Horror movies tend to be divisive. This makes sense since that’s kind of the point. Horror movies are supposed to shock and offend and upset people. Whether it’s the subject matter, the gratuitous gore, or the jump scares, some of the chickens out there who can’t generally handle horror movies want to enjoy them.
To this end, this list is here to share with the reader some movies that may not be entirely jump-scare free, but about as close as you can get and still be able to call the film in question horror. Some of these films are slow-burns, some of them are pretty action-packed but not in a cheap way, and some of them are psychologically troubling.
Rosemary’s Baby
Since this list isn’t really for people who have seen the movies on it and is more here for recommendations, it’s the author’s intention to keep them as close to spoiler-free as possible. Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby is a tale of young love, ambition, and the desperation some people are willing to stoop to make their dreams a reality.
The film’s atmosphere isn’t dreamy so much as nightmarish, but the build-up into the twist, the quirky 70s setting and clothing, and the suspicious activity should be enough to keep you interested.
The Omen
The Omen is another fairly tame film from the 70s, starring the great film actor Gregory Peck. When a young and successful couple’s toddler son begins acting strange while visiting the church and has his nanny commit suicide in front of him “It’s all for you, Damien! This is all for you!”.
The father goes looking for answers, and what he finds is something he very well may have been better off not knowing. If he’s to believe the veracity of the claims that are being made to him, he’s in for one hell of a decision.
The Exorcist
William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist was turned into a film by director William Friedkin in 1973. While reports of its initial screenings may have been played up for dramatic effect with stories of people passing out in the theater, this film actually is rather grotesque and shocking, even for horror fans in the 21st century.
If you have a weak stomach this one might not be for you. Young Regan begins acting strange, which causes her mother to look for medical help. When medicine doesn’t know what’s wrong, she calls for the exorcist. While this movie is pretty graphic, it also does a good job of keeping things tame in terms of not hitting you with cheap jump scares. It’s not the event that’s scary, it’s the anticipation.
The Witch
The Witch, sometimes stylized as The VVitch is the first outing from director Robert Eggers. He described the film as a New England Fairytale, which it is to an extent, further made clear by the ending which won’t be spoiled here. A family of settlers in the early days of the English colonies in America is all but excommunicated, causing the father to move everyone out into the forest due to pride.
When children start disappearing and talk of a witch in the forest begins, no one knows who to trust, and tension runs extremely high. This film will have you wondering who to trust too, not knowing who the witch might be.
Midsommar
Midsommar is the second film from director Ari Aster, cementing himself as a modern horror luminary after his initial film Hereditary. Hereditary would most likely be on this list if Ari hadn’t decided to include a jump scare or two, but if you enjoy Midsommar it’s a must-see.
After a rocky relationship and a botched breakup, a young college student and his friends are forced to take his would-be ex-girlfriend on a research trip to Sweden to stay with a small pocket of indigenous people who haven’t come into contact with Christianity and retain their original religion. Arriving there during the Midsommar festival and taking copious amounts of hallucinogens, they quickly realize this peaceful commune isn’t who they seem to be.
The Lighthouse
The second film on this list from director Robert Eggers, The Lighthouse is a schizophrenic, alcohol-fueled, nautical nightmare. The Lighthouse follows the story of two lighthouse keepers with troubled pasts who become increasingly more distrustful of each other, and increasingly dependent on one another.
Just as they don’t know if the other is reliable, you don’t know if the film is reliable. Is there any reason to trust what you’re seeing? What’s real and what isn’t? What secrets does the ocean hold? What is in the lamp that Willem Dafoe’s character holds so dear? Maybe none of these questions will be answered, but it’s a sea-faring ghost story for the salty sea-dog in all of us.
Mandy
Panos Casmatos is responsible for Mandy a hallucinatory and psychedelic trip through Hell. The film feels like you took a Black Sabbath song and put it onto the big screen.
It’s a revenge tale about a man who’s been wronged by a cult, and his quest for retribution. If it doesn’t sound like a horror movie, rest assured that Mandy definitely delivers on the gore in the most satisfying way possible.
The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari
A classic of the horror genre for those of us who want a guarantee that they won’t jump out of their seat, The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari is a silent film in black and white released in Germany in the year 1920.
While this doesn’t sound scary yet, it is. It’s influenced by the German Expressionist art movement in its visuals and is an absolute pleasure to see. The plot of the film centers around a hypnotist who uses a sleepwalker to kill those he wishes harm to.
The Silence Of The Lambs
The Silence Of The Lambs is a strong contender for one of the best feminist horror movies ever, featuring the up-and-coming Clarissa Starling who must investigate a serial killer.
As if the stakes weren’t high enough, the only way to figure out the machinations of the killer’s plans is to converse with the famously ghoulish cannibal Hannibal Lecter.
The Babadook
The Babadook at first seems to be a film about an evil child, but it’s soon revealed that something much more sinister is lurking below the surface of the plot. Grief, and the dangers of repressing it and putting on a happy face.
The film deals with loss in a relatable and real way, which people who aren’t incredibly familiar with horror may not expect. If the monster in the film doesn’t spook you, he horrible side-effects of its presence on our protagonists will.
