scary movies if you don't like horror

Do you love scary movies but aren’t a fan of horror movies? While I love a good, scary movie, I just don’t like the horror genre. Shocking, I know. However, I do love movies that are scary, creepy, and chilling but only if they have very little if any at all, paranormal elements.

So, if you love scary movies, but don’t like horror movies, I have the perfect list for you. Many of the movies I’ve chosen fall under the thriller category, but I’m sure you’ll find a few you enjoy. So, I’ve compiled the best scary movies if you don’t like horror:

  • Mothman Prophecies (2002)

Starting out the list is one of my favorite movies, Mothman Prophecies. I absolutely love the way it evokes a chilling, creepy feeling throughout the whole movie. You first meet John Klein and his wife, Mary, who are a happy couple with a bright future together. The night they close the deal on a new house, they get into a terrible car accident and Mary suffers from a devastating injury. In the hospital, she tells John about something she saw on the road. Something that terrified her. After she passes away, John discovers drawings she made of a mysterious dark winged creature. These images and his wife’s sudden death never completely leave him.

Still troubled by her death two years later, one night John drives off towards Virginia, only to get stuck in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Once there, he is unable to leave, and when people begin describing the very creature his wife saw – and drew – he begins to wonder what it is and why it brought him there.

Why it’s scary: This is one of those movies that leave you with a watched feeling as it draws you in. It’s perfect if you are open to a movie that has a little bit of the unexplained in it without being overdone.

My favorite quote: “You noticed them, and they noticed that you noticed them.”

Find out more info on IMDb.

  • The Firm (1993)

This is one of those movies I’ve seen so much that I forget how it felt to see it the first time. It’s nowhere near the horror genre, and more of a legal thriller, but still worthy of adding to this list.

Mitch McDeere is a young, hotshot lawyer right out of law school and gets hired by a law firm out of Memphis, Tennessee. Swept in by its money, charm, and prestige, he and his wife Abby move out to the area only to find things aren’t as wonderful as it seems. When the FBI closes in and ropes him into unraveling the firm’s secrets, Mitch realizes his life is at risk. He must figure out a way to save himself, his family, and everything else he holds dear before he loses it all.

Why it’s scary: Once Mitch realizes what is going, his paranoia of being watched is undeniable. He also walks a fine line between being smart and being completely careless.

My favorite quote: “Wouldn’t it be funny if I went to Harvard, you went to jail and we both ended up surrounded by crooks.”

Find out more info on IMDb.

  • Breakdown (1997)

I love movies that have a “they’re all in on it” flair. To me, Breakdown does it so well. Jeff and Ann Taylor are driving cross country to their new life in California. When they run into car trouble in the middle of a desolate desert area, Jeff’s wife accepts a ride from a trucker so she can get them help. After a while, when his wife doesn’t return, Jeff figures out the car trouble and goes looking for his wife at the diner where they agreed to meet. When she isn’t there, Jeff races to find out what happened to her. He soon finds the trucker who gave his wife the ride, but the man insists he has never seen Jeff or his wife. This begins a desperate fight for survival with the ongoing question: who can he trust?

Why it’s scary: That moment Jeff realizes his wife is really gone makes this movie worth seeing. He is truly isolated and in the middle of nowhere.

My favorite quote: I don’t know how to tell you this, but I’ve never seen you before in my life.

Find out more info on IMDb.

  • The Forgotten (2004)

What happens when you remember someone that everyone else insists never existed? What if that someone is your own child? In The Forgotten, Telly is grieving the loss of her son, who died in a plane crash during a school field trip. But bit by bit, it seems like Telly might be losing her grip on reality. Everyone insists her son never existed. Even when she finds all mementos of her son are gone, she still can’t accept what people are telling her. She knows her son existed and is determined to prove it. Somehow she finds another parent who lost their child in the same plane crash, and convinces him of his own daughter’s existence. Together the pair unearth an otherworldly plot that isn’t over unless they forget.

Why it’s scary: The threat is largely unseen in this movie, and yet when people are taken, it shocks you every time. I won’t say too much but my favorite – and the most shocking part – is when the cop gets taken right in front of Telly. Also, the ending. Oh, that ending.

My favorite quote: He is not human! I believe you!

Find out more info on IMDb.

  • The Invitation (2015)

It’s weird, but I love “dinner party goes wrong” movies. And it’s only weird because of how disinterested I am in going to dinner parties in general. So, in this film, we have Will, who is going to his ex-wife’s house for a dinner party. Going with him is his new girlfriend. That combination alone is bound to have some problems right? Well, he and his ex-wife have a complicated past, because they lost their son a few years back. Although his wife is doing better than she did before, Will questions her method of healing and recovering from grief. So much weirdness unfolds in this movie, and you often wonder if Will is the reason for all of it. Tensions rise and you can’t help but be pulled towards the answers.

Why it’s scary: When only one person sees the madness in a situation, you might wonder if it’s all in their head. That is one of the reasons this movie so scary.

My favorite quote: Something dangerous is going on, and we’re all just ignoring it because David brought some good wine!

Find out more info on IMDb.

  • Unwritten Obsession (2017)

Alright, I’m going to share a Lifetime movie with you. Now, bear with me on this one, because this is one of the better Lifetime movies I’ve seen in a while. What helps is that I’m always a sucker for a movie about a writer. In Unwritten Obsession, Skye is a struggling writer who hasn’t had a successful book in a really long time. One day she meets a huge fan, Holly, who wants Skye to mentor her as she writes her own novel. What Skye doesn’t realize is how talented Holly is. This, of course, gives Skye an idea, and she sends the book off to her publisher as if it’s her own. However, all is not what it seems, and it’s all playing right into Holly’s very twisted plan.

Why it’s scary: What this movie does so well is that you aren’t sure who is capable of what in this movie. You don’t really know who to root for and who is the true villain.

My favorite quote: You’re the reason this is all happening.

Find out more info on IMDb.

  • The Happening (2008)

Although it may not have received the best press, The Happening is one of those movies that are hard not to enjoy. At least, in my opinion. You have a science teacher, his wife, and a little girl whose father has gone in search of his wife, all trying to flee from a mysterious wind that causes people to kill themselves. Despite that horrific description, it really isn’t all that graphic or gory. In fact, most of the violence is implied, and largely unseen, which I appreciate because I cannot tolerate movies with any gore. Not only that, but it also isn’t nearly as dark as it sounds like it would be. No, the acting isn’t all that great, but if you approach this movie without overthinking it, you’ll enjoy yourself.

Why it’s scary: The invisible threat makes this a scary movie. Something unseen and as simple as the wind has become a threat.

My favorite quote: Tell her not to go near the window near the tree, just tell her!

Find out more info on IMDb.

  • Stepfather (1987)

Some movies stay with you, and this is one of them. In Stepfather, you meet Jerry. He is a man who appears to be a great neighbor, a great acquaintance, and a great coworker, but once that facade drops, he becomes someone else completely. He ends up marrying a widow with a teen daughter and everything seems fine until a news story comes out about a murder that happened years ago. They’re still trying to find the killer for this horrific crime and Jerry’s new stepdaughter is suspicious of the new love in her mom’s life. If you can get beyond the horrific beginning, this movie turns into an interesting and terrifying examination of the people we think we know and the masks they wear.

Why it’s scary: Once Jerry’s mask comes off, he becomes downright scary.

My favorite quote: Wait a minute, who am I here?

Find out more info on IMDb.

  • When A Stranger Calls Back (1993)

Most of us have probably heard that story about the babysitter getting creepy prank phone calls. Turns out, she finds out that the calls are coming from inside the house. Spooky! So, this movie is basically about that, but it does it in such a way that it will no doubt give you chills. It starts out with a babysitter getting bothered by a man who keeps coming to the door wanting to use the phone because his car broke down. The thing is that the phone is dead, but she doesn’t want to tell this guy that. A bigger problem is he keeps coming back to ask her for help. What happens next will make this night one she’ll never forget. A perfect movie for a stormy night!

Why it’s scary: How isolated and scared the babysitter is. Plus, it’s atmosphere renders a chilling quality that doesn’t leave you the whole movie.

My favorite quote: Nobody else is home on this street. Just you.

Find out more info on IMDb.

  • Strange But True (2019)

I admit the only reason I was willing to give this movie a try is that Greg Kinnear is in it. I really like his acting and felt like I had a good chance of enjoying this movie. Turns out, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Five years after the death of her boyfriend, this young woman shows up on the doorstep of his family. She tells his mom and younger brother that she is pregnant with her deceased boyfriend’s child. Although it sounds impossible and they don’t believe her one bit, curiosity leads them to explore possible solutions. Each family member gets roped into figuring out what exactly is going on, and as the movie continues, you want to figure it out too. The ending takes you by total surprise and will leave you processing everything you just watched, long after the movie is over.

Why it’s scary: Although it discusses ghosts, it’s not a movie about a haunting. What really scares you is not knowing who the real villain is here.

My favorite quote: There’s more answers than those you can see.

Find out more info on IMDb.

  • Spiral (2007)

This movie has a personal feeling for me because it was filmed in Portland, Oregon! I actually used to work in a building just down the street from the cafe you see in this movie. In Spiral, you meet Mason, who is pretty weird and his only friend is his obnoxious boss. Enter in Amber, who is new to the company and takes a liking to Mason, despite his weirdness. The thing is that Mason has secrets. As he draws the portrait of his new friend, these secrets get unearthed and Amber can’t let it go. The question is: is Mason all that dangerous or just a weird guy? Well, you’ll have to watch this movie and find out.

Why it’s scary: It’s the elements of the unseen to make this movie scary. All the while, you are racing to figure out if Mason is dangerous, at the very same time Amber is, which almost puts you, the viewer, at as much risk as her.

My favorite quote: None of them are real?

Find out more info on IMDb.

  • Vanishing on 7th Street (2010)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-RA1U2rAw8

I found this movie for this time at my local library many years ago and despite its low rating, I’ve enjoyed it ever since. In Vanishing on 7th Street, things start out innocently enough with everyone going into a movie theater. People are getting popcorn and talking about the movie. Even the guy running the movie theater projector is having a good time. Then a massive power outage hits and the whole city is black. When the lights come back on, people are missing. A lot of people. Soon, a handful of survivors find each other and realize there is only one thing that can keep them alive in the midst of the looming darkness: light.

Why it’s scary: If you aren’t keen on the dark, this movie will surely make you even more afraid of it. The mysteriousness, the whispers, and the inescapable threat make this movie worthy of seeing.

My favorite quote: You’re the first people I’ve seen in two days.

Find out more info on IMDb.

So, if you don’t like horror, but want a good scary movie, I hope I’ve enticed you to watch at least one of these movies! What would you add to this list?

By Nicole Pyles

I started this blog in 2012 when I got let go of my first job out of college. Since then, I've continued talking about my job search experience, office politics, unemployment stories written by others, movies I've enjoyed, products I've loved, and more. This blog is about work, life, and everything else in between.

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