The Day of the Triffids(1963)
1963 · Steve Sekely · 93 min
After an unusual meteor shower leaves most of the human population blind, a merchant navy officer must find a way to conquer tall, aggressive plants which are feeding on people and animals.
Science Fiction · Horror
6.1196 votes
TMDB score
2/5
Intensity
1/5
Gore
2/5
Stays with you
How The Day of the Triffids scares
The Day of the Triffids plays more like a vintage sci-fi survival story than a true fright-fest, with a slow, eerie setup about a world gone blind before the plant-monster threat takes over. The pace is old-fashioned and steady, building unease through isolation and helplessness rather than shocks or gore. Any fear comes from the strange premise and the creeping plants themselves, not from anything graphic or deeply upsetting. It's a good pick if you like campy, retro creature features more than modern intense horror.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, The Day of the Triffids rates psychological 2/5, visceral 3/5, gore 1/5, lingering effect 2/5, and overall intensity 2/5.
- Psychological: 2 of 5
- Visceral: 3 of 5
- Gore: 1 of 5
- Lingering: 2 of 5
- Intensity: 2 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 25 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 30 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 25 of 100 — leans Fun-scary
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A moody, slow-building creature feature that alternates quiet unease with bursts of danger, tightening toward a tenser final stretch.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 1, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3, 3, 2, 3, 4, 4.
How scary is The Day of the Triffids?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, The Day of the Triffids rates 2/5 — moderately scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be restrained with gore and fun-first. Some of it will follow you to bed, but it lets go within a day or so.
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