Written by Zaynah Zafar
Scary movies are not for everyone, but for those who enjoy a little scare once in a while, they are a good way to pass the time with friends. Throughout the years, people have seen horror movies to prove their valor, to experience something new or even just to escape boredom. The top five scariest movies of all time include The Exorcist, It, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th and Paranormal Activity.
The Exorcist came out in America in 1973. The movie tells of an actress whose young daughter is possessed and must undergo an exorcism to rid her of an evil spirit. In order to save the 12 year old girl, multiple experts are called in, initiating the fight between good and evil. For the time period, The Exorcist used special effects that kept its viewers awake at night full of fear and apprehension and continues to do so for today’s youth.
“The make up they put on that little girl was just so frightening,” junior Aneeqa Khan said. “I do not think I will forget that movie as long as I live.”
Based on the novel by Stephen King, It was released in 1990 to the American public. The movie is set in a small town in Maine, following the torment undergone by a group of adults since the days of their childhood. A monster named ‘It’ pillages their town wearing a clown suit and wreaks havoc with its supernatural powers. It has been known to contribute to the fear of clowns for a great number of people, seeing as it was a big part of this generation’s childhood.
“It was an old scary movie,” junior Watson Eiadkaew said. “I remember I would not shower for three days I was so scared.”
Freddy Krueger made his first appearance in A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984, a movie later remade in 2010. In the movie, Nancy Thompson and her friends experience nightmares starring a strange man who had knives for fingers, the spirit of a deceased serial killer, also known as Freddy Krueger. They soon realize that if they are killed in their sleep they die in real life, prompting them to attempt to stay awake at all costs. This motion picture was the first of many movies starring the sharp-fingered murderer, beginning a legacy that continues to haunt people today.
“I was scared of the way Freddy Krueger ran,” junior Tre’Von Boles said. “I never wanted to go to sleep.”
Terror fills Camp Crystal Lake as Jason Vorhees’ spirit returns to exact revenge on camp counselors in Friday the 13th. Jason is another well-known evil essence that has appeared in multiple movies following his debut in 1980. The movie’s emphasis on the unlucky number thirteen combined with the savage attacks strike fear deep within its audience.
“Jason was the scariest thing I have ever seen,” Khan said. “I can never look at the number thirteen the same way again.”
In 2007, Americans lined up to see Paranormal Activity in pursuit of an experience that would leave them shuddering with fright for days to follow. The production is shown solely as a home movie in which a woman and her boyfriend are haunted by a malevolent spirit. As they attempt to rid their home of the evil that dwells within it, viewers are taken through all of the mysterious and frightening events that lead to a shocking conclusion. The prequel to Paranormal Activity was released three years later with a third installment of the series having graced theatres in October of 2011.
“Paranormal Activity made me feel like ghosts exist,” senior Yeg Ghodsi said. “It felt so realistic because it took place in a normal house and was filmed with a personal camera.”
For centuries man has told fear-inducing tales both to warn and to entertain. The horror film industry has taken these stories to the next level, using special effects and new age paranormal ideas to scare those that thrive on thrill. Some question the sense behind watching movies that terrify people out of their wits, but there is a draw to scary movies that die-hard thrill seekers cannot resist.
“Scary movies can be amusing,” Boles said. “I really like the fact that I never know what is going to happen next.”
