This list contains descriptions of graphic violence and suicide.
One of the recent horror flicks from this month include The Sleep Experiment, an adaptation of the infamous Russian Sleep Experiment, a post-World War myth that continues dominating creepypasta forums. The film’s release just goes on to show how the creepypasta culture continues impressing horror aficionados with terrifying entities like Slender Man and Jeff the Killer turning into integral pop culture figures.
And with the release of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities this Halloween, interest in short-form horror has only increased. Revisiting some of the most spine-chilling creepypastas is a must for audiences that are eager to explore bite-sized horror tales further.
Robert The Doll
Much like the Annabelle doll or Chucky from every Child's Play movie, Robert the Doll was a powerful entity disguised as a children's doll. When a young boy named Robert (later adopting the name Gene) takes a liking for the doll, his entire life is based on his commands.
Even after Gene's death, Robert can be found lurking in Gene's family house, sometimes even barging into bedrooms at night with a knife in his hand. Unlike Chucky, Gene doesn't necessarily look evil and would pass off as just an innocent toy. This innocence is what makes his story all the more believable. No parent would want their child to keep a doll like Annabelle (the movie version) or Chucky. But Robert proves that looks can indeed be deceptive. Still, the presence of some familiar haunted house horror tropes makes it slightly weaker than the other entries.
Jeff The Killer
Bullying can be tough for high-schoolers, especially when it takes a violent turn. Jeff faced a similar case of extreme bullying to the point that he got his face disfigured in a fire. With his eyelids burnt off and skin whitened to a pale tone, Jeff ended up embracing a homicidal persona leading to a wave of killings.
While Jeff’s stories have been oversaturated, and some of the scares might be too obvious, the very factor that still makes the creepypasta relevant is his very face, especially the blood-curdling smile wrapped almost perpetually on his lips.
Slenderman
A creepypasta that has gone on to inspire films and documentaries, Slenderman has impacted pop culture on a higher level than any of its kind. The original creepypasta paints him as a humanoid figure in the Black Forest who chases, stalks, kidnaps, and even brainwashes children, especially the badly-behaved ones who wander into the forest.
Unlike other creepypasta figures like Jeff the Killer, Slenderman is often depicted as having a featureless face. This ominousness only makes him creepier. Perhaps what adds to the scare level is the traumatizing impact of this creepypasta which led to actual incidents of violence associated with the story's readers. For instance, Wisconsin witnessed a near-fatal stabbing of a 12-year-old girl by another girl of the same age. It seems that the latter did so to appease the Slenderman!
The Russian Sleep Experiment
Legend has it that in 1947, Soviet scientists placed five inmates in a gas chamber, vowing to let them out after a 30-day experiment. The gas in question was a stimulant that would prevent them from falling asleep.
The gnarly monochrome visuals of the day-by-day progress of the experiment add a touch of reality to this legendary creepypasta, with the humans turning into nocturnal mummies of sorts. The graphic depictions of self-harm, ranging from self-mutilation to even self-cannibalism, are enough to disturb the weak-hearted. Add in a couple of moments of excrement and feces-throwing, and the disgust level increases.
The Rake
For those who are easily terrified by jump scares, The Rake would thrill and scare them at the same time. The titular creature is reminiscent of the night creatures in the survival horror movies like The Descent, appearing as hairless, pale-skinned humanoids who crouch on all four limbs.
What also makes the creepypasta unique is the fact that it covers how the Rake creatures have haunted humans over centuries, including accounts from 1691, 1880, 1964, and 2006. Each of the four journal entries offers its set of jump scares preceded by some chilling atmospheric horror that prove the crouching, stealthy figure can attack people from any corner of the wilderness.
The Expressionless
As the name shows, this creepypasta focuses on a woman with an expressionless mannequin-like face who is admitted to a hospital under mysterious circumstances. When she finally smiles, she reveals a set of razor-sharp teeth and massacres everyone in the vicinity.
Unlike a horrifying face like Jeff, the mannequin figure's lifeless facial features make the figure more realistic and intimidating. Not only are the razor blades in her mouth surprising, but even a cat comes out of her mouth at times, adding to the shock value. When the central character reveals herself to be God, readers will be left scratching their heads as to who she was and what her nature is. Were the medical staff morally corrupt and deserved to be punished by divine intervention, or was the expressionless woman just a sadist?
Squidward's Suicide
Squidward is easily one of the saddest characters in SpongeBob SquarePants, boasting his fair share of depressing moments. The creepypasta around his demise is, hence, bound to be quite disturbing, to say the least.
The story focuses on a former Nickelodeon intern revealing how someone at the studio pulled off a sick prank by adding hyperrealistic violence to an episode's first draft, even throwing in some extremely graphic photos of the corpse of a boy and a girl. Blood-curdling screams can be heard from Squidward before he shoots himself off with a shotgun, while some moments are even marked by a deafening silence. Even though it's just a creepypasta, the very thought of the traumatized animators witnessing the display of gore in a kids' show is enough to give nightmares.
Borrasca
Falling in the pantheon of well-written creepypastas, Borrasca found further fame through a novella and podcast adaptation. The plot focuses on the affairs of a sleepy small town where people start disappearing after three friends visit a spooky tree house.
Believing the disappearances to be linked to a supernatural curse, they chance upon a way bigger mystery that involves everyone in town. The unexpected plot twists and the slow-burning mystery that takes place over several years, make Borrasca a grueling read that tests the readers' patience and then rewards them with the destructive levels to which humanity can go to. A sequel titled Borrasca V is equally frightening.
Penpal
Penpal is easily one of the longest creepypastas starting out on a subreddit and then eventually getting adapted into a full-fledged novel. The haunting premise shifts from a boy's coming-of-age and progresses toward the childhood trauma that he still inherits as an adult due to a mysterious pen pal-turned-stalker.
The loss of innocence that the central character undergoes with a stranger's actions can happen to any child. Added to the disturbing stalking and threats is the fact that despite its length, the story intentionally leaves several loose ends. Solving the mystery in the end and figuring out the titular Penpal's intentions are bound to make the readers stay up at night and question their own minds.
Autopilot
Playing around with the concept of mental routines, Autopilot shows how the troubled protagonist finds himself down a chaotic spiral when his routine breaks one day by simply forgetting his phone. As he leaves his mobile at home, chaos ensues at his workplace, his daughter's school, and his very own car.
Autopilot is arguably one of the creepiest creepypastas in existence due to the sheer fact that all of it happens in real time with no fantasy elements at all. It is set in the real world, and the action is as anxiety-inducing as possible. And as anyone can find themselves in the position of Autopilot's protagonist, matters get spookier.