7 Non-Gory Horror Movies That Will Still Keep You Up At Night

When someone says horror, it’s almost unequivocally connected to blood and gore. It’s a part of the genre that will never just go away. And truth be told, plenty of the best horror movies out there were made more frightening and twisted by the blood and gore. But, like all things, it’s not always going to be everybody’s cup of tea. Some people might be squeamish at the sight of blood. Some might be sick of it. And some people might be looking for a different kind of fright. If you’re one of those people, don’t worry about missing out on all the fun. There are plenty of pretty terrifying non-gory horror movies out there for you to enjoy. If you’re in a pinch of which non-gory horror movie to watch, here’s a little list to help you out.

1. The Babadook (2014)

Some of the best horror films are those that play with your mind. And one of these non-gory horror movies is The Babadook which gives you the creeps and chills with its exploration of grief. In the film, a mother plunges into grief after the death of her husband. Soon, she senses a malevolent presence around her that threatens to destroy what remains of her family. But, that’s not even the most frightening part. It’s the changes that her son sees in her that would give you the creeps.

2. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The Blair Witch Project is the most non-gory you could get for a horror movie. What makes it frightening is that it all relies on your imagination. The Blair Witch Project follows three student filmmakers who disappeared after trying to create a documentary about the local legend known as the Blair Witch. If you’re one who’s imagination runs quite wild, then you’re going to be in it in this one.

3. Gremlins (1984)

If you’re looking for a lighter non-gory horror film, Gremlins might be the perfect fit for you. The film is about a young man who receives a mogwai as a pet. This strange creature then spawns other creatures that become destructive little evil monsters. Instead of the expected terror, Gremlins draws from the elements of classic horror tropes and creates a wickedly entertaining and slightly sick movie that many can surely enjoy.

4. The Orphanage (2007)

Haunted houses are a staple in the horror genre. But, unlike most haunted house horror films, The Orphanage doesn’t depend on cheap scares to terrify its audience. The film follows a mother who returns to her childhood home which was previously an orphanage. She seeks to remake it as a home for disabled children but, in the midst of it, her own son disappears. This non-gory horror film is as unsettling as it goes and you won’t even see a pool of blood just to have that effect.

5. 1408 (2007)

Based on Stephen King’s 1999 short story, 1408 is another reminder that we don’t need buckets of blood and human parts to give us the creeps. In this film, Mike Enslin, an author who writes about the paranormal, rents out the famous hotel room 1408 where it’s said nobody has ever survived a night. Although skeptical at first, he soon starts to experience bizarre and terrifying things. In addition to the supernatural events, it’s the psychological tension in the film that really gets to you.

6. The Conjuring (2013)

When you see the words “based on a true story” before or after a horror film, it makes the movie all the more terrifying. And that’s one of the aspects that makes your hairs stand on The Conjuring. The film interweaves fiction with true to life accounts of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren when they tried to exorcise a demonic presence in a possessed home. What makes it scarier are the details of what happened to the family that lived there.

7. The Woman in Black (2012)

The Woman in Black is a British-American-Swedish-Canadian supernatural horror film that stars Daniel Radcliffe. It follows a widowed lawyer who travels to a remote village where he discovers a vengeful ghost that is terrorizing the locals. Although it may not exactly terrify audiences who are fine-tuned to modern horror movies, it still provides a chilling backdrop while forgoing the usual blood and gore. It’s one of those good old-fashioned horror films that still manage to get you to check behind doors and keep the lights on for a little longer than usual.