Horror films, whether featuring zombies, ghosts, or serial killers, aim to terrify audiences. The Science of Scare project, initiated in 2020, ranks the scariest films by measuring viewers’ heart rates during special screenings. In 2023, the project introduced a detailed scoring system that combines heart rate and variability to better capture the chilling effects of films. According to the latest findings, the supernatural thriller *Sinister* topped the list again with a fear score of 96, followed closely by *Host* and *Skinamarink*. New releases like *Oddity* also made notable entries in rankings.
From zombies and ghosts to serial killers, horror films employ various tactics to terrify us. But which film holds the title for the scariest of all time? Science of Scare has the answer. Launched in 2020, this project aims to identify the most frightening films by measuring the viewers’ heart rates.
Each year, Science of Scare compiles a list of the most terrifying English-language films and subjects them to a panel of 250 participants who are monitored during special screenings equipped with heart rate monitors. These screenings occur over several weeks throughout the year, with results announced in October, just in time for Halloween.
In previous years, the average impact of selected films on the participants’ heart rates (measured in BPM) was compared to the resting heart rate average of the sample population (64 BPM). However, starting in 2023, the project adopted a more nuanced measurement method, introducing the “Science of Scare score.”
The New Method
A key critique from horror enthusiasts was that relying solely on one physiological factor (heart rate) favored films that relied heavily on jump scares over those that built suspense more gradually. To address this, as reported by MoneySuperMarket, the Science of Scare score now combines heart rate (BPM) and heart rate variability (in milliseconds or m/s), which measures the time between heartbeats. For heart rate, higher numbers indicate that the film raised viewers’ heart rates, thus inducing fear. Conversely, lower variability indicates higher viewer stress, suggesting a more creeping sense of dread.
These two scores are then combined to produce the overall Science of Scare score out of 100. For comparison, Shrek received a “fear score” of 3 out of 100.
96 Out of 100 for the Scariest Film of All Time
According to this improved study, Scott Derrickson’s supernatural horror film from 2012, Sinister, has reclaimed its title as the scariest film ever made, a title it held the previous year as well.
In Sinister, Ethan Hawke stars as a true crime author who discovers films of a family murder in his new home. As old footage hints at a supernatural force, he and his family find themselves in peril.
The test audience experienced a 34% increase in heart rate while watching the film, rising from 64 BPM to 86 BPM throughout, with the scariest moment pushing heart rates to 131 BPM. Additionally, heart rate variability dropped by 21% among viewers, marking the second-lowest figure on the list and indicating a perfect balance between sudden shocks and slow-building horror. These factors combined resulted in Sinister achieving a fear score of 96 out of 100.
Initially crowned the scariest film of all time in the project’s first study in 2020, Sinister lost its top spot to Host in 2021 and 2022. Yet, in 2023, it returned to the pinnacle. The study suggests that the film’s ability to instill a sense of dread is what helped it retain its leading position.
Despite the inclusion of 10 new films in the 2024 panel, only one other film, Oddity, made it into the top 20, indicating minimal changes at the top: Host remains in second place with an overall score of 95, just one point shy of the top position. Notably, Host caused the audience’s hearts to race faster than any other film on the list!
In third place is Skinamarink (also known as The House), released in 2023, which has divided and terrified audiences with its high-concept horror. Skinamarink had the greatest impact on audience heart rate variability, recording a 22% decrease, eliciting the most stress and terror for a total fear score of 91. Rounding out the top ten are Insidious, The Conjuring, Hereditary, Smile, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Hell House LLC, and Talk To Me.
Looking Ahead to 2024
This year, ten new horror films from 2023/2024 were incorporated into the study, with seven making it into the list of the 50 scariest films ever. According to the study, the scariest film of 2024 so far is Oddity, the Irish horror film by Damian McCarthy that sneaked into the top 20 with an overall score of