10. Talk to Me
- Release Year: 2022
- Director: Danny and Michael Philippou
- Cast: Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Miranda Otto, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji
- Scare Level, According to Us: 3.5/5
- Where to Watch: Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, streaming on Netflix UK and Ireland
Talk to Me is one of my favorite horror movies of the year, right after Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool. Though the movie premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in 2022, it didn’t hit theaters until 2023. From Australian YouTubers Danny and Michael Philippou, Talk to Me follows a young woman named Mia and her friends who unintentionally connect with dark spirits after playing a twisted game. It’s an absolutely fantastic movie, full of unexpected moments, great cinematography, a catchy soundtrack, and strong performances. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves horror.
As for how scary it is, well, it’s pretty creepy. If you’re a diehard horror fan you might think it’s moderate (like I do) but if you’re new to the genre, you might find it incredibly frightening. Talk to Me is about possession and the dead, so some scenes are definitely disturbing. It’s also very violent and bloody, and it depicts instances of self-harm.
It won’t keep you up at night, but Talk to Me is a very dark movie.
9. Hell House LLC
- Release Year: 2015
- Director: Stephen Cognetti
- Cast: Ryan Jennifer Jones, Danny Bellini, Jared Hacker, Gore Abrams, Andrew Schneider
- Scare Level, According to Us: 2.5/5
- Where to Watch: Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, AMC+, Tubi, Vudu, Crackle, PLEX, Philo, and available for free with ads on YouTube
Hell House LLC is the only title on the scariest movies according to science list I hadn’t already seen, so of course, I added it to my watch list and just watched it this week. Part of the found footage subgenre, this one has a pretty interesting premise but ultimately didn’t do much for me. The movie is shot like it’s a documentary following the story of a haunted house gone wrong. Through interviews and alleged found footage, we get to see what happened when a group of friends prepared to open their Halloween attraction at a hotel with a sinister past.
There are a few scenes that are undeniably creepy in Hell House LLC, but overall it’s a pretty generic movie that you’ll likely forget about right after you watch it. Like a few others on this list, I’m honestly really surprised this is considered one of the scariest movies according to the study. I don’t really see the appeal or understand what’s that frightening about it. That said, it definitely found an audience, with sequels coming out after.