37 horror movies that will actually scare you

This Spook-tober, we count down the films that will get you in the mood

Monday 30 October 2023 17:49 GMT

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Ahead of Halloween this, we’re looking for appropriately frightening flicks. Unfortunately for filmmakers, however, horror is one of the toughest genres to get right.

Mastering a scare is something that only the most gifted of directors can manage, and there are a lot of films out that that fall very short when trying to terrify their audience.

Those that do deliver, though, succeed with aplomb: John Carpenter, George Romero and Get Out director Jordan Peele to name but a few.

For those on the hunt for scares, it can be quite hard out there, but fret no more – we’ve compiled the scariest horror films on offer, ranging from German Expressionist films from the 1920s to indie smash hit, Hereditary.

Below, we rank all the horror films that will genuinely scare you – click through the gallery to see what made the cut.