Movies about fear grip you and don’t let go until the very end. From the fear of heights to claustrophobia and the terror of the unknown, phobias come in many forms. We’ve curated a list of seven iconic films that explore these fears, with renowned actors pushing your nerves to the limit.
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Beau Is Afraid
IMDb: 6.7/10
2023, Comedy, Drama, Horror
USA, UK, R
Director: Ari Aster
Top cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan
Have you heard of agoraphobia? It’s the fear of crowded places and streets, the anxiety that comes from feeling trapped in a place you can’t easily leave. Beau struggles with this phobia. He both wants to leave his apartment and feels compelled to stay inside, as it’s the only place where he feels safe. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that his fears are not baseless — there are indeed people outside who would love to take over his home. But Beau doesn’t suffer from just one phobia — he’s afraid of almost everything, from the people around him to objects and even the weather. Despite his fears, he has a long journey ahead — he must reach his mother, who has been waiting for him in another city.
Fall
IMDb: 6.4/10
2022, Action, Thriller
USA, UK, PG-13
Director: Scott Mann
Top cast: Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Mason Gooding
Fall explores a different kind of fear — the fear of heights. Becky lost her husband when he fell from a cliff, and now she’s struggling with depression, trying to numb her pain with alcohol. A year later, her old friend Hunter suddenly reappears in her life. Hunter suggests they honor Dan's memory by climbing the B67 TV and radio tower and scattering his ashes at the top. The two women set out to climb the tallest structure in the United States, unaware of the dangers that await them at the top.
127 Hours
IMDb: 7.5/10
2010, Biography, Drama
USA, UK, France, R
Director: Danny Boyle
Top cast: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara
127 Hours is a film about a fearless rock climber who loves scaling high cliffs and exploring hidden caves in canyons. On one of his solo trips to the mountains, he finds himself trapped in a life-threatening situation. For 127 hours, he’s stuck without food, water, or much hope of survival. This is where his true strength of character shines through. The film is based on the real-life story of American rock climber Aron Ralston. The creators of “127 Hours” worked hard to recreate some details from the actual event. For example, in the film, the main character keeps a video diary while trapped in the canyon, just as Ralston did. The film also accurately recreates the set of equipment Ralston had with him on that fateful day.
Buried
IMDb: 7/10
2010, Adventure, Family, Fantasy
USA, UK, Spain, R
Director: Rodrigo Cortés
Top cast: Ryan Reynolds, José Luis García-Pérez, Robert Paterson
How many days and coffins does it take to film a low-budget horror movie about a man who wakes up in a confined space? About 17 days and 7 coffins. The entire story of Rodrigo Cortés' thriller, starring Ryan Reynolds, takes place in a small, enclosed space. Because of this, it's not recommended for people with taphophobia — the fear of being buried alive — or claustrophobia — the fear of closed spaces. The plot follows Paul Conroy, a soldier who travels from America to Iraq to fight in the war. During an ambush, he loses consciousness. When he wakes up, he finds himself in a dark box that looks very much like a coffin. Paul manages to free himself from the gag and ropes and discovers a lighter and a phone. Has he been buried alive? And who is behind this terrifying ordeal?
The Number 23
IMDb: 6.4/10
2007, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
USA, R
Director: Joel Schumacher
Top cast: Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Logan Lerman
Lissophobia is the fear of losing control over your mind, of going insane. Walter Sparrow had never experienced this fear before, but one day, after a series of seemingly random events changed his life, he found himself with a mysterious book about the number 23. After reading it, he started noticing that the number 23 kept appearing everywhere in his life: his birthdate, insurance number, house number, even the license plates on cars — every number in his life seemed to add up to 23. Is this just a coincidence, some kind of magic, or is Walter actually starting to lose his mind? It might sound unbelievable, but for director Joel Schumacher, this was his 23rd film. The mystery doesn’t stop there. It’s said that Jim Carrey was obsessed with the number 23 long before filming. For example, his production company is called JC 23 Entertainment, and his payment for the movie was exactly 23 million dollars.
It
IMDb: 7.3/10
2017, Fantasy, Horror
USA, Canada, R
Director: Andy Muschietti
Top cast: Bill Skarsgård, Jaeden Martell, Finn Wolfhard
Now, let's talk about a different phobia — coulrophobia, the fear of clowns. The film adaptation of one of Stephen King's most famous novels tells the story of a group of children who face off against a truly terrifying creature. The story takes place in 1988, in the state of Maine. In the Denbrough family, there's no one to play with little Georgie: his parents are busy, and his older brother Bill is sick with a cold. To make it up to him, Bill makes Georgie a paper boat and sends him off on a solo adventure. Heavy rain creates streams that carry the boat further and further from home. Suddenly, the boat disappears into a storm drain, and a moment later, Georgie follows it. It turns out that a terrifying creature has been living beneath the town for a long time.
The Walk
IMDb: 7.3/10
2015, Adventure, Biography, Drama, History
USA, PG
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Top cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Charlotte Le Bon, Ben Kingsley
Almost everyone has experienced acrophobia — the fear of heights that can strike you in a skyscraper, on the roof of a tall building, or at the top of a mountain. The Walk tells the incredible story of the world's most famous tightrope walker. In 1974, Frenchman Philippe Petit came to New York with a daring dream — to walk on a tightrope over 400 meters above the ground, between the two tallest towers in the world. But since the towers were still under construction, his first challenge was figuring out how to get to the top without being noticed by the police or construction workers. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a Golden Globe nominee who played the lead role in The Walk, learned the art of tightrope walking in just eight days. To understand the distance between the towers, the actor often walked between the two memorial pools that now stand where the Twin Towers once stood.
