# I'm Looking for Scary/Terrifying Movies That Aren't Drenched in Blood **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 17, 2006, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925 "2006-04-17T00:14:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/21 "2006-04-17T03:01:54Z")
I should add that **Funny Games** is an intensely disturbing film. It frequently gets mentioned whenever theres’s a “What’s the scariest/most disturbing film you’ve ever seen?” thread. Oh yeah, one other thing: it’s in German. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/22 "2006-04-17T03:10:49Z")
The 1967 movie, **Wait Until Dark** , is exceedingly creepy, and downright terrifying at the end. (And all without any blood). ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/23 "2006-04-17T03:14:00Z")
[The Devil’s Backbone](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000066C6I/102-0590201-0792915?v=glance&n=130) is atmospheric, creepy, scary, gut-wrenching, and with almost no gore. Not to be confused with Devil’s Rain or Devil’s Rejects or Devil’s Frying Pan, or any of the other Devils. I second **haardvark’s** recommendation for **The Changeling**. I saw it years ago, when it first came out. Watched it again a few months ago and it was just as scary, it held up just fine. The original **Haunting** (1963) based on Shirley Jackson’s book is also very scary, with no blood. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/24 "2006-04-17T04:13:05Z")
_The Others_ (Nicole Kidman) might be along your lines. What’d you think of _Sixth Sense_? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_The\_Younger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d9b06d/32.png) [@Paul\_The\_Younger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_The_Younger)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/25 "2006-04-17T04:21:27Z")
The Shining ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/26 "2006-04-17T04:25:05Z")
> [@Paul The Younger](#): > > The Shining I suggest reading the book instead. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/27 "2006-04-17T05:34:54Z")
You have some very difficult criteria. You don’t like “seeing people being tortured, dismembered or struck with blunt (or sharp) weapons”, yet you like the violent _Alien_, which includes the title creature exploding out from a man’s chest, killing him. Including some that others have mentioned: Rosemary’s Baby, The Innocents, The Others, Poltergeist, The Legend of Boggy Creek, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Wait Until Dark, Night of the Demon, Duel, The Exorcist, Race with the Devil, The Collector. ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/28 "2006-04-17T05:39:23Z")
Check out _Strange Days_ (1995) which is a thriller with some very tense, scary moments. Be warned, depending on your sensibilities… …there’s a very graphic and disturbing rape scene. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/29 "2006-04-17T05:50:27Z")
There’s the original Nosferatu. It’s not really scary, but it is quite creepy. It feels like you’re watching a real vampire. Then you can see Shadow of the Vampire, a fictional movie about the making of Nosferatu where the vampire is played by a real vampire. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/30 "2006-04-17T06:01:58Z")
**Shadow of the Vampire** not ‘scary’ so much as disturbing. One of the best horror films I’ve seen in a long time. However it’s all about mood so it has a long long build up. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/31 "2006-04-17T06:20:48Z")
> [@Darkhold](#): > > **Shadow of the Vampire** not ‘scary’ so much as disturbing. One of the best horror films I’ve seen in a long time. However it’s all about mood so it has a long long build up. True, it’s not really horror. I found it closer to dark comedy. But it’s worth seeing if you’ve seen Nosferatu. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/32 "2006-04-17T06:22:56Z")
> [@Talon Karrde](#): > > True, it’s not really horror. I found it closer to dark comedy. But it’s worth seeing if you’ve seen Nosferatu. It’s worth seeing if you haven’t as well. Great movie just one you should have an idea of what you’re going into. ---
**Author:** ![Phantom\_Dennis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@Phantom\_Dennis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phantom_Dennis)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/33 "2006-04-17T06:26:53Z")
I’ve never liked excessive violence/gore either, but I still like a good scare every once in awhile. I second **Wicker Man** – good production values despite a low budget, and almost no violence. Beware of the cheesy '70s sexploitation scenes though. 🆒 The original **Night of the Living Dead** is squeaky clean by today’s standards, and since it was filmed in grainy black and white, what little gore you see is relatively easy to stomach. Very suspenseful. I don’t remember the original **Nightmare on Elmstreet** being _too_ graphic, although it’s been awhile. I know it scared the hell out of me though. For movies that are more creepy than terrifying, I nominate **Donnie Darko** and **Pi**. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/34 "2006-04-17T06:29:37Z")
> [@Phantom Dennis](#): > > The original **Night of the Living Dead** is squeaky clean by today’s standards How about the part where the girl kills her parent with the garden trowl, then eats the heart? ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/35 "2006-04-17T06:42:14Z")
For Creepy and little gore, some suggestions- [Clownhouse](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094886/) [The Believers](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092632/) [Hideaway](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113303/) (Pretty good Dean Koontz book, not so great movie.) John Carpenter’s original 1980 version of _The Fog_ is good. A little bit of gore, but not too much. I also enjoy the weirdness of Carpenter’s _In the Mouth of Madness_ and _Prince of Darkness_. These are all pretty old though, and have been suggested before, but they’re all classics in their own rights. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/36 "2006-04-17T07:00:15Z")
I’ll third (fourth?) “Rosemary’s Baby” – great movie; no gore. “The Tenant” is another great Polanski movie in that category, though IIRC it does get a bit more explicitly bloody. And when I think about it, Polanski’s does a lot of this kind of movie: you could also count “Repulsion,” “Knife in the Water,” and even “Chinatown” on the list. If you want to count suspense movies among the scary/terrifying, you’ll have lots to choose from – ie, basically all of Alfred Hitchcock’s films, to begin with. If you don’t mind “Alien” level violence, you should have no problem with “Silence of the Lambs.” There’s not actually _that_ much gore in it. ---
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/37 "2006-04-17T07:01:19Z")
One of the best creepy, atmospheric horror movies I’ve seen in a long time is [The Woman in Black](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004UEEU/qid=1145256729/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-9893113-2759050?s=dvd&v=glance&n=130). ---
**Author:** ![Phantom\_Dennis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@Phantom\_Dennis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phantom_Dennis)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/38 "2006-04-17T07:46:28Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > How about the part where the girl kills her parent with the garden trowl, then eats the heart? Okay, well “squeaky clean” was probably a bad choice of words. But I wouldn’t put the gore level much higher than Alien, and certainly nowhere near Romero’s later films. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/39 "2006-04-17T13:01:13Z")
> [@winterhawk11](#): > > _Session Nine_ (starring everybody’s favorite redheaded overactor, David Caruso) is kind of creepy, but I wouldn’t put it in the same category as some of the other films mentioned here. What _is_ cool about it, though, was it was filmed at Danvers State Hospital, an abandoned insane asylum (which has since been torn down to put up condos–a real shame, as it had some gorgeous buildings). > > There’s some blood in it and some rather icky stuff toward the end, but nothing over the top. I third this, and for exactly the same reasons. I tend to refer to this film as “asylum porn” instead of horror. Lots of neat scenery in it. The movie itself isn’t half bad either. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925/40 "2006-04-17T13:35:50Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > For Creepy and little gore, some suggestions- > > [Clownhouse](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094886/) Haven’t seen it, and I never will (the fact it was writen and directed by a convicted child molester, who molested an actor in the movie will keep me away thanks), but I also laughed at the description: “Just before Halloween, three young brothers alone in a big house are menaced by three escaped mental patients who have murdered some traveling circus clowns and taken their identities.” Can there be anything more trite, tired, and stupid? Let’s see: Halloween… check. Alone teenagers… check. Big, scary house… check. Escaped mental patients… check. Murders… check. Clowns… check. Sounds more horrible, than horror. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-scary-terrifying-movies-that-arent-drenched-in-blood/352925.md?page=3)