10 Horror Directors Share the Films That Scared Them Most as Adults

Photo: Tartan Films/Everett Collection

When we asked a different group of directors the same question in 2023, many pointed to formative childhood fright. This time, we asked every horror director we interviewed, “What’s the most terrified you’ve been watching a horror movie as an adult?” Below are the films that lingered with them long after the credits rolled.

Bryan Bertino (The Strangers)

Bryan Bertino wrote and directed the 2008 original The Strangers and is the filmmaker behind The Dark and the Wicked, The Monster, Mockingbird, and the 2025 film Vicious.

Bertino says he rarely startles easily, but As Above, So Below genuinely surprised him. The found-footage approach captured a few moments that made him jump in his seat — the same visceral jolts he aims to provoke in an audience.

Where to watch: As Above, So Below is available to rent on major platforms.

Alex Ross Perry (V/H/S Halloween)

Alex Ross Perry is better known for emotionally driven work like Queen of Earth, films about musicians such as Pavements, and the musician-centered Her Smell. He contributed the “Kidprint” segment to V/H/S Halloween.

Perry singles out Der Fan, a tense portrait of obsession about a teenage girl and her fixation on a pop idol. He remembers discovering it on VHS as a young adult and being struck by how illicit and unnerving it felt — a film so grounded in realism that its escalation feels unbearably true.

Where to watch: Der Fan is available on Blu-ray.

Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill (The Black Phone 2)

Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill are frequent collaborators — their credits include Sinister, Sinister 2, The Black Phone, Black Phone 2, and work on Doctor Strange.

Scott Derrickson: For me, the old-hag sequence in A Tale of Two Sisters was the scariest adult viewing experience. I watched it alone in my dark apartment and reached a point where I literally paused the film and climbed onto the couch — it had me shouting in my head. It was the only time I tapped out mid-watch, though I did go back and finish it.

Polygon: Did you ultimately finish it?

Derrickson: Yes — I finished it.

C. Robert Cargill: I don’t usually get scared by movies themselves, but Hell House LLC had a lasting effect on me. After watching it I found myself jumpy around the house; shadows suddenly felt menacing. I recommended it to Scott and he ended up having a similar reaction — another movie that made him stop watching.

Where to watch: A Tale of Two Sisters is streaming on AMC Plus; Hell House LLC streams on Shudder.

Anna Zlokovic (V/H/S Halloween)

Anna Zlokovic directed the segment “Coochie Coochie Coo” in V/H/S Halloween and is the filmmaker behind Appendage.

Zlokovic remembers seeing David Lynch’s Eraserhead in college and being profoundly unsettled. The film left a lingering sense of unease for days — an experience that taught her films can unsettle on a very deep, almost physical level.

Where to watch: Eraserhead is streaming on HBO Max.

Casper Kelly (V/H/S Halloween)

Casper Kelly created viral shorts like “Too Many Cooks,” made The Fireplace, and directed the memorable “Fun Size” segment in V/H/S Halloween. He also created the TV series Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell.

Kelly admits his pick is almost mundane: watching Paranormal Activity alone at night. The film’s quiet escalation left him hesitant to enter his bedroom afterwards — a reminder that even simple, intimate films can provoke real fear.

Where to watch: Paranormal Activity streams on Paramount Plus and is available through library-streaming services like Kanopy and Hoopla.

Jalmari Helander (Sisu)

Jalmari Helander wrote and directed Sisu, its 2025 follow-up Sisu: The Road to Revenge, and Big Game.

Helander remembers seeing the original Scream in a theater and being jolted when Drew Barrymore’s character dies in the opening sequence. That brutal subversion of expectations — killing off a major star immediately — reshaped how he thought about rules and surprises in filmmaking.

Where to watch: Scream is available for free with ads on Pluto TV.

Ryan Prows (Lowlife)

Ryan Prows directed Lowlife and the forthcoming crime-horror drama Night Patrol.

Prows recalls seeing the American remake of The Ring in a theater and feeling a palpable physical reaction when the story’s mysteries resolve — the hair on his arms literally stood up. He credits the film’s atmosphere (and possibly the chilly theater AC) with driving that visceral response.

Where to watch: The Ring streams on Peacock.

Martín Mauregui (Pickpockets)

Martín Mauregui wrote Angélica and Pickpockets, directed Love (Part One), and is behind the upcoming Crazy Old Lady.

Mauregui confesses he can be easily frightened. One adult film that stuck with him is The Blair Witch Project. Despite its minimalism, a single, sustained image — like a child standing in a corner — can lodge in your head and continue to unsettle long after viewing.

Where to watch: The Blair Witch Project streams for free on Plex and is available on Kanopy with a library card.

John Adams and Toby Poser (Hellbender)

John Adams and Toby Poser are the married creative duo behind films like Hellbender, Where the Devil Roams, Hell Hole, and The Deeper You Dig. They co-write, co-direct, and co-star, and are working on the upcoming Mother of Flies.

Toby Poser: I found Watcher surprisingly disturbing — not because of loud scares but because of the creeping violation of privacy and the helplessness of not being believed. That unease stayed with me for days.

John Adams: For me it was The Harbinger. The film’s spiritual premise — the notion that you could be erased from existence and that those who love you might never realize it — unsettled me profoundly. It’s a chilling, well-made movie.

What to watch: Watcher streams on Netflix; The Harbinger is available for free on Plex.

Source: Polygon