Revealed: The top 10 scariest horror films of all time to watch for Halloween (but Gen Z are too scared to watch!)

Spooky play is upon america and, while this clip of twelvemonth is cleanable to rewatch your favourite scary films, caller investigation has recovered Generation Z has a pronounced distaste for nan genre.

A study showed that complete three-quarters of Gen Z, those calved betwixt nan precocious nineties and early 2010s, don't for illustration scary movies.

Additionally, almost 50 per cent of them admitted they were excessively frightened to watch these films.

Their preferences are successful stark opposition to Britons complete nan property of 40, who are nan biggest scary fans successful nan country.

A study of 2,000 movie lovers from investigation agency Perspectus Global revealed nan 10 best-loved scary movies complete nan years, pinch a Seventies genre-classic bagging nan apical spot.

If you find yourself successful nan horror-loving majority, FEMAIL has put together nan eventual database of movies to bookmark for a very scary play of binge-watching - classed from ones to get your spine tingling, to nan astir freakish films of all.

10. The Ring

The 2002 movie The Ring is classed 10th connected nan database of Britain's best-loved scary movies, receiving 12 per cent of viewers' votes.

It stars Naomi Watts arsenic journalist Rachel Keller, who discovers a cursed videotape that ends up sidesplitting anyone who watches it wrong 7 days. 

The image of dormant woman Samara crawling retired of a TV group remains profoundly ingrained successful popular culture, complete 2 decades aft The Ring - directed by Gore Verbinski - was released.

The supernatural scary flick is simply a remake of nan 1998 Japanese movie Rings, created by Hideo Nakata. It was based connected Koji Suzuki's eponymously titled 1991 novel.

Earlier this year, Britney Spears spooked and delighted fans successful adjacent measure, erstwhile she posted nan contents of nan cursed video portion successful The Ring arsenic a Reel connected her Instagram profile.

Addressing her 42 cardinal followers, nan Oops I Did It Again vocalist captioned nan post: 'Does anybody retrieve this movie wherever they clasp this small woman captive excessively agelong and she yet comes retired of nan TV stepping connected her hands and knees and destroyed half nan nation?'

'Y'all enactment cozy! You guys person thing to interest astir astatine all! Love y'all!'

Spears' station drew beardown reactions from her fans, immoderate of whom quipped nan vocalist had 'cursed' 42 cardinal group by making them watch nan doomed videotape.

'Imagine if we each dice successful 7 days because Britney Spears posted The Ring video connected her Instagram,' 1 remark read.

“Britney Spears conscionable lobbed The Ring video onto nan timeline and I’m obsessed,' different personification added. 'Imagine she conscionable casually cursed 42.2 cardinal group pinch 1 post? Mother Mayhem.'

9. The Sixth Sense (1999)

M Night Shyamalan's psychological thriller besides received 12 per cent votes, pinch The Sixth Sense breaking into nan apical 10 database of scariest movies ever made.

The Oscar-nominated film, which was released 25 years ago, followed compassionate kid scientist Dr Malcolm Crowe (played by Bruce Willis) whose diligent Haley Joel Osment’s Cole tin 'see dormant people'.

While immoderate person based on The Sixth Sense doesn't technically suffice arsenic a scary movie, pinch Shyamalan's masterpiece distinctly lacking nan jump scares and gore that specify nan genre, it delivers an overwhelming emotion of dread that stays pinch viewers agelong aft nan credits person rolled.

The Sixth Sense is besides notably 1 of only six critically-acclaimed creepy films to person ever been nominated for an Oscar, including The Exorcist, Jaws, Silence of nan Lambs, Get Out, and Black Swan.

8. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

A sizeable 15 per cent of study repondents picked The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which was released 50 years agone this October, arsenic nan scary movie that astir freaked them out.

And for bully reason; nan film's chainsaw wielding psychopathic slayer Leatherface, played by Icelandic-born character Gunnar Hansen, is genuinely nan worldly of nightmares.

The scrappy indie movie follows a group of friends who recreation to agrarian Texas and find a distant house, not realising it's nan spot of a family of frenzied killers including Leatherface.

The New York Times celebrated nan precocious head Tobe Hooper's astir influential work, describing The Texas Chain Saw Massacre arsenic 'a formally exquisite creation film, packed afloat of gorgeously nightmarish images arsenic poetic arsenic they are deranged’.

One specified ocular that remains intolerable to shingle - moreover 5 decades aft nan arguable movie was released - is Leatherface torturing teen Sally Hardesty (played by Marilyn Burns) astatine his maniacal family's meal table.

No wonderment The Texas Chain Saw Massacre continues to rank among nan astir terrifying movies ever made, 50 years aft Hansen's Leatherface became 1 of nan genre's astir recognisable mascots.

7. Saw (2004)

The movie that spawned 1 of nan astir successful scary franchises successful history, Saw tells nan communicative of serial slayer John 'Jigsaw' Kramer who tests his victims will to unrecorded by entrapping them successful deadly 'games' that often impact unspeakable self-harm.

In nan first instalment, 2 of nan Jigsaw Killer's victims aftermath up to find themselves successful a dilapidated bath - connected other sides of a dormant assemblage - pinch instructions connected really to termination each different aliases look his murderous consequences.

The latest version of nan franchise, Saw X, was released past September and left scary fans cowering successful fearfulness complete nan utmost levels of unit and gore depicted on-screen.

Some moviegoers besides shared examples of nan Jigsaw Killer's (played by seasoned character Tobin Bell) goriest traps connected X, including a clip that features a man who had to saw into nan apical disconnected his head.

Directed by Australian filmmaker James Wan, Saw became 1 of nan astir profitable scary movies erstwhile it was released, earning complete $100 cardinal astatine nan container agency successful 2004.

Two decades later, nan Jigsaw Killer continues to tie scary fanatics to movie theatres successful droves, pinch an 11th franchise movie presently successful nan works.

6. Scream (1996)

Another successful franchise was created successful 1996, erstwhile Wes Craven’s slasher movie Scream was released. In 2024, it continues to beryllium 1 of nan astir celebrated scary movies ever made, earning 17 per cent of nan votes cast.

The movie is group successful nan fictional American municipality of Woodsboro, California, and follows precocious schoolhouse teen Sidney Prescott who, connected nan day of her mother’s sadistic rape and murder, becomes nan target of a serial slayer known arsenic Ghostface.

On a Reddit transmission dedicated to Craven’s film, users weighed successful connected which of Ghostface’s killings was nan astir brutal, pinch nan original query receiving astir 300 responses.

Most Redditors picked Sidney’s classmate (and Scream’s mendacious protagonist) Casey Becker’s demise arsenic nan goriest, pinch 1 personification writing: ‘It's nan small specifications for illustration nan sound of her gasping for aerial and trying to telephone retired that still makes it difficult to beryllium through.

‘Other deaths person been bigger and gorier but they don't deed nan aforesaid way.’

The original movie has turned into a six-part franchise, pinch nan astir caller version being released past year.

5. A Nightmare connected Elm Street (1984)

Receiving astir a 4th of nan votes cast, Eighties deed A Nightmare connected Elm Street comes successful astatine No. 5.

Another supernatural slasher deed from Craven, it is nan first successful a franchise bid and stars Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Johnny Depp (in his debut) and Robert Englund arsenic nan film’s terrifying antagonist Freddy Krueger.

In it, nan undead knife-wielding murderer Krueger murders children successful their slumber arsenic revenge against their parents who burned him alive.

The movie is truthful sadistic that erstwhile nan British Board of Film Certification decided to reclassify A Nightmare connected Elm Street arsenic being suitable for younger children, Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes said nan determination was akin to ‘child abuse’.

Oscar-winner Mr Fellowes said: 'I should person thought that showing A Nightmare On Elm Street to a 15-year-old constituted kid abuse. I can't thief emotion that these group should get retired more’

4. The Shining (1980)

Next successful nan scary Hall of Fame is The Shining, nan psychological thriller based connected Stephen King’s bestselling novel. One of Jack Nicholson’s astir celebrated roles saw him play recovering alcoholic Jack Torrance, whose determination to return a occupation arsenic wintertime caretaker for a haunted resortl becomes his unraveling.

The movie starred nan precocious legendary Hollywood character Shelley Duval arsenic Nicholson’s on-screen woman and Danny Lloyd arsenic nan couple’s clairvoyant son.

Since its release, nan movie has been watched by millions crossed nan globe, pinch 22 per cent of surveyed Brits picking The Shining arsenic their favourite scary film. 

Even if you haven’t seen nan movie, chances are you’ve encountered The Shining’s celebrated ‘Here’s Johnny’ segment that, successful of itself, is alternatively terrifying.

In fact, successful 2013, Japanese-owned website Rakuten's Play.com asked group to ballot connected which scary films they considered to beryllium nan astir terrifying. They past wired a action of viewers up to bosom monitors and tracked changes successful their beat to find precisely which of nan apical movie moments sewage their hearts racing nan most.

The victor was nan iconic 'Here's Johnny' clip from The Shining which accrued beat rates by astir 30 per cent.

3. Psycho (1960)

One of Alfred Hitchcock’s astir celebrated movies, Psycho follows Marion Crane, a female who steals a ample sum of money from her leader and seeks refuge astatine nan distant Bates Motel, tally by nan mysterious Norman Bates.

After Marion vanishes, her family and a detective commencement to investigate, uncovering unsettling truths astir Norman and nan motel.

Over six decades aft it was released, scary enthusiasts are hard-pressed to find a amended embodiment of nan genre - pinch astir a 4th of Brits picking Hitchcock's Psycho arsenic their favourite film. 

Oddly enough, nan seasoned filmmaker revealed he was 'horrified' erstwhile moviegoers took his subversive 1960 classical seriously.

In a 1964 sit-down uncovered successful nan BBC archives, nan head says he intended nan movie to beryllium a acheronian drama made 'rather tongue-and-cheek', comparing nan acquisition of watching Psycho to 'screaming and yelling' connected a rollercoaster. 

Speaking connected English tv show Monitor, Hitchcock recalled: 'I erstwhile made a movie, alternatively tongue-in-cheek, called Psycho.

'The contented was, I felt, alternatively amusing and it was a large joke. I was horrified to find immoderate group took it seriously.

'It was intended to make group shriek and outcry and truthful distant – but nary much than screaming and yelling connected a switchback railway (rollercoaster). 

'I'm perchance successful immoderate respects nan man who says successful constructing it, "How steep tin we make nan first dip?"

'If you make nan dip excessively deep, nan screams will proceed arsenic nan car goes complete nan separator and destroys everyone.

'Therefore you mustn't spell excessively acold because you do want them to get disconnected nan switchback railway, giggling pinch pleasure.'

2. Halloween (1978)

Brits classed Seventies slasher Halloween astatine nan 2nd position, pinch 24 per cent of group picking nan movie arsenic nan scariest point they’ve watched.

It follows intelligence diligent Michael Myers (Donald Pleasence) who murdered his teenage sister 1 Halloween night. Fifteen years later, he escapes and returns to his hometown, wherever he stalks teenage Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends.

A instrumentality of nan franchise bid posted a clip of nan assemblage guidance to watching Halloween astatine a 1979 screening connected Reddit thread Obscure Media, pinch group successful nan theatre screaming and gasping astatine nan show of Myers. 

One personification commented nether nan video: 'This almost makes maine want to cry. Halloween has been my favourite movie for arsenic agelong arsenic I tin remember. 

'I yet sewage to spot it successful theaters connected Halloween a fewer years agone and group were laughing done each of nan scary parts. It was infuriating. 

'Literally each clip Michael would look connected surface nan crowd would erupt successful laughter. I was truthful disappointment and depressed and it sucks because I would emotion to spot it successful a theatre pinch an assemblage taking it seriously, but I don't cognize if that's imaginable these days.'

 1. The Exorcist (1973) 

Brits decided The Exorcist was nan top of each time, pinch William Friedkin's movie receiving complete a 3rd of their votes. 

In nan 1973 film, Ellen Burstyn's characteristic enlisted nan thief of 2 priests – played by Max Von Sydow and Jason Miller – to exorcise a demon, named Pazuzu, from her daughter. 

When it was initially released, The Exorcist's schematic scenes led to galore viewers fainting. 

Some cinemas successful nan United States reportedly had ambulances connected telephone because moviegoers astatine screenings of The Exorcist were perpetually collapsing and throwing up. 

The Exorcist was besides banned successful immoderate parts of nan UK and nan movie was not distributed connected video until 1999 - complete 20 years aft it was released - to support it retired of nan hands of children. 

The scary movie is besides renowened for being 1 of nan astir tragedy-stricken movies of each times - pinch everything from fires connected group and deaths during filming contributing to nan story of a curse.  

Based connected a book of nan aforesaid sanction by William Peter Blatty – who adapted it for surface himself – nan movie was beset by problems during production.

An unexplained occurrence astatine 1 constituent burnt down astir of nan group — delaying filming by six weeks — but curiously spared nan chamber wherever Blair's character, Regan, endures her demonic possession.

Meanwhile some Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn suffered achy backmost injuries during filming. Their existent screams of symptom tin beryllium heard successful nan film.

Linda reportedly developed a agelong word spinal wounded aft landing connected her coccyx.

In summation to nan galore controversies that person plagued The Exorcist, immoderate declare a bid of fatal events associated pinch nan film's formed amounts to a 'curse'.

Actors Vasiliki Maliaros and Jack MacGowran, whose characters vanish aliases are already dormant successful nan film, died successful existent life during nan post-production stage.

Seven others associated pinch nan formed and unit - including adjacent family members of nan stars - died of earthy aliases unexplained causes earlier nan film's release.

Linda's grandfather died during nan first week of production.

Others, specified arsenic Lee J. Cobb, who played a constabulary detective, passed distant wrong a fewer years of nan film's release.