Some horror movies hit you with jump scares and gore, but the ones that truly linger are the films that worm their way into your thoughts. They may not be the loudest or bloodiest, but hours—or even days—later, you’ll catch yourself replaying certain moments, and the dread only grows stronger.
I don’t think there are many that truly fit this bill. And, of course, you can only be affected by what you’ve watched and how it lingers with you. Sometimes, what you find unsettling doesn’t even register with the person you’re watching with.
But if you’re in the mood for some movies that deliver a different kind of horror or terror, these are the flicks for you.
6
Hereditary (2018)
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Let’s start with one of the classics of the “gets worse the more you think about it” genre: Hereditary.
Ari Aster’s debut is terrifying while you’re watching it, but it gets worse the longer you think about it. Toni Collette delivers one of the most intense horror performances ever, grounding the film’s supernatural dread in raw family tragedy.
At first, it seems like grief and trauma are tearing everyone apart—until the sinister cult in the background makes its move. Once you connect the subtle foreshadowing, background details, and the way every event was orchestrated, the ending feels inevitable. That realization that the family never had any control turns the film into a nightmare that lingers long after the credits roll.
5
Midsommar (2019)
Watch Midsommar on HBO Max
Back-to-back entries on this list from Ari Aster give you an idea of the director’s real passion—deeply unsettling horror movies.
Midsommar starts off as a folk ritual drama played out under the glorious Swedish sunshine. But it devolves into a disturbing examination of ritual killings that normalize horrendous violence, which is really quite messed up when you consider it.
The concept of Midsommar is also really engrossing. It’s hard to look away from characters that begin the film grieving but quickly begin to morph their outlook on life, pulled into the clutches of the cult.
And then, when you’ve had time to think about it, the ending feels both empowering and horrifying at the same time. The juxtaposition of beautiful landscapes with brutal, ritualistic killings means that even in the brightest daylight scenes, you’re waiting for something painfully dark to take place. It’s no wonder Midsommar also features on our list of the best horror movies set in the sun.
4
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Watch The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on Amazon Prime Video
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is an absolute classic of the genre, and it hits home for one real reason: random violence carried out for seemingly no reason. It’s the randomness and the horrendous cruelty of that unexpected violence that make this all the worse the longer you think about it.
It’s a chaotic, violent mess. Leatherface is eternal nightmare fuel, backed up by a family of insane cannibals determined to destroy and main in the worst ways possible.
Part of what makes The Texas Chain Saw Massacre so awful is that it almost feels plausible. Could people like this exist in the middle of the country, carrying out acts of gratuitous violence with little oversight?
3
The Mothman Prophecies (2002)
Watch The Mothman Prophecies on Philo
I distinctly remember watching The Mothman Prophecies when I was younger. Its blend of mystery, tragedy, and supernatural dread feels all the more disturbing when you learn the film is based on real-life events in Point Pleasant, West Virginia.
It features Richard Gere playing a journalist drawn into a series of bizarre sightings and prophetic warnings, culminating in an unforgettable disaster sequence, with scenes that remain etched in the mind.
What makes it so unnerving isn’t just the eerie figure of the Mothman itself, but the film’s suggestion that forces far beyond human comprehension are watching, warning, and manipulating events. The longer you think about it, the scarier it becomes—because there are no answers, only unsettling questions.
2
The Strangers (2008)
Watch The Strangers on Amazon Prime Video
Bryan Bertino’s The Strangers is another horror-psychological thriller that hits that “could it happen to me?” trigger note. It’s the simplicity that makes it so terrifying to think about.
A young couple is tormented in their home by masked intruders who appear without warning and leave just as mysteriously. There’s no supernatural angle, no complicated backstory. It’s just random, senseless violence.
The line “because you were home” captures the film’s true terror: there’s no reason, no motive, and nothing the victims could have done differently. That randomness is what sticks with you long after, making your own home feel less safe every time you think about it.
In that, it’s the complete opposite of why films like Midsommar are horribly memorable. The ritualistic killings are premeditated, and there is a structure around the group. It’s brutal, but there are explanations. The Strangers is the opposite, which is what makes it all the more awful.
1
It Follows (2015)
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I really liked It Follows. Obviously, it’s a haunting film built on a terrifying idea, but it’s so much more than just a straight-up psychological bombardment that leaves you cold.
The crux of It Follows is that there is an unstoppable entity that constantly follows and walks towards you, no matter where you are. When it catches you… Well, you can guess. However, the “following” is a curse passed on through intimacy, which adds a deeply unsettling layer of inevitability, but also means that it feels like the curse is relatively unique.
Furthermore, the curse manifests visually. There is no knowing when the figure will appear as it catches up to you. Only that at some point, it will, and there is no way to permanently escape its clutches.
It’s a fine line between memorable horror and disturbing
There are plenty more films that could fit this list, but it’s difficult to figure out where those lines begin and end. As said, most of the time, this experience is personal, and everyone has their limits.
