5 Horror Films To Terrify Yourself

Are you the kind of person who likes to frighten themselves on purpose by watching horror films, even if it means checking under your bed for the next week? Then this list of horror films is perfect for you. 

Here’s a list of great horror films that will make you too frightened to go to the bathroom alone at night. So switch off the lights, get a blanket and a bowl of popcorn and binge on. 

1. Get Out

Jordan Peele’s directorial debut begins with Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend Rose Armitage (Allison Williams) driving to upstate New York to meet her parents. They hit an animal on the road, and you think something creepy will happen, but the film just carries on from there, filling us with unease. Peele manages to keep you at the edge of your seat because you know something very bad is about to happen, but you can’t really point your finger at it. But when the payoff finally comes, it’s totally worth it. Watch it for Peele’s writing, excellent performances by Washington and Armitage and the political statement the movie makes.

The movie is streaming on Netflix .

2. Paranormal Activity

Shot on a handy cam, like a home video, the film follows Katie and Micah, who move into a new house in San Diego. Micah sets up a camera in their bedroom after Katie says she feels an eerie presence that she thinks has followed her since she was a child. What follows is sure to scare the bejesus out of even the bravest person. The home video-type feel, that makes it seem like something that could happen in your own house, makes the movie even more scary. This one is perfect for watching from your couch with the lights off.

3. The Conjuring

The first film in what has now come to be known as “The Conjuring Universe”, is a classic horror film complete with a haunted house, a resident ghost and a scared pet refusing to enter the house. The film is based on accounts of real-life experiences by American paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. For naysayers who think they won’t be scared, wait till Bathsheba the witch makes an appearance.

The movie is streaming on both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video .

4. Orphan

A nine-year-old orphan girl, Esther, is adopted by a couple that is trying to fix their strained marriage. But little do they know that Esther isn’t who she says she is. While the other two children and the mother become suspicious of her, the father (like most men in horror films) dismiss their fears. Like most other movies featuring creepy children, this one will send a chill down your spine. Keep in mind that this movie had become controversial after adoption activists urged a boycott, saying it would encourage negative attitudes towards orphans.  

The movie is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. 

5. Us

Jordan Peele features on this list twice because the man is just that good at scaring people. Imagine looking outside your window and seeing your doppelgänger standing outside with a pair of scissors, waiting to kill you. Even when you are done watching this film, it will take you a bit of time to process what you just watched. If nothing, watch it for the brilliant performance of the insanely talented Lupita Nyong’o, who plays two different characters like it’s the easiest thing to do. Also look out for Peele’s nods to horror classics like The Shining and Jaws.

You can rent the movie on iTunes for Rs150.

Now go forth, switch off the lights, pull a blanket over you and terrify yourself.