According to the "Science of Scare" study, the top 20 scariest movies of all time, in order, are Sinister, Insidious, The Conjuring, Hereditary, Paranormal Activity, It Follows, The Conjuring 2, The Babadook, The Descent, The Visit, The Ring, A Quiet Place, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 28 Days Later, The Exorcist, Hush, It, and Scream. The study invited 250 people to watch 40 feature films that are among the best horror films according to expert critics in the field. The team measured the average impact the shortlisted movies had on the heart rate, measured in beats per minute, and heart rate variance, which is the time between each heartbeat. They used this measurement to assess how stressed audience members might become while watching the film, making it "a good indicator of slow burn fear and dread." They combined the two metrics to create a "Scare Score" and determine which scary movies have the biggest impact. The...
