10 Horror Movies That Rely on Suspense Instead of Bloody or Scary Scares

The objective of horror movies It was always the same thing: entertaining the public by scaring them. Genre fans love sitting back with a bowl of popcorn and letting these films do what they do best. They may not be for everyone, but horror films, especially those considered masterpieces, are among the most effective ways to get satisfying chills whenever the mood strikes. But as the genre has evolved over time, one fact has become increasingly clear: there is more than one way to scare people.

While shocking jump scares and gross amounts of blood can be highly effective at scaring viewers, they can easily deter a large portion of your audience. Many movie lovers enjoy the thrills of a good horror film, but find no pleasure in these specific elements. Fortunately, many popular horror substructures implement a different device to scare their audience: suspense. After all, few things are scarier than the anticipation of danger to come. Blood and jump scares aside, these psychological horror films effectively utilize suspense to give viewers the scare they want.

10

The Witch (2015)

Directed by Robert Eggers

Several notable names launched their Hollywood careers with the 2015 horror film, The Witchwhich served as the directorial debut of Robert Eggers, as well as the feature film directorial debut of the film’s lead actress, Anya Taylor-Joy. The Witch offers a captivating setting, set in and around a small Puritan home in 17th century New England, where strange occurrences begin to plague a family after being banished from their settlement. Seemingly left with no other option, the family begins to blame the work of a witch who lives in the nearby forest.

The true horror of The Witch lies in the suspense created by the gradual nature in which the horrific events unfold over the various members of the family. While the mysterious evil at work certainly seems to have the power to exterminate the family outright, the decision to torment them individually provided a much scarier experience for audiences. Viewers are constantly on edge, wondering who is really to blame for all the tragedies and whether anyone will survive to the end.

9

Fragility (2001)

Directed by Bill Paxton

Although Fragility can feature a chilling story about gruesome serial killers, the film does not rely on blood or jump scares to convey the true horror at its core. This 2001 directorial debut from Bill Paxton (who also starred in the film alongside Matthew McConaughey) slowly unravels the story of two brothers who are coerced into helping their father commit a series of violent crimes while they believe he is being commanded by a higher power.

Even with most of the story taking place in the past, however, the audience can sense that something doesn’t feel right and that a dark turn is looming in the near future. This creates a foreboding and suspenseful nature throughout the film, with the audience desperate to know how the story ends and why it is being told now.

8

The Invisible Man (2020)

Directed by Leigh Whannell

Sometimes the scariest enemies are the ones you can’t see. This idea is one of the driving forces behind Leigh Whannell’s 2020 film, The Invisible Mana modern reimagining of the classic horror story. In the film, a woman named Cecília is terrorized by her aggressive ex-boyfriend, who uses an invisibility suit he invented to continue manipulating her after she tries to leave him. Cecília’s fear and feeling of helplessness are compounded by the frightening discovery that almost no one seems to believe her.

The antagonist of The Invisible Man is one that thrives entirely on suspense and mystery. Due to his unique ability, the audience never knows exactly where he might be. Therefore, each scene is effectively infused with a certain degree of psychological torment. Every second that passes builds the suspense more and more, until his violent and manipulative ways come to the surface once again. This ever-present threat creates a frightening atmosphere that persists throughout the film, making The Invisible Man a stunning demonstration of how horror doesn’t need to rely on any visual elements.

7

The Wicker Man (1973)

Directed by Robin Hardy

In terms of thriller films, few horror classics achieve the slow-burn sensation as effectively as Robin Hardy’s 1973 iteration. The Wicker Man. This disturbing folk horror film stars Edward Woodward as Sergeant Neil Howie, a devout Christian who ventures to a remote island off the coast of Scotland to investigate the disappearance of a young girl.

Things start to get worse for Howie as he reveals increasingly disturbing truths about the island, leading him into his people’s dark secret. The Wicker Man it doesn’t use blood or jump scares like many horror films do, nor does it need to.

The chilling mystery at the center of the film is more than enough to scare audiences. Once Howie arrives, it becomes clear that something sinister is happening and that something terrible is lurking beneath the surface of the island’s residents. By not revealing the truth in advance, The Wicker Man allows its viewers to experience Howie’s every frightening discovery, putting them in the character’s shoes as he approaches the film’s shocking conclusion.

6

Signs (2002)

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

Although alien invasions are a common trope in horror films, M. Night Shyamalan’s 2002 film, Signsis unique in the way it explores this concept. The film offers a refreshing take on the alien invasion trope, choosing to focus on how one particular family reacts and responds to the shocking events happening across the world. Led by two brothers played by Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix, Signs manages to be an effectively scary alien invasion movie, even though the otherworldly beings are only on screen for a few minutes of the nearly two-hour film.

In fact, a significant reason why extraterrestrial antagonists are so terrifying is actually why they are almost never seen. Audiences are often given brief, obstructed views of the creatures, but rarely anything beyond these blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearances. These little moments give the audience just enough information to know that something evil is lurking in the shadows without giving them the comfort of knowledge. Viewers are constantly in suspense, wondering what these creatures are and what they are capable of doing.

5

The Shining (1980)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

One of the most iconic horror films of all time, Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film The Shiningweaves a complex and disturbing story that presents a stunning psychological approach to horror. Based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King The Shining follows Jack Torrance, a struggling writer who agrees to serve as the winter caretaker of a mysterious and remote hotel with his family. The situation soon descends into chaos, with the combination of supernatural occurrences and severe isolation fostering a new madness in Jack.

Being a story about a man’s descent into madness, The Shining could only really thrive as a carefully constructed work of suspense, and it manages to do just that. As soon as he sets foot in the hotel, viewers get the feeling that Jack may not have made a wise decision in agreeing to do the job. The suspense builds and builds, with the audience knowing that Jack will eventually break down completely. This consistent accumulation makes The ShiningThe climactic ending is even more terrifying as it can be felt from the beginning.

4

The Thing (1982)

Directed by John Carpenter

One of the most effective ways to create suspense is to eliminate the feeling that directly contradicts it: trust. That’s exactly what John Carpenter did when making his sci-fi horror film, The thing. With a cast led by Kurt Russell The thing follows a team of researchers at an Antarctic base who are terrified by the arrival of an otherworldly creature capable of perfectly imitating its victims. Paranoia begins to grow as the team members are slowly picked off by the mysterious being one by one.

The characters in The thing are able to deduce the creature’s abilities soon after its arrival, but this information is hardly enough to solve their problem. The surviving researchers know that any of their coworkers could actually be the alien in disguise, causing them to act violently and paranoidly toward each other. By eliminating trust not only from the characters, but also from the audience (by not revealing in advance who the monster is), The thing creates a level of suspense that only increases as more humans are killed.

3

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduárdo Sánchez

The groundbreaking 1999 horror feature, The Blair Witch Projectscared audiences around the world by capitalizing on an underrated weapon of terror: imagination. Although the film tells the captivating story of three students trying to make a documentary about the mythical Blair Witch, where the film really stands out from the rest is in the creativity of its narrative. The Blair Witch Project paved the way for future filmmaking-style horror films, presenting a frighteningly realistic portrayal of the supposed events that occurred.

The true terror of The Blair Witch Project lies in what the public does not know. Throughout the film, viewers are never given a full, concrete explanation of the supernatural phenomena unfolding around the characters. Iinstead, the audience is left wondering what kind of evils might be lurking in the forest and what horrible fates the characters might have met. Thanks to this lack of answers, the feeling of suspense The Blair Witch Project it’s one that should last long after the film ends.

2

Psycho (1960)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

PsychopathAlfred Hitchcock’s iconic horror film proved over sixty years ago that an excellent horror film does not require excessive blood and frequent jump scares. The classic film explores the deadly events that unfold at the Bates Motel, under the watchful eye of its shadowy owner, Norman Bates. Like many Hitchcock films, Psychopath is a masterclass in suspense, establishing a deadly threat early on and then letting its presence linger just below the surface for most of the film, culminating in a shocking and invigorating ending.

Part of what helps create suspense in Psychopath it’s the way the film frequently changes which character the focus is placed on, pulling the rug out from under the audience. The film is not afraid to kill off individuals who appear to be the main characters in the story, establishing the looming threat that no one is safe. Since this high level of danger becomes clear at the beginning of the film, the build-up of suspense is natural. The continuous build-up of suspense plays an important role in decision-making Psychopath the iconic film it is today.

1

No (2021)

Directed by Jordan Peele

For a modern example of suspense-driven horror, audiences need look no further than Jordan Peele’s 2022 film No. This third film written and directed by Peele features two brothers who become determined to capture on film the supernatural entity flying over their ranch. The film uses only minimal gore and jump scares, capitalizing on the well-crafted suspense and the audience’s natural fear of the unknown.

No builds suspense most effectively through the gradual revelation of the extraterrestrial figure who captivates the film’s main characters. In the first scenes of the film, the being is not actually seen, but it is only implied that it is flying above. Gradually, as the film progresses, viewers see more and more of him, thus revealing more about his true nature. By the time the audience is shown the true form of the alien entity, they are certainly already excited.