Help shape these rankings by voting on this list of The Best Slow Burn Horror Movies
Slow burn horror movies don't necessarily rely on jump scares or excessive gore, instead they slowly build the dread and terror that reaches a crescendo near the end of the film. Being able to hold an audience's attention with sheer tension is a testament to both the director and actors in the film. 1968's Rosemary's Baby will keep you glued to the screen all the way to the end. Folk horror movies tend to employ this technique as seen with the original Wicker Man from 1973. More recent examples of slow burning horror films would be Hereditary where Ari Aster uses each scene to compound the tension as we hope for a mother to find a way to stay connected with her departed daughter. Find your next slow horror burn on this list and help determine which one should be at the top.
Vote up your favorite scary movies and vote down any that you think horror fans should skip. Be sure to check back as new and upcoming slow burn horror movies are added to the list once they're released.
Audiences around the globe bore witness to the ultimate downward spiral and eventual break of a human being's psyche in Stanley Kubrick's deliberately sedated masterpiece, The Shining. Arguably one of the greatest horror film of all time, The Shining takes its time, setting up characters, and environments, planting seeds of doubt that blossom into full-blown paranoia and, eventually, lead to one of the greatest finales of the horror genre.
In the chilling film The Shining, Jack Torrance (portrayed by Jack Nicholson) takes on a winter caretaker role at Colorado's secluded Overlook Hotel. His aim is to overcome his writer's block, and he brings along his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd). A unique aspect of this narrative is Danny's psychic abilities, which lead him to experience unnerving premonitions. The movie unfolds as Jack grapples with a stagnant writing process and Danny's visions grow increasingly alarming. The crux of the plot lies in Jack uncovering the hotel's sinister past, an event that triggers a terrifying transformation within him towards violence against his own family.
Actors: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Barry Nelson
Nightmarish, mesmerizing, and transcendental in its anguish, Jacobs Ladder is a film that audiences have seen, but still can't even believe. Indescribable agony permeates this film as a mystery audiences so desperately want solved but refuses to come undone. Melancholic in its theme and messages, Jacob's Ladder is as starkly haunting in its first two-thirds as it is explosively appalling by its finale.
In Jacob's Ladder, Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins), a Vietnam War veteran, struggles to maintain his sanity. Plagued by flashbacks and hallucinations, he teeters on the brink of reality and illusion. His girlfriend Jezzie (Elizabeth Peña) and his chiropractor Louis (Danny Aiello) provide support as he navigates his confusing existence. As Jacob delves deeper into his own mind, the line between life and death blurs. This psychological horror film, directed by Adrian Lyne, is an unnerving journey into the human psyche, laced with war-induced trauma and spiritual exploration.
Actors: Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, Matt Craven, Pruitt Taylor Vince
Inarguably one of the most important and horrifying films ever made, many audience members may not understand what makes The Exorcist quite so terrifying, just by fear of even having to watch it. While others in the demonic possession films may be overtly bombastic in their scares, The Exorcist takes a radically different approach. Audiences are given a melancholic and depressive character drama that slowly spirals down a seemingly never-ending pit of depravity and despair until a shocking and mind-melting finale lay at their feet.
In the heart-stopping horror classic The Exorcist, Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), a young girl, becomes inexplicably ill. After all medical explanations are exhausted, her mother Chris (Ellen Burstyn) seeks help from two priests. Father Karras (Jason Miller), a troubled cleric wrestling with his faith, and veteran exorcist Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) step in to confront an evil beyond their understanding. The film, directed by William Friedkin, is recognized for its chilling portrayal of possession and exorcism. It won two Academy Awards and remains one of the most influential horror films to this day.
Actors: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn
Not only one of the greatest horror films ever put to screen, but a textbook example of how to slowly instill dread, paranoia, and anxiety in an audience, The Wicker Man is arguably horror at its absolute finest. Audiences get entranced by this seemingly melancholic detective story, and while many assume something bad could happen at the end, nothing can prepare audiences for the shocking revelation they are about to bear witness to in one of the most memorable endings in all of cinema.
In The Wicker Man, Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) is drawn to the isolated Scottish island of Summerisle. His mission? To investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Yet, he finds himself plunged into a world of strange rituals and customs, led by the enigmatic Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee). As Howie digs deeper into the mystery, he uncovers a chilling secret. The film, a classic in the horror genre, won Best Horror Film at the 1974 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. Its blend of suspense and shock continues to captivate audiences today.
Actors: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Lindsay Kemp
The first-in-line of a litany of satanic blockbusters and one of the most recognizable horror films ever created, Rosemary's Baby agonizingly uses its titular character's pregnancy as the ultimate ticking time bomb. An ever-growing sense of dread and terror only elevates the further the film continues. Audiences all know what is going to happen by the end, but they can't turn away. Hope begins to dissipate and terror fills the void as the third act rears its ugly head and the realization of powerlessness and dread before the chaos they are about to behold is as astonishing as it is blood-curdling.
In Rosemary's Baby, Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) and her struggling actor husband, Guy (John Cassavetes), move into an old New York City apartment. Their eccentric neighbors, Roman and Minnie Castevet (Sidney Blackmer and Ruth Gordon), soon become overly involved in their lives. After Rosemary becomes mysteriously pregnant, she grows increasingly paranoid about the safety of her unborn child. This film, a chilling blend of psychological thriller and horror, directed by Roman Polanski, won Ruth Gordon an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. It continues to unsettle audiences with its haunting narrative and suspenseful build-up.
Actors: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans
A devastating tale from its horrifying beginning to the second the credits roll, Midsommar is arguably one of the most psychologically horrifying films of the 21st century. Juxtaposing its starkly melancholic tone with a bright and sunny façade, the atmospheric build-up and impending doom that radiates off the film are only amplified by a stomach-churning finale that explodes with shock and awe.
Dani and Christian, played by Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor respectively, are a couple on the brink. They decide to travel to Sweden with their friends for a once-in-a-lifetime midsummer festival. It's all sunshine and flower crowns until the festivities take a dark turn. Director Ari Aster leads us down a rabbit hole of pagan rituals and communal living in this eerie folk horror. Midsommar won the Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Wide-Release Film in 2020, a testament to its chilling tale that keeps you on edge till the very end.
Actors: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Will Poulter, Vilhelm Blomgren
