Top 10 Horror Movies Ranked by Heart Rate (2024)

• Host (2020)

  

  Rob Savage's hit film Host was one of the most successful screenlife horror movies. Set and filmed during lockdown, it shows a Zoom call where a group of friends decide to have a seance. Maybe not the best choice, but the film broke the streak of Sinister as the scariest film determined by physiological factors. In 2021, Host took the top spot with an average of 88 bpm. Sinister and Host tied for highest bpm spike with an average of 180 bpm.

• Sinister (2012)

  

  Sinister was rated the scariest movie based on heart rate beats per minute (bpm) in 2020 and held the crown until 2021. Directed by Scott Derrickson and co-written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, the film is based on Cargill's real-life nightmare after watching The Ring. Victims watching the film got a 32% uplift in heart rate while watching the film from 65 bpm to 86 bpm. Parts of the film were shot on Super 8 film. It stars Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, Fred Thompson, and James Ransone. Read more: Would Scott Derrickson Make Another Sinister Movie? Possibly!

  As part of their Halfway to Halloween Film Festival, Blumhouse and AMC Theaters are presenting a special 13th anniversary screening ofInsidious on the big screen on April 1 (no, we're not joking).

• Insidious (2010)

  

  James Wan's Insidious comes in at the number two spot with an average of 85 bpm. While Insidious takes the third spot with overall heart rate, its scariest moment is slightly higher at 133 bpm over the first two films' average of 131 bpm. Yep, that's pretty scary. The film is written by Leigh Whannell, directed by Wan, and stars Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Barbara Hershey. Insidious is about a family moving into a new home when their son, Dalton, falls into a coma. Desperate, after the boy remains in a coma and spirits and demons start to appear, they are told by a psychic that Dalton can astrally project himself and has been trapped in another dimension.

• The Conjuring (2013)

  

  The Conjuring, directed by James Wan and written by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes. The movie comes in third at 84 bmp for viewers watching the film, with a scare spike of 130 bpm. The film tells the story of Roger and Carolyn Perron, who move into a new house; moving is one of the scariest things you can do. After being haunted by what they believe is an evil spirit and the family dog's death, they call in demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren to investigate. The film stars Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston, and Lili Taylor. Read more: The Conjuring Universe To Expand With New Series At Max.

  See Also

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• Hereditary

  

  Ari Aster's breakthrough film Hereditary ranks number 5 on the list, with victims experiencing an average bpm of 82, which ties it with the next film on the list. Hereditary's scare spike is 104 bpm. The film was written and directed by Ari Aster and is about a family plagued by a demon after the death of the family's grandmother. Tragedies begin to mount as the family is fractured by the torment they are faced with. Hereditary stars Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd, and Gabriel Byrne.

• Terrified (2017)

  

  Demián Rugna, the Argentinian director made Terrified in 2017. Horror fans have been talking about Terrified for years, and it makes sense that it would be included on this list. Terrified scores an average of 82 bpm and a scare spike of 122 bpm. In Buenos Aires, residents in a neighborhood start being attacked by a supernatural force, and paranormal experts are called in when people start to die. But the paranormal experts are helpless against this strange supernatural attack. Rugna's highly anticipated new film When Evil Lurks has been horrifying audiences worldwide, so that's something to look forward to on the Science of Scares next list. The film stars Maxi Ghione, Norberto Gonzalo, Demián Salomón, and Elvira Onetto.

• It Follows (2014)

  

  It Follows scores the eighth spot on the list with an average of 81 bpm. This film was written and directed by David Robert Mitchell and stars Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi, and Daniel Zovatto. The story is about a young woman, Jay, who is tricked by her new boyfriend, who insists that he has passed a curse onto her after having sex for the first time. When she starts to be pursued by a mysterious and terrifying monster, she and her friends try to find a way to escape the monster that never stops chasing Jay and can take any form.

• A Quiet Place Part II (2020)

  

  A Quiet Place Part II is another new entry on the list, scoring an average of 80 bpm. This sequel continues the story in the first film and gives a glimpse of how the apocalypse happened. The survivors of the first film, Evelyn, daughter Regan, and son Marcus, have to take the chance of being discovered by the murderous creatures because their home has been destroyed. Evelyn has a weapon to use against the creatures but no way to weaponize it until she realizes that there may be a group of survivors on an island nearby. It stars Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, and Djimon Hounsou.

• Paranormal Activity (2007)

  

  Coming in at an average of 80 bpm, Paranormal Activity is tied with A Quiet Place Part II. It is the first found-footage film on the list and was produced, written, directed, photographed, and edited by Oren Peli. It concerns a couple, Katie and Micah, who move into a new house in San Diego. Strange things start to happen that Micah documents on video while they sleep. Paranormal Activity caused a sensation when it was released, spawned a franchise, and terrified audiences. It stars Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat. Read more: All The New Horror Movies Streaming On Shudder This Month.

• The Conjuring 2 (2016)

  

  The Conjuring 2 is rated at seven on the list with an average of 80 bpm. You can quickly conclude that the Conjuring movies are pretty scary. Directed by James Wan, the film stars Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Frances O'Connor, and Franka Potente. Sometimes referred to as The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case, it tells the story of the Hodgson family in London, England, who start to experience poltergeist activity in their home after one of their children uses an Ouija board.

Dolores Quintana