I'm on a horror movie binge. I'd like suggestions for the absolute scariest horror movies you've seen. I'm talking about movies that made you afraid to sleep in the dark, movies that give you nightmares...
My top:
1) Hereditary - easily the scariest horror movie I've ever seen. It dethroned The Exorcist as the greatest horror movie ever made. I had this movie on my mind even 2 weeks after seeing it. It's the imagery, the music, and the genuine feeling of dread that writer/director Ari Aster masterfully crafted in the film. BTW, for the film theorists that hypothesize that the film was psychological and that the events took place in the minds of the mentally ill characters, director/writer Ari Aster dispels this theory: it's literal, the events that took place in the film literally happens, it wasn't sleepwalking or delusions. Go into the movie blind, don't read reviews or read the wikipedia page, don't let anything spoil the movie for you. Go into it with a blank slate.
But fair warning: If you're going to watch Hereditary, be prepared to be disturbed. This movie haunted my mind and caused me some sleepless nights.
2) The Conjuring 2 - incredible cinematography. There's a reveal scene that I found very creepy and effective - I won't spoil it for you though.
3) The Witch - not quite scary, it's disturbing....
4) The Exorcist - the opening scene in Iraq is still a cinematic masterpiece even today....
5) The Ring/ Ringu - The Ring was okay. Ringu capture the creep vibe through its music. Ringu has elements of "Butoh" which is creepy...... Generally I don't find Asian horror scary. Even Japanese horror movies I don't find scary, but rather I find J-Horror creepy.
As a long time horror fan, it's becoming a challenge to find anything genuinely scary - I've seen it all. I guess I'm jaded at this point. Horror relies on elements of the unknown, but I've pretty much seen all clichés, tropes and gimmicks now...
Jump scares are retarded. Gore is gratuitous and cheap. The only way for a movie to be scary is to craft an dreadful atmosphere through music, imagery and psychological tinkering....