Top 66 scariest movies ever

A "scary movie" is a film that gives you goosebumps. It not only has you sitting on the edge of your seat, but jumping out of it. A "scary movie" makes you spill your popcorn. It makes you scream.

"Scary movies" affect you even after you leave the theater.  It has you turning off the lights, running up the stairs, and leaping into your bed at night. It leaves you laying there, unable to sleep, trying everything to forget. A "scary movie" gives you nightmares.

But "Scary" isn't a genre. "Horror," "Suspense" and "Thriller" are. These sixty-six "scary movies" encompass all three of those genres -- and then some. These are the scariest movies of all time:

1. The Exorcist
2. Silence of the Lambs
3. Paranormal Activity
4. House of 1000 Corpses
5. Friday the 13th (1980)
6. The Shining
7. The Ring
8. Mothman Prophecies
9. Saw
10. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
11. The Descent
12. Scream
13. The Conjuring
14. The Hitcher
15. Halloween (1978)
16. Se7en
17. 28 Days Later
18. Jaws
19. The Nightmare on Elm Street
20. The Exorcism of Emily Rose
21. Final Destination
22. Wes Craven's New Nightmare
23. Sixth Sense
24. The Others
25. Oculus
26. Friday the 13th: Part III
27. Prisoners
28. The Hills Have Eyes
29. Strangers
30. The Haunting
31. The Exorcism of Emily Rose
32. Hostel
33. The Grudge
34. Jeepers Creepers
35. The Crazies
36. Blair Witch Project
37. The Last House on the Left
38. The Skeleton Key
39. Disturbia
40. VHS
41. Audition
42. Poltergeist
43. Night of the Living Dead
44. Blackout
45. Mama
46. The Orphanage
47. The Cabin in the Woods
48. Scream 2
49. Rosemary's Baby
50. What Lies Beaneath
51. The Last Exorcism
52. Halloween (2007)
53. The Devil's Rejects
54. Friday the 13th (2009)
55. The Haunting of Molly Hartley
56. Identity
57. The Bay
58. Pyscho
59. World War Z
60. Friday the 13th: Part II
61. Audition
62. Shutter Island
63. The Omen
64. The Purge
65. Birds
66. High Tension

Last updated: October 2014

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Who Took the Boo Out of Halloween?

Hey Listers,

I can’t believe it’s been a year since my rant about how Halloween is supposed to be a night of fright, not this funny fools’ day it’s turned into. And I’m still peeved. Why are television stations airing National Lampoon’s Vacation over-and-over again when there are 100s of great scary movies they could show instead?

Instead of watching Michael Myers chop up all the trick-or-treaters in Haddonfield, we get Clark Griswold and family on their “merry” way to Wally World. Yeah there are some deaths (dragging Dinky to death behind the car and Aunt Edna passing in her sleep in the backseat), but they’re funny deaths. And sure Harold Ramis, one of the original Ghostbusters directed it (which by the way is painfully more funny than it is scary), but c’mon! I am looking for horror movies deaths. “Final Destination” meets Jason Voorhees meets “The Hills Have Eyes.” I want to be scared on Halloween! Give me “Halloween” and “Friday the 13^th,” or at least “Nightmare on Elm Street.” Where’s Freddy and Jason and Jigsaw and Chucky? Is AMC the only channel that gets it? Or have all the funny, cute little Halloween costumes distorted all our “fragile little minds.”

I have a favor to ask of you. Instead of giving treats to every trick-or-treater this year, reward the scary skeletons and ugly witches. Give the gobstoppers to goblins, ghosts and ghouls. And trick those funny, cute kids with an apple or toothbrush.

And any of you trick-or-treaters out there, let’s get back to the roots of Beggar’s Night. Remember the history behind the tradition, if someone forgets the treats, or leaves a “please take one” basket out, make sure you play an idle trick on the house or the homeowners. That is what the saying is all about. “Trick-or-Treat!”

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Top 25 Horror Movie Villains

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Top 20 Eric Cartman Quotes (from South Park)

Top 10 Hot New Halloween Costume Ideas for 2008

The 10 Worst Things to Give Out for Trick-or-Treat .

Top 10 Best Halloween Trick-or-Treat Candies

Top 5 Best Pranks Caught on Video

Top 20 Shockingly Chilling and Tense Horror Movies

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ListAfterList Updates and Reminders

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