The found footage thriller Dashcam has become the only 2022 title to land on the Top 10 scariest horror films of all time according to a new study. The controversial film, which was officially released on June 3 of this year, is a Blumhouse production starring Annie Hardy, Amer Chadha-Patel, and Angela Enahoro. It follows right-wing livestreamer Annie (Hardy) on a trip to London where she gives a ride to an old woman who may not be exactly as she seems.
The Science of Scare Project is a group founded in 2020 that seeks to study the scariest horror movies by measuring the heart rate of viewers. In 2020, they found that the 2012 Blumhouse film Sinister was the No. 1 scariest movie of all time according to science, but last year that throne was overtaken by the found footage Zoom shocker Host, which was directed by Rob Savage. Host claimed the No. 1 spot again this year, but Savage's new film Dashcam became the only 2022 entry to pop up on this year's Top 10 list.
2022's Top 30 Scariest Horror Movies Are a Mix of Contemporary and Classic Frights
The rest of the Top 10 films on the 2022 are modern shockfests, though some have already risen in the public opinion to be esteemed contemporary classics. In addition to Dashcam, Blumhouse was behind the titles Sinister (No. 2), Insidious (No. 3), and Paranormal Activity (No. 10). Insidious director James Wan also has the No. 4 spot with 2013's The Conjuring, with the rest of the Top 10 being filled out by A24's Hereditary (No.5) and It Follows (No. 7) as well as the sequel A Quiet Place Part 2 (No. 9) and the 2017 Argentine shocker Terrified (No. 6).
The 11 through 30 slots have a much healthier mix of classic horror titles blended in, though modern horror titles still dominate, as might be expected if the group of test subjects skews younger. Other modern horror titles on the list includes The Conjuring 2 (No. 11) and The Babadook (No. 12). Blumhouse also continues their overall domination with titles including their home invasion thriller Hush (No. 14), Oculus (No. 25), and The Black Phone (No. 30), which is the only other 2022 title on the list.
The classics that have maintained their hold on the list in spite of Dashcam and The Black Phone entering the arena are a collection of some of the usual suspects. The Exorcist, which has long been considered one of the scariest films of all time by the critical establishment, is holding strong at No. 23. However, other classic titles that horror fans will be pleased to see on the list include the original Halloween (No. 19), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (No. 20), Alien (No. 27), Poltergeist (No. 28), The Blair Witch Project (No. 29), and A Nightmare on Elm Street (No. 18)
Source: The Science of Scare Project