Thrills and chills are not restrictive to any one genre, even one as broad as Horror. Filmmakers like David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick often use unconventional methods to disorient and terrify viewers.

  • The line has blurred between horror films and the scariest non-horror movies, to the point where some fans might even argue about what genre their favorite movies fit in. Two huge movies hit theaters in 2022 that could slip between genres easily. While Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was a superhero movie, it had some major scares thanks to iconic horror director Sam Raimi. The movie was, at some points, as scary as any horror movie. In the Jordan Peele movie Nope, the director seemed to move slightly away from horror and into science fiction, but the movie had enough fear and foreboding to help it sit up there with his scariest horror movies, Get Out and Us.

Moreso, what can be defined as “horror” or “scary” is purely subjective, as many Reddit users have openly shared their fears in several related posts. Many of these films are not even classified as “horror”, thus having a more substantial impact on viewers not expecting the tones and aesthetics often associated with the genre. From polarizing children’s films to graphically realistic dramas, these are the scariest non-horror movies, according to Redditors.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

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One of Stanley Kubrick’s greatest masterpieces was his 1968 science fiction movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. The movie isn’t a horror movie, but it has moments of pure terror that makes it one of the scariest non-horror movies in Kubrick’s filmography.

With the AI taking control of the ship and killing people to keep it, as well as the claustrophobic nature of the movie, the movie strikes fear in many. BlackPantherDies wrote on Reddit that “I find 2001 more terrifying in an existential way than The Shining, Kubrick’s direct horror movie.”

Prisoners (2013)

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Denis Villeneuve has become one of the top directors working today, with blockbusters like Dune and critical masterpieces like Blade Runner 2049. Before he made those two movies, he directed a tense thriller called Prisoners. Hugh Jackman starred as a father whose daughter disappeared and took justice into his own hands.

The movie is not a horror movie, but it had some dark and horrific scenes, and it was a slow burn that was hard to watch. When asked for the scariest non-horror movies available, Salty_Invite_757 answered on Reddit with just one word — “Prisoners.”

Uncut Gems (2019)

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In 2019, Adam Sandler reminded everyone how good of an actor he could be when he wasn’t making his typical comedy movies. He starred in the Safdie Brothers’ crime thriller Uncut Gems as a jeweler who has to pay off outstanding gambling debts. However, that is when things got dangerous for him.

It is the tension that makes this one of the scariest non-horror movies of the past few years. Redditor lancenthetroll wrote, “I’d put Uncut Gems on there. It’s not really disturbing but it nails tension and that adrenaline ride that has you worried for the protagonist better than most horror movies could hope to achieve.”

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory was categorically a kid’s movie, but it really straddled the line between what was appropriate for kids and what was truly frightening. From the torture of the bad kids to the creepy tendencies of Willy Wonka himself, there was a lot of nightmare fuel here.

When naming the scariest non-horror movies to watch, ThatsMyBounce mentioned a quote, to prove how creepy the movie really was, especially for kids. “‘You see, nobody ever goes in… and nobody ever comes out.’,” he wrote. “The tinker scene used to creep me out when I was a kid.”

Nightmare Alley (2021)

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The original Nightmare Alley was a scary movie when it came out, but Guillermo del Toro seemed to make it even scarier with his 2021 version. The movie was a film noir thriller, but it wasn’t technically a horror movie. However, with Del Toro at the helm, it was clearly made to terrify people.

The movie showed the downfall of a man, someone who started at the bottom and fought his way to the top before letting his ego destroy everything in his life again. Tinaszombie wrote that her pick for the scariest non-horror movie was “Nightmare Alley … disturbing and creepy but not a horror by any means.”

Nightcrawler (2014)

In a discussion post titled “Scariest non-horror movie?” in the r/horror subreddit, Redditor u/SunnyZAK mentions Daniel Powter’s ruthless character study, Nightcrawler. To quote another user in the same thread, “Lou Bloom is such a creepy character.”

Jake Gyllenhaal delivers what some consider a career-best performance as Bloom, an amateur yet overly ambitious journalist willing to do anything for the most exclusive coverage. Although the film is labeled and stylized as a neo-noir crime thriller, the protagonist’s grinning facade is guaranteed to make skin crawl more effectively than most horror villains.

Return To Oz (1985)

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Victor Flemming’s The Wizard of Oz has its fair share of spooky imagery, but the 1985 sequel from Walt Disney Pictures is pure nightmare fuel. Echoing the thoughts of fellow Redditors, user u/Idler- rightfully asks, “WTF Disney?”

Removing all of the wonders from the original in its opening shot, Return to Oz begins with Dorothy receiving electrotherapy for her “delusions” of the fantastical land. Her second trip to Oz only descends deeper into the darkness with moments that involve screaming severed heads, the formidable Nome King, and, of course, the infamous Wheelers. Hindering the sleep of ’80s children for years to come; when the Wheelers roll into the frame, viewers will be wishing for Flying Monkeys.

Jumanji (1995)

Unlike the popular sequels that have pushed the reset button on Jumanji for a new generation, the original adaptation focused on the darker, eerier elements of the titular game. Audiences never see the world of the game, only the terrors that inhabit it, rendering this dark fantasy one of the most melancholic family films of the ’90s, and possibly ever.

Redditor u/Tiny-Chemistry-156 recalls, “something about that movie always freaked me out.” Alan Parrish ends up horrifically sucked into the jungle world via the board game, and he returns to his hometown over 25 years later, hopeful but damaged as he processes the loss of his beloved family. The reintroduction of Alan, portrayed by Robin Williams, brings about a bleak, cloudy atmosphere before the board game’s curse reawakens and wild beasts stampede their way into the real world. So, with that being said, arachnophobes beware.

The NeverEnding Story (1984)

Wolfgang Petersen’s The NeverEnding Story remains fondly remembered as an imaginative ’80s fantasy that has achieved status as a children’s classic despite the original author’s criticism of the film being too kitsch. Petersen’s adaptation features iconic moments of cinematic magic like the flight of Falkor, yet, Redditor u/TheRealReapz recalls there “being more than a couple of scenes that are nightmare material.”

The metaphysical antagonist, The Nothing, threatens to overcome the magical land of Fantasia, entrapping all the imagination that manifested it within a meaningless void. Judging by the comment section, The NeverEnding Story introduced a lot of kids to existentialism with moments such as Atreyu’s horse being consumed by The Nothing and the wolf-like G’Mork deviously revealing the source of The Nothing’s power.

We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011)

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User u/belzeboobie echoes another Redditor who claims that We Need To Talk About Kevin is “their favorite psychological movie, but would never recommend it to anyone.” Undoubtedly a tough pill to swallow, director Lynne Ramsay’s harrowing adaptation is an urgent message, not only for parents but to anyone who is or knows someone living with a mental condition that is worsening with time.

Tilda Swinton gives a tour-de-force performance as a mother who senses something troubling about her eponymous son. Ramsay generates palpable malaise through grief and despair as the film uncovers the telltale signs that inevitably lead to a shocking act of violence. As distressing as We Need To Talk About Kevin can be, it has cemented Ramsay as an emerging film director work checking out.

Mulholland Drive (2001)

A handful of Redditors insist that Mulholland Drive, as with most of David Lynch’s work, is unquestionably a horror film, even if the director himself would likely disagree. While it may not share the same qualities as a traditional horror movie, the absurdist and surrealist elements present in Lynch’s Hollywood dreamscape are often uncanny enough to warrant a shiver down the spine.

Most users refer to the nightmarish sequence featuring the reveal of a bum behind Winkie’s Diner as one of the best Lynchian moments for being so utterly jarring, even after the events are foretold moments before. It exemplifies the insidious dread that permeates throughout. “The moment the singer stops and the song keeps going chills my soul,” says an unknown Redditor who claims that Mulholland Drive is, indeed, an existential horror film.

One Hour Photo (2002)

Aside from being one of the funniest comedic performers of his time, Robin Williams was an incredibly gifted actor, and no performance showcases his range of layered emotional complexity quite like Sy Parrish from One Hour Photo. “It’s Robin Williams at his creepiest,” says Redditor u/CommanderSmokeStack who, like many viewers, was off-put by William’s against-type portrayal.

Mark Romanek’s disquieting thriller centers on a lonely photo technician, Sy, who secretly develops an obsession with a family hiding private affairs of their own. Sy’s behavior is immoral and, eventually, downright deplorable, yet, what’s most challenging is how easy it is to sympathize with him, a victim of child abuse, especially when Williams imbues him with such passion and sincerity in moments that find him desperate for human connection.

Requiem For A Dream (2000)

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Requiem for a Dream is one of the most powerful films about addiction, and its tragic conclusion is genuinely more effective than most PSAs. Redditor u/crutchlen1 believes that the immensely compelling psycho-drama should be shown " in Health class in school as a scare tactic against drug use."

Director Darren Aronofsky and editor Jay Rabinowitz weaponize the “cool” hallucinatory effects of substance abuse as it begins to highlight the deteriorating mental (and physical) states of the four main subjects. At once visually entrancing and uncompromising, the psychedelic imagery crescendos into a distorted cacophony meant to disturb rather than evoke euphoria.

Come And See (1985)

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Elem Klimov’s Come and See depicts the lesser-known events of the Holocaust that occurred in Nazi-occupied Belarus during WWII. Bearing the aesthetic of the scariest non-horror movies, Come and See utilizes dark, visceral cinematography and haunting sound to create an immersive hellscape not recommended for the faint of heart.

“I knew war was scary but I didn’t know it was scarier than Freddy, Jason and Michael Myers combined and multiplied by a million,” says Redditor u/anotoriousbug in regards to the anti-war drama. Audiences perceive the hyper-realism of war through the perspective of Flyora, a Belarusian boy played masterfully and terrifyingly by child actor Aleksei Kravchenko.

Schindler’s List (1993)

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Similar to the aforementioned Come and See, Schindler’s List is a heavy historical drama that exhibits the ugliness of humanity during the events of the Holocaust. Although ultimately, the story of Oskar Schindler providing safety for approximately 1,200 Jewish people from within the Brünnlitz labor camp inspires a great deal of hope, the cruel and malicious actions of SS Commandant Amon Göth will cause some viewers to lose sleep in one of the scariest non-horror movies.

“Reality is scarier than fiction,” according to Redditor u/blacksnakewhip. Director Steven Spielberg and cinematographer Janusz Kamiński shot in black & white to achieve a sense of timelessness, as well as realism, akin to a documentary. Spielberg even downplayed the actions of the real Amon Göth, so audiences wouldn’t view him as cartoonishly evil despite the factuality of his “over-the-top” war crimes.

Next: 15 Best Horror Movies On Netflix, According To Rotten Tomatoes