Fear, like happiness, is subjective.
But that doesn’t stop those of a scientific inclination from trying to measure it.
Take MoneySuperMarket’s annual “Science of Scare” project, which seeks to determine the scariest movies of all time via scientific study. This includes measuring the heart rates and heart rate variability (HRV) of 250 people watching a curated list of some of the scariest English-language horror movies to have been produced.
This year’s report, for the third year in a row, ranked “Sinister” as the scariest movie of all time. The movie stars Ethan Hawke as a troubled writer looking into gruesome films depicting strange deaths; unfortunately, his investigation gets him a lot more than he bargained for.
“Watching ‘Sinister’ pushed our panel’s average heart rate up 34 percent, from 64 BPM [beats per minute] to 86 BPM, peaking at 131 BPM during its most terrifying scene,” the report reads. “However, what sets ‘Sinister’ apart is its rare ability to build dread, delivering sustained tension alongside its jump scares, partly thanks to its eerie sound design.
“That sinking feeling meant viewers’ HRV fell by 21 percent, a drop beaten only by ‘Skinamarink’ and newcomer ‘Undertone.’”
When it came to the top jump scare of all time, newly released and highlight successful film — “Resident Evil” — claimed the top spot, setting viewers’ heart rates to an average 134 BPM.
The top 10 scariest movies determined by the “Science of Scare” were:
- “Sinister”
- “Host”
- “Skinamarink”
- “Insidious:
- “The Conjuring”
- “Hereditary”
- “Smile 2”
- “Smile”
- “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”
- “Talk to Me,” “Hell House LLC” (tie)
