16. Insidious (2010)
Insidiousis one of the scariest movies on this list, but it’s really not gory at all. There’s a scene where a dead body is shown, but you don’t actually see the violence that caused the death.
There are also some bloody handprints at one point, but again, the lack of violence should make it tolerable for those who are squeamish.
If you can stomach those things,Insidiousreally is quite terrifying as it centers on a husband and wife whose son becomes the vessel of possession for numerous demonic entities.
Related:The Best Horror Movies About Possession and Hauntings
15. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Director Roman Polanski made one of the most unnerving movies of all time when he directedRosemary’s Baby, and he did it all without showing a single drop of blood.
Starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes, the story follows a young couple who have just moved into a new apartment building. However, a death soon occurs right outside their front door when someone jumps from their window.
It doesn’t end there. Rosemary begins to dream horrible things, hear strange things in the hallway, and suspects that her neighbors have sinister intentions for her and her unborn baby.
Related:The Best Movies About Angels and Demons Worth Watching
14. The Babadook (2014)
Directed by Jennifer Kent (who is yet to make a bad film),The Babadooklooks at how terrifying trauma can be.
The story follows Amelia and Samuel, a mother and son who have a strained relationship. When the death anniversary of Amelia’s husband approaches, terrifying things begin to happen in their home.
InThe Babadook, one character suffers from a bloody broken nose, but it’s very minor. There’s also a dream sequence with a bit of blood, but again, it’s nothing too extreme.
Starring Essie Davis in a tour-de-force performance,The Babadookis a unique blend of horror and drama that will leave you breathless as you see the terrifying monster creep around the house.
Related:The Scariest Horror Movie Scenes of All Time, Ranked
13. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Invasion of the Body Snatchersis an old-school horror movie that was originally released in 1956 and then remade in 1978. Either version of the film—which is about aliens who take over human bodies—is safe for gore-averse viewers.
That’s because the movie’s scares rely on paranoia-induced anxiety, which doesn’t need any blood to be scary. However, there are small scenes with blood—including a bloody nose and someone being stabbed with a dart—but they’re quick and minor.
Related:The Best Sci-Fi Movie Scenes of All Time, Ranked
12. The Ring (2002)
The Ringis an absolute classic horror film. Based on the Japanese filmRingu, the Westernized adaptation features some of the same intense chills as the original.
So many parts of this movie will make you feel deathly uncomfortable, but you don’t need to worry about gore. There are a few scenes with blood, including some bloody noses, but none that will gross you out.
So, even thoughThe Ringisn’t all that shocking in a gory sense, the rest of the film will give you the creeps and make it impossible to sleep.
Related:The Best Korean Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked
11. It Follows (2014)
It Followsis one of the most intensely gripping horror movies released in the last decade. Fortunately, there’s no blood here.
The main character is being followed throughout the film by an unknown entity that never moves faster than a walk. It’s super tense, but there’s no actual violence in the movie.
It’s all about the uncomfortable feeling of being followed, as well as the horrible sensation that a supernatural entity (that can’t be killed) will never, ever, ever stop following you—unless you make one very difficult choice. Needless to say,It Followsis incredibly effective.
Related:The Best Horror Movies Without Jump Scares, Ranked
10. Paranormal Activity (2007)
Paranormal Activityis one of the more iconic films that followed in the footsteps ofThe Blair Witch Project. It took the popularity of the found footage subgenre and mixed it with the haunted house style of horror to create something else entirely.
It did a damn good job of it, too! The film is pretty freaky even to this day. While the sequels left quite a lot to be desired, the original is a fantastic movie that features almost no actual violence.
Related:The Best Found Footage Movies Worth Watching
9. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The Blair Witch Projectessentially launched an entire subgenre of horror films known as found footage.
The movie is absolutely terrifying, primarily for its innovative idea to have the characters being the ones actually filming the scenes, which made the whole thing feel that much more real and intense.
And whileThe Blair Witch Projectkeeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time, there’s almost no blood or gore, making it a perfect film for the squeamish. It’s proof that subtlety can be terrifying in its own way.
Related:The Best Horror Movies About Witches and the Occult
8. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
An American Werewolf in Londonis John Landis’s best film. Not only is it an excellent horror film, but it’s a werewolf movie that somehow earns its scares without using buckets of blood. No easy feat!
The story follows two American tourists who are visiting the UK on holiday. While trekking through the countryside, they cross paths with a frightening creature—and they’re unaware of the supernatural nature of their encounter until it’s too late.
An American Werewolf in Londonis one of the best horror movies of the 1980s, mostly because it revolutionized the werewolf movie, elevating it into something to be taken seriously: a tragic story with genuine frights that don’t lean on gore.
Related:The Best Movies About Werewolves, Ranked
7. A Quiet Place (2018)
Directed by John Krasinski,A Quiet Placeis the rare apocalypse monster movie that doesn’t rely on blood or gore. It’s all pure suspense.
The story follows a family that lives in a post-apocalyptic America that’s been ravaged by alien creatures with an extremely acute—almost supernatural—sense of hearing. Because of this, they must all remain totally quiet at all times.
However, as one calamity follows another, these alien predators are inadvertently brought to their safe haven.A Quiet Placefinds the terror in horrible, near-death situations without blood or gore.
Related:The Best Post-Apocalyptic Movies After the End of the World
6. The Changeling (1980)
The Changelingis one of the most underrated haunted house horror movies of all time. The reason? Because there’s no use of shocking, gory tricks or gimmicks. It’s just trepidation the entire way through.
John Russell (played by George C. Scott) is a New York City composer who’s enjoying a holiday when his wife and daughter are killed in a car crash. In grief, he relocates to a mansion far away.
While there, he gradually begins to suspect that the house he’s staying in is actually possessed by a ghost. The key word here isgradual.
Directed by Peter Medak, the slow-burn approach to horror thatThe Changelingtakes is deeply unsettling, with no use of blood or gore to secure its well-earned scares.
Related:The Best Haunted House Movies, Ranked
5. Repulsion (1965)
Directed by Roman Polanski,Repulsionis the oldest film on this list, yet it remains one of the most subtle horror movies out there.
A young woman named Carole (played by Catherine Deneuve) begins having visions of things happening in her apartment, hallucinations of horrifying things all around her.
There’s never any blood or gore inRepulsion. The horror comes from the sensation that you’re trapped inside someone’s deranged psyche, walled inside a brain that’s collapsing in on itself.
As you’ll eventually discover, there’s a reason for everything that happens on screen—but I won’t spoil it for you.
Related:The Best Movies About Trauma and PTSD, Ranked
4. Don’t Look Now (1973)
Nicolas Roeg directed this iconic horror film in 1973. It has aged fantastically, mainly because it doesn’t rely on cheap tricks like blood or gore to deliver the horror.
The narrative follows John and Laura Baxter (played by Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie), a man and wife who are in the midst of grieving for their daughter, who recently drowned in a terrible accident.
As they walk around Venice, John is haunted by visions of a girl in a red coat—the same red coat his daughter was wearing when she died.
This slowly builds to a terrifying boiling point, but there’s never any blood or gore. Roeg simply turns the grief of the parents into a horrifying sensation of constant unease.
Related:The Best Movies About Grief and Loss, Ranked
3. Alien (1979)
Alienhas always been a cut above the rest when it comes to sci-fi horror, mostly because all of the terror comes from a slow build-up of tension and fear of what might lie around the next corner.
Directed by Ridley Scott, the narrative follows the spaceship Nostromo on its way home after a long mission. However, there’s a snag in their plan when they encounter a distress signal from a nearby planet. They decide to investigate, not knowing the horrors that await.
OK, so there’s one scene inAlienthat’s a bit gory—the infamous chestburster scene—but that’s it. The rest of the horror comes from the sustained sense of dread as the Xenomorph lurks in the shadows. (In fact, you never actuallyseethe titular alien kill anybody!)
Starring Sigourney Weaver in a role that launched her to superstardom,Alienis unlike any other monster movie. It’s slow, precise, and even artful—far more than just a slasher film in space.
Related:The Best Classic Monster Movies Still Worth Watching Today
2. Jaws (1975)
Why isJawsstill viewed as a perfect movie to this day? Because it doesn’t have any cheap thrills. It’s all dread, which is perfectly captured and augmented by John Williams’s iconic score.
When Martin Brody (played by Roy Schneider), the police chief on Amity Island, discovers that there’s a killer shark on the loose, he must face the reality that he has no choice but to bring it down.
Enlisting the help of two other men (played by Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss), he sets out to kill the immense beast. In doing so,Jawsmade the entire world afraid of the open ocean.
To be fair, there are some scenes where blood is visible—particularly at the end, towards the climax—but for the most partJawsis known for the anxiety that comes fromnot seeingthe violence of the shark.
Related:The Best Movies About Sharks and Shark Attacks
1. Get Out (2017)
If you ask me for the greatest horror movie of all time that doesn’t employ blood or gore, my answer will always beGet Out.
Directed by Jordan Peele, this film is recognized as a landmark in the modern horror genre: no cheap jump scares, no reliance on blood or gore, and layered symbolism that deepens the overall story.
Get Outis full of well-written, subtly unsettling interactions that build on the intelligent allegory that drives the story, so much so that even a woman smiling as her eyes tear up becomes disturbing. Similarly, a man going for a run at night is so dreadful that it’s heart-stopping.
For me,Get Outis the best horror movie of the 21st century, and it doesn’t rely on any blood or gore at all. Applause deserved.
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