Many horror buffs love the rush of fear they get by watching scary movies because the terrors stay limited to the fictional world on the screen. The horrors end as soon as you grab the remote and hit the off button.
That's why some find realistic horror movies more horrifying than supernatural ones. It's not the paranormal scares that enter nightmares, but the fear of real-life terrors like serial killers, home invaders, and wilderness survival that keep fans up at night. Becoming a victim of these horrors could actually happen to them in the world we live in.
From Rear Window (1954) to The Rental (2020), these grounded scary movies make viewers' skin crawl because their events feel so raw, real, and terribly possible.
1. 1BR (2019)
To many Americans, cults seem like a terrible fantasy. Unfortunately, many do exist across the country today. According to international cult expert Steve Eichel, up to 10,000 cults currently operate in the U.S. 1BR is a psychological horror film that dives into the initial appeal of joining a cult and the mental control they employ to keep their subjects trapped.
Sarah (Nicole Brydon Bloom), a young woman following her dreams of pursuing a fashion career in L.A., rents an apartment in a complex that emphasizes community building. As Sarah settles in, she bumps up against some of the apartment's strict rules, causing the secret cult that owns the building to unleash a powerful and sinister brainwashing technique to reel her in.
1BR does an incredible job showing Sarah's descent into succumbing to her abusers' tried-and-true methods of control. It's painful to watch as the cult takes advantage of this young woman's quest to find love, community, and connection and turns her independent, creative spirit into a blank slab on which the cult to write.
Screenwriter and director David Marmor spent ample time researching cults & their indoctrination methods while crafting his portrayals for the film. In an interview with Horror Cult Films, Marmor saysmuch of his inspiration came from examining the practices of the 1950s L.A. cult Synanon. He says the cult began “as one of the only places people could go to get help for drug addiction. They started with these very noble ideals, trying to help people nobody else would help, but then it slowly got twisted into something awful. I found that fascinating, and a perfect model for the community in the movie.”
2. Backcountry (2014)
Loosely based on thetrue story of a brutal attackthat maimed Mark Jordan and killed his wife, Jaqueline Perry, at Ontario's Missinaibi Lake Provincial Park in 2005, Backcountry reminds viewers that nature can overpower humanity. When Alex (Jeff Roop) and Jenny (Missy Peregrym) go on a weekend camping trip in a rural park, Alex's ego leaves the couple stranded without a map or a cell phone after they get lost. As the two search for a way back to camp, they notice a black bear following their every move.
Backcountry does a fantastic job doling out suspenseful spoonfuls that make its audience fear what's coming: a brutal bear attack. Each bear encounter becomes increasingly threatening until the creature makes its final strike. This harrowing film provides overly confident humans with a much-needed reminder. When we leave civilization, we're powerless against the forces of the natural world.
3. Creep (2004)
It's common for artists, craftspeople, and gig workers to answer ads in the newspaper or on Craigslist to find their next job. But this eerie found-footage horror film reminds viewers that those who answer the wrong ad may sacrifice more than a paycheck. Aaron (Patrick Brice), a videographer struggling to find work, accepts a job to film a message from a man named Josef (Mark Duplass), who claims he's terminally ill and wants to create a video for his unborn son.
As Aaron spends the day with Josef, he grows increasingly uneasy. Josef is a weird guy. He initially appears benign until his stories and recollections turn from eccentric to violent. When Aaron gets a phone call from Josef's sister, he realizes he has walked into a trap and tries with all his might to escape Josef's clutches. Duplass gives an extraordinary performance as the twisted Josef. He takes the audience on a journey that begins as strange and slowly morphs into sinister, which quickly becomes pure, gruesome terror.
The premise of Creep works so well because it could happen to anyone down on their luck. Aaron needed a job and took it, and because he was kind, he trusted Josef for far too long. If only Aaron answered a different ad for a gig, he may have avoided becoming the victim of an odd, cruel serial killer. But he could not know his fate until it was too late.
4. Don't Breathe (2016)
Bad decisions will come back to bite you. At least, that's what happens in Don't Breathe. Rocky (Jane Levy), a young woman searching for an escape from her abusive household for her and her younger sister, attempts to quickly pull together a big chunk of cash by robbing houses of the wealthy with her two partners, Alex (Dylan Minnette) and Money (Daniel Zovatto). After Money gets a tip that a blind veteran (Stephen Lang) keeps $300,000 stashed in a safe at his home, the three make the blind man their next target.
Once they enter the home, they soon realize they gravely misjudged their victim's abilities. He discovers their presence and quickly kills one of the trio. Stuck in the dark house, the two survivors must stay as silent as possible to evade the man's heightened sense of hearing. But when they reach the basem*nt, they discover that their victim-turned-captor has a darker mind than they could ever predict. Don't Breathe incites fear in its viewers' minds because it reminds them that even when they feel in control, there's always a chance that something unexpected will change everything they planned.
5. Fall (2022)
Thrill-seeking helps people feel more confident, adventurous, and euphoric…unless they take things a step too far. So goes the gut-wrenching survival horror Fall. After her beloved husband dies in a mountain climbing accident, Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) experiences excruciating grief. One year after the fatal incident, Becky's best friend, Hunter (Virginia Gardner), invites her on a desert climbing adventure to help her move past her husband's tragic passing.
The two women climb an abandoned 2,000-foot radio tower in the center of a remote desert. Once they reach the top, Becky scatters her late husband's ashes into the desert breeze. But as the women descend back to solid ground, the ladder snaps beneath their feet. Now stranded almost 2,000 feet in the air, the two struggle to remain calm as they pray for rescue. Fall explores classic fears like heights and succumbing to brutal elements. Still, its terror amplifies because something like this could happen to anyone willing to venture off the beaten path to find adventure.
6. Frozen (2010)
In 2021, more than 13 million Americans went downhill skiingto stay in shape and get a rush of adrenaline in the winter months. This popular, albeit expensive, winter sport is a significant element of the premise of the indie horror film Frozen (unfortunately, filmmaker Adam Green had no way of knowing Disney's massive blockbuster would come out with the same title three years later).
Parker (Emma Bell), her boyfriend, Dan (Kevin Zegers), and his best friend, Joe (Shawn Ashmore), visit a ski resort to enjoy a day zooming down the fluffy white mountains. They won't get another chance to ski for a while due to a stormy weather forecast, so these avid skiers don't want to call it quits. They convince the lift operator to let them up to the top of the mountain for one last run down the slopes. But a fateful mistake leaves the trio trapped on the lift as the resort closes for the impending storm.
Stranded far from the ground, the friends attempt to find a way down as darkness falls and the howls of wolves become louder and louder. Imagine getting trapped on a ski lift and watching friends in peril. What could be worse than that?
7. Funny Games (1997/2007)
No one watching the original German-language film or the updated American version can escape the visceral feeling of violation mixed with terror that Funny Games elicits. The story follows a couple and their young son who travel to their lakehouse for a relaxing vacation. When they arrive, they meet two young men who claim to be their neighbors. But as the family attempts to settle into their vacation home, the young men intrude, going from impolite to violent in a few horrifying minutes. Soon, the men take the whole family hostage and torture them physically and psychologically.
Funny Games makes its audience cringe with disgust whenever the young men open their mouths or make even the slightest movement. Both the German and English versions of this film make viewers feel powerless in their own homes.
8. Green Room (2015)
Green Room explores the fear of having a horrible chance encounter that changes the course of one's entire life. A punk band tours the Pacific Northwest, putting on shows at small venues. But when one club cancels their performance, the bank takes a last-minute gig performing at a bar in a rural area. Only when the band arrives do they realize their hosts are neo-Nazis.
The band plays the gig out of financial desperation. After the show, the band members pack their equipment and get ready to hit the road. But when one of the musicians heads into the green room to grab his phone, he sees the skinheads surrounding the dead body of a young woman. Horrified, he tries to escape, but the bar owner locks the entire band in the green room to remove the witnesses to their crime.
Sometimes, people forget just how much can change in a single moment. While that thought can inspire hope, the concept becomes haunting if taken in the other direction, like in Green Room.
9. Hush (2016)
Home invasion horror movies make fans' skin crawl for good reason. In the U.S., a home burglary takes placeevery 25.7 seconds. Luckily, most of these crimes are non-violent. What people fear most are the27.6% of burglaries where the homeowner is presentduring the invasion. And even scarier yet, the rare home invasions where the trespasser's goal isn't to steal but to kill.
Hush tells a terrifying story about this worst-case scenario. Horror author Maddie (Kate Siegel) lives alone in a lovely home in the middle of the woods, opting for a quiet life to focus on her writing after her first novel became a bestseller. After her friend Sarah (Samantha Sloyan) stops by for a visit, a masked assailant attacks Sarah on Maddie's front stoop. Sarah calls out for help, but Maddie can't hear her; she lost her hearing at age thirteen after a terrible bout of bacterial meningitis. Noticing that Maddie is deaf, the killer decides to make her his next target and taunts her through her floor-to-ceiling windows before breaking into her home.
10. Ma (2019)
Hindsight is 20/20, especially looking back at teenage years. It may seem cool for a woman in her forties to buy teenagers a bottle of vodka, but looking back on that as an adult would make any rational person uneasy. Alarm bells ring in the viewer's mind when that exact scenario occurs in this creepy film.
When Maggie (Diana Silvers) moves to a new town and enrolls in a new high school, she wants to fit in with her cool new friends. The group goes to a liquor store to pick up some booze but can't buy it themselves because they're underage.
They spot a veterinary technician, Sue Ann (Octavia Spencer), who agrees to buy them the alcohol and even invites the teens to her basem*nt to party. Sue Ann was an outcast in high school and still craves belonging with the cool kids. But her desperation and the 30-year age gap make the kids keep their distance from Sue Ann over time. The vet tech doesn't take it very well, to say the least.
Ma warns to parents to teach their children about inappropriate behavior from adults, but also comments on victimhood and revenge. Sue Ann is a complex, even sympathetic character. The audience fears her but also pities her. The depth of Sue Ann's character adds to the feeling that the premise of Ma could happen in any suburban town and perhaps even in a neighbor's home.
11. Midsommar (2019)
After a young woman named Dani (Florence Pugh) loses her entire family in one fell swoop, her distant boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) takes pity. He and his college friends plan a trip to visit a midsummer festival in Sweden, and despite his friend's wishes, he invites Dani to come along.
Dani, Christian, and the rest of the group join in with the isolated village's traditional festivities. But the visitors don't know just how much of a culture shock they will experience. As the purpose behind the rituals becomes apparent, the friends realize they've fallen into the hands of a dangerous cult.
The dynamics between the characters and their growth throughout the movie bring a creepy layer of authenticity. Even outside the context of a world familiar to the audience, Dani, Christian, and each of the friends' choices feel like a realistic response to their foreign environment. Midsommar is special because it seamlessly drops viewers into a setting that feels almost otherworldly but, at the same time, fully grounded in a terrifying reality.
12. Nocturnal Animals (2016)
This neo-noir psychological thriller delves into the emotional depths of heartbreak, loss, vengeance, and regret. Susan (Amy Adams), the owner of an elite L.A. art gallery, grows weary of her businessman husband's constant absence. One day, she finds a novel manuscript in her mailbox. Her ex-husband, Edward, wrote the story and dedicated it to Susan.
Much of the film tells the story inside the pages of Edward's manuscript. Tony (Jake Gyllenhaal), his wife, Laura (Isla Fisher), and his daughter, India (Ellie Bamber), take a road trip through rural Texas, where a group of angry locals runs them off the road. Viewers can sense the impending doom as Tony loses all control over the situation. He tries to protect his family with all his might, but their attackers are too strong.
The connection between the novel and Susan and Andrew's relationship becomes more evident as the film continues. Nocturnal Animals elicits fear throughout each chapter of the story. When their connections breach the surface and become apparent to the audience, the movie shines in a brilliant moment of authentic reflection and deep regret.
13. Open Water (2003)
Getting lost at sea without a boat or a floatation device is many people's worst nightmare. Open Water doesn't shy away from exploring the dangers of the unrelenting ocean.
Susan (Blanchard Ryan) and Daniel (Daniel Travis), a couple who feel distant from one another because of their hectic work schedules, plan a tropical vacation away from life's stressors to relax and connect. They go on a group scuba diving expedition, but at the end of the day, the boat's crew makes a mistake and Susan and Daniel remain in the water. The boat departs, stranding the couple in the middle of the ocean.
As the two struggle to hold on to their last strands of hope, they realize they're not alone. Sharks, jellyfish, and other creatures swim below, waiting for the perfect time to strike. The fear of getting lost at sea feels all the more powerful because it could happen to anyone.
14. Rear Window (1954)
Known as one of the best psychological thrillers of all time, Alfred Hitchco*ck's Rear Window evokes terror by dropping viewers into a real-life scenario. L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies (James Stewart) recently broke his leg, so he's stuck inside his Greenwich Village apartment, waiting to heal. Bored, Jeff watches his neighbors through his rear window, facing a courtyard. Over time, Jeff grows familiar with his neighbors and their routines. But one day, Jeff witnesses a strange series of events that lead him to believe one of his neighbors murdered his wife.
As Jeff and his girlfriend, Lisa (Grace Kelly), begin to investigate the potential murder, Jeff struggles to keep his suspicions secret from the man he suspects of the crime. As each moment of the story unfolds, the viewer feels tense. Trapped with Jeff in his wheelchair, we're forced to watch as the potential killer comes closer to finding Lisa in his apartment — and wondering what will happen if he does.
15. Saw (2004)
While many people never want to think deranged serial killers can exist, unfortunately, serial killers do live among us. Between 1990 and 2020, more than 12,000 people diedat the hands of a serial killer. While serial killer movies make these prolific murderers seem more omnipotent and all-knowing than in reality, none of the events in movies like Saw include anything paranormal.
As one of the best serial killer franchises of all time, Saw‘s story begins when two strangers wake up in a dingy room with their legs chained to the wall. They learn that a terrifying vigilante serial killer, only known as Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), placed them in their horrible confines. He wants them to play an impossible, deadly game. One man must do whatever he can to survive, while the other tries to kill him to protect his wife and children.
At the same time, viewers watch as the police attempt to track down Jigsaw and arrest him. But Jigsaw stays one step ahead of the cops. Saw‘s appeal doesn't only come from the disturbingly creative traps or the excitement of following the police as they hunt down a criminal mastermind. It comes from the feeling that all of it, no matter how silly, seems possible.
16. The Rental (2020)
The Rental explores the darkness people can hold in their minds and the dangers of betrayal, secrecy, and lies. When Charlie (Dan Stevens), his wife Michelle (Alison Brie), his brother Josh (Jeremy Allen White), and Josh's girlfriend Mina (Sheila Vand) rent a vacation home for a weekend getaway, they clash with the renter's racist beliefs. But two vacationers have a secret that makes their distrust of the renter turn to paranoia when they find a hidden camera in the shower.
The secrets spiral out of control after a confrontation with the homeowner goes wrong. In The Rental, no one says exactly what's on their mind, and everything goes downhill. The uncomfortable dynamics between the couples remind viewers that nothing is more haunting than a friend or loved one's betrayal.
17. The Strangers (2008)
Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) arrive at James' family summer home under a veil of tension. Kirsten just rejected James' proposal at a friend's wedding. But their awkward night only becomes more uncomfortable when a woman shows up at their door asking for someone they don't know. Soon, the couple learns that the woman is part of a group of masked killers who've already found a way into the home.
The killers in The Strangers play psychological games with their victims before going in for the final kill. Plus, they have a chilling reason for targeting the couple. This film reminds viewers that an ordinarily crappy day can become a nightmare.
18. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
As a group of young friends drives through Texas to visit the grave of Sally's (Marilyn Burns) grandfather, they run low on gas but find the nearby gas station doesn't have any for sale. Stuck in the middle of nowhere, the friends explore the area. When a couple of them happen upon a dilapidated home, they head inside. But instead of an empty house, they find a vast collection of human bones and a masked killer ready to brutally slaughter them all.
This iconic horror film helped establish the modern slasher subgenre. Apart from its value as a horror classic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre also has a cautionary tale for travelers: don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, or a masked serial killer could chop it clean off. This film brings terror not through demons or supernatural beings but through shocking chainsaw torture.
19. Vacancy (2007)
Married couple David (Luke Wilson) and Amy (Kate Beckinsale) bicker on the way home from a family party, and both sense the impending end to their marriage. Then their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. They stumble upon a motel, where they book a room to wait for the nearby car repair shop to open up in the morning.
As they settle into their room, they find a tape in the VHS player and begin to watch it, thinking it's a horror movie. But as they pay close attention to the film, they realize someone shot it in the very room they're staying in. Horrified, they conclude that the film isn't fiction but a real-life snuff tape of what happened to the guests who stayed there before them.
20. What Keeps You Alive (2018)
In What Keeps You Alive, viewers watch as Jules (Brittany Allen) discovers her wife, Jackie (Hannah Emily Anderson), isn't who she thought. On the couple's first wedding anniversary, they celebrate by visiting Jackie's remote family lakehouse.
Jules has a lovely time until Sarah (Martha MacIsaac), Jackie's childhood friend, reveals shocking information about an accident in Jackie's past. But only when Jules learns her wife's true intentions does she discover she had no idea who she married. Sometimes, people's true intentions come to the surface, causing shock, confusion, and fear in the hearts of those they betrayed.
21. Wolf Creek (2005)
Loosely based on the true stories of murders that took place in the Australian outback in the 1990s, Wolf Creek follows three friends, Kristy (Kestie Morassi), Liz (Cassandra Magrath), and Ben (Nathan Phillips), who embark on a backpacking expedition across Australia's desert landscape. When their car breaks down at Wolf Creek National Park, a jovial, rustic man approaches them and offers to fix their car at his camp. The friends agree to accept his help, and the man tows their vehicle back to his place.
When the friends arrive at the man's home, a few hours from the national park and in the middle of nowhere, he drugs their drinking water and ties them up. The friends realize the man never planned to help them but instead targeted them as his latest torture victims. Sometimes, the scariest things lurking in the desert are members of our own species.
22. Would You Rather (2012)
In the U.S., in 2022,37.9 million people lived in poverty, struggling to make ends meet as they lived paycheck to paycheck. Many become desperate enough to steal food and other necessities to support their families and survive another day. This disturbing reality makes horror films like Would You Rather all the more terrifying. Evil people easily take advantage of those desperate to stay afloat.
The film begins as Iris (Brittany Snow) attempts to find a job to support her terminally ill brother's (Logan Miller) expensive medical treatments after they lost their parents in a tragic accident. Iris meets Shepard Lambrick (Jeffrey Combs), a billionaire philanthropist who offers her the chance of a lifetime. Lambrick invites Iris to a dinner party at his home, where guests will assemble to compete in a game where the winner brings enough money to help them get above water. But when Iris arrives, she discovers part of the winning prize is escaping the mansion alive.
While the film has plenty of plotholes—did none of the guests tell their families where they were going that night?—Would You Rather hits a nerve amongst its viewers. The stratification of wealth in the U.S. forces many people to endure poverty and allows the mega-wealthy to exploit them further.
23. You're Next (2011)
You're Next takes place in the isolated manor of an estranged wealthy family who attempts to rekindle their relationships at a dinner party.
As the guests begin to chat and dig into their first course, their anxiety about family drama quickly becomes intense fear. One of the sibling's partners gets shot by a crossbow through the window and bleeds out at the table. Soon, masked killers swarm the estate, taking out family members at every turn. But the real horrors begin when Erin (Sharni Vinson) discovers a terrible secret about the killers as she fights for her life.
You're Next takes anxieties about reconnecting with estranged loved ones and turns them up a few notches. Plus, it features one of the most incredible final girls in modern horror history.
