It's the scariest time of the year — Halloween, of course — and for many thrill-seekers, that means bingeing on the most frightening horror films out there.
UK broadband company Broadbandchoices recently conducted a scientific study tracking the heart rates of 50 people watching over 120 hours of beloved horror films in 5.1 surround sound.
You can check out the results of the entire study here. For now, here are the top 10 films that triggered the highest average beats per minute in the participants.
10. The Visit (2015): 79 bpm
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M. Night Shyamalan's unsettling frightfest about two children visiting their grandparents for the first time is packed with enough jump scares to keep you up at night.
9. The Descent (2005): 79 bpm
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Not gonna lie: I recently saw this nightmarish tale of six women trapped in a cave system, and it still keeps me up at night.
8. The Babadook (2014): 80 bpm
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Australian director Jennifer Kent's debut feature is one of the scariest films in recent memory, as well as a devastating look at the trials of parenthood.
7. The Conjuring 2 (2016): 80 bpm
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But wait — where's the first one? Oh, we'll get to it.
6. It Follows (2015): 81 bpm
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David Robert Mitchell's first feature became an instant horror classic off the sheer strength of its premise. It's all in the title, really: It follows. And it never stops! How terrifying.
5. Paranormal Activity (2009): 82 bpm
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Pro tip: If the trailer for your movie mostly consists of people freaking out while watching your movie, you've made a pretty scary movie.
4. Hereditary (2018): 83 bpm
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What's scarier than family? That's the question that Ari Aster's terrifying debut feature posed — and trust me, you're gonna want to sleep with the lights on after this one.
3. The Conjuring (2013): 84 bpm
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Remember when I said we'd get to this one? James Wan's first entry in The Conjuring franchise packed more jump scares than a thousand haunted houses.
2. Insidious (2010): 85 bpm
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Another one from James Wan, with a script written by Leigh Whannell (who directed this year's incredible and frightening The Invisible Man). Strong Poltergeist vibes from this one, to the point where it'll have you hiding under your bedsheets.
1. Sinister (2012): 86 bpm
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I mean — how could Sinister not be at the top? Have you seen it? I'm getting chills just thinking about it. (But if you haven't yet and you like scary movies, go see it and have a scary good time.)