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Annual report · 2026-07-28

The Scare Index 2026

The Horror Database rates 3,700horror movies on eight calibrated scare axes — data that exists nowhere else. This report is what those numbers say in aggregate: which films frighten without a drop of blood, what stays with viewers longest, and how horror’s pacing has drifted decade by decade. Catalog-wide averages: intensity 2.8/5, gore 2.4/5.

Every figure is free to reproduce with a link to this page. Download the data (CSV) · Methodology

Horror that wrecks you without a drop of blood

Films rated 4/5 or higher on overall intensity while staying at 1/5 or lower on gore — proof the two dials are independent.

  1. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) — intensity 5/5 with gore 1/5 on THDB's scales.

  2. Funny Games (2008) — intensity 5/5 with gore 1/5 on THDB's scales.

  3. Inland Empire (2006) — intensity 5/5 with gore 1/5 on THDB's scales.

  4. The Lodge (2020) — intensity 5/5 with gore 1/5 on THDB's scales.

  5. Possum (2018) — intensity 5/5 with gore 1/5 on THDB's scales.

  6. The Conjuring (2013) — intensity 4/5 with gore 1/5 on THDB's scales.

  7. Hokum (2026) — intensity 4/5 with gore 1/5 on THDB's scales.

  8. The Conjuring 2 (2016) — intensity 4/5 with gore 1/5 on THDB's scales.

  9. It Follows (2015) — intensity 4/5 with gore 1/5 on THDB's scales.

  10. Psycho (1960) — intensity 4/5 with gore 1/5 on THDB's scales.

The films that stay with you longest

Ranked by lingering effect — THDB’s 0–5 measure of how long the dread persists after the credits.

  1. Alien (1979) — lingering effect 5/5, overall intensity 5/5.

  2. Midsommar (2019) — lingering effect 5/5, overall intensity 4/5.

  3. The Shining (1980) — lingering effect 5/5, overall intensity 4/5.

  4. The Exorcist (1973) — lingering effect 5/5, overall intensity 5/5.

  5. Hereditary (2018) — lingering effect 5/5, overall intensity 5/5.

  6. The Thing (1982) — lingering effect 5/5, overall intensity 5/5.

  7. Psycho (1960) — lingering effect 5/5, overall intensity 4/5.

  8. A Serbian Film (2010) — lingering effect 5/5, overall intensity 5/5.

  9. Cannibal Holocaust (1980) — lingering effect 5/5, overall intensity 5/5.

  10. Black Swan (2010) — lingering effect 5/5, overall intensity 5/5.

The most disturbing films in the catalog

The far end of THDB’s fun-scary↔disturbing spectrum — horror that troubles rather than thrills.

  1. A Serbian Film (2010) — 100/100 toward disturbing, intensity 5/5.

  2. Come and See (1985) — 100/100 toward disturbing, intensity 5/5.

  3. The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) (2011) — 100/100 toward disturbing, intensity 5/5.

  4. Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1976) — 100/100 toward disturbing, intensity 5/5.

  5. Men Behind the Sun (1988) — 100/100 toward disturbing, intensity 5/5.

  6. August Underground (2001) — 100/100 toward disturbing, intensity 5/5.

  7. The Girl Next Door (2007) — 97/100 toward disturbing, intensity 5/5.

  8. Slaughtered Vomit Dolls (2006) — 97/100 toward disturbing, intensity 5/5.

  9. Aftermath (1994) — 97/100 toward disturbing, intensity 5/5.

  10. Begotten (1991) — 97/100 toward disturbing, intensity 5/5.

Pacing drift: slow burn vs jump scares by decade

Average position on the slow-burn (0) ↔ jump-scare (100) spectrum for every profiled film, by release decade. Higher = more jump-scare-driven.

DecadeFilmsPace (0–100)Avg goreAvg intensity
1950s49230.6/51.5/5
1960s104171.2/52.3/5
1970s204202.2/52.9/5
1980s354372.7/52.7/5
1990s288392.5/52.6/5
2000s633372.6/53.0/5
2010s1201372.4/52.9/5
2020s783362.4/53.0/5

The most intense directors

Directors with at least three profiled films, ranked by average overall intensity.

  1. Andrzej Żuławski — average intensity 5.0/5 across 3 films (gore 3.3/5).

  2. Damien Leone — average intensity 4.8/5 across 5 films (gore 5.0/5).

  3. Shinya Tsukamoto — average intensity 4.8/5 across 4 films (gore 3.3/5).

  4. Veronika Franz — average intensity 4.7/5 across 3 films (gore 2.0/5).

  5. Ari Aster — average intensity 4.7/5 across 3 films (gore 2.7/5).

  6. Tom Six — average intensity 4.7/5 across 3 films (gore 4.3/5).

  7. Severin Fiala — average intensity 4.7/5 across 3 films (gore 2.0/5).

  8. Ruggero Deodato — average intensity 4.7/5 across 3 films (gore 4.3/5).

  9. Fabrice Du Welz — average intensity 4.7/5 across 3 films (gore 2.3/5).

  10. Timo Tjahjanto — average intensity 4.5/5 across 4 films (gore 4.5/5).

Source: The Horror Database (thehorrordatabase.com), 2026-07-28. Scare profiles are AI-generated against a fixed rubric and community-verified over time — see the methodology. Reproduce freely with attribution and a link (CC BY 4.0).