There are plenty of great horror movies that focus on supernatural terror or creepy monsters. However, sometimes the scariest thing a movie can be is grounded in reality. If the audience watches the horror unfold on screen and knows something like that could actually happen, it can be quite unsettling.

These movies rely simply on the evil that can exist in the real world and the threats that are very much possible. These types of stories will deliver the typical horror movies thrills with scares that may stay with viewers a little longer.

10 Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

So many horror movies have featured serial killers as their main antagonists, but Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer took a new approach by featuring the murderer as the protagonist. Michael Rooker stars as the titular character who goes around dispatching victims one at a time.

The movie seems uninterested in showing any redeemable aspects of the character and as Redditor DylanTaylor1 put it simply “deals with human evil.” The character studio of a killer makes him more unsettling than Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees.

9 Misery (1990)

While Stephen King stories can often deal with supernatural aspects, with everything from monster clowns to vampires. However, Misery is one adaptation of King’s writing that makes the audience squirm with its grounded approach.

James Caan stars in the movie as a novelist who is injured in a car accident and is nursed in isolation by an obsessive fan. Kathy Bates’s performance as the seemingly unassuming person who becomes gradually more terrifying really elevates the movie and makes it “creepy as hell” according to Redditor Blindows.

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8 Cape Fear (1991)

Though the original Cape Fear is a classic itself, Redditor slingoo claimed the “Scorsese remake is scariest” version of this story. The movie stars Scorsese’s longtime collaborator Robert De Niro as a man released from prison who sets out on a mission of revenge against the lawyer he blames for putting him there.

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De Niro’s Max Cady makes for a truly imposing villain, not because he cannot be killed or has some special powers, but because his determination makes him relentless. He truly feels like all of his disgusting and horrific acts are justified.

7 Hush (2016)

Home invasion movies are particularly effective as grounded horror stories because it puts the danger in a place most people feel safest. Hush adds an interesting twist on the material that makes it all the more memorable.

The movie follows a deaf woman who is randomly targeted by a masked killer as she attempts to defend herself. The terrific use of tension worked for many fans and Redditor BreezyBlink found John Gallagher Jr.’s against-type casting as the killer a “really interesting thing to watch.”

6 Eden Lake (2008)

A lot of these realistic horror movies start with something mundane and unthreatening only for the horror to emerge unexpectedly. Such is the case with Eden Lake which stars Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender as a couple on a romantic getaway who run into a group of youths looking for trouble.

The young age of the villains in the movie makes it all the creepier especially as they cannot be reasoned with and are doing all this brutal stuff for fun. One Redditor described the movie as “f***ed up but it feels very real.”

5 Psycho (1960)

Alfred Hitchcock is the master of suspense, but of all his movies, Psycho remains the most terrifying to most viewers. The movie follows a young woman who, while on the run, stops at a roadside motel run by the creepy Norman Bates and his mother.

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The movie unfolds with so many shocking twists that were ground-breaking upon its release. It also helped introduce the idea of a seemingly mild-mannered person being a dark and sadistic killer underneath. When it comes to grounded horror movies, Redditor KingEuronIIIGreyjoy theorized that Psycho is “probably one of the most OG examples.”

4 Martyrs (2008)

The French movie Martyrs follows two young women who befriend each other while growing up in an orphanage. Years later, one of the women confronts her dark past which is linked to a mysterious and sadistic cult that is looking to discover the truth about the afterlife.

The movie is a brutal experience and certainly not for everyone. But while some of the characters believe in supernatural elements, Redditor Pjoernrachzarck pointed out the movie is a story of “true human horror.”

3 Bone Tomahawk (2015)

While many grounded horror movies seem to be modern stories, Redditor VJDargil acknowledged that Bone Tomahawk gives “a western twist” to the genre. Kurt Russell stars as a sheriff who leads a posse to hunt down a group of cannibals.

There have been plenty of movies that show the brutal and violent life in the Old West, but few are as gruesome in their depiction as Bone Tomahawk. It is an engrossing and surprising adventure with moments viewers won’t soon get out of their heads.

2 The House That Jack Built (2018)

Filmmaker Lars von Trier is known for his challenging and often disturbing movies. While stepping into a story about a serial killer, The House That Jack Built ranks as one of his most unsettling projects.

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The movie stars Matt Dillon as a serial killer and simply follows him around as he commits his sickening crimes. Like Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, spending so much time with such an evil character is difficult even if Redditor Puddinhead420 admits they “consider it a dark comedy.”

1 Green Room (2015)

One of the most effective things a horror movie can do is relate a feeling of hopelessness for the heroes. Green Room very much delivers this in the simple yet gripping story of a punk rock band who find themselves trapped by a gang of neo-Nazis.

The violence is brutal yet matter-of-fact and the actions of the movie’s villains are so cold and calculating that it is bone-chilling. Redditor Dalsiandon also pointed out that “Patrick Stewart was terrifying” as the leader of the Nazi group.

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About The Author


Colin McCormick
(2030 Articles Published)

Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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