“Sinister” Named the Scariest Horror Film in History, Study Finds

The study measured the average heart rate of viewers.

The British company Broadbandchoices conducted a study to find the scariest horror film.

First, on Reddit, based on lists from film critics and user recommendations, 50 horror films considered the best were selected. Then each film was shown to a group of 50 people, each of whom had heart rate sensors attached.

The top spot went to “Sinister” by Scott Derrickson. During its screening, viewers' pulse rose by an average of 32% to 86 beats per minute. Meanwhile, the sharpest heart rate spike among viewers was recorded during “Astral” by James Wan, at 133 beats.

Top 10 scariest horror films by average viewer pulse rate:

1. “Sinister” (2012) — 86 beats per minute
2. “Astral” (2010) — 86 beats per minute
3. “The Conjuring” (2013) — 85 beats per minute
4. “Reincarnation” (2018) — 83 beats per minute
5. “Paranormal Activity” (2007) — 82 beats per minute
6. “It Follows” (2014) — 81 beats per minute
7. “The Conjuring 2” (2016) — 80 beats per minute
8. “The Babadook” (2014) — 80 beats per minute
9. “The Descent” (2005) — 79 beats per minute
10. “The Visit” (2015) — 79 beats per minute

The top 20 included classic horror films, including the first installments of “Halloween,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Scream” and “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.” At the same time, “The Exorcist” (1973) ranked 17th (77 beats per minute), although for many years this film topped lists of the best horror films in history.