10 Terrifying Movies That Kept You Up All Night

The zombie apocalypse films of George Romero are definitely films that keep you awake, hiding under the covers. Dawn of the Dead was one of the films most frequently mentioned in the forum as depriving people of their shut-eye. From Night of the Living Dead's documentary-style horror to Dawn of the Dead's full-color violence, you can't beat a Romero film for terror that will make you stay up all night.

Oren Peli's Paranormal Activity is particularly effective in robbing viewers of their pleasant dreams. The plot centers on a couple who move into a new house and can't sleep because of the weird things that start happening. One forum member stated that the film gave him two months of insomnia, and can you blame them?

William Friedkin's powerful film reconfigured the idea of films where characters are possessed. In a similar way to how Romero's zombie films changed how we looked at zombies, Friedkin's masterpiece changed how we felt about demonic possession. Even if you don't believe in religion or demons, this film would still make you think twice about going to bed. People reported trouble sleeping and only being able to sleep after they put their backs to the wall to protect themselves from demons.

This Taiwanese zombie horror film has made a lot of people terrified. The Sadness, directed by Rob Jabbaz, not only scared people badly, it kept them awake and gave them nightmares when they were able to sleep. The vicious acts of the people infected with the virus and the joy with which they did them are very disturbing.

Talk to Me, a brand new contender in the no-sleep sweepstakes and has come up a winner. Multiple users told of exactly how much the film affected them. One claimed to have come home at midnight and been unable to sleep until sunrise. Another person responded, after seeing the film, "I'm so tired." They haven't slept in a while since watching the movie. You should definitely watch Fangoria's interview with the directors Danny and Michael Philippou.

Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez set off a revolution in found footage films when they unleashed The Blair Witch Project on an unsuspecting public. The worst part is that the scariest moments in the movie take place at night and use sound and the audience's imagination to create the scares. It gets even more frightening once you get home after a screening, in the dark with only your imagination for company. A fan of the film stated that the movie kept them up all night and that they could only sleep when they knew other people were awake during the daytime.

It didn't work for everyone, but when Skinamarink really grabbed someone, it got them good. On the forum, a large number of people reported that it made them see things in the dark that weren't there, kept them awake until the morning, and that the most frightening parts of the film would play in their heads once it was nighttime. The film's greatest power is accessing childhood fears. Director Kyle Edward Ball spoke to Fangoria in January about all things Skinamarink and it's well worth a read.

Gore Verbinski's remake of the Japanese film The Ring rated highly among people who were too scared to sleep afterward. Not only did one person report not sleeping for a week after watching the closet scene, but more than one insisted on covering the television set in their rooms so that Samara couldn't come out of the TV into their rooms. When you are scared by a movie, you do strange things to keep the monsters away.

Ari Aster's Hereditary is another film that significantly affected people afterward. Sleep patterns were totally disrupted; people slept with the lights on and reported that they kept a close watch on the corners of the ceiling of their rooms. The piano wire scene really freaked a lot of people out. Good job, Ari Aster.

The remake of The Grudge, directed by the same director who directed the original, rated high among people who couldn't sleep after watching it. Fans of the film said they were afraid of corners, and one said they stuffed socks into a hole in the corner of the room. What people will do to keep themselves safe after watching a movie has no boundaries. It doesn't matter that you know it's just a movie; in your heart, you are still scared; it's still real for you.