Jump scares are perhaps one of the easiest plot device horror films use to scare their watchers. But many think that they are cheap and hinge too much on to the surprise factor, rather than genuine terror and horror.

But some movies don’t rely at all on those cheap jump scares to make you regret watching them. So, what are some candidates for a top list of terrifying movies not relying on cheap tricks? Let’s find out.

1. Lake Mungo (2008)

Lake Mungo is a 2008 Australian horror film. It follows the events that follow Alice Palmer’s tragedy, where she drowned in a dam in Ararat, Australia. The movie was shot like a documentary and is awfully realistic, portraying a family who believes that their house is haunted by the ghost of their deceased daughter. Sounds like a simple plot but it’s the realistic approach that makes the movie that much scarier.

2. The Thing (1982)

The original The Thing is a science fiction horror movie that focuses on a group of researchers in Antarctica and their encounter with “The Thing,” a parasite that devours and imitate the form of an organism it comes across. There are jump-scares in this movie, but the horror doesn’t rely on those. It’s the steps leading to those jumps that really make you feel genuine horror. Like that instance in the film where the thing was near a bonfire, and you can hear its inhuman sound. It’s like something straight out of your nightmare.

3. Coraline (2009)

It’s rare to find a horror animated movie since most animations are made for kids. But Coraline was a horror movie, and it did it well. The movie relies on its art style and the environments to set up the mood. Straight from the start, the needle fingers and button eyes of the mother have already caught the attention of the watchers, and they know that this seemingly innocent animation isn’t for the faint-hearted.

4. The Silence of the Lamb (1991)

There is no jump scare in The Silence of The Lamb, but the movie is more than terrifying. It’s the right mix of character interaction and psychology that really makes the movie shines. Then there’s Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster superb acting that really elevated the movie to one of the most influential horror movies in history.

5. Event Horizon (1997)

There is a couple of jump scares in this movie, but they aren’t the things that really scared the daylight out of watchers. It’s the unsettling setting and the very premise of the movie that makes your skin crawls. Opening a rift to hell and seeing your entire crew slowly slips into insanity? Check. Hell is just a word; the reality that the crew had to go through is so much worse. The gory and gritty nature of the movie also adds to the horrifying experience. Many people reported that they couldn’t sleep at night after watching the movie. And that’s understandable. Some couldn’t even make it through the whole movie.