19 Non-Horror Movies That Absolutely Terrified People

Starting a support group for everyone who's still scarred by E.T.

We recently asked people of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us what movies aren't classified as horror, but are actually really scary. Here are some of the best responses:

1. Nightcrawler (2014)

Open Road Films

"It scared the living daylights out of me. Jake Gyllenhaal played that character too well and the fact that people like that exist in this world terrifies me!"

—samjones88

2. Return to Oz (1985)

Disney

"Everything about it terrified me as a kid, especially the shock treatment scene and the interchangeable heads. I LOVE the film now, though!"

—seven7nine

3. James and the Giant Peach (1996)

Disney

"It freaked me the fuck out when I was a kid. Maybe I just didn't know what was going on, but I still refuse to watch it."

—bonniereinsch

4. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Artisan Entertainment

"I saw it once and I still sometimes have nightmares about it. Especially the scene at the end where the main character had to get his arm amputated."

—aes1997

5. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Paramount Pictures

"The whole chocolate factory visit and subsequent scary roller-coaster ride with Wonka singing and kids getting lost and turning into things was terrifying to me. I was anticipating it ending with Wonka as a serial killer or cannibal."

—gigimomster

6. The Cat in the Hat (2003)

Universal

"Mike Myers in that terrifying mask and costume will forever scare the crap out of me. It's been 16 years since that movie came out and I still won’t watch it to this day!"

—jayatalksthemost

7. The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

TriStar Pictures

"Since the day I watched this movie, I've been scared that the Muppets are going to come out of hiding and strangle me to death."

—nanap3

8. The Dark Crystal (1982)

Moviestore / Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock

"I saw it with my siblings when I was 5 and ended up hiding behind the recliner when the puppets started eating each other. The following year, it was playing in a doctor's waiting room and I went into a hysterical fit. To this day, I refuse to watch the movie, let alone the new reboot."

—laurenm4a2d62ce7

9. The Princess Bride (1987)

20th Century Fox

"I was 7 the first time I saw it, and I lost my mind over the Rodents of Unusual Size. I started screaming so loudly that one of my neighbors came over to see what was wrong."

—jconway

10. Searching (2018)

Sony

"It had me literally on the edge of my seat. I guess because I'm older now, the very realistic plot of a father desperately trying to find his missing child is much scarier to me than any zombie apocalypse or haunted house movie."

—dirkdaring99

11. The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

New Line Cinema

"It was so creepy how Gollum had two sides of him, like he was fighting against his own devil. The way he kept saying 'my precious' gave me the CREEPS. AND I STILL FEEL IT NOW."

—nfshysra

12. Scooby-Doo (2002)

Warner Bros

"I didn’t realize I was afraid of the movie until my roommates wanted to watch it in college and I had a full-blown panic attack. I’m not sure what it is, but I’ll NEVER watch it again."

—alyssakaec

13. Knowing (2009)

Summit Entertainment

"I couldn't sleep for days after watching it because I was petrified that the events that happened in the movie were going to happen in real life. I can watch scary movies with no problems, but will not watch this movie again."

—heagandy96

14. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Disney

"The whole movie, but particularly the scene where Frollo was in front of that fireplace singing about Esmeralda turning him on and how she needs to burn in hell, scarred me as a kid. How did that scene even make it past the Disney drawing board?"

—devansley

15. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

20th Century Fox

"The movie still gives me nightmares, especially the hollows with their white eyes and weird bodies."

—tjrid06

16. Spirited Away (2001)

Toho

"When teachers would put it on in class, I’d have to look down for the whole thing. To this day, I still haven’t watched the entire film."

—e49688d360

17. E.T. (1982)

Universal

"My mom was so excited to show me the VHS when I was little. But when E.T. appeared on the screen, I screamed bloody murder and scooted as far away from the TV as possible. I still can’t watch it as an adult and I won’t subject my own kid to that trauma."

—marissakroppw

18. Watership Down (1978)

Cinema International Corporation

"It’s such a good movie, but it has so many disturbing parts in it — Fiver’s visions, the whole mess at Cowslip’s warren, Captain Holly telling the others what happened to the original warren."

—abbif2

19. Jesus Camp (2006)

Magnolia Pictures

"It’s scary because they’re real people, and it’s even scarier now because it seems so plausible."

—molly1112

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and clarity.