Horror movies that use jump scares to frighten audiences trigger faster heart rates. But not all horror movies rely on jump scares. Some follow slow psychological burns to terrify viewers.
Slow-burn horror films don't trigger faster heart rates, but they do cause higher levels of stress. MoneySuperMarket measures these stress levels through heart rate variability. A lower HRV indicates a more stressed viewer.
The 2024 psychological thriller "Immaculate," for example, follows an American nun embarking on a new journey to a remote convent. The journey later becomes a nightmare, leaving audiences on the edge of their seats as the sinister secret unravels.
Audiences' heart rates peaked at 101 BPM, but had an HRV of 13 milliseconds, ranking the movie at 42.
Only three 2025 horror films managed to crack the top 50: "Bring Her Back," "The Conjuring: Last Rites," and "Weapons."
"Bring Her Back" was the highest-ranked of the three at 24, with audiences having an average heart rate of 78 BP
