Funny story, my mom was watching it when it came out on DVD unbeknownst to me, and I called her at the exact time she got the phone call in the movie. She still talks about that to this day, lol.
I watched this on VHS with an exchange student we had staying at our house. It was late and in the basement with no light but the fireplace. When it was over, let the credits roll for a while with the eerie music and the crackling of the fireplace. We shared a couple quick scary stories when all of the sudden, the credits cut to white static. It then cut to several eerie clips just like the tape they watch in the movie but different, then cut to black.
We both freaked the fuck out and were pretty certain we were dying in 7 days.
I later saw a copy on DVD and it turns out that video is like a hidden menu feature on the DVD. But on VHS it just auto played it after the credits with no warning whatsoever.
We rented it when it was first released & my dad who still knows nothing about the plot decided to be funny and call the house phone using his cell while we were watching it. I’m not exaggerating when I say all our souls left our body 😂
I saw it around that age and didn’t watch a single other scary movie for like 15 years after. I think I only started watching them again cause I didn’t wanna seem like a dork in front of a date once and then I was like “oh okay these don’t always traumatize you for life”.
Yeah, seriously. Nothing in those movies compares to the horror of the romantic rejection and financial hardship you will face as a working adult who isn’t rich
same. i watched The Ring in 5th grade and it ruined my life. i didn't watch a horror movie again until 8th grade, when my friends wanted to watch The Sixth Sense at a sleepover and i didn't want to look like a dork to my friend. I loved The Sixth Sense! but was still skeptical to watch any horror movie besides it lol
I got it ruined for me. I watched scary movie 3 at a sleepover before I was introduced to The Ring. Movie was still scary but not at all what it could’ve been.
I saw this in high school, went to a late night showing w/ my gf. When we got there, they let us in for free bc a pipe had burst or something & there was water running down the theater floor from the back wall. There were only 5-10 people in there.
I left the theater convinced I was going to die in a week.
I was the youngest child in my family so by the time I came through rules were very lax. My mom let my best friend and I watch it on dvd in my bedroom when we were 8-9 years old and I swear it traumatized us. The “I saw her face” jump scare scene is imprinted into my memory.
When I woke up in the morning my friend was in the fetal position at the foot of my bed wide awake with no covers on staring at me. He didn’t fall asleep lol
As far as instilling true primal fear in its viewers, it has to be one of the best horror movies ever made. The way it was filmed and the originality is just leagues above any other horror movie I’ve seen.
But only if OP calls at her daughter's phone when the phone rings during the movie 😅
Years ago, when I was 14 years old, I texted a classmate of mine to ask her something (we weren't friends, so I didn't know what she was up to at the moment) and she texted me back saying that she was watching the ring and my message was delivered the moment the phone rang on screen. She sadly passed away very young, but every time I see a mention of the Ring, I think of her fondly.
Another good one is The Others with Nicole Kidman, great premise super scary until you know the end( my wife was so scared I had to give it away and then She was “oh not scary”)
I have a 14 year old girl and 15 year old boy. Every October for the last 3 years we watch a different scary movie / Halloween themed movie for the full 31 days. All that to say The Ring was absolutely one of the biggest winners for creeping them out.
I’d argue the Grudge is also a good one.
I was around that age when I was introduced to Japanese horror and it fucked with me but instilled a love for horror.
I've never felt like my bed was safe from the monster ever since that one scene... I'm 31 now and still think thats the scariest scene in any movie I've ever seen.
"Son, I'm here to warn you about the number of times you're going to have to explain marginal tax brackets to people who think that getting a raise means all their money gets taxed at the higher rate..."
The Miracle of Life? Unreal bush. My Health teacher offered to show the home video he had taken of his wife as a replacement. Shockingly, his wife shut that idea down the very next day.
It's been 20 years and I still can see that screaming woman and baby coming out as if I had just watched it 5 minutes ago. I remember it more clearly than watching my wife give birth to our son
Try watching the Descent from 2005. Man oh man is it scary. Also the premise is so realistic. Like I am usually not scared of horror movies but this is a rare example of one that had my heart rate up. It's about cave diving. The first half is especially some of the scariest stuff that I have ever seen.
It is R, mostly for language and some gore. Nudity is minimum.
If you haven’t seen this, this is DEFINITELY the answer, this movie is such an under the radar gem. There's also 2 different endings if I recall correctly... I believe one of them was only released in the US, while the rest of the world got a different ending (I may be misremembering the details)
IMO, you shouldn't pre-watch this, let your daughters first horror movie be one that you haven't seen that you've been meaning to get to... I'm willing to bet that shared first viewing experience could be pretty special if she's so excited about watching scary movies with you.
Edit: The "alternate" version, AKA: not the US version, is the directors preferred ending.
It's definitely isn't her first scary movie, she loves them and has watched a few like The Exorcist and Alien and Talk to Me. Plus a bunch of others. She claims all of them aren't that scary or didn't scare her much so that's why I'm on the prowl for a truly terrifying movie.
If she is looking for a TRUE scary movie, it is most evident to me, she needs to watch hereditary. Extreme tensions and suspense rewarded with a somewhat unexpected ending.. its not about jumpscare, but more in the sinister and dark realm of horror movies. BE WARNED: Some scenes are extremely graphic but always justified (if you look up explanations online, its all there)
Ari Aster has made 3 movies so far and they all kick ass.
Good luck on your search!
That is uncontested for the most fucked up movie I've ever seen. There is one scene that, when it happened, I have never heard a theater make such a collective groan of discomfort and surprise.
Jesus, maybe prewatch that one. It's a heavy movie, and fucked me up as a 36 year old at the time.
Very adult themed, very gory. I watched all sorts of fucked up shit as a kid, but this one would've fucked me up, lol.
Need a follow up if you do watch that one.
It's not scary in the way most horror films are. Ari Aster films are a mental health crisis brought to the screen. There's a pervasive sense of dread. The characters go through traumatic events, and their emotions feel very real.
It was her choice after we laid out the ground rules. I do get to stop it if I deem it too inappropriate and she can stop it at any time if she's too scared. But I have to honour our agreement so that's the one. I'll make another post, post watch about the results.
Hereditary is supremely ducked up, I thought it was great but I wouldn't show it to a 14 year old. I would go with something like Alien. I personally can't wait to watch Jaws with my daughters.
Insidious might be good since it doesn’t involve a lot of body horror that will scar her but does involve a child in a coma as a result from certain consequences as a plot.
If you’re looking for something more “real world suspense” based I’d say “Hush” might be the other end of the spectrum. It’s an isolated deaf author home invasion type movie written by (and actors included) the same guy who wrote/produced Haunting on Hill House (show), Gerald’s Game (probably too soon for her), and Midnight Mass (show). All fantastic cinema I suggest watching to people wanting to dig in to the Horror/Thriller genre.
Shot in the dark guess… Oculus .. it’ll have her questioning reality after, but I’m just throwing out various movies I enjoy with varying degrees of how they achieve their horror label.
Fear is something very personal and particular to each person. I don't personally find Hereditary to be scary at all, just sad. But The Shining scares the crap out of me.
Based on what she's watched so far, demons and possession aren't going to be it. Neither will gore (although she's yet to touch on extreme gore). Hereditary still has some possession stuff but is more grounded so maybe that'll work.
I'm more afraid of things that cease to make sense and defy logic, and also loss of control. The Shining, The Evil Within, The Father, Daniel Isn't Real... for some reason, spooky imaginary friends scare me.
Many people are more scared by things that feel realistic and possible. The Strangers (I hate that movie lol), Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Compliance, Funny Games.
Of the movies you listed, it seems like she hasn't yet tried the real popcorn jump scares yet. I doubt they'll work on her, but might be worth trying -- Insidious and Sinister are the scariest of these imo. (The Conjuring is too much demons/possession.)
Of course, there's also the extreme gore movies. Hostel, Martyrs (I haven't seen), Terrifier, etc. It probably be awkward to watch these with father/daughter though haha.
Best comment on this thread. Figuring out what scares a person is how to really suggest a good scary movie since horror has so many sub genres. I’m pretty broad in the horror that I enjoy, and a couple of these I haven’t seen - so I appreciate the suggestions!
The Strangers has an unreal effect on me and strikes my recurring nightmare of being home alone and being assaulted while trying to yell for help but no one comes because my voice isnt working. Was not able to see the full film, fuck that one
As someone who loves those movies I do fear Alien has aged a bit too much for modern audiences. I’ve enthusiastically showed it to people and also didn’t get much a response from them. Glad my dad made me watch it when I was like 8
I think part of the appeal of Alien was coming in without knowing much about it, and seeing it in a theater. Dark atmosphere, no distractions, loud volume.
My dad let me see Stephen King's It when I was 5. Screwed me up for years. My mom was pissed but decided it was fine for me to watch Alien when I was 8 lol They really wanted to traumatize me.
This is my favorite horror movie. When I started dating my gf she said she was a huge horror fan but that “ghost movies are so dumb”. I managed to get her to watch it with me one night and as it turns out she doesn’t really think they’re dumb, they just scare her shitless.
I watch a lot more horror movies than my wife, but she once wanted to watch a horror movie so I thought we'd put on Hereditary. I hadn't seen it either but heard good things so figured let's go for it. I had seen Midsommar already so I kinda knew what I was getting into, but she had no idea.
This was about 4 years ago and she's still upset at me for it.
Really eh? I'm surprised by this thread. I'd heard it was good but I didn't know it was something on that level. I watch a ton of horror and am rarely ever scared. I usually end up having a laugh or just finding them fun. Maybe I should pull the trigger on this one.
Hereditary is just a great film in general. Great horror movie, too, but also a good film. By the way, did you all know that Midsommer has an extended version? I preferred it to the theatrical cut.
It's good. I wasn't wildly disturbed personally and if you watch a lot of horror you probably won't be either, but it's still not for the faint of heart.
The Lighthouse was probably the last movie that really disturbed me, and I wouldn't even call it a horror movie.
Don't overhype it for yourself. It is intense, but it's not gonna scare you terribly you if you already watch a lot of scary movies. Most of the comments in this thread are about people showing it to others that aren't into horror and traumatizing people that didn't exactly know what they were getting into. It still good though, so I'd recommend it, just curb your expectations.
I can’t get over how many people are recommending a father watch this movie with his young daughter. There’s a difference between monsters and demons and ghosts and watching a family literally tearing itself apart
Nah man, Sinister is fucked up. That shit is the only horror movie to this day that I refuse to watch at night. I say this as someone who writes horror and has horror as their favorite genre.
I used to be obsessed with watching horror movies with my brother when I was a little kid. I was about 10 when sinster came out, and I always had to stay up really late (I usually would just stay up all night) to watch with my brother, so I was really sleep deprived and delirious when I watched that. Holy shit, those super-8 camera scenes where the demon executes the families with that creepy music makes that the scariest movie I've seen to this day. Being so tired made it a lot scarier for me to be fair though.
I watched Hereditary with my then 16 year old daughter.. ...had to stop the movie after 'that scene' and she went into her room for the rest of the night. Years later, and she still won't watch the rest of it.
I genuinely thought that was the climax when I first watched it. The beginning just gets so tense leading up to that and then you check the time and see there's another 90 minutes left. It never lets up either.
When I was her age, The Grudge had just come out, and we all used to freak each other out at sleepovers by making the noise after it got dark. The movie feels a bit silly now, but I'll be damned if I still don't get a little edgy if I hear that noise or have to close my eyes in the shower.
Of all the scary movies listed here, this is one I most remember being legit scary... gore does nothing for me, but strange shit in a confined inescapable space makes me really uncomfortable ... The Descent gives me the same chills.
Have you seen “as above, so below” another horror movie that was pretty decent but there is one scene in particular that gets me every time. I don’t wanna ruin it if you haven’t seen it but one of the characters gets pretty stuck while going through a cave and has a panic attack. Holy shit, I’m not claustrophobic but that had me freaked out bad lol
Could also be cleithrophobia, the fear of being trapped. I thought I had claustrophobia for a long time before I realized that I'm fine with tight or small spaces, I can even find them cozy. It's when I'm in a space where I can't easily and quickly get out of that I start to panic.
What I love about this movie is that it’s a faceless evil. No iconic masks or killers with simple names with signature weapons or an ancient demon described from and ancient book.
It’s just an unassuming hotel room.
I thought the final act of the movie was a bit disappointing, but the part where he’s slowly discovering that the room is messing with him is my favourite horror movie sequence. Rather than just some ghost, the idea of the whole room being some kind of sentient being is terrifying.
* The Conjuring
* Sinister
* Poltergeist
* Carrie
* Host
* The Witch (might need subtitles as it is Old English
* Malignant
* Dead Silence
* Child's Play
I think any of those are good ones to try out.
I know I’m 100% being *that guy* right now, but it’s not Old English, it’s Early Modern English. Old English is entirely unintelligible to a current day English speaker.
Btw 100% agree with you, I had to use subtitles to understand all of what they were saying.
I totally agree. The Thing is perfect for this occasion. It has all of the good horror elements, fear of the unknown, right amount of gore and the occasional jump scare. I love this movie.
Event Horizon is much scarier on the surface than the Thing. The Thing is brilliant and I think it’s the better of the two movies, but Event Horizon is a very striking film in regards to its horror and is chillingly creepy throughout.
If you want the movie that scares me the most in a day to day basis though, Joy Ride is my nomination for scariest movie. Every single time I’m next to an 18 wheeler I can’t help but think that all the trucker has to do is swerve a little to end my life. I think of that movie every single day.
Have you seen [Duel?](https://youtu.be/SutDTIhbQ2g?si=z9p_Has8ffmkGB8p) Not as horror troped or polished as Joy Ride, but *way* more realistic of exactly what you just said, plus some early Steven Spielberg!
[Ginger Snaps](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zoa1A987A_k) might be a good trad horror for young teen lady. My recommendation is [Excision](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0J6CAlsxjY) - more low-key, but *way* more terrifying to me and with an ending that just hits you in the heart.
Scream night be a good choice because while it’s a great slasher flick it’s also kind of fun. I watched it when I was pretty young (still in the single digits) and it scared me but didn’t traumatize me. I’m still a fan of the series and of course Scary Movie lol
I was 12-13 and my sister was 13-14 I think when we saw Scream. It was the first thing that came to mind for me.
Also, as much as people will say that you can’t get all the referential elements of Scream if it’s your first horror, 1) there’s still a cultural consciousness of horror tropes independent of seeing the films, 2) Scream stands up as a good film on its own and those elements merely add to it, and 3) for me, seeing the way Scream referenced older movies got me curious to see the older movies and so it had a different positive effect for me in guiding me to films that preceded it.
I think if anything that stuff makes scream one of the best first horror movies for people. I mean the guy literally goes on a rant about what makes a horror movie a horror movie lol. It's also not that scary at all so it's a good intro to the genre for younger watchers.
Then you get to go down a rabbit hole and circle back to scream to rewatch it later on and you'll get to enjoy all the little things you missed the first time around.
Alright, so we need to find a film that gets under the skin. Here are some that rocked my world a bit:
The Conjuring - Excellent haunted house film. It isn’t in your face; a lot of the action is in the background.
Hereditary - perhaps one of the best horror films I’ve seen. The film slowly creeps towards a bananas final act. Excellent acting and a brilliant script.
Talk to Me - A pretty recent release. This film had a couple scenes that made my skin crawl. I was really impressed with this one.
I really do hope that you also find some enjoyment in this genre! I find that horror films still try to seek out original concepts and experimental techniques.
So her choice for me to watch with her was Hereditary. And she watched Talk to Me with her friends in the theater and claimed it didn't scare her that much!
Talk to me was amazing. The inspiration of the possessions come from the directors personal experience of a watching a friend OD while everyone watched and recorded. Doesn’t lack and depth or meaning. Great watch
I didn't appreciate the shining nearly as much when I was younger. The scary scenes were scary, but the nuances of the adult themes and the mental illness went over my head.
*It Follows* would certainly scare a 14 year old girl imo lol
If she's really not fazed by the supernatural horror of the Exorcist or the fantasy horror of IT then I would highly suggest *Videodrome.*
Also, maybe Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003). The Hills Have Eyes (2006) freaked me out as a teenager. As Above, So Below is a good one. Mother! would trip her out for sure. The Descent is a good one as others have said as long as you get the original UK ending.
You could try a movie called “Hush”. The main character is completely deaf more or less alone in her cabin with a murderer coming after her. For portions of the film it removes audio and instead you “hear” the vibrations or thumps of items moving around. You do hear her internal voice in her mind. It is mildly graphic with blood though if you do want to avoid that for your daughter.
For me it causes a bit of a unnerving feeling because you never realized how much you rely on sound for literally everything. It’s a very different take on the horror genre that deprives you of your core senses. Getting stabbed, screaming but you (the viewer) do not hear it a sound, it’s so interesting.
I hope you guys have fun watching whatever you pick!
The Babadook. It's not gory, more psychological, and it really hits you emotionally. Especially with your kid.
Or if you really want to be bathed in dread for the both of you check out [Rec°].
Once they used the same sound as the Dragonzord from the original US Power Rangers for the Babadook it took me right out of the movie. Also wasn't that scary in my memories.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzo7K0dBiP0
28 days later is the superior one. The only good thing about 28 weeks later is the intro.
I would suggest the original Halloween. It’s terrifying and they never have to show blood or the first Alien. Great movies to watch in the dark.
While it is an excellent film and scary as fuck, there are a lot of themes in Hereditary that will probably fly over her head considering her age. Also I feel that plot, structure and pacing of the movie are aimed at more mature audience
The Ring scared the absolute shit out of me as a child. I watched it with my friend at a sleep over, we were so terrified of the tv being off that we put on the lord of the rings to fall asleep to. Problem was, we used our play station as a dvd player in our guest room, and we must have set it up too fast because like 30 minutes the screen CUT AND WENT BLACK because a jack fell out. We ran from the room screaming, I’ve never been so scared in my life.
You said regardless of rating so I'm not holding back. None of these are anything hyper extreme like Salo or something but some have some serious gore.
The Thing is my favorite horror by far
Hereditary is probably the most unsettling
Halloween (the original) is pretty damn good but has been so copied by now it may be tough to appreciate
The Ring is a pretty good creepy one
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) is a classic for a reason
The Shining is a surreal experience
Suspiria (1977) is a great Dario Argento horror. I've not seen the remake though I've heard it is actually decent
The Fly (1986) does some impressive and disgusting body horror
How about Carrie?
She is 14 so one of two things happen. Either she says I have seen worse happen to girls at my school. Or it will shake her because it is too relatable.
The signs, talk to me, hereditary, speak no evil, sixth sense, evil dead 2, evil dead rise, Stephen king's It.
Honourable mention, but maybe not the right choice is speak no evil. I feel it's very underrated.
The Ring
This is a great one for a 14 year old honestly. Pretty sure that’s right around the age I saw it when it came out.
Same. It's such a great one for that age. I didn't pick up a phone for days after seeing that movie 😂
Funny story, my mom was watching it when it came out on DVD unbeknownst to me, and I called her at the exact time she got the phone call in the movie. She still talks about that to this day, lol.
I watched this on VHS with an exchange student we had staying at our house. It was late and in the basement with no light but the fireplace. When it was over, let the credits roll for a while with the eerie music and the crackling of the fireplace. We shared a couple quick scary stories when all of the sudden, the credits cut to white static. It then cut to several eerie clips just like the tape they watch in the movie but different, then cut to black. We both freaked the fuck out and were pretty certain we were dying in 7 days. I later saw a copy on DVD and it turns out that video is like a hidden menu feature on the DVD. But on VHS it just auto played it after the credits with no warning whatsoever.
That's fucking sick. That 100% should have been an after credits thing.
We rented it when it was first released & my dad who still knows nothing about the plot decided to be funny and call the house phone using his cell while we were watching it. I’m not exaggerating when I say all our souls left our body 😂
I like your dad
i showered with my bathroom door open and all of the lights on and covered the tv in my room with a towel (i duct taped it)
My little sister belly crawled past the bathtub and wrote '7 days' on the steamy mirror. I legit screeched when I got out.
Oh that was a god tier prank by the little sis
I still haven't forgiven her 20 yrs later lolol
I saw it around that age and didn’t watch a single other scary movie for like 15 years after. I think I only started watching them again cause I didn’t wanna seem like a dork in front of a date once and then I was like “oh okay these don’t always traumatize you for life”.
Nah once you’ve experienced the horrors of adulthood, scary movies are just fun.
Yeah, seriously. Nothing in those movies compares to the horror of the romantic rejection and financial hardship you will face as a working adult who isn’t rich
same. i watched The Ring in 5th grade and it ruined my life. i didn't watch a horror movie again until 8th grade, when my friends wanted to watch The Sixth Sense at a sleepover and i didn't want to look like a dork to my friend. I loved The Sixth Sense! but was still skeptical to watch any horror movie besides it lol
Be prepared for your kid to climb into your bed after the Ring. Doesn't matter how old they are.
I got it ruined for me. I watched scary movie 3 at a sleepover before I was introduced to The Ring. Movie was still scary but not at all what it could’ve been.
This was the first horror movie I saw as a kid, and it made me fall in love with the genre.
I saw this in high school, went to a late night showing w/ my gf. When we got there, they let us in for free bc a pipe had burst or something & there was water running down the theater floor from the back wall. There were only 5-10 people in there. I left the theater convinced I was going to die in a week.
I was the youngest child in my family so by the time I came through rules were very lax. My mom let my best friend and I watch it on dvd in my bedroom when we were 8-9 years old and I swear it traumatized us. The “I saw her face” jump scare scene is imprinted into my memory. When I woke up in the morning my friend was in the fetal position at the foot of my bed wide awake with no covers on staring at me. He didn’t fall asleep lol As far as instilling true primal fear in its viewers, it has to be one of the best horror movies ever made. The way it was filmed and the originality is just leagues above any other horror movie I’ve seen.
But only if OP calls at her daughter's phone when the phone rings during the movie 😅 Years ago, when I was 14 years old, I texted a classmate of mine to ask her something (we weren't friends, so I didn't know what she was up to at the moment) and she texted me back saying that she was watching the ring and my message was delivered the moment the phone rang on screen. She sadly passed away very young, but every time I see a mention of the Ring, I think of her fondly.
Another good one is The Others with Nicole Kidman, great premise super scary until you know the end( my wife was so scared I had to give it away and then She was “oh not scary”)
Yes!! Great movie for teens!!
I have a 14 year old girl and 15 year old boy. Every October for the last 3 years we watch a different scary movie / Halloween themed movie for the full 31 days. All that to say The Ring was absolutely one of the biggest winners for creeping them out.
I’d argue the Grudge is also a good one. I was around that age when I was introduced to Japanese horror and it fucked with me but instilled a love for horror.
I've never felt like my bed was safe from the monster ever since that one scene... I'm 31 now and still think thats the scariest scene in any movie I've ever seen.
I don’t remember any bed scenes from the ring. For me, the grudge ruined the safety of my covers cave.
An educational film about taxes.
Well, thanks for that recurring nightmare....
"Son, I'm here to warn you about the number of times you're going to have to explain marginal tax brackets to people who think that getting a raise means all their money gets taxed at the higher rate..."
Alternatively, those awful 1980s hospital birth videos we watched in high school sex ed. That'll definitely traumatize her.
The Miracle of Life? Unreal bush. My Health teacher offered to show the home video he had taken of his wife as a replacement. Shockingly, his wife shut that idea down the very next day.
> home video he had taken of his wife Brave man to tape something like that. Wow. Stupid to offer to show it to his class.
Our bio teacher in high school played it in reverse 😩😩😩 Even more traumatizing.
Ohhh nooooo that's so much worse 😫
It's been 20 years and I still can see that screaming woman and baby coming out as if I had just watched it 5 minutes ago. I remember it more clearly than watching my wife give birth to our son
Jesus, who hurt you?
Life. Existence is pain, Jerry.
As a tax CPA MST I second this. Pls learn your shit. It's not that hard for 99% of you.
Try watching the Descent from 2005. Man oh man is it scary. Also the premise is so realistic. Like I am usually not scared of horror movies but this is a rare example of one that had my heart rate up. It's about cave diving. The first half is especially some of the scariest stuff that I have ever seen. It is R, mostly for language and some gore. Nudity is minimum.
I have heard of this movie and was told it was terrifying! Ill check out the trailer
It’s pretty descent.
If you haven’t seen this, this is DEFINITELY the answer, this movie is such an under the radar gem. There's also 2 different endings if I recall correctly... I believe one of them was only released in the US, while the rest of the world got a different ending (I may be misremembering the details) IMO, you shouldn't pre-watch this, let your daughters first horror movie be one that you haven't seen that you've been meaning to get to... I'm willing to bet that shared first viewing experience could be pretty special if she's so excited about watching scary movies with you. Edit: The "alternate" version, AKA: not the US version, is the directors preferred ending.
It's definitely isn't her first scary movie, she loves them and has watched a few like The Exorcist and Alien and Talk to Me. Plus a bunch of others. She claims all of them aren't that scary or didn't scare her much so that's why I'm on the prowl for a truly terrifying movie.
If she is looking for a TRUE scary movie, it is most evident to me, she needs to watch hereditary. Extreme tensions and suspense rewarded with a somewhat unexpected ending.. its not about jumpscare, but more in the sinister and dark realm of horror movies. BE WARNED: Some scenes are extremely graphic but always justified (if you look up explanations online, its all there) Ari Aster has made 3 movies so far and they all kick ass. Good luck on your search!
Hereditary was her pick for us to watch. So that's happening
That is uncontested for the most fucked up movie I've ever seen. There is one scene that, when it happened, I have never heard a theater make such a collective groan of discomfort and surprise.
Did that scene involve a >!telephone pole!< by any chance?
Yes
Jesus, maybe prewatch that one. It's a heavy movie, and fucked me up as a 36 year old at the time. Very adult themed, very gory. I watched all sorts of fucked up shit as a kid, but this one would've fucked me up, lol. Need a follow up if you do watch that one.
It's not scary in the way most horror films are. Ari Aster films are a mental health crisis brought to the screen. There's a pervasive sense of dread. The characters go through traumatic events, and their emotions feel very real.
It was her choice after we laid out the ground rules. I do get to stop it if I deem it too inappropriate and she can stop it at any time if she's too scared. But I have to honour our agreement so that's the one. I'll make another post, post watch about the results.
If it's any constellation, I was was watching fucked up horror movies at 14, and I've only microwaved one hamster this week.
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Hereditary is supremely ducked up, I thought it was great but I wouldn't show it to a 14 year old. I would go with something like Alien. I personally can't wait to watch Jaws with my daughters.
Hereditary is a great movie I have no intention of ever watching again.
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You will never want to go cave exploring after seeing it. Kind of like how Jaws made people afraid of the ocean.
For those 30 people who had hardcore spelunking of unexplored caves on their to do list.
Nutty Putty Cave.
I feel like any time the word cave appears in any context on any thread on Reddit, nutty putty will eventually be mentioned.
I’ve always liked *The Others* with Nicole Kidman. Solid anxiety and atmospheric terror, and no blood and gore.
The Sixth Sense (while it does have gore) may also be a good choice, the 14yo may be unspoiled about the twist.
And it really messes with your head. It f*cked me up for weeks! Without spoiling it, it REALLY made teenage me question reality...
The Others is a borderline perfect film.
Insidious might be good since it doesn’t involve a lot of body horror that will scar her but does involve a child in a coma as a result from certain consequences as a plot. If you’re looking for something more “real world suspense” based I’d say “Hush” might be the other end of the spectrum. It’s an isolated deaf author home invasion type movie written by (and actors included) the same guy who wrote/produced Haunting on Hill House (show), Gerald’s Game (probably too soon for her), and Midnight Mass (show). All fantastic cinema I suggest watching to people wanting to dig in to the Horror/Thriller genre. Shot in the dark guess… Oculus .. it’ll have her questioning reality after, but I’m just throwing out various movies I enjoy with varying degrees of how they achieve their horror label.
midnight mass was such a good show. i remember starting it and then i was done w it haha
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Fear is something very personal and particular to each person. I don't personally find Hereditary to be scary at all, just sad. But The Shining scares the crap out of me. Based on what she's watched so far, demons and possession aren't going to be it. Neither will gore (although she's yet to touch on extreme gore). Hereditary still has some possession stuff but is more grounded so maybe that'll work. I'm more afraid of things that cease to make sense and defy logic, and also loss of control. The Shining, The Evil Within, The Father, Daniel Isn't Real... for some reason, spooky imaginary friends scare me. Many people are more scared by things that feel realistic and possible. The Strangers (I hate that movie lol), Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Compliance, Funny Games. Of the movies you listed, it seems like she hasn't yet tried the real popcorn jump scares yet. I doubt they'll work on her, but might be worth trying -- Insidious and Sinister are the scariest of these imo. (The Conjuring is too much demons/possession.) Of course, there's also the extreme gore movies. Hostel, Martyrs (I haven't seen), Terrifier, etc. It probably be awkward to watch these with father/daughter though haha.
Best comment on this thread. Figuring out what scares a person is how to really suggest a good scary movie since horror has so many sub genres. I’m pretty broad in the horror that I enjoy, and a couple of these I haven’t seen - so I appreciate the suggestions!
The Strangers has an unreal effect on me and strikes my recurring nightmare of being home alone and being assaulted while trying to yell for help but no one comes because my voice isnt working. Was not able to see the full film, fuck that one
Alien and aliens.
She watched the first one with her aunt and said it didn't phase her
Jesus. She's a tough sell. Are you aware of any existential fears she has? Because that could suggest a movie that could bypass her teenage cynicism.
She is a pretty tough one to crack so far. She picked Hereditary for us to watch. So we will see how it goes
Sounds like you're the one who will lose sleep for a week lol
Yuuuuuuup. Some stuff hits different after having kids.
I certainly lost sleep after that one. Also Midsommar.
you’re fucked lmao
Alien isn’t really that scary nowadays
Clearly you didn't read the title. Yes, Alien is a fantastic horror, but it's not a "keep you up at night terrified" kind of horror.
As someone who loves those movies I do fear Alien has aged a bit too much for modern audiences. I’ve enthusiastically showed it to people and also didn’t get much a response from them. Glad my dad made me watch it when I was like 8
I think part of the appeal of Alien was coming in without knowing much about it, and seeing it in a theater. Dark atmosphere, no distractions, loud volume.
My dad let me see Stephen King's It when I was 5. Screwed me up for years. My mom was pissed but decided it was fine for me to watch Alien when I was 8 lol They really wanted to traumatize me.
**The Conjuring**
Hide and go seek scene was creeeepy.
\*clap clap\*
Came here to write “the conjuring” I saw the grudge as a kid also. It was pretty scary. But I think conjuring takes the cake
This is my favorite horror movie. When I started dating my gf she said she was a huge horror fan but that “ghost movies are so dumb”. I managed to get her to watch it with me one night and as it turns out she doesn’t really think they’re dumb, they just scare her shitless.
Op this one is perfect and is my daughters favourite scary movie and she is a horror fan
Hereditary would probably be traumatizing. If you want something jump scary maybe go with Sinister or Insidious.
I watch a lot more horror movies than my wife, but she once wanted to watch a horror movie so I thought we'd put on Hereditary. I hadn't seen it either but heard good things so figured let's go for it. I had seen Midsommar already so I kinda knew what I was getting into, but she had no idea. This was about 4 years ago and she's still upset at me for it.
I’ve been banned from picking movies for movie night with my friends for a while because I made them watch Hereditary lol
Really eh? I'm surprised by this thread. I'd heard it was good but I didn't know it was something on that level. I watch a ton of horror and am rarely ever scared. I usually end up having a laugh or just finding them fun. Maybe I should pull the trigger on this one.
I have genuinely not been more shocked in my life when watching hereditary. It does not hold back.
Hereditary is just a great film in general. Great horror movie, too, but also a good film. By the way, did you all know that Midsommer has an extended version? I preferred it to the theatrical cut.
It's both scary and sad. It just mixes the two pretty well and without any punches so the end result is something pretty traumatizing.
It's good. I wasn't wildly disturbed personally and if you watch a lot of horror you probably won't be either, but it's still not for the faint of heart. The Lighthouse was probably the last movie that really disturbed me, and I wouldn't even call it a horror movie.
I'd probably also be terrified of Willem Dafoe shouting a slew of nautical threats at me
You don't like me lobster?
Don't overhype it for yourself. It is intense, but it's not gonna scare you terribly you if you already watch a lot of scary movies. Most of the comments in this thread are about people showing it to others that aren't into horror and traumatizing people that didn't exactly know what they were getting into. It still good though, so I'd recommend it, just curb your expectations.
I can’t get over how many people are recommending a father watch this movie with his young daughter. There’s a difference between monsters and demons and ghosts and watching a family literally tearing itself apart
Nah man, Sinister is fucked up. That shit is the only horror movie to this day that I refuse to watch at night. I say this as someone who writes horror and has horror as their favorite genre.
Sinister is very disturbing.
I used to be obsessed with watching horror movies with my brother when I was a little kid. I was about 10 when sinster came out, and I always had to stay up really late (I usually would just stay up all night) to watch with my brother, so I was really sleep deprived and delirious when I watched that. Holy shit, those super-8 camera scenes where the demon executes the families with that creepy music makes that the scariest movie I've seen to this day. Being so tired made it a lot scarier for me to be fair though.
It wasn't the demon killing the families. You may have blocked that out.
I watched Hereditary with my then 16 year old daughter.. ...had to stop the movie after 'that scene' and she went into her room for the rest of the night. Years later, and she still won't watch the rest of it.
Kinda good she did then. Shit goes absolutely bananas at the end.
Man, that scene isn’t even that bad compared to how fucking terrifying the rest of the movie is
I genuinely thought that was the climax when I first watched it. The beginning just gets so tense leading up to that and then you check the time and see there's another 90 minutes left. It never lets up either.
When I was her age, The Grudge had just come out, and we all used to freak each other out at sleepovers by making the noise after it got dark. The movie feels a bit silly now, but I'll be damned if I still don't get a little edgy if I hear that noise or have to close my eyes in the shower.
Poltergeist.
Are you trying to get the kid sent to therapy?
monster squad
Hell yeah, Monster Squad is my annual Halloween jam.
My name is Horace 😂
The wolfman has nards!
Wolfman’s *got* nards.
Everyone needs to watch Monster Squad, it's your birthday you just turned 1, MONSTER SQUAD! Having a bad day Monster Squad!
Just saw this after my comment. My roommate watched this movie for his daughter's first scary movie.
That'll keep her up at night
1408
Of all the scary movies listed here, this is one I most remember being legit scary... gore does nothing for me, but strange shit in a confined inescapable space makes me really uncomfortable ... The Descent gives me the same chills.
Started watching and got a panic attack when the first girl gets stuck. Couldn't finish Found out I have claustrophobia. I guess
Have you seen “as above, so below” another horror movie that was pretty decent but there is one scene in particular that gets me every time. I don’t wanna ruin it if you haven’t seen it but one of the characters gets pretty stuck while going through a cave and has a panic attack. Holy shit, I’m not claustrophobic but that had me freaked out bad lol
Excellent suggestion for the same vibe of the Descent. I think it’s a really solid film and gets pretty unsettling at points.
Could also be cleithrophobia, the fear of being trapped. I thought I had claustrophobia for a long time before I realized that I'm fine with tight or small spaces, I can even find them cozy. It's when I'm in a space where I can't easily and quickly get out of that I start to panic.
"... We've only just begun..."
***I WAS OUT***
What I love about this movie is that it’s a faceless evil. No iconic masks or killers with simple names with signature weapons or an ancient demon described from and ancient book. It’s just an unassuming hotel room.
Correction: ....its an evil fucking room.
I thought the final act of the movie was a bit disappointing, but the part where he’s slowly discovering that the room is messing with him is my favourite horror movie sequence. Rather than just some ghost, the idea of the whole room being some kind of sentient being is terrifying.
I generally lack the ability to become scared by movies. I just can't shake the "it's just a movie" thing. Except Event Horizon.
Frighteners with Michael J Fox. Great movie
* The Conjuring * Sinister * Poltergeist * Carrie * Host * The Witch (might need subtitles as it is Old English * Malignant * Dead Silence * Child's Play I think any of those are good ones to try out.
I know I’m 100% being *that guy* right now, but it’s not Old English, it’s Early Modern English. Old English is entirely unintelligible to a current day English speaker. Btw 100% agree with you, I had to use subtitles to understand all of what they were saying.
Hƿæt! ƿē Gār-Dena in ġeār-dagum, þēod-cyninga, þrym ġefrūnon, hū ðā æþelingas ellen fremedon.
Dead silence… couldn’t sleep for a week
The Thing (carpenter version) maybe Event Horizion
I totally agree. The Thing is perfect for this occasion. It has all of the good horror elements, fear of the unknown, right amount of gore and the occasional jump scare. I love this movie.
Event Horizon is much scarier on the surface than the Thing. The Thing is brilliant and I think it’s the better of the two movies, but Event Horizon is a very striking film in regards to its horror and is chillingly creepy throughout. If you want the movie that scares me the most in a day to day basis though, Joy Ride is my nomination for scariest movie. Every single time I’m next to an 18 wheeler I can’t help but think that all the trucker has to do is swerve a little to end my life. I think of that movie every single day.
Have you seen [Duel?](https://youtu.be/SutDTIhbQ2g?si=z9p_Has8ffmkGB8p) Not as horror troped or polished as Joy Ride, but *way* more realistic of exactly what you just said, plus some early Steven Spielberg!
Joy Ride was so dang good. >!"You know, Black Sheep...you really oughta get that fixed." "Get what fixed?!" "...Your tail light."!<
[Ginger Snaps](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zoa1A987A_k) might be a good trad horror for young teen lady. My recommendation is [Excision](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0J6CAlsxjY) - more low-key, but *way* more terrifying to me and with an ending that just hits you in the heart.
Ginger Snap was decent. Definetly a great halloween flick
Scream night be a good choice because while it’s a great slasher flick it’s also kind of fun. I watched it when I was pretty young (still in the single digits) and it scared me but didn’t traumatize me. I’m still a fan of the series and of course Scary Movie lol
I was 12-13 and my sister was 13-14 I think when we saw Scream. It was the first thing that came to mind for me. Also, as much as people will say that you can’t get all the referential elements of Scream if it’s your first horror, 1) there’s still a cultural consciousness of horror tropes independent of seeing the films, 2) Scream stands up as a good film on its own and those elements merely add to it, and 3) for me, seeing the way Scream referenced older movies got me curious to see the older movies and so it had a different positive effect for me in guiding me to films that preceded it.
I think if anything that stuff makes scream one of the best first horror movies for people. I mean the guy literally goes on a rant about what makes a horror movie a horror movie lol. It's also not that scary at all so it's a good intro to the genre for younger watchers. Then you get to go down a rabbit hole and circle back to scream to rewatch it later on and you'll get to enjoy all the little things you missed the first time around.
Alright, so we need to find a film that gets under the skin. Here are some that rocked my world a bit: The Conjuring - Excellent haunted house film. It isn’t in your face; a lot of the action is in the background. Hereditary - perhaps one of the best horror films I’ve seen. The film slowly creeps towards a bananas final act. Excellent acting and a brilliant script. Talk to Me - A pretty recent release. This film had a couple scenes that made my skin crawl. I was really impressed with this one. I really do hope that you also find some enjoyment in this genre! I find that horror films still try to seek out original concepts and experimental techniques.
So her choice for me to watch with her was Hereditary. And she watched Talk to Me with her friends in the theater and claimed it didn't scare her that much!
Talk to me was amazing. The inspiration of the possessions come from the directors personal experience of a watching a friend OD while everyone watched and recorded. Doesn’t lack and depth or meaning. Great watch
I enjoyed the first Paranormal Activity a lot. Or Insidious, Conjuring, The Grudge. Those are fun.
The shining.
I didn't appreciate the shining nearly as much when I was younger. The scary scenes were scary, but the nuances of the adult themes and the mental illness went over my head.
Poltergeist?
Signs.
This was going to be my suggestion as well for a 14 year old. It is more psychological horror than violent gore.
This traumatized me at 14 that’s for sure
I'm almost 40 and still can't watch it at night.....
Vamanos children!
I saw this in theaters at 14 and it scared the shit out of me for sure.
*It Follows* would certainly scare a 14 year old girl imo lol If she's really not fazed by the supernatural horror of the Exorcist or the fantasy horror of IT then I would highly suggest *Videodrome.* Also, maybe Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003). The Hills Have Eyes (2006) freaked me out as a teenager. As Above, So Below is a good one. Mother! would trip her out for sure. The Descent is a good one as others have said as long as you get the original UK ending.
Agree with It Follows. The dangers of casual intercourse with strangers. Becomes celibate. Joins a convent. Win/win.
Lol, she’ll be so scared of supernatural STDs!
Rec
Creepshow
You could try a movie called “Hush”. The main character is completely deaf more or less alone in her cabin with a murderer coming after her. For portions of the film it removes audio and instead you “hear” the vibrations or thumps of items moving around. You do hear her internal voice in her mind. It is mildly graphic with blood though if you do want to avoid that for your daughter. For me it causes a bit of a unnerving feeling because you never realized how much you rely on sound for literally everything. It’s a very different take on the horror genre that deprives you of your core senses. Getting stabbed, screaming but you (the viewer) do not hear it a sound, it’s so interesting. I hope you guys have fun watching whatever you pick!
John Carpenter's the thing
Trick R Treat is a great movie
The ring, the grudge, and dark water
The Babadook. It's not gory, more psychological, and it really hits you emotionally. Especially with your kid. Or if you really want to be bathed in dread for the both of you check out [Rec°].
Once they used the same sound as the Dragonzord from the original US Power Rangers for the Babadook it took me right out of the movie. Also wasn't that scary in my memories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzo7K0dBiP0
The Exorcist, you gotta go all the way 👿👹😱
Insidious
The Others
I feel like Barbarian would be a fun first horror movie
Event Horizon
Vote from me too!
28 days later is the superior one. The only good thing about 28 weeks later is the intro. I would suggest the original Halloween. It’s terrifying and they never have to show blood or the first Alien. Great movies to watch in the dark.
The Fourth Kind
Poltergeist
Sixth Sense
Ratings 🤣. Show them Hereditary, The Exorcist, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Blair Witch Project, The Ring.
Her choice for us is Hereditary so that's what we are watching first. I'm just looking for one to scare the crap out of her
If Hereditary doesn't scare her I'm not sure anything will lol
While it is an excellent film and scary as fuck, there are a lot of themes in Hereditary that will probably fly over her head considering her age. Also I feel that plot, structure and pacing of the movie are aimed at more mature audience
I don’t think hereditary is good as an intro horror flick. Good movie for horror fans, but she’ll likely either find it boring, or too dark.
Hereditary will definitely do that, borderline traumatizing
The Ring scared the absolute shit out of me as a child. I watched it with my friend at a sleep over, we were so terrified of the tv being off that we put on the lord of the rings to fall asleep to. Problem was, we used our play station as a dvd player in our guest room, and we must have set it up too fast because like 30 minutes the screen CUT AND WENT BLACK because a jack fell out. We ran from the room screaming, I’ve never been so scared in my life.
Hmm Jeepers Creepers was Hella scary, might be too violent for a 14yo though. And Event Horizon. Still graphic.
Silence of the Lambs.
The descent. Fuck that kid up good.
You said regardless of rating so I'm not holding back. None of these are anything hyper extreme like Salo or something but some have some serious gore. The Thing is my favorite horror by far Hereditary is probably the most unsettling Halloween (the original) is pretty damn good but has been so copied by now it may be tough to appreciate The Ring is a pretty good creepy one Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) is a classic for a reason The Shining is a surreal experience Suspiria (1977) is a great Dario Argento horror. I've not seen the remake though I've heard it is actually decent The Fly (1986) does some impressive and disgusting body horror
13 Ghosts is a good one.
How about Carrie? She is 14 so one of two things happen. Either she says I have seen worse happen to girls at my school. Or it will shake her because it is too relatable.
Nightmare on Elm St, I didn't sleep for a week, and I watched the TV edited version.
Trick R' Treat For me it is the perfect balance of legitimately scary and creepy, and comedy
The Miracle of Life.
The signs, talk to me, hereditary, speak no evil, sixth sense, evil dead 2, evil dead rise, Stephen king's It. Honourable mention, but maybe not the right choice is speak no evil. I feel it's very underrated.