murdering the lead actors. They had to appear in an Italian court to prove they weren’t actually dead.
4. Cheap Thrills (2013)
It starts out with an innocent bet for some extra money to help out a guy who’s fallen on hard times. By the end of the movie, the bets have escalated to a point that’s barely recognizable from the beginning of the story. It’s a terrifying reminder of how far someone will go when their back is against the wall.
5. Ils (Them) (2006)
Ils is one of those movies that’s scarier to watch at home than in a theater. To call it a home invasion film really limits what takes place, because getting into this couple’s home is just the beginning of the terror. It certainly helps the fear factor that the ending is just as ominous and scary as even the scariest scenes.
6. The Woman (2011)
The Woman isn’t scary because of ghosts, demons or any supernatural phenomenon; it’s terrifying because the “monsters” are seemingly regular, ordinary people. They don’t look sinister and you really don’t know what they’re capable of until they’ve already exceeded your worst fears. It’ll stick with you for days after you watch it.
7. The House of the Devil (2009)
This one is a bit of a slow burn, but it’s a fantastic homage to the ’80s and doesn’t let up once the horror and gore starts. Even if it doesn’t upset you to your core, it’ll certainly make you way more hesitant about taking a babysitting job.
8. [Rec] (2007)
If you’ve seen Quarantine, you’ve seen a very watered-down version of [Rec] without all the things that made the original so terrifying. Not only is it a first-person view of dealing with a zombie-like virus outbreak, but the whole thing takes place inside a quarantined apartment building. Any escape scenarios you’d come up with are immediately invalid.
9. Goodnight Mommy (2014)
The twist in Goodnight Mommy doesn’t exactly reinvent the genre, but it crosses over from suspense to full-on torture porn about halfway through. I don’t know if I would necessarily recommend it over the others on this list, but if you’ve seen them all, you probably wouldn’t regret checking it out.
10. Noroi: The Curse (2005)
This movie is absolutely terrifying and it blows my mind that more people don’t know about it. The found footage/documentary style is used to perfection. Every time you think you have a grasp of what might be going on, everything changes.
11. Green Room (2015)
Green Room may not be the usual type of horror you’d expect, but the tale of an indie band that stumbles into the crosshairs of a white supremacy group could only be described as horrifying. The violence is very personal and graphic, and leaves your skin feeling gross after it’s over.
12. Fire in the Sky (1993)
I saw Fire in the Sky as a kid and couldn’t believe that people just casually watched this terrifying story and ever wanted to go into the woods again. Even after all these years, there still isn’t an alien abduction movie that feels as haunting and eerie as this one. It’s worth revisiting if it’s been a while.
13. Eden Lake (2008)
I’ve never felt so helpless than when I watched Eden Lake. Every moment feels like you’re watching prey being hunted. And worst of all, the predators are children. They’re not the supernatural kind, either. They’re just regular-looking kids that have no problems torturing you to death.
14. Lovely Molly (2012)
Eduardo Sanchez has made some amazingly under-appreciated films after The Blair Witch Project, but none of them are as eerie and unsettling as Lovely Molly. If you make it through this one, you should check out Seventh Moon, which is just as scary and another Sanchez film you may have missed, but will probably love.
