Entertainment
The new film from Midsommar has been terrifying and confusing audiences since its release on July 3, to the point where it has built up a considerable amount of buzz. The movie is so weird, and so scary, that some people can't bring themselves to watch it and instead opt to read the film's summary on Wikipedia. As it turns out, it's just one of the many Wikipedia movie summaries that will leave you terrified. Because while many lesser horror movies rely on jump scares to frighten their audiences, the really scary ones have to try a little harder.
The 17 films on the list below are unique among horror movies in that just reading about them is enough to scare you, gross you out, or leave you questioning what it was you just read. Indie studio A24 especially excels at this form of storytelling; as they mix classic horror, disturbing details, and a serious WTF factor together to make stories that are horrifying no matter how they're consumed. That's why the studio dominates this list with four entries, including the horrifying Midsommar. But they are hardly the only source for this type of readable horror, as the list contains films whose release dates span from 1968 to 2019. So take a look below to see which horror movies translate best to the scary Wikipedia summary format.
1
'Midsommar'
Wikipedia movie summaries were practically invented for films like this tale about a murderous cult.
2
‘Tusk’
A24 practically invented the modern disturbing horror film, and this is one of their earliest examples in the genre. In it, a mad scientist kidnaps a man with the intention of turning him into a walrus, and reading about it in detail is even grosser than what you're imagining.
3
‘The Human Centipede’
Speaking of gross mad scientists, you know what's worse than someone trying to make a person into a walrus? Someone trying to make three people into a centipede that shares a single digestive tract. Think for a second about what that means.
4
‘Cannibal Holocaust’
A pioneer in gross-out horror and the found footage style, this 1980 film was so realistic in its depictions of horrific violence that its director was arrested on suspicion of murder (he was cleared of the charges).
5
‘Rosemary’s Baby’
This may be the oldest film on this list, having been released in 1968, but its story about a woman who becomes impregnated by Satan is just as terrifying now as it was then.
6
‘Suspiria’
This remake of the '70s classic manages to be even more bizarre and freaky than its predecessor.
7
‘The Exorcist’
The all time classic is still regarded by many to be the scariest film ever made, and it has the Wikipedia page to match.
8
‘Raw’
After reading the summary of this cannibalistic tale, you'll never look at your veterinarian the same way again.
9
‘Hellraiser’
There is so much gross and terrifying imagery in this movie, just reading about it will probably give you nightmares.
10
‘Goodnight Mommy’
Everyone knows kids in horror movies are creepy, but this story might just scare you off from the idea of having kids altogether.
11
‘The Visit’
You will 100% become nervous at the thought of visiting your grandparents after reading this M. Night Shyamalan yarn.
12
‘The Babadook’
Reading the summary of this film is almost as scary as reading the actual Babadook book.
13
‘The Conjuring’
There's a reason this film spawned an entire cinematic universe: it's a haunted house classic, and a damn terrifying one at that.
14
‘The Shining’
Another all time classic, the scariest thing in The Shining's synopsis isn't the supernatural elements — of which there are plenty — but a father and husband's slow descent into madness.
15
‘The Witch’
Another A24 masterpiece, this film actually isn't all that terrifying on first watch thanks to its slow pacing. But reading a condensed version of all the messed up stuff that happens on Wikipedia? *Shudders*
16
‘Fire In The Sky’
Know what the most frightening thing is about this film? It's supposedly based on a true story.
17
‘Hereditary’
Yep, A24 again. Honestly, they reached peak horrifying weirdness with this one. After reading the summary you will be left staring at your computer screen for hours questioning what the hell you just witnessed.
All of these movies are so scary, you don't even have to watch them to experience their frights. A quick trip to Wikipedia is all it takes to scare yourself silly.
