The horror genre is known for its scares and tension, but many incredible horror movies are more atmospheric than they are inherently scary. In fact, some of the best horror movies of all time are known for their terrifying environments. While these horror movies do not suffer in any way by having such engaging environments, there are several in which the fear factor of the setting stands out against the story.
This is incredibly common in horror films with the most wild premises, but it includes more horror than just the most incredulous. In fact, this extends to films in all sorts of genres, including different obscure horror genres. Regardless, the environments built up in horror films like The Ritual and Rosemary’s Baby are legendary, even more frightening than the actual films themselves.
You are watching: 10 Horror Movies Where The Atmosphere Is Scarier Than The Movie Itself
10
The Ritual (2017)
The Monster Is More Terrifying Than The Movie Itself
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The Ritual
r
HorrorThriller
After traveling to Sweden, Luke reunites with his old college friends for a fun trip. But things quickly turn south when they realize something in the forest is stalking them. The Ritual was a Netflix original movie released in 2017 and was directed by David Bruckner, who would go on to direct Hulu’s Hellraiser film.
Release Date
October 13, 2017
Runtime
94minutes
Cast
Sam Troughton
, Rafe Spall
Director
David Bruckner
Writers
David Bruckner
Studio(s)
Netflix
Distributor(s)
Entertainment One
, Netflix
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Taking place in the woods of northern Sweden, The Ritual is a horror film focused on showcasing the chilling atmosphere of the winter forest. When a group of hikers is forced to take shelter from the rain, they find creepy symbols and lingering figures. A creature eventually begins to hunt them down, intending to kill and sacrifice those in the group.
The film itself is a slow burn, taking its time to really build up the story before diving into outright horror. The story itself is a familiar one, following a monster’s slow hunt of the main characters, but the setting is what makes The Ritual so worth watching. It is both beautiful and haunting to look at, and the monster itself is a horrifying amalgamation of fearsome folk horror.
9
The Empty Man (2020)
The Idea Of The Empty Man Existing Is Terrifying
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The Empty Man
R
HorrorDramaMystery
The Empty Man is a horror film directed by David Prior, adapting Cullen Bunn’s graphic novel. It follows ex-cop James Lasombra, played by James Badge Dale, who investigates the mysterious disappearance of a friend’s daughter. His search uncovers a secret urban legend known as “The Empty Man,” leading him into a dark world of supernatural phenomena and cult activity.
Release Date
October 23, 2020
Runtime
137 Minutes
Main Genre
Horror
Cast
James Badge Dale
, Marin Ireland
, Sasha Frolova
, Samantha Logan
Director
David Prior
Writers
David Prior
, Cullen Bunn
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Beginning with the discovery of a horrifying being known as the Empty Man, the titular entity quickly becomes the object of obsession of the film’s main character, detective James Lasombra. His investigation of the Empty Man begins with the disappearance of his neighbor’s daughter, who left a message behind in blood about the Empty Man. What follows is an investigation of a cult that quickly spirals out of hand, making the movie more suspenseful than blatantly scary.
The Empty Man was originally based on a graphic novel by the same name, published by Boom! Studios.
The Empty Man itself is characterized as this otherworldly figure, left in the dark to allow the viewer to imagine what might scare them the most. The lore built around the character is plentiful. Because of this well-realized atmosphere, the aesthetic built around the characters and the implications of what is going on behind the scenes is more frightening than the movie itself.
8
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Found Footage Adds A Lot To This Film’s Setting
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21
6.1/10
The Blair Witch Project
R
HorrorMystery
The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 horror film that follows three film students who venture into the Black Hills near Burkittsville, Maryland. As they document their search for the Blair Witch legend, strange and unsettling events unfold. Presented as found footage, the film is directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, and it pioneered the found footage genre in mainstream cinema.
Release Date
July 30, 1999
Runtime
81 minutes
Cast
Joshua Leonard
, Michael C. Williams
, Heather Donahue
Director
Eduardo Sánchez
, Daniel Myrick
Writers
Daniel Myrick
, Eduardo Sánchez
Studio(s)
Summit Entertainment
Distributor(s)
Summit Entertainment
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Known best as one of the films that popularized the found footage genre, The Blair Witch Project follows a group of students as they shoot a documentary about the local mythological figure, the Blair Witch. Shot in a way that makes the film look as close to a documentary as possible, The Blair Witch Project offers a look into a world that proposes the idea that a terrifying witch might be real. Though the film itself might be ambiguous, the idea that it could be real makes it that much more tense.
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At the time the film was released, many thought that the film was real and that the makers of this supposed documentary had disappeared. This, coupled with the fact that the film was just a couple of students in the forest, was much more terrifying than anything the film itself accomplished. The surrounding reality of the forest and ideology made it so much more believable.
7
The Descent (2006)
Caves Are A Frightening Spot For A Horror Film
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9.3/10
The Descent
R
HorrorAdventureThriller
The Descent is a horror film that follows a group of thrill-seeking friends who find themselves fractured after one of them loses their husband and daughter in a car accident. Attempting to rejuvenate her friend Sarah and bring her back to the group, Juno convinces her to follow her and their friends to a mysterious cave system they find in the mountains. However, when they find themselves traped with no way out, she reveals she took them to an uncharted region with no chance of rescue, hoping to give them the adventure of the life time. Angry, fearful, and low on supplies, the group travels further into the caves only to discover they’re not alone.
Release Date
August 4, 2006
Runtime
99 minutes
Cast
Shauna Macdonald
, Saskia Mulder
, Alex Reid
, Natalie Mendoza
, MyAnna Buring
, Nora-Jane Noone
Director
Neil Marshall
Writers
Neil Marshall
Studio(s)
Lionsgate
Distributor(s)
Lionsgate
Expand
When a group of women delves into the depths of an uncharted cave system, they at first have no idea what horrors they will uncover. However, they are soon attacked by a group of cannibals, leaving them to fend for their lives in the dark. Because this film takes place in a series of caves, it often feels closed off and claustrophobic in a way most movies cannot replicate.
Though cannibals are the focus of the film, most of the film’s extensive scares come from the environment itself. The cave system that the story takes place in is far more frightening than the story itself, as it follows a rather general turn of events. Caves are something rarely explored by horror films, especially at such scale, and The Descent does this exploration well.
6
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Rosemary’s Home Becomes The Most Frightening Part
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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.
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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Rosemary’s Baby follows the story of Rosemary Woodhouse, a woman who is trying to celebrate the fact that she has recently become pregnant. However, as the story progresses, Rosemary slowly finds out that she is at the center of a massive conspiracy that involves her being lied to by her husband. It is eventually revealed that the baby is set to be the Antichrist, the son of Satan who has been passed on to her.
Rosemary’s Baby was originally based on a novel of the same name and has since spawned a prequel film titled Apartment 7A and a TV remake.
While the story of Rosemary’s Baby is quite chilling, the buildup and atmosphere surrounding the film is even more unnerving. The power the cult surrounding Rosemary and her child holds is not to be messed with, and the idea that a person’s own home can become something so dangerous is a frightening thought. Though the setting is simple, Rosemary’s home becomes a prison, something that is scary to simply exist in.
5
A Quiet Place (2018)
The Silent World Of The Film Is Eerie
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8.2/10
A Quiet Place
PG-13
HorrorDocumentaryFamilySci-FiThriller
A Quiet Place takes place in a world ravaged by predatory alien beings with ultra-sensitive hearing. With humanity on the brink of extinction, the Abbott family has managed to carve out a delicate survival by living in total silence, but with a baby on the way, their tentative peace seems more fragile than ever. A Quiet Place stars John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe and is directed by Krasinski.
Release Date
April 3, 2018
Runtime
90 Minutes
Cast
Emily Blunt
, John Krasinski
, Millie Simmonds
, Noah Jupe
, Cade Woodward
, Leon Russom
Director
John Krasinski
Writers
Bryan Woods
, Scott Beck
, John Krasinski
Studio(s)
Platinum Dunes
, Sunday Night Productions
Distributor(s)
Paramount Pictures
Expand
In a world that has been ravaged by monsters with hypersensitive hearing, the world of A Quiet Place shows what it would be like if humanity was forced into silence. The movie follows the life of a family in this terrifying world, with tension building in a variety of scenarios. These scenarios include a famous scene from the film involving a mother being forced to give birth in complete silence, showing the dangers that people in this world face.
Every moment of tension comes from the setting of A Quiet Place. When the monsters are something so set in stone in the film’s world, they become the sense of horror at its very core. The idea of what would happen to humanity in this sort of apocalyptic nightmare is far more frightening than anything that happens in the movie, especially considering the film is tense, but not so scary.
4
The Witch (2016)
The Old-Fashioned Setting Is Chilling
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15
9.3/10
The Witch
R
Horror
Distributed by A24, The Witch marks the feature directorial debut of Robert Eggers and the first film appearance of Anya Taylor-Joy. Written by Eggers, The Witch follows a puritanical family in New England in the 1630s who are forced to leave their community after a religious dispute. Attempting to set up a farm in the New England countryside, the family soon find themselves beset by malevolent and supernatural forces beyond their comprehension.
Release Date
February 19, 2016
Runtime
92minutes
Cast
Kate Dickie
, Wahab Chaudhry
, Ellie Grainger
, Ralph Ineson
, Sarah Stephens
, Lucas Dawson
, Anya Taylor-Joy
, Bathsheba Garnett
, Harvey Scrimshaw
, Julian Richings
Director
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Robert Eggers
Writers
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Robert Eggers
Studio(s)
A24
Distributor(s)
A24
, Universal Pictures
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Directed by horror icon Robert Eggers, The Witch is another folklore-based horror film that takes place in the woods. In a similar vein to The Crucible, the film takes place in the 1600s and follows a group of women accused of witchcraft. As it turns out, there is a witch lurking in the woods, though things quickly take a turn for the worse.
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Though the film itself is not too terribly frightening, the exploration of witchcraft is well-done and done in the perfect way to add to the atmosphere of the film. It is suitably chilling, set against the background of a nighttime forest that makes the viewer feel as though something is always watching. It is well done, characterizing the film in a way that makes it feel like a twisted storybook.
3
Event Horizon (1997)
Space Is The Perfect Setting For Horror
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8/10
9.5/10
Event Horizon
R
Horror Sci-FiThriller
Paul W. S. Anderson steps further into the world of sci-fi horror with Event Horizon, a movie set in the future following a crew of Astronauts attempting to locate a missing ship known as the Event Horizon. When the crew finds the ship floating near Neptune, the distress signal relayed is haunting, followed by the discovery what awaits the rescue team isn’t the crew of the missing ship but something far more sinister.
Release Date
August 15, 1997
Runtime
96 minutes
Cast
Jason Isaacs
, Kathleen Quinlan
, Sean Pertwee
, Laurence Fishburne
, Richard T. Jones
, Joely Richardson
, Sam Neill
Director
Paul W.S. Anderson
Writers
Philip Eisner
Studio(s)
Paramount Pictures
Distributor(s)
Paramount Pictures
Expand
Following the crew of a ship sent on a rescue mission to save those working on a spaceship known as the Event Horizon, this horror film quickly falls into a special sort of madness that can only be found in science fiction horror films. When the crew arrives, they find that everyone who had been aboard the Event Horizon has mysteriously died, driven to kill each other by some unknown force. They quickly realize that an unseen force has compelled them to do this as they slowly begin to succumb to that very same madness.
The setting of Event Horizon is oftentimes the biggest villain of the film, with several of the terrors that come with any science fiction movie being present in this as well. Because it takes place in outer space, the void of space itself poses a threat. This, coupled with the black hole that rips the ship in two, makes for a terrifying setting for a horror film set on punishing the characters caught in its trap.
2
Annihilation (2018)
This Horror Film Is Based On A Novel
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11
8.2/10
Annihilation
R
Sci-FiMysteryHorror
Alex Garland’s Annihilation is based on the novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer. It follows a group of explorers – comprised of biology professor Lena (Natalie Portman), psychologist Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), physicist Josie Radek (Tessa Thompson), geomorphologist Cassie Sheppard (Tuva Nvotny), and paramedic Anya Thorensen (Gina Rodriguez) – as they enter “the Shimmer”, a quarantined zone of mutated plants and animals caused by an unknown extra-terrestrial phenomenon. Lena agrees to enter the Shimmer in search of her husband, Kane (Oscar Isaac), who was sent in as part of a special forces operation.
Release Date
February 23, 2018
Runtime
115 Minutes
Main Genre
Sci-Fi
Cast
Sonoya Mizuno
, Kola Bokinni
, Jennifer Jason Leigh
, Gina Rodriguez
, Cosmo Jarvis
, Oscar Isaac
, Tessa Thompson
, Tuva Novotny
, Natalie Portman
, David Gyasi
Director
Alex Garland
Writers
Alex Garland
, Jeff VanderMeer
Studio(s)
Paramount Pictures
Distributor(s)
Paramount Pictures
, Netflix
Expand
With an all-star cast that includes the likes of Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, and Oscar Isaac, Annihilation has a lot going for it from the outset. Another film originally based on a novel, Annihilation focuses on a group of scientists sent to investigate a mysterious shimmering zone that is causing mutations in both plants and animals. These mutations are often horrific in nature, causing the DNA of anything inside to be warped.
While the idea itself is a terrifying one, the film itself is more concerned with slow-moving visuals and the heart located at the center of the film’s message on human self-destruction.
While the idea itself is a terrifying one, the film itself is more concerned with slow-moving visuals and the heart located at the center of the film’s message on human self-destruction. The horror comes from the constant creeping and imposing of this new environment, rather than some monster lurking in the shadows. This makes for a unique horror film, one with something to say.
1
The Conjuring (2013)
The Film Is Based On Real Life Events
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8.3/10
The Conjuring
R
MysteryThrillerHorror
Based on the real-life case files of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, The Conjuring chronicles the haunting of the Perron family after moving into a Rhode Island farmhouse. The film went on to kickstart the Conjuring franchise, a series of supernatural horror films.
Release Date
July 19, 2013
Runtime
112 minutes
Cast
Joey King
, Vera Farmiga
, Lili Taylor
, Patrick Wilson
, Ron Livingston
Director
James Wan
Writers
Chad Hayes
, Carey W. Hayes
Studio
Warner Bros. Pictures
Studio(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributor(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
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The Conjuring is a unique horror film, with its concept stemming from the real-life hauntings reported by investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The main characters of The Conjuring are these same individuals, with the film taking these reports and turning them into a horror movie. The film sees the two of them visit the Perron family, who have been struggling with a malevolent spirit living in their house.
The fact that anything that occurs in The Conjuring is based on a true story is enough to make the setting instantly terrifying. By making Ed and Lorraine the main characters of the film, The Conjuring ties itself to something so intrinsic to the core of the horror genre. While the movie was not filmed at the actual supposedly haunted location, this recreation makes The Conjuring’s setting one of the most frightening in movie history.
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Category: Entertainment