The Best Horror Movies That Left Me Sleeping With the Lights On

Let’s be honest, best horror movies have become a luxury now. in the name of new releases, horror movies are just turning into cliches delivering nothing more than loud bangs and jumpscares. But you and I feel this way because we know better options exist, and can be created. 

And among those better options in the horror niche, some you might have watched, some you might have not. I will introduce you to some of my personal favorites. And I will keep this list evolved so you can bookmark it for new recommendations every now and then!

These Best Horror Movies are Worth It!

Dabbe: The Possession

I love this movie to the core, made me turn my lights on! One of the top Turkish horror movies in existence, Dabbe is a docudrama-styled horror film that follows Kubra, a psychology student who returns to her village for her friend’s wedding. Soon everything turns chaotic when the soon-to-be bride gets possessed and kills her husband. 

Kubra and her local friend, a Maulwi, find stuff of black magic together making the story more complicated than it seemed. Apart from the engaging storyline, I found the atmosphere quite creepy, and then the brilliant camerawork added to the creepiness making it one of the scariest movies I have watched.

Conjuring

Surprisingly, Conjuring turned out to be much better than I had expected. Even though the prequels were not worthy enough to be called benchmarks, the first movie offered everything a fan could ask for. 

The touch of real cases from the archives of Ed and Lorraine Warren was the cherry on the cake that multiplied the horror element of the movie. Even though I didn’t know about Warrens before the movie, it still kept me on edge thanks to the scary mythology that it adapted and blended well with the great cinematography and acting to deliver the perfect horror.

The Witch

Anya Taylor Joy’s debut film The Witch is a folktale horror set in the 1630s in New England after a family of folks was banished from their community thanks to some religious dispute. After settling into a secluded place and building a farm, the family starts witnessing some strange chain of events that scares them to the core. 

There’s a mystery waiting to be revealed at every corner but keeping you in the dark until the very end. Throughout the unraveling, there are many moments that could scare you if you are of a faint heart.

The Medium

The documentary-styled horror movie focuses on a shaman and her tribe in rural Thailand. Standing among one of the top Thai horror movies in existence, The Medium has everything you need- a good story, great acting, and the greatest scare. It has ghosts with more than just senselessly trying to murder everybody. Even the exorcism is something that is unlike anything I saw in any movie. Won’t reveal more than that, you need to watch the masterpiece yourself.

Hereditary

A great movie, Hereditary delivers a great but disturbing horror element. The tension escalates when Annie‘s daughter, Charlie, dies in a tragic accident that shakes the family to its core. The aftermath of Charlie‘s death drives a wedge between Annie, her husband Steve, and their teenage son Peter, who is wracked with guilt. 

As the family spirals into grief and madness, Annie becomes obsessed with contacting Charlie‘s spirit, leading her to discover the true extent of her mother’s influence from beyond the grave.

The film’s climax is a heart-pounding descent into chaos as Peter becomes the target of the malevolent forces that have been manipulating the family all along. In a final, shocking twist, it is revealed that the family’s fate was sealed long before Ellen‘s death, as she had orchestrated everything to fulfill a sinister ritual.

Smile

Smile begins with the unsettling story of Dr. Rose Cotter, a psychiatrist working in a high-stress emergency psychiatric unit. Rose is compassionate yet overworked, dealing with trauma cases daily. Her life takes a harrowing turn when she encounters a new patient who, after describing terrifying visions of an entity that wears a smile but exudes malevolence, ends her own life right in front of Rose, with a chilling grin on her face.

What makes Smile truly terrifying is its exploration of how deeply personal and psychological trauma can manifest in the most horrifying ways. The film cleverly uses the simple act of smiling—something typically associated with joy—as a symbol of pure dread. 

As I watched Rose struggle against an invisible and insidious force, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Smile is more than just a horror film. It’s a haunting commentary on how unresolved trauma can fester and consume us, spreading like a contagion to those around us.

Smile 2 has already been announced, I am looking forward to seeing what is going to be the impact of this one!

Cobweb

The story takes a dark turn when Peter begins to hear strange noises coming from within the walls of his bedroom. At first, his parents dismiss his fears, telling him that it’s just his imagination running wild. 

But the noises grow louder and more persistent, soon becoming voices that seem to whisper secrets to Peter. These voices lead him to discover a hidden part of the house, filled with dark secrets that challenge everything he thought he knew about his family.

The film brilliantly captures that sense of isolation and fear that many of us experienced as children, magnified by the realization that sometimes, the people we trust the most are the ones hiding the darkest secrets.

The Exorcist

The Exorcist is often hailed as one of the most terrifying films ever made, and for good reason. The story revolves around Regan MacNeil, a young girl who begins exhibiting bizarre and frightening behavior after playing with a seemingly harmless Ouija board. Her mother, Chris MacNeil, a successful actress, becomes increasingly desperate as doctors and psychiatrists fail to explain Regan‘s disturbing transformation. 

The climactic exorcism scene, where Father Merrin and Father Karras confront the demon inside Regan, is a masterclass in suspense and horror. The intensity of their struggle, both spiritual and physical, is palpable, and the film leaves viewers questioning the nature of evil and the limits of human faith.