We Score Scary Movies

Back to our top scary movies.

We score movies on scariness, quality, originality and rewatchability. We also award bonus/negative points. Below is the breakdown of how we score.

SCARINESS (Average=4.8)

Each movie is scored on a scale of 0–5 by a horror fan (Robyn) and a horror skeptic (Mike). The two scores are then added together for a max score of 10. We rate scariness based on a few criteria but are flexible to try to give the most accurate scariness. Below we get into specifics about how we determine the scariness of a movie, keep in mind these things vary person to person.

(1) were we able to suspend our disbelief: i.e., did we ever stop during the movie and go — “no fucking way” or “that makes no sense” if so then it our belief was no suspended.

(2) was it a scary premise: was the idea driving the movie actually scary? If I was in that situation would I be terrified?

(3) was it a scary villain: this one seems like a gimme but it does not actually always work that way. Sometimes you can have a truly scary premise but the villain is weak or metaphorical etc.

(4) did we “get got”- this usually implies a good jump scare or holy shit moment.

(5)did this movie/will this movie haunt me after it’s over. Was it disturbing or haunting? Will it leave me wanting to sleep with the lights on? Does it comment on something deeper? Will I think about it long after it’s over.

Bear in mind that we will score a movie and then determine if it actually deserves that score. Sometimes films technically hit all the marks but are generally just not that scary. We try to give the most accurate scary score as possible, so these criteria are loose compared to other criteria.

QUALITY (AVERAGE= 2.8)

This is pretty self explanatory. Horror gets a bad rap for being cheesy and corny. There are so many cheap horror movies that become cult classics etc. This led to the proliferation of terrible horror movies made on the cheap. It can be hard to know what movies in this genre are actually worth watching. We wanted to factor in the quality of these films so that the very best quality films rise to the top and the very worst quality films hang back. This is mainly based on casting, script and effects. Movies that have “stood the test of time” usually are ranked a 4 regardless of our own opinions (i.e, Halloween etc.).

4= A+ film, truly excellent — no critiques.
3= A film (great cast, great acting etc.)
2= B film (great film with no name actors, an ok film with great cast)
1= C film (lesser known film, bad dialogue etc.)
0= D film (Bad film, plot holes, terrible premis, terrible dialogue etc).

ORIGINALITY (AVERAGE =2.1)

We wanted to factor in originality because this genre is one that heavily relies on tropes and is full the brim of remakes, sequels and formulaic models. There is something so special (and terrifying) about a horror movie that is truly original. It’s quite an experience, as a horror lover, to watch a movie and not know exactly what will happen.

(1) Unpredictable (Yes= 1 points ): Remakes are not penalized here if they do something new and exciting (i.e., Black Christmas, Pet Sematary).

(2) Edge of Your Seat (Yes=1 point): This is where we factor in suspense, one of the most crucial elements of horror movies.

(3) Unique Storyline (Yes=1 point): This is where we get to the heart of originality and ask “has this been done before?” and “was this an innovative approach?”

REMAKE-ABLE

Movies were awarded +1: If they were the original and have been remade or inspired sequels/spin offs etc. They receive -1 point if the movie is a remake, sequel or spin off from another movie.

Currently, 19% of the movies we have watched are movies that have resulted in remakes, sequels, franchises etc. 21% of the movies we watched are remakes. Approximately 60% of movies are originals with no remakes or sequels.

TWIST ENDING

Movies were awarded +1 bonus point if they had a REALLY GOOD twist. Most horror movies have a little twist at the end (i.e., the killer was X all along!). They can’t all get an extra point. We give this point only to movies that really shock us in the end or offer up a twist somewhere in the movie that really turns us on our head. Only 33% of the movies we watched received a point for a great twist ending.

REWATCHABILITY

Movies were awarded up to 2 bonus points if they were rewatchable (0=neither would watch again, 1=split, 2=we would both watch again). This is the true mark of quality. Would I watch it again? So far, I would watch 68% of the movies again and Mike would watch 63% of them.

TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE=20 POINTS (AVERAGE=11.93)

This list was started in November 2020 based on the (Running List) of the movies we have watched and scored — the list will change as we watch more movies. We categorized every movie into one of four categories, labeled the villain of every movie and the subgenre.

TIE BREAKER FORMULA

So our initial method made for a TON of ties, as the scores would always be even numbers. So what we did was take scores from Rotten Tomatoes (Critic and Audience score), IMDB and Reel Scary and converted them to a percentage score (<1). Then we averaged out the scores of all four (or 3 in some cases where Reel Scary had not yet rated them) for addition points (up to .99). This has mostly eliminated all the ties.