10 of the Scariest Horror Movies Based on Science and Heart Rate
When you think of burning calories, you may think of hitting the gym for an hour. But what if you could get your heart rate up just by watching a movie?
Ok, so you may not burn as many calories sitting on the couch as you would running a mile, but scary movies are shown to increase your heart rate - maybe even more if you're easily spooked.
Your taste in scary movies may be different than your best friend's, but there's no denying scare factors if they're based on science. That's right - actual scientific evidence, not just some "create a monster in a lab" science from Frankenstein.
The Science of Scare Project from Broadband Choices was on a mission to determine the scariest of the scariest horror movies all based on the audience's heart rate.
What is the Science of Scare Project?
In 2020, Broadband Choices founded the Science of Scare project, which was an experiment to find the scariest movies solely based on what gets your heart racing the most.
After three years in existence, this project is bigger than its ever been and still tracking the scariest movies (and games) ever made.
How Does it Work?
Every year, the Science of Scare project makes a list of the scariest feature length movies and shows them to a panel of 250 victims - errr test subjects. The list of movies is compiled from recommendations from horror experts, "best" lists, online communities, and personal picks of the researchers.
The subjects wear a special heart rate monitor to track their heart rate throughout the movie, while under supervision of a researcher.
Heart rates are measured in beats per minute (BPM) and compared to the average resting heart rates of the total sample size - each year has been 64 bpm.
Once the data is collected, they release the results in October - just in time for Halloween.
The Results Are In
We know you've been waiting for this part, so let's get into it. Check out the top 10 scariest movies based on heart rate.
10. Paranormal Activity (2007)
One of the initial draws for Paranormal Activity was their marketing technique. Instead of showing a trailer, they show terrified audiences reacting to the movie. While some may consider this one a slow burn, it definitely is an effective way to shoot a found footage movie without being totally unbelievable. At #10, Paranormal Activity held an average of 80 bpm, and the highest spike at 115 bpm.
9. A Quiet Place 2 (2020)
The first A Quiet Place was set in an apocalyptic world where blind, sonic-hearing, murderous monsters took over the earth. The second movie is actually a prequel and shows how the apocalypse actually happened. The movie captured the audience with an average of 80 bpm and the highest spike averaging 123 bpm.
8. It Follows (2014)
Social commentary mixed with disturbing imagery, It Follows is about a girl who is being - you guessed it - followed by a strange and scary monster in the form of creepy, sometimes naked people. The film has a deeper meaning of STDs as the "curse" can only be passed off by having sex with someone else. With an average of 81 bpm and the highest spike of 96, It Follows takes the #8 spot on the list.
7. DASHCAM (2022)
So, this movie was not taken well by all the critics because of the unlikeable (arguably insufferable) protagonist, but the chaotic, found footage style movie was enough to scary audiences to make it on this list. Audiences had an average of 81 bpm and averaged a highest spike of 112 bpm while watching this movie.
6. Hereditary (2018)
Have you ever seen one of those movies that's equally visually and emotionally disturbing? That's Hereditary. Although a big part of the plot revolves around the supernatural, family dysfunction also plays an unsettling role. Hereditary had audiences holding an average 82 bpm and the average highest heart rate spike at 104 bpm.
5. Terrified (2017)
Paranormal movies are typically a fan favorite among horror fans, and Terrified didn't disappoint among critics. With effective and terrifying jump scares, it's no wonder this movie spiked a few heart rates. Audiences held an average of 82 bpm during this movie and experienced an average spike of 122 bpm.
4. The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring has built a huge franchise that has been terrifying horror fans for a decade. Based on the dramatized, yet real life of Ed and Lorraine Warren, a demonologist and a medium, The Conjuring follows a family haunted by an evil spirit. The fact that this movie is based on a true story is enough to scare you, but the jump scares are also effective. The average bpm during this movie was 84 with an average highest spike of 132 bpm.
3. Insidious (2010)
Although not directly linked to The Conjuring, Insidious was directed by the same director, so it's no wonder the film made the top 3 on this list. The film follows a family who moves into a new house and whose son soon goes into what they think is a coma. A psychic later informs them of the much more terrifying truth. A pretty high average of 85 bpm during the movie proves just how scary it is, and the average spike of 133 bpm is undeniable.
2. Sinister
Disturbing as movies come, Sinister takes the cake. The movie follows a family who moves into a new house where the father finds extremely disturbing tapes of families - children included - being murdered in unspeakable ways. When strange occurrences start to happen to him, he starts to worry if they're next. Audiences held an average of 86 bpm and an average highest spike at 130 bpm.
1. Host (2020)
While the scariest part of this movie for some may be the flashback to the 2020 lockdown, the physiological factors are enough to get your heart pumping. Host claimed the #1 spot on the list with an average bpm of 88, and the highest bpm spike average of 130.