For fans of horror who aren’t easily scared, these are 10 underrated gems that will keep you awake at night.

I’ve watched far too many horror movies to review each one individually, so I thought I’d make a list summarising the ones that I found genuinely scary. For anyone looking for something to keep them awake at night, these films will do the job. From foreign language gore-fests to found footage thrillers, these are my top 10 picks of genuinely scary horror movies you should watch before you die. If you like this list, check out my article on the 10 best horror films available on Netflix.

1. The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)

‘The Taking of Deborah Logan’ is a paranormal horror which takes the trope of possession and turns it into something new and terrifying. Chronicling the descent into madness of Alzheimer’s sufferer Deborah Logan, documentary maker Mia soon realises that something more sinister may be taking place within the old woman. One of my favourite found footage horrors of the decade, ‘The Taking of Deborah Logan’ has an oddly realistic tone which makes it even more sinister.

2. Martyrs (2008)

Perhaps the most well-known film on the list, the French horror ‘Martyrs’ deserves a spot nonetheless for being one of the movies that still haunts me to this day. Lucie, played by Mylène Jampanoï, was kidnapped as a child and is on a hunt to avenge those who abused her. Haunted by violent hallucinations, what Lucie and her best friend Anna discover is even more terrifying than they could have imagined. With horrific depictions of torture and cruelty, ‘Martyrs’ definitely isn’t for everyone, but it is undoubtedly as scary as it gets.

3. The Possession of Michael King (2014)

‘The Possession of Michael King’ is another found footage paranormal horror that I actually had to stop watching at night and instead finish the next day. It tells the story of filmmaker Michael King, a grieving Father who has recently lost his wife. Michael is strongly atheistic and determined to prove that demonic forces are simply a creation of the human mind. Engaging in disturbed summoning ceremonies for the purpose of his investigation, what follows is a brutal tale of possession and insanity that is genuinely terrifying.

4. Goodnight Mommy (2014)

An Austrian horror with a twist, ‘Goodnight Mommy’ is shown from the perspective of twin boys Elias and Lukas. After their Mother returns home with bandages covering her face following a cosmetic surgery, the boys begin to suspect that she has been replaced by an imposter. With a disturbing premise and deeply sinister undertones, ‘Goodnight Mommy’ is an unsettling watch which consistently misleads and shocks its viewer. The fear of the unknown is ever present in this masterpiece of a horror, making it a truly scary film.

5. Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman (2007)

Otherwise known as ‘Kuchisake-onna,’ ‘Carved’ is a Japanese horror based on a popular urban legend about a slit-mouthed woman who will ask you whether you find her attractive. If you say no, she kills you with scissors; if you say yes, she slits your mouth to be just like hers. A hidden gem in the horror genre, 'Carved’ follows Kyōko Yamashita as she attempts to solve a string of child abduction cases that lead her into a series of encounters with the malevolent ghost. I watched this film years ago, and remember finding it uniquely terrifying.

6. The Orphanage (2007)

‘The Orphanage’ is a Spanish supernatural horror that tells the story of Laura, a woman who returns to the orphanage she grew up in with her husband and adopted son Simón. When Simón claims to have befriended a young boy called Tomás, events in the film become increasingly sinister as Laura begins to unravel the mystery behind what happened to the children living there. ‘The Orphanage’ may not contain the cheap jump scares of many other paranormal horrors, but it is still extremely effective and oddly touching.

7. V/H/S (2012)

An anthology horror movie consisting of short films in a found footage format, ‘V/H/S’ follows a group of criminals who are paid to enter an abandoned house to retrieve a tape. Disappearing one by one, the group grow understandably disturbed by the footage they witness. There are a couple of stories from this film which are particularly unsettling, and its snuff film style makes ‘V/H/S’ all the more uncomfortable to watch. Bizarre and nightmarish, this is a film which is guaranteed to frighten any horror fan.

8. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose’ is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated supernatural horrors of all time. Based on the true story of Annelise Michel, this film takes the form of a court case against a parish priest accused of negligent homicide after performing an exorcism on a young girl. In trying to prove the legitimacy of the demonic forces possessing Emily, defence lawyer Erin Bruner experiences supernatural occurrences of her own. Watching the deterioration of Emily’s physical and mental state as her story is told is a singularly scary experience.

9. The Wailing (2016)

A South Korean horror/mystery set in a small rural village in the mountains, ‘The Wailing’ follows police officer Jong-goo as he investigates a series of killings and illnesses taking place in the local area. As the situation worsens, Jong-goo is faced with the task of discovering the demonic source behind the sinister events that threaten his friends and family. An unusually complex horror movie, ‘The Wailing’ contains some genuinely scary scenes, and an ending that you won’t forget.

10. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

‘A Tale of Two Sisters’ is another South Korean horror, but this one focuses more on the psychological aspects of the genre. It tells the story of a young girl returning home from a mental institution only to experience a myriad of disturbing events involving her stepmother and the ghosts present in her house. This is undeniably one of the scariest horrors I’ve ever seen. As well as containing a terrifying twist, ‘A Tale of Two Sisters’ is creepily effective and keeps its audience in suspense right up to the very last minute.

If you enjoyed this, you can read more Films To Watch Before You Die lists here.

The 10 best genuinely scary horror films