Ranked by scare profile
Horror movies that stay with you
The scariest part of some movies starts after the credits. This list ranks horror by The Horror Database's lingering-effect axis — a 0–5 measure of how long the dread hangs around once the screen goes dark. Everything here scores 4/5 or higher: films people report thinking about days later, checking dark hallways over. The profiles describe the aftertaste without a single plot detail, so browsing the list spoils nothing.
Alien(1979)
1. Alien is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 3/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
The Exorcist(1973)
2. The Exorcist is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 3/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
Hereditary(2018)
3. Hereditary is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 3/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
The Thing(1982)
4. The Thing is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 4/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
A Serbian Film(2010)
5. A Serbian Film is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 5/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
Cannibal Holocaust(1980)
6. Cannibal Holocaust is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 5/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
Black Swan(2010)
7. Black Swan is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 3/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
The Mist(2007)
8. The Mist is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 3/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
Midori(1992)
9. Midori is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 3/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre(1974)
10. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 1/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
I Spit on Your Grave(2010)
11. I Spit on Your Grave is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 5/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
Bring Her Back(2025)
12. Bring Her Back is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 4/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
The Wailing(2016)
13. The Wailing is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 3/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
Martyrs(2008)
14. Martyrs is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 5/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
I Saw the Devil(2010)
15. I Saw the Devil is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 5/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
Possession(1981)
16. Possession is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 4/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
Come and See(1985)
17. Come and See is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 3/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me(1992)
18. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 3/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)(2011)
19. The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 5/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
The Medium(2021)
20. The Medium is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 4/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
When Evil Lurks(2023)
21. When Evil Lurks is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 5/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
The House That Jack Built(2018)
22. The House That Jack Built is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 5/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
The Sadness(2021)
23. The Sadness is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 5/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.
Eden Lake(2008)
24. Eden Lake is slow-burn and genuinely disturbing — intensity 5/5, gore 4/5, lingering effect 5/5 on THDB's scales.