Oman today_ The film Smile 2 has been included in the latest list of the scariest horror films according to research by The Science of Scare Project. Launched in 2020, this project aims to identify movies that make viewers’ hearts race, induce sudden fright, or cause sleepless nights, and it is updated annually just before Halloween.
In the latest edition, the top spot for the scariest film remains unchanged, but the criteria for measuring fear have been refined. Initially, fear intensity was assessed based on the increase in heart rate per minute, but since 2023, more detailed data such as the rate of heart rate variation in milliseconds has been included, which is then combined to create a “Science of Scare Score” ranging from 1 to 100. For example, the family film Shrek received a score of 3 out of 100.
Sinister, directed by Scott Derrickson, has reclaimed the top position as the scariest film in history with a score of 96 out of 100. This movie also held the first rank in 2020, although in 2021, Host took the top spot.
Smile 2, which was released just one year ago and was absent from last year’s list, has now climbed to seventh place with a score of 79 out of 100, while the first installment of the franchise, Smile, ranks eighth. The complete top ten scariest films are: Sinister 2012, Host 2020, Skinamarink 2022, Insidious 2010, The Conjuring 2013, Hereditary 2018, Smile 2 2024, Smile 2022, The Exorcism of Emily Rose 2005, and Talk to Me 2023.