10 Horror Movies That Even Scared the Directors Who Make Them
At Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, Polygon asked a group of horror directors one simple question: as adults, which horror movies actually scared them? The answers were varied — from found-footage chills to uncanny psychological dread — and the directors were candid about the moments that still stick with them.
- Bryan Bertino — As Above, So Below
- Alex Ross Perry — Der Fan
- Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill — A Tale of Two Sisters; Hell House LLC
- Anna Zlokovic — Eraserhead
- Casper Kelly — Paranormal Activity
- Jalmari Helander — Scream
- Ryan Prows — The Ring
- Martín Mauregui — The Blair Witch Project
- John Adams & Toby Poser — Watcher; The Harbinger
Bryan Bertino — As Above, So Below
Bryan Bertino, known for The Strangers and The Dark and the Wicked, said he rarely gets scared. However, he named As Above, So Below as a film that got him to jump. He praised the found-footage approach and noted that a few well-timed camera shots gave him “that feeling” he aims for as a filmmaker.
Where to watch: As Above, So Below is available on rental platforms.
Alex Ross Perry — Der Fan
Alex Ross Perry, who usually works in drama and music-centered films, pointed to the German film Der Fan. He said the first time he saw it he found it in a VHS box and that it “felt illegal.” He also repeated the warning he saw on the box: “Don’t read the description, it gives away what happens.” Perry called the film a “10-out-of-10 masterpiece” and said its grounded-but-extreme approach still resonates with him.
Where to watch: Der Fan is available on Blu-ray from Mondo Macabro.
Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill — A Tale of Two Sisters; Hell House LLC
Scott Derrickson described the old-hag sequence in A Tale of Two Sisters as the most frightened he’s been watching a movie as an adult; he watched alone in the dark and said he actually paused the film because he was so scared: “I was so ‘Fuck oh fuck oh fuck!’ that I was climbing up the couch.”
C. Robert Cargill said he rarely gets scared by horror, but that Hell House LLC unsettled him enough that he left the room and saw shadows lingering. Derrickson later admitted he also couldn’t finish Hell House LLC in one sitting, saying he ended up stopping while watching it on a patio during a windy night.
Where to watch: A Tale of Two Sisters is streaming on AMC Plus. Hell House LLC is streaming on Shudder.
Anna Zlokovic — Eraserhead
Anna Zlokovic named David Lynch’s Eraserhead. She said she saw it in college and that the film left her feeling “deeply unsettled” for days. At the time she was 19 and didn’t know a movie could produce that lingering, disorienting effect. She still finds it disturbing.
Where to watch: Eraserhead is streaming on HBO Max.
Casper Kelly — Paranormal Activity
Casper Kelly said his example is “kind of basic,” but true: he watched Paranormal Activity alone at night while living by himself and then had trouble going into his bedroom. He admitted his brain was partly scoffing, yet he was still scared.
Where to watch: Paranormal Activity is streaming on Paramount Plus and is also available for free with a library card on Kanopy (and Hoopla).
Jalmari Helander — Scream
Jalmari Helander said the first Scream stuck with him, especially Drew Barrymore’s opening death. He watched it in a theater and recalled thinking the film had “broken the rules,” which made him unsure what to expect next. He said that rule-breaking influenced his own approach as a filmmaker.
Where to watch: Scream is streaming for free with ads on Pluto TV.
Ryan Prows — The Ring
Ryan Prows remembered seeing the American The Ring in a theater. He said the final reveal — when the protagonist is in the well — gave him goosebumps and literally made the hair on his arms stand up. He joked that the theater might have cranked the AC to heighten the effect.
Where to watch: The Ring is streaming on Peacock.
Martín Mauregui — The Blair Witch Project
Martín Mauregui described himself as a “scaredy-cat” who once loved gore and exploitation films, but whose tastes have shifted. He listed The Blair Witch Project as a movie that still scares him as an adult, specifically pointing to a single image — “a kid standing in the corner, looking at nothing” — that keeps returning to his mind.
Where to watch: The Blair Witch Project is streaming for free on Plex and with a library card on Kanopy.
John Adams & Toby Poser — Watcher; The Harbinger
Toby Poser said she was “oddly terrified” by Watcher, noting the insidiousness of being watched and not believed. She added that the feeling “got under [her] skin” and lingered for a week.
John Adams named The Harbinger. He said the film’s spiritual concept — the idea that you could be erased and your loved ones would never know you existed — “really shook me and bothered me a ton.”
Where to watch: Watcher is streaming on Netflix. The Harbinger is streaming for free on Plex.
