7 Horror Movies Scarier Than The Conjuring (Ranked)

James Wan’s The Conjuring undeniably revitalized the haunted house genre, delivering a masterclass in tension and old-school frights that grossed millions and spawned an entire universe. It is the comfortable sweatshirt of horror cinema; reliable, well-crafted, and guaranteed to make you jump. However, for the hardened genre fanatic, the “Warren Files” can sometimes feel a bit too safe or polished. There is a hunger for something grittier, something that does not just startle you but lingers in the corners of your room long after the credits roll.

If you are hunting for movies scarier than The Conjuring, you need films that bypass the funhouse thrills and aim directly for your psyche. We are talking about cinema that feels dangerous to watch, productions that trade Hollywood gloss for visceral dread and images you cannot scrub from your brain. The following list curates seven films that critics and science alike agree pack a heavier punch than Wan’s blockbuster, offering experiences ranging from relentless supernatural assaults to psychological devastation.

7

Sinister

2012 • Horror, Mystery

6.9

Often cited by scientific studies (like the "Science of Scare" project) as the most terrifying film ever made, Sinister earns its crown through sound design and atmosphere rather than cheap tricks. While The Conjuring relies on the comfort of a family fighting back, this Scott Derrickson film isolates you in a hopeless loop of voyeuristic terror. The Super 8 "kill tapes" are the standout element here; they possess a grainy, snuff-film quality that feels illicit and deeply wrong to watch. Ethan Hawke’s descent into madness is compelled by a score that sounds less like music and more like a mechanical nightmare, grinding your nerves down until the final, inevitable frame.

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6

Hereditary

2018 • Horror, Mystery

7.3

Ari Aster’s debut is not just a horror movie; it is a traumatic event captured on celluloid. Where The Conjuring offers a clear battle between good and evil, Hereditary drowns you in the suffocating grief of a family imploding from the inside out. The horror here is wet, heavy, and emotional, anchored by Toni Collette’s earth-shattering performance that anchors the supernatural chaos in painful reality. It eschews the "fun" jump scare for imagery that is genuinely disturbing, creating a sense of doom so pervasive that you feel physically exhausted by the time the credits roll.

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5

Terrified (Aterrados)

2018 • Horror

6.7

If you want a film that assaults you from the first minute and never lets up, this Argentine gem is the answer. Terrified (or Aterrados) cares little for slow-burn exposition; it is a relentless creature feature that operates on nightmare logic. The scares here are creative and cruel, utilizing perspective and domestic spaces in ways that make your own home feel unsafe. It features one of the most chilling scenes involving a kitchen table in cinema history, proving that you do not need a massive Hollywood budget to freeze the blood in a viewer's veins.

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4

Host

2020 • Horror

6.5

Filmed during the height of the pandemic, Host achieves more in under sixty minutes than most franchises do in a decade. It utilizes the screen-life format to weaponize our familiarity with Zoom calls, turning the safety of our digital connections into a conduit for terror. Because the actors were handling their own cameras and lighting, the reactions feel raw and unpolished, adding a layer of authenticity that big-budget productions often lack. It is a sprint of a film that grabs you by the throat and drags you through a seance gone wrong with zero downtime for you to catch your breath.

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3

The Dark and the Wicked

2020 • Horror

6.2

This film is the cinematic equivalent of a funeral where the casket never closes. Director Bryan Bertino strips away all hope, presenting a rural horror story that feels oppressive and mean-spirited in the most effective way possible. Unlike the Warrens, who always have a crucifix and a plan, the characters here are up against a force that is indifferent to their suffering and absolute in its power. The sound design is crisp and invasive, creating an atmosphere of isolation that makes The Conjuring feel like a crowded party by comparison.

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2

Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum

2018 • Horror, Mystery

7.3

Found footage often gets a bad rap, but this South Korean powerhouse reinvigorated the sub-genre with technical precision and terrifying pacing. It starts with the familiar trope of a web crew investigating a haunted location, but once the sun goes down, it descends into pure, unadulterated chaos. The use of body cams aimed at the actors' faces forces you to stare directly into their terror, creating an empathetic feedback loop that is incredibly stressful. It builds to a crescendo of noise and distortion that captures the feeling of a panic attack better than almost any other film in recent memory.

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1

Talk to Me

2023 • Horror

7.1

While The Conjuring looks back at horror history, Talk to Me feels like the future; sharp, modern, and ruthlessly violent. The Philippou brothers take the "monkey's paw" trope and inject it with the manic energy of a viral TikTok challenge gone wrong. The possessions here are not the floaty, spiritual battles of the Warrens; they are bone-crunching, physical violations that are painful to witness. It creates a high-energy anxiety that grips you immediately, proving that the genre still has fresh, terrifying ways to explore the consequences of opening doors that should stay shut.

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Finding movies scarier than The Conjuring is ultimately about identifying what scares you personally; is it the sudden shock of a jump scare, or the slow-crawling dread of a hopeless situation? The films listed above represent a shift in the genre toward more experimental, psychological, and sensory-based horror. They prove that while James Wan’s universe is a fun ride, there are darker, deeper waters to explore if you are brave enough to dive in.

As the genre continues to evolve with directors like Ari Aster and the Philippou brothers pushing boundaries, the definition of “scary” gets rewritten every year. We are moving away from the safety of classic ghost stories into an era of horror that aims to disturb and unsettle on a primal level. So, pick one of these films tonight, turn off the lights, and see if you can make it to the end without checking the locks.