A new study by GIGACalculator.com has revealed that, scientifically speaking, the Gabriel Byrne psychological horror film Hereditary is the scariest movie of all time.
The movie, which features the Dublin-born actor opposite Toni Collette as a grieving family haunted by a mysterious presence following the death of their secretive grandmother, beat the likes of Saw and The Babadook which came in second and third place respectively.
How can something like that be scientifically determined, you might be thinking? In order to find out what movie is the ultimate fright fest, GIGACalculator.com asked 150 volunteers to watch a selection of renowned horror films for the first time whilst wearing heart rate monitors.
Advert
The films were selected via a survey of 2,542 "gorehounds" who were asked to rank their Top 10 horror movies.
Hereditary came out on top as the most heart racing horror film, causing pulses to rise to an average of 115 BPM - compared to the average resting heart (60 - 100 BPM).
Insidious, A Quiet Place and The Descent also ranked highly on the list which you can view in full below.
"As human beings, there are a wide range of reasons we enjoy watching horror films," explained Lee Chambers, a psychologist and wellbeing consultant who worked with GIGACalculator.com on the study. "First, it's a form of entertainment. Our desire to seek sensations and avoid boredom draw us to a type of movie where something gruesome could happen any minute.
Advert
"There is also the understanding of the limits of our own emotions, in the comfort of our own homes or cinema. You can be terrified but still be safe, you can even hide behind the sofa if it's too much. This emotional regulation activation is powerful, and it allows us to test our fear and anxiety in a controlled environment."
"Scary movies are also powerful mindfulness devices. You're unlikely to be worrying about anything else while watching one, and they are a distraction from the monotony of everyday life, creating a novel experience."
Topics: Ireland