The Ward(2010)
2010 · John Carpenter · 89 min
Kristen, a troubled young woman, is captured by the police after burning down a farmhouse and is locked in the North Bend Psychiatric Hospital. Soon, she begins to suspect that the place has a dark secret at its core and she's determined to find out what it is.
Horror · Thriller
5.71.3k votes
TMDB score
3/5
Intensity
2/5
Gore
2/5
Stays with you
How The Ward scares
There's a constant low hum of unease here, punctuated by sudden jolts that make you flinch in your seat. The pacing moves like a hospital thriller, with locked doors, flickering lights, and a sense that something is always creeping just out of view. It leans on a moody, institutional atmosphere rather than heavy gore, with a shadowy figure that shows up at the worst possible moments. This one plays more like an entertaining scare ride than something that will haunt you for days afterward.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, The Ward rates psychological 3/5, visceral 3/5, gore 2/5, lingering effect 2/5, and overall intensity 3/5.
- Psychological: 3 of 5
- Visceral: 3 of 5
- Gore: 2 of 5
- Lingering: 2 of 5
- Intensity: 3 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 60 of 100 — leans Jump scares
Supernatural vs Real-world: 50 of 100 — balanced
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 45 of 100 — balanced
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A steadily creeping haunted-institution tension with periodic jolts that builds toward a hard-hitting climax before a quick final beat.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5, 3.
How scary is The Ward?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, The Ward rates 3/5 — solidly scary, delivering its fear through jump scares more than lingering dread. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be moderately gory and scary but not punishing. Some of it will follow you to bed, but it lets go within a day or so.
Watched it? Sign in to confirm whether this profile fits.
