Disturbing Behavior(1998)
1998 · David Nutter · 84 min
Steve Clark is a newcomer in the town of Cradle Bay, and he quickly realizes that there's something odd about his high school classmates. The clique known as the "Blue Ribbons" are the eerie embodiment of academic excellence and clean living. But, like the rest of the town, they're a little too perfect. When Steve's rebellious friend Gavin mysteriously joins their ranks, Steve searches for the truth with fellow misfit Rachel.
Mystery · Horror · Science Fiction
5.8431 votes
TMDB score
2/5
Intensity
2/5
Gore
1/5
Stays with you
How Disturbing Behavior scares
Disturbing Behavior plays more like a teen thriller with horror flourishes than a true scare-fest, built around creeping paranoia about the kids around you rather than jolts and gore. The fear comes from watching normal people turn eerily perfect and then snap into sudden violence, which gives it bursts of physical danger mixed with a nagging "something's wrong here" unease. It leans on mystery and conspiracy more than dread, so it's tense and moody rather than truly frightening, and it wraps up more like a fun genre ride than something that stays with you. Good for viewers who like 90s teen horror with a sci-fi twist rather than heavy scares.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Disturbing Behavior rates psychological 2/5, visceral 3/5, gore 2/5, lingering effect 1/5, and overall intensity 2/5.
- Psychological: 2 of 5
- Visceral: 3 of 5
- Gore: 2 of 5
- Lingering: 1 of 5
- Intensity: 2 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 55 of 100 — balanced
Supernatural vs Real-world: 75 of 100 — leans Real-world
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 30 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 slow-building teen mystery that steadily tightens its grip until a chaotic, high-intensity final stretch.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 4.
How scary is Disturbing Behavior?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, Disturbing Behavior rates 2/5 — moderately scary, balancing creeping dread with well-placed shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be moderately gory and fun-first. The dread fades once the credits roll.
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