Now, while some things are better shared alone, the horror genre is not one of them. There
is nothing more thrilling than being scared out of your mind right next to a friend or
a partner, so you can both bask in the horror together. And sometimes, simply because something
is too genuinely terrifying to watch alone. So today on Top 5 Scary Videos, I’m going
to be counting down our list of the Top 5 Scary Horror Movies You Can't Watch Alone
- Part 3. Before we begin though, be sure to stick around until the end of the video
where I’ll be responding to some of your comments. And with that, let’s jump in.
5 It Follows (2015) It Follows is a 2015 supernatural psychological
horror film written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, and starring Maika Monre,
Keir Gilchrist, and Jake Weary, with the plot centering on a teenage girl named Jay, who
is pursued by a supernatural entity after a sexual encounter. Now, infection in horror
movies is spread in numerous ways, a bite, a video tape, even a button from a jacket,
however, It Follows takes a new spin on things and spreads infection when characters get
it on. It Follows is set up like it shouldn’t be scary, yet it is, with teenager Jay being
plagued by ghosts that no one else can see, ghosts that slowly and endlessly walk towards
her until she passes ‘it’ on. The movie isn’t just scary, it is terrifying with
some of the most unnerving jump scares that will have you turning off the movie or grabbing
onto a friend for help. The most effective scares comes from the relentlessness of the
ghosts, who are completely dead-eyed, with one goal, to pursue Jay and kill her unless
she passes on the infection. The film itself has sparked numerous interpretations
from film critics in regard to the source of “it” and the film’s symbolism. Some
have interpreted the film as a parable about HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted infections,
and the social perceptions thereof; the sexual revolution, and primal anxieties about intimacy.
However, director David Robert Mitchell has stated, I quote: “I’m not personally that
interested in where ‘it’ comes from. To me, it’s dream logic in the sense that they’re
in a nightmare, and when you’re in a nightmare there’s no solving the nightmare. Even if
you try to solve it.” It Follows is a modern masterpiece that you definitely can’t watch
alone, it will also have you avoiding one night stands.
4 REC (2007) Rec is a 2007 spanish found-footage horror
film that centers on a reporter and her cameraman who are covering a firefighter intervention
in an apartment building in Barcelona. As the situation escalates, after some of the
building’s occupants show animalistic and murderous behaviour, the reporter and cameraman
find themselves confined inside the perilous building. REC ramps up slowly but incredibly
effectively, with you not realizing how tense you are until it is way too late. The film
is essentially another zombie movie, however REC feels more like an infection horror than
the shuffling horde we see in movies like 28 Days Later. The movie is incredibly claustrophobic,
with the residents trapped inside an apartment block with no way out and no one to trust,
because as time passes in real time, more and more residents are becoming infected by
the unknown virus, and there’s nowhere to go but up. Up the stairs and into the apartment
penthouse where something even more terrifying and grotesque is lurking in the shadows. Prepare
to be hiding behind a friend by the time you reach the night vision-hued third act. Trust
me. As it stands, the movie holds an approval rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the
general consensus reading: “Plunging viewers into the nightmarish hellscape of an apartment
complex under siege, REC proves that found footage can still be used as an effective
delivery mechanism for sparse, economic horror.” REC was such a success that it sparked numerous
sequels, REC 2, REC 3: Genesis, and REC 4: Apocalypse. However, none reached the heights
the original did.
3 The Witch ( 2015) The Witch is a 2015 supernatural period horror
film written and directed by Robert Eggers in his feature directorial debut. The Witch
follows a Puritan family who are ejected from their colony and forced to live deep in the
dark woods all alone on a farm. They then begin to encounter forces of evil in the woods
beyond their New England home. We follow Thomasin, the eldest daughter played by Anya Taylor
Joy, as we witness the unravelling of this dysfunctional family who is faced by outside
forces from within the trees. It’s a love it or hate it kind of movie, with The Witch
being an incredibly slow burn, however, before you know it the horror hits and absolutely
everything about this movie is terrifying. From the shrill screams of the young twins,
to the monstrous goats known as Black Phillip, The Witch is a truly unique horror and a modern
day masterpiece. On our favorite website, Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval
rating of 90% with the general consensus reading: “As thought-provoking as it is visually
compelling, The Witch delivers a deeply unsettling exercise in slow-building horror that suggests
great things for debuting writer-director Robert Eggers.” Justin Chang went on to
state, I quote: “A fiercely committed ensemble and an exquisite sense of historical detail
conspire to cast a highly atmospheric spell in The Witch, a strikingly achieved tale of
a mid-17th century New England family’s steady descent into religious hysteria and
madness.”
2 Hereditary (2018) Hereditary is a 2018 supernatural horror film
written and directed by Ari Aster, in his feature film directorial debut. It stars Toni
Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, and Gabriel Byrne as a family haunted by a mysterious
presence after the death of their secretive grandmother. At no point during the entire
runtime of Hereditary do you feel like you can take a breath, it’s adrenaline pumping,
but also absolutely terrifying to the point that you can’t look away. From Toni Collette’s
miniature dioramas, to a car ride that leaves you quite literally red in the face, no part
of this movie feels safe in the slightest, yet you can’t quite put your finger on why
that is. Writing for Rolling Stone, Peter Travers called it the scariest movie of 2018,
stating: it’s Collette, giving the performance of her career, who takes us inside Annie’s
breakdown in flesh and spirit and shatters what’s left of our nerves. Her tour de force
bristles with provocations that for sure will keep you up nights. But first, you’ll scream
your bloody head off.” A.A. Dowd gave the film an A?, stating that, "In its seriousness
and hair-raising craftsmanship, Hereditary belongs to a proud genre lineage, a legacy
that stretches back to the towering touchstones of American horror, unholy prestige-zeitgeist
classics like The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby. Remarkably, it's a first feature, the
auspicious debut of writer-director Ari Aster, whose acclaimed, disturbing short films were
all leading, like a tunnel into the underworld, to this bleak vision."
1 The Exorcist (1973) The Exorcist is a 1973 supernatural horror
film directed by William Friedkin and produced and written for the screen by William Peter
Blatty, based on the 1971 novel of the same name by Blatty. The film centers on an actress
who notices dangerous changes in the behaviour and physical make-up of her 12 year old daughter.
Meanwhile, a young priest begins to doubt his faith while dealing with his mother’s
sickness. Now, it may be a given that the Exorcist is on our list, almost predictable,
but after 40 years, it still remains one of the most terrifying horror movies of all time.
We follow Regan, the daughter of an actress who one day dabbles with a Ouija Board in
her basement, unknowingly releasing the demon Pazuzu into her body. The Exorcist is unnerving
from start to finish and at no point do you ever feel safe as an audience member, as you
watch a poor child go through unspeakable acts of violence and torture at the hands
of a terrifying demon who seeks to use her as a vessel. From words being scratched on
her body, to being impaled with a crucifix, to levitating off of the bed, The Exorcist
is a tough watch even for veteran horror lovers and still remains one of the scariest movies
of all time. Stanley Kauffmann, in The New Republic, wrote,
"This is the scariest film I've seen in years—the only scary film I've seen in years ... If
you want to be shaken—and I found out, while the picture was going, that that's what I
wanted—then The Exorcist will scare the… (shit) out of you. Variety noted that it was
"an expert telling of a supernatural horror story ... The climactic sequences assault
the senses and the intellect with pure cinematic terror."
Well, there we have it! Do you guys agree with our list? Were there any terrifying horror
movies that we missed? Leave us all your thoughts and feelings in the comments down below and
perhaps we can do a part 4. Before I go though, I just want to respond to a few comments from
one of our last videos, Top 5 Scary Lovecraftian Towns In Real Life.
Tiger Chu said: “Hey Lucy, just being curious here, but which football team do you support?”
-----
Oralea Ramsey said: Wow, Lucy! Your recitation of the Lovecraft passages were Shakespearean!”
----
Chris R said: “Lucy, any relation to Nanny McPhee” ----
Klaatu said: “Lucy, please get a deal with any company that allows you to do audiobooks!
I want to be able to just sit around listening to you talk to me!” ----
And on that note, if you haven’t already, be sure to give this video a big thumbs up,
subscribe, and turn on notifications so you never miss another Scary vid. And until next
time, see ya later.