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Movies have an amazing way of affecting you even after you have finished watching them. These movies not only make you feel connected to the characters or want to watch more, but the situations within those movies make you feel less safe in your own world. The Strangers, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, As Above, So Below, and The Descent are a few that do just that. While these aren’t classic horror movies, they have left a lasting impression. They show you what not to do when in situations like the characters within these movies. Occasionally, these movies will haunt your dreams, causing you sleepless nights.
1. The Strangers
Honestly, I have never seen a horror movie that has made me as sleepless as this movie has. A couple goes to the family vacation home in the middle of nowhere and begins to be tormented throughout the night by a woman just out of sight, knocking on their door. Eventually, this woman is joined by two other strangers who break into the home and psychologically and physically torture the couple. They murder the two of them, leaving them to be found by two boys the next day.
This movie starts by stating that it is based on true events, and there are “an estimated 1.4 million violent crimes in America each year.” This statement immediately brings to mind that what you are about to watch probably is not all that far-fetched, which can cause you more sleepless nights. When the woman asks why these strangers are doing this, they only say, “because you were home.” There’s no motive given as to why these strangers decided to murder the couple.
This horror movie doesn’t have any unrealistic monsters or supernatural aspects to the killers that you can write off as not real. The Strangers gives you antagonists who are normal human beings doing an evil act to others, giving you more sleepless nights. They are just three people that decided to murder this couple just because. If that isn’t scary enough, the murderers of one of the real crimes that this movie is based on have never been caught.
2. The Exorcism Of Emily Rose
Based on a true story, this movie branches out from the linear story-telling and frequently cuts from flashbacks of the possession story to the courtroom trial. This caused Anneliese Michel, the real story behind The Exorcism of Emily Rose, to be seen as a religious saint to some while others believe the demonic possession story was just religious people projecting what they wanted to believe onto her. In the movie, Emily said, “People say that God is dead but how can they think that if I show them the Devil.” Telling this story in a broken up storyline results in the tension during the flashbacks to Emily’s experience to be released during the courtroom for the people vs Father Moore.
Emily goes to college after leaving her family’s rural and religious farmhouse. After staying in her dorm room alone one weekend, she wakes up at exactly three am smelling something burning. After finding nothing wrong, she goes back to bed only having something physically holding her down, causing the bed to dip under the combined weight. This is when the demonic activity begins. Knowing that Emily was a devoted catholic, intelligent girl, and an all-around good person, it’s hard to reason why she would be possessed by six different demons, the Devil himself laying claim as well. Which of course results in the viewer saying, if it could happen to her, why not me?
I watched this at nine-years-old from behind my fingers with my sister and her friend. I still have sleepless nights when I wake up at three am, sniffing hard for any hint of burning. And after hearing Emily’s voice counting to six, naming her demons, I get a small chill up my spine whenever I have to count to six.
3. As Above, So Below
The Paris catacombs are the largest mass grave built-in 1786. Looking at pictures alone of this location, it’s no wonder a horror movie was made about it. In the movie, Scarlett is searching for the same stone that her father died searching for, Nicholas Flamel’s philosopher’s stone. She believes it to be within the catacombs, so she and a group of people sneak into the catacombs’ blocked off areas to get to the treasure.
After finding the treasure, somehow, their world is literally flipped upside down, and they can no longer go back the way they came in. They each find things that remind them of their past traumas on their new path. The group comes across a small tunnel as their only way out, realizing that the inscription above it is supposedly above the gates of hell. This movie is definitely for National Treasure fans who are also looking for a good scare. Spiritual aspects, along with the dark confusion and anxiety of not knowing exactly where you are within the catacombs and how to get out, are definitely factors to why this is a movie to keep you sleepless.
4. The Descent
A group of friends goes on an expedition in a cave that has yet to be explored and become trapped inside once their entrance collapses. After revealing that the friend who organized the trip knowingly picked this unexplored cave, the girls lose trust in each other. Having limited resources, the girls begin to try to find their way out. One of them falls and breaks her leg, which causes a lot of noise. The creatures within the cave find them and begin to pick them off one by one.
Much like As Above So Below, the darkness and unknown aspects of the cave alone are enough to cause many sleepless nights ahead. The creatures are much like bats, having adapted to living in the cave and no longer using their sight, only their sense of hearing. The girls must hold their breath and stop moving in order to “stay hidden” even standing directly beside the creatures.
It’s hard to believe that anyone would choose to go to an unknown cave, but in reality, only one of the friends knew that the cave was unexplored. The friend’s dishonesty results in the others losing faith in her and losing trust in each other. This closes in on another fear, can you really trust the friend that is planning your trip? Or are you setting yourself up for sleepless nights, waiting for something to go wrong?
Why These Movies Make You Sleepless
Finding horror movies that scare you to the level of sleeplessness all comes from your interests. If you never hike, movies based in the woods like The Descent or Blair Witch won’t scare you. If you don’t believe in ghosts and demons, why would paranormal movies make you sleepless? Jaws and other shark movies may not scare you as much if you don’t like going into the ocean.
Obviously, movies like The Strangers should cause sleepless nights for everyone since there was no motive for choosing that couple, and it seems like violent crimes are slightly normal. It’s fun to get scared by things you believe in and enjoy because it keeps you on your toes when doing them. Much like being obsessed with true crime and relating it to your everyday life, watching horror movies that you can easily see yourself in brings the scare to a personal level.