The 10 scariest movies ranked according to science (and how scary they actually are)

We’re only days away from Halloween, meaning horror buffs around the globe are getting in their movie marathons ahead of the spooky holiday. If you’re anything like me, you try to watch as many horror movies in the month of October as you can, because even though you can watch them all year round (and I do) they just hit so differently around Halloween. But although I love horror movies, it’s really difficult for me to get scared. Honestly, it can get annoying because sometimes that’s all I want!

Anytime a movie’s marketing claims it to be one of the scariest movies, including reports of audiences fainting or throwing up in the theater (or worse), my interest is piqued. It’s like a challenge to me, and I’m sure so many other horror fans. So what horror movies are actually scary? Well, according to science, there’s a list of titles that have been proven to make the viewer’s heart race. Of course, each person’s experience is different, but it’s still interesting to hear which movies make people have a physical reaction.

A study called “The Science of Scare,” conducted by MoneySuperMarket, determined a list of the scariest English-language movies by measuring viewers’ heart rate and heart rate variance. As the study explains, the higher the number of one’s heart rate, the faster their blood is pumping, signaling they’re likely afraid. The heart rate variance test measures how often your heart beats, and when one’s variance is low, that indicates “slow burn fear and dread.”

The site has been conducting this study since 2020, and the list we have here is updated for 2023 — and yes, you can expect newly released movies to be included! So let’s get into the top 10 scariest movies according to science, and discuss whether or not they are actually that bad. I’ve seen all of them, so I’m ready to give my thoughts!