The Scariest Movies of All Time

The scariest movies need not always be gore fests. Injected with plenty of psychological tension and mystery, a successful thriller blends the components of intrigue, fantasy, and plenty of mind-jarring fear. Here is a list of the ten scariest movies of all time:

Audition. The scariest movies in this list all have something in common. In the case of Audition, the central element is madness stemming from a fear of rejection. Cleverly accented by shocking scenes and various emotional modes, audition offers a caveat for those looking to hook up: never judge a book by its sane-looking cover.

Alien Trilogy. More than just a creature feature, this is one of the scariest movies about space exploration ever. Take a crew of pals, add an unfortunate run-in with the progeny of a ruthless alien species, and you have one of the scariest movies ever filmed. Extra kudos go to all the sudden jumps and bumps.

Jaws. Take a classic, usually relaxing vacation scenario and add a big scary sea critter with an attitude and the capacity to hold a grudge and you have the classic scariest movie contender Jaws. Though shark attacks are uncommon, this movie makes one look twice before taking a swim.

Pan's Labyrinth. The innocence of a child is put to the test as surreal life and fantasy collide in this frighteningly dark fairy tale. This is one of the scariest movies because it centers on a troubled girl and her struggle against a fascist stepfather while trying to hold onto a dying mother.

The Sixth Sense. Take a boy with a special ability, add a child psychologist who's drawn to him, and add plenty of creepy ghosts and you get another of the scariest movies of all time. Instead of creepy spooks with little back story, you are pulled into the lives of those the child can communicate with. You can't help but ache for the loss of innocence and overwhelming compassion borne of the bond between the two.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. One of the most gruesome on this list of the top scariest movies of all time, this film is not for the faint of heart or the easily rattled. Though scariest, this movie, like one other on our list of most scariest, is *not* recommended. It is not only inappropriate, it is also beyond disturbing.

The Shining. Well remembered for both a heavy duty creep factor and a severely demented vision of substance abuse and cabin fever, the classic The Shining offers a glimpse of both madness and a classic ghost story surrounding a psychic child, his emotionally rattled and once betrayed mother, an ex-alcoholic father, and a troubling old hotel.

Wolf Creek. The second *not* recommended film in this list of the scariest movies of all time is a movie based on real events. Wolf Creek sends the viewer reeling from a constant barrage of the disturbing.

Videodrome. Videodrome is a sick and twisted journey into the bizarre. Using the premise that some just simply watch too much television and that secret sociopathic individuals might possibly be plotting against the average Joe, Videodrome really confuses and contorts the average horror and makes a most scariest scenario that encircles an elaborate warning about the future.

Watching the scariest movies of all time need not mean to seek out the goriest or most gruesome. The psychological thriller is more about what you may not see, rather than what you do see. It is what your mind tells you about the film and the lasting effect afterward, often leaving you thinking long after you are transported back to the safety of your living room.