10 Creepy Horror Movies That Don’t Rely On Gore Or Jump Scares

When it comes to terrifying horror movies, many horror fanatics love the blend of suspense, gore, and jump scares. Some of the most successful horror movies and franchises center around thrills and bloodshed. Audiences love the shock factor and excitement that comes from gore. But looking past the blood, some of the creepiest horror movies center around a horrifying journey and psychological torment.

A good horror story shines on its own and allows audiences to immerse themselves in the creative storytelling without needing the extra, over-the-top violence. Overlooked suspenseful horror movie The Others centers around a haunting atmosphere and creates an overwhelming sense of dread without needing a single drop of blood added to the story. Well-written creepy narratives and empathetic characters make the perfect blend for a compelling horror plot.

10

Get Out (2017)

Directed by Jordan Peele

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8.7/10

Get Out

R
HorrorMysteryThriller

Jordan Peele made his directorial Horror debut with Get Out, a terrifying Psychological Horror film starring Daniel Kaluuya. In the 2017 release, Chris Washington heads to Upstate New York to meet the family of his girlfriend, Rose. What follows is a horrifying ordeal for the anxious photographer.

Release Date

February 24, 2017

Runtime

1 hour, 44 minutes

Cast

Lyle Brocato
, LaKeith Stanfield
, Caleb Landry Jones
, Betty Gabriel
, Allison Williams
, Marcus Henderson
, Erika Alexander
, Bradley Whitford
, Jeronimo Spinx
, Catherine Keener
, Daniel Kaluuya

Director

Jordan Peele

Writers

Jordan Peele

Studio(s)

Universal Pictures

Distributor(s)

Universal Pictures

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Almost eight years old, Get Out is a thrilling horror movie about a young man who dates the wrong woman and is finding out the hard way just how crazy her family is after meeting them. Starring Daniel Kaluuya as Chris in his first horror role, he has to figure out how to escape from the family’s sinister intentions, who want to take his body and brain for a transplant experiment. Get Out incorporates deep-rooted racial issues in America and combines it with an imaginative story that doesn’t need jump scares to engage audiences.

A young Black man’s experiences and his reality are the center of the story and his ordeals are truly the “scary” part of this narrative.

Get Out feels like a horrifying dream that Chris can’t wake up from, especially since he’s hypnotized and there’s a beautiful, dark use of the “sunken place,” a dream-like state where he’s in pure misery. While some moments of violence are presented, they aren’t the main focus. A young Black man’s experiences and his reality are the center of the story, and his ordeals are truly the “scary” part of this narrative.

9

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Directed by Roman Polanski

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10/10

Rosemary’s Baby

R
HorrorDrama

Directed by Roman Polanski and starring Mia Farrow, Rosemary’s Baby chronicles the chilling tale of Rosemary Woodhouse, the wife of an actor who, after finding out she is pregnant, begins to suspect that her unborn child is something far more sinister than a normal baby. John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, and Maurice Evans also star. 

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Release Date

June 12, 1968

Runtime

137 minutes

Cast

Ralph Bellamy
, Mia Farrow
, Sidney Blackmer
, Ruth Gordon
, John Cassavetes

Director

Roman Polanski

Writers

Roman Polanski

Studio(s)

Paramount Pictures

Distributor(s)

Paramount Pictures

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An entire apartment building of Satanists who believe their new resident is carrying the son of the devil has to be the ultimate creepy horror story. Rosemary’s Baby is 57 years old and still appeals to audiences because of Mia Farrow’s performance as Rosemary and the simple, dark storyline where a sweet, innocent-looking young woman is preyed upon. It’s one of the first movies that set the foundation for similar successful plots about the Antichrist.

Collage of Julia Garner in Apartment 7A and Nell Tiger Free in The First Omen

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This horror movie from the ’60s stood out for mixing religion and feminism, and the themes are still incorporated into modern horror movies that people still enjoy. Rosemary’s Baby addresses societal pressures on women and reproductive choices that add to the terrifying factor of the idea that women’s bodies and their bodily autonomy are out of their control. Without needing blood or gore, Rosemary’s Baby was able to address many of the ongoing issues women were facing and the religious changes the world was going through.

8

The Woman in Black (2012)

Directed by James Watkins

The woman in black movie poster

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4/10

The Woman In Black

PG-13
Horror

In early 20th century England, a widowed young lawyer travels to a small town to settle the estate of a recently deceased resident. However, he soon becomes entangled with the mystery of the vengeful ghost that haunts the town.

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Release Date

February 3, 2012

Runtime

95 minutes

Cast

Daniel Radcliffe
, Ciarán Hinds
, Janet McTeer
, Liz White

Director

James Watkins

Writers

Jane Goldman

Daniel Radcliffe’s first horror movie role was as Arthur in The Woman in Black. He’s sent to a remote village to settle the affairs of a woman who died, but learns the village and the ominous house are harboring a dark secret. After discovering the vengeful woman’s spirit is killing young children, Arthur tries to piece together why she’s haunting the village, and it becomes increasingly personal when the entity targets his own son.

In the original 1989 movie The Woman in Black, Arthur’s character is played by Adrian Rawlins. Adrian also played Daniel Radcliffe’s father, James Potter, in the Harry Potter movie series.

The Woman in Black’s intense, dark atmosphere makes this one of the creepiest horror films. With the backdrop of the marshlands and distant, cold townsfolk, not a single drop of blood is needed for this movie because of its haunting scenery and setting. While the movie is a slower burn and less about jump scares, the scenes where children are influenced into killing themselves, is enough to scare anybody without needing the extra violence of gore.

7

Signs (2002)

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

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8.3/10

Signs

PG-13
MysteryThrillerDrama Sci-Fi

Signs is a sci-fi horror film by director M. Night Shyamalan. It follows devout priest Graham Hess and his family as they find themselves in the middle of a mysterious event where crop circles appear in the middle of their farmland. Then, seeing the entire world begin to experience similar phenomena, the family starts to worry about their safety and the end of days as they ponder what may be coming.

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Release Date

August 2, 2002

Runtime

106 minutes

Cast

Joaquin Phoenix
, Mel Gibson
, Cherry Jones
, Rory Culkin
, Abigail Breslin

Director

M. Night Shyamalan

Writers

M. Night Shyamalan

Studio(s)

Disney

Distributor(s)

Disney

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Audiences loved alien movies in the early 2000s, and M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs is a creepy movie that doesn’t rely on jump scares or gore. Signs involves aliens that are only caught in glimpses, making it terrifying because they could be hiding around any corner. With the setting of a small town and farm, the environment seems like it would be a peaceful place to live, but it adds another scary layer to the movie. The vastness and emptiness of the farm and large crops surrounding the house make it feel like they are surrounded and alone at the same time.

Signs is about a grieving family that doesn’t seem to know how to speak to each other. Even though they lack effective communication, they come across as an ordinary, personable family who audiences want to see survive. With a compelling family and alien invasion story, it’s a creepy horror movie that’s always building tension. Movies that capture both the foreboding elements and tell a genuinely good story, don’t need to add excessive jump scares or blood because the creepy story stands on its own.

6

The Invisible Man (2020)

Directed by Leigh Whannell

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6.2/10

The Invisible Man

R
Horror Sci-FiThriller

Inspired by H.G. Well’s novel of the same name, The Invisible Man is a modern retelling of the sci-fi horror classic. After narrowly escaping her abusive and powerful tech mogul boyfriend (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) is relieved to hear of his death. However, she soon becomes convinced that he’s watching her, and little by little, she comes to believe that he’s found a way to not only cheat death but the laws of reality, too.

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Release Date

February 28, 2020

Runtime

124 minutes

Cast

Zara Michaels
, Storm Reid
, Sam Smith
, Oliver Jackson-Cohen
, Anthony Brandon Wong
, Aldis Hodge
, Amali Golden
, Harriet Dyer
, Bianca Pomponio
, Elisabeth Moss
, Benedict Hardie

Director

Leigh Whannell

Writers

Leigh Whannell

Studio(s)

Universal Pictures

Distributor(s)

Universal Pictures

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A haunting, invisible presence makes for the perfect creepy horror movie. In this remake from the 1930s, The Invisible Man, a woman has to convince her friends and family that her abusive husband, who supposedly killed himself, isn’t dead and is stalking her. Elizabeth Moss’s character, Cee, portrays the perfect hysterical woman who is unbelieved by those around her. Instead of falling into a final girl type trope, Cee’s character comes across as a damsel in distress. It makes the movie more believable and sinister, since her character is very vulnerable.

It’s a psychological horror movie that creates a sense of anxiety as the camera focuses on the invisible man’s point of view and his dark intentions…

Invisible Man presents a different take on a monster and sci-fi movie. The monster is unseen and more powerful because of his manipulation tactics. It’s a psychological horror movie that creates a sense of anxiety as the camera focuses on the invisible man’s point of view and his dark intentions towards Cee. Getting murdered by an invisible being has to be one of the creepiest narratives ever.

5

Paranormal Activity (2007)

Directed by Oren Peli

01295162_poster_w780.jpg

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Paranormal Activity

R
HorrorMystery

Paranormal Activity is a 2007 found-footage horror film following a young couple who move into a suburban house and experience disturbing nocturnal events. The movie, which sparked a successful franchise, centers around the couple’s attempts to document the eerie occurrences they suspect are of supernatural origin.

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Release Date

September 14, 2007

Runtime

86 minutes

Cast

Katie Featherston
, Micah Sloat
, Mark Fredrichs
, Amber Armstrong
, Ashley Palmer
, Crystal Cartwright
, Spencer Marks
, Randy McDowell
, James Piper

Producers

Jason Blum
, Steven Schneider

Writers

Oren Peli

One of the creepiest horror premises of the early 2000s is about a normal-looking couple stalked by a demonic presence in their quiet home. This found footage movie was so terrifying that people walked out of the theater because it was so unnerving. Without needing any violence or gore, Paranormal Activity effectively scared people by keeping the story simple and relying on pure tension from the camera’s point of view.

Collage of Katie walking and security camera footage of a baby in a crib in Paranormal Activity

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Micah and Katie, the protagonists, film their everyday lives and discover an entity is messing with them. Paranormal Activity has some amazing scares, including a scene where Katie is standing and watching Micah sleep for hours on end. The quiet ambiance, night vision scenes, and invisible entity that wreaks havoc on their lives all add to the sense of dread in this supernatural horror movie.

4

Donnie Darko (2001)

Directed by Richard Kelly

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1/10

Donnie Darko

R
DramaDocumentaryFantasyMysterySci-Fi

After troubled teen Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes on a local golf course after a night of sleepwalking, he has a vision of a man in a rabbit suit telling him that the world will end in 28 days. Returning home, Donnie sees that a jet engine has fallen on his bedroom in the night, and begins to feel increasingly detached from reality. Scrambling to make sense of the bizarre and unexplainable events that have altered his life, Donnie finds himself unravelling a tangled web of disaster and fate.

Release Date

October 26, 2001

Runtime

113 minutes

Cast

Jake Gyllenhaal
, Holmes Osborne
, Maggie Gyllenhaal
, Daveigh Chase
, Mary McDonnell
, James Duval

Director

Richard Kelly

Writers

Richard Kelly

Studio(s)

Newmarket Films

Distributor(s)

Newmarket Films

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Donnie Darko is an early 2000s horror movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Donnie. He’s a teenager who has visions of a rabbit-looking monster who manipulates him into committing crimes. Donnie is a great protagonist because he’s an impressionable teenager who doesn’t mold into the strong, young man role who wants to fight back. But rather, he has internal problems and is deeply disturbed by his own mind.

It’s like watching someone’s inner struggles and thoughts play out in an existential, sci-fi horror movie.

The atmosphere is extremely moody and dark, adding to the creepiness of Donnie Darko. Since it’s a psychological horror movie, the scares come from unraveling the mystery of what’s going on inside Donnie’s head. It’s like watching someone’s inner struggles and thoughts play out in an existential, sci-fi horror movie.

3

It Follows (2014)

Directed by David Robert Mitchell

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8.5/10

It Follows

R
Horror

It Follows is a horror-thriller film released in 2014 and follows a college student named Jay who is terrorized by a specter of a woman that follows her everywhere she goes. When Jay has sex with her new boyfriend, he ties her up and reveals that this mysterious woman will now haunt her until she passes it on to another or is killed by her. Now haunted by a woman that only she and those once afflicted by her can see, Jay will attempt to survive and find away to break the curse.

Release Date

March 27, 2015

Runtime

100minutes

Cast

Olivia Luccardi
, Jake Weary
, Keir Gilchrist
, Daniel Zovatto
, Maika Monroe
, Lili Sepe

Director

David Robert Mitchell

Writers

David Robert Mitchell

Studio(s)

The Weinstein Company

Distributor(s)

The Weinstein Company

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Great monster movies can range from invisible threats to oversized giant monsters. While It Follows isn’t a monster movie, it portrays creepy monsters that stalk and kill their victims because they had unprotected sex and are now latched with a curse. The curse presents itself as a monster in different forms. The tensions in It Follows increase throughout the movie because of the scary entities that appear at any moment.

Without needing any bloodshed, It Follows is a great survival movie with a protagonist who is vulnerable and kindhearted, making her the perfect victim. The movie follows Jay’s journey, played by Maika Monroe, as she tries to outrun the evil beings trying to kill her. She can’t seem to catch a break, and it’s like witnessing a character set up for failure. But she turns the tables and, although she’s presented as a frail young woman, she fights like hell. With the entire movie of her being on the run, it’s a heart-pounding thriller that makes people forget that there isn’t much bloodshed.

2

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

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30

9/10

The Sixth Sense

PG-13
ThrillerDramaHorrorMystery

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, The Sixth Sense is a psychological thriller about a young boy who can see and communicate with ghosts. Bruce Willis as Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist who tries to help Cole, played by Haley Joel Osment, while grappling with his own personal demons. The movie features a twist ending that has become iconic in pop culture.

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Release Date

August 6, 1999

Runtime

107 minutes

Cast

Bruce Willis
, Toni Collette
, Haley Joel Osment
, Olivia Williams
, Donnie Wahlberg

Director

M. Night Shyamalan

Writers

M. Night Shyamalan

Studio(s)

Disney

Distributor(s)

Disney
, Dimension Films

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The Sixth Sense shocked audiences with one of the most shocking and terrifying endings in a horror movie. The movie is about a child psychologist who helps a young boy through his traumas, including where he can interact with dead people. This story doesn’t need any gore, as the heart of this movie comes from the broken characters and the deep, personal relationships between them.

Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense

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Another M. Night Shyamalan movie, The Sixth Sense is a different kind of ghost tale. The ghosts are everyday people who have died horrifically and have unfinished business with the real world. While some blood is presented, it adds to the creepiness factor because it shows them as their deceased selves rather than a haunting, evil presence. It’s a movie about a child’s worst nightmare come true, and also the agony people face when losing a loved one.

1

The Fourth Kind (2009)

Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi

The Fourth Kind - poster

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The Fourth Kind

PG-13
Horror Sci-FiMysteryThriller

The Fourth Kind is a science fiction thriller directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, set in Nome, Alaska. The film stars Milla Jovovich as Dr. Abigail Tyler, a psychologist investigating a series of mysterious disappearances. The narrative blends dramatizations with purportedly real archival footage to explore the phenomenon of alien abductions, offering a chilling perspective on a series of unexplained nocturnal events.

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Release Date

November 6, 2009

Runtime

98 Minutes

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Cast

Milla Jovovich
, Will Patton
, Hakeem Kae-Kazim
, Corey Johnson
, Enzo Cilenti
, Elias Koteas
, Mia McKenna-Bruce

Director

Olatunde Osunsanmi

Writers

Olatunde Osunsanmi

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The Fourth Kind is an eerie alien movie about a town in Alaska where an alarming number of people have gone missing. The movie is presented in a scripted and documentary style format. Milla Jovovich, portraying a psychologist, is treating her patients and documents the horrors as they start to recall evidence of alien abductions. It has the same tone and ambiance of The X-Files TV show and gives different points of view while maintaining an uncanny feeling.

The Fourth Kind is extremely unsettling and a different take on an alien invasion movie.

The Fourth Kind is extremely unsettling and a different take on an alien invasion horror movie. Unlike the aliens in Signs, the aliens in this movie are more menacing and are presented with sinister intentions as they leave their victims disoriented and damaged. It’s only through hypnotherapy sessions with the psychologist that the victims can recall the harm done to their bodies and minds. Without any jump scares or gore, the aliens and their capabilities in The Fourth Kind are ominously frightening.