Each year, a ranking of the scariest horror films according to science is unveiled. Last year, Scott Derrickson’s “Sinister” came out on top. But this year, he was dethroned by a newcomer: “Host” by Rob Savage.
The top 30 creepiest horror movies according to science
Each year, the site Broadband Choices made a study called The Science of Scare to determine the ranking of the most scary horror movies. To do this, they study the heart rates of a panel of spectators in front of 40 films. In 2020, it is Sinister by Scott Derrickson who finished in first place. But he was dethroned in 2021. Discover the ranking below:
The illustration below shows the different heart rates of the spectators watching the different films. That of Host has an average of 88 BPM, compared to 86 for Sinister. On the jump scares side, it’s Insidious who wins the battle for the highest heart rate. It is followed by Sinister, Conjuring, Host and Without a sound 2.



What is Host?
The horror film that wins the battle of the scariest movie according to science has passed a little under the radar. Host was released directly on VOD in France last May and was offered exclusively on Canal + Cinéma. He was also part of the films in competition at the Gérardmer Festival 2021.
This is an original creation from Shudder, a horror streaming platform available in the UK. Directed by Rob Savage, it lasts only 57 minutes. Very intense, if the classification is to be believed.
The pitch?
Six friends hire a psychic to do a Zoom shoot while in lockdown, but things go wrong.
Shot during confinement with little means, the film received excellent word of mouth across the Atlantic.