# Favorite non-gore horror movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [November 1, 2023, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438 "2023-11-01T20:34:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/1 "2023-11-01T20:34:05Z")
I do like scary movies. Even gory movies. There’s something about the increased heart rate and anticipation of what may be coming thay I enjoy. I personally think that most jump scares are overrated and too easy a trick for filmmakers to use. So what are your favorite non-gore horror movies? Mine is _The Ring_ (2002) US version with Naomi Watts. The scene where Samara crawls out of the TV was one of the best horror scenes that got me. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/2 "2023-11-01T20:54:14Z")
The Black Coat’s Daughter. There is some blood in a couple of scenes, but it pretty much all atmosphere. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/3 "2023-11-01T20:56:46Z")
I liked _The Village_, by M Night Shayamalan. Very creepy even upon the reveal near the end. And very little gore - it’s all psychological. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/4 "2023-11-01T20:57:42Z")
I have a soft spot for Poltergeist. Okay, a couple of ooky scenes, but I think it counts! ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/5 "2023-11-01T20:59:20Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Poltergeist Yes, the scene where Robbie is trying to go to sleep and looks under the bed for the clown… ---
**Author:** ![NinthAcolyte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ninthacolyte/32/13676_2.png) [@NinthAcolyte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinthAcolyte)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/6 "2023-11-01T20:59:33Z")
1963’s _The Haunting_ remains one of the most frightening films ever made, imo. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/7 "2023-11-01T21:12:44Z")
I do not like gore in movies. I can’t just about manage _Birds_ I like the more mysterious type movie. Yeah, I’m a chicken. (Oh wait…a bird, again) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/8 "2023-11-01T21:23:55Z")
First one that came to mind: [The Shout](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-shout-1978) ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2023, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/9 "2023-11-01T21:32:43Z")
[The Babadook](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5WQZzDRVtw). No blood, not guts, no reliance on jump scares, and terrifying throughout. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/10 "2023-11-02T01:49:24Z")
Rosemarys Baby 1969 - young mother discovers she will deliver the devils child Stepford Wives 1975 something in **Stepford’s** environment is changing the **wives** from free-thinking, intelligent women into compliant **wives** dedicated solely to homemaking. Vertigo 1958. Best Hitchcock fear of heights is a big part of the film The Man Who Knew too Much 1956 another great Hitchcock flim Strangers on a Train 1950 Hitchcock The story concerns two [strangers](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger) who meet on a train, one of whom is a [psychopath](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopath) who suggests that they “exchange” murders so that neither will be caught. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/11 "2023-11-02T01:58:40Z")
Not really ‘horror’, but I love [_A Bucket Of Blood_](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052655/). More like a soupçon of blood, but it has a lot of great dialogue. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/12 "2023-11-02T02:00:56Z")
The Wicker Man (1973). The 2006 version is also horrific, but in a different sense. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/13 "2023-11-02T02:07:21Z")
I was thinking about [Village of the Damned (1960)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054443/). IMDb reminded me about the scenes where a guy shoots himself in the head with a shotgun, not seen but heard, and a couple of fiery crashes. And don’t they all get blown to bits at the end? Anyway not sure it counts in this category but it was those little kids that creeped me out when I first saw it when I was just a kid myself. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/14 "2023-11-02T02:09:24Z")
Definitely the German-language version of “Funny Games.” All the violence is off-camera, but the fear is there. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/15 "2023-11-02T02:17:53Z")
This week we watched **Hocus Pocus** (yuck) and **Nightmare Before Christmas** (yay), which are certainly non-gorey. But tonight we watched **Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory** , which, when viewed a certain way, is a horror story. My wife wouldn’t watch any gore so our viewing options are limited. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/16 "2023-11-02T02:24:25Z")
I think of [Seconds](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060955)(especially the ending) as a horror movie. If you’re not boycotting Roman Polanski, [The Tenant](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074811/) is pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/17 "2023-11-02T02:27:50Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > **Hocus Pocus** (yuck) I think _Hocus Pocus_ is cute. (OK, I think Sarah Jessica Parker was cute.) > [@JohnGalt](#): > > My wife wouldn’t watch any gore so our viewing options are limited. I had a girlfriend who once thought that people who watched horror movies were twisted, as if they actually secretly wished they could do such things. And then she watched _A Bucket Of Blood_ and saw the light. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/18 "2023-11-02T02:31:57Z")
[Les Diaboliques](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Diaboliques_(film)) ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/19 "2023-11-02T03:03:30Z")
The question is actually hard to answer. I mean, the first thing I thought of was “Sixth Sense”, in terms of horror + not gore, although there are a few jump scares. But it’s not my FAVORITE. My favorite horror movies tend to be about how -little- effort it takes to make otherwise good, or at least, normal people do horrible or evil things. Because to me that’s a lot more terrifying than most supernatural or psycho-murderer type horror movies. In that sense, probably “Needful Things” (movie adaptation of Stephen King novel) - there is a short bloody knife fight, and a skinned dog, but it’s not really about the gore and jump scares. > [@Omar\_Little](#): > > There’s something about the increased heart rate and anticipation of what may be coming thay I enjoy. If I was stretching the OP’s Point though, where it’s about the increased heart rate, anticipation, and growing dread (with admitted some gore) I’d almost certainly vote for “Get Out” by Jordan Peele. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438/20 "2023-11-02T03:16:27Z")
> [@NinthAcolyte](#): > > 1963’s _The Haunting_ remains one of the most frightening films ever made, imo. The original novel by Shirley Jackson, _The Haunting of Hill House_, is also excellent. One of the movie’s strengths is its faithfulness to the novel, even to the extent of directly quoting its beginning and ending passages. I love this movie. There was also a remake in 1999, to be avoided at all costs! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-non-gore-horror-movie/992438.md?page=2)