Ever wondered what the scariest movie ever made is? It turns out our old mate science has the answers.
The Science of Scare crew has been at it for a while, conducting a controlled study on horror flicks every year for the past few years.
They grab 250 brave souls, sit them down, and have them watch some of the most terrifying films ever while monitoring their heart rates to know how much these movies make your ticker thump.
Note: All measurements are calculated from a resting rate of 64 beats per minute.
So, here are the top 10 scariest movies in 2023 according to the Science of Scare:
10. Talk To Me (2022)
Average heart rate: 79 bpm
Spiking heart rate: 106 bpm
Kicking off the top ten with a 27-beat jump between the average heart rate and peak spike, Talk To Me has landed tenth place for its first feature on the list.
9. Hell House LLC (2015)
Average heart rate: 81 bpm
Spiking heart rate: 107 bpm
Just ahead of ‘Talk To Me’, it seems the horror lurking in Hell House managed to get hearts racing.
8. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
Average heart rate: 82 bpm
Spiking heart rate: 96bpm
Even though this one didn't have the biggest spike on the list, it still managed to keep those heart rates up with an average of 82 bpm throughout the movie.
7. Smile (2022)
Average heart rate: 83 bpm
Spiking heart rate: 114 bpm
Smile, they said. It'll be fun, they said… NOT! ‘Smile’ enters the list for the first time ever with a whopping 31-beat spike.
6. Hereditary (2018)
Average heart rate: 82 bpm
Spiking heart rate: 104 bpm
Somehow, ‘Hereditary’ has beaten out ‘Smile’ with a 22-beat spike. While having a lower average and spike, the overall scare score takes out sixth place with 81 points to 78 for ‘Smile’.
5. The Conjuring (2013)
Average heart rate: 84 bpm
Spiking heart rate: 132 bpm
Dropping back one place from last year, ‘The Conjuring’ kicks off the top five.
4. Insidious (2010)
Average heart rate: 85 bpm
Spiking heart rate: 133 bpm
A huuge 48-beat spike from the overall resting rate throughout the movie? There’s nothing bloody insidious about that.
3. Skinamirink (2022)
Average heart rate: 84 bpm
Spiking heart rate: 113 bpm
Featuring in the list for the first time ever, ‘Skinamarink’ narrowly secured the top three with an overall scare score of 91 - just one point higher than ‘Insidious’.
2. Host (2020)
Average heart rate: 88 bpm
Spiking heart rate: 130bpm
After topping the ranks last year, ‘Host’ has fallen back to second place with a 42-beat difference in spike.
1. Sinister (2012)
Average heart rate: 86 bpm
Spiking heart rate: 131 bpm
Taking the top spot is Sinister, with a mammoth 45-beat leap that probably left viewers sleeping with one eye open for weeks.
So there you have it, the scariest movies of 2023, scientifically proven to make you nearly shit ya pants. If you're a fan of heart-pounding horror, you might want to add these to your watchlist.
