Halloween 2021: Scariest horror movie ever is indie slasher made in pandemic, according to science

Host was released last summer and became a cult hit (Picture: Shudder)

A little known slasher has been named the scariest horror movie ever based on science – and it was made on a budget during the pandemic. 

Shudder flick Host, available via Amazon Prime Video, was released in July 2020 at the height of the Covid crisis when we were all still figuring out how to use Zoom. 

A British filmmaker, Rob Savage, wasted no time in capitalising on the horrors of virtual video calls and turned it into Host. 

The supernatural film sees a group of friends hanging out via Zoom during lockdown and joined by a medium for a virtual seance. However, once they make contact with the dead, their call suddenly becomes their worst nightmare. 

Well, according to broadbandchoice’s Science of Scare 2021 study, Host has overtaken 2012’s Sinister as the scariest horror. 

The research worked to ‘categorically and scientifically rank the scariest movies ever made based on the impact they have on your heart rate’. 

Host turned the horrors of Zoom into the scariest horror ever – according to science (Picture: Shudder)

Its organisers gathered 250 participants and had them wear heart monitors while watching ‘40 of the world’s scariest and best horror movies, sourced from Reddit, critics’ lists, and [the] 2020 Science Of Scare shortlist, along with new releases over the past 18 months’. 

Host reigned supreme in sending hearts racing the most over films like Insidious, The Conjuring, Hereditary, Paranormal Activity, It Follows, and The Conjuring 2. New entries included The Conjuring 3, A Quiet Place Part II, Candyman (2021) and Terrified.

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Host became an instant cult hit when it was released to streaming last summer and scored a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is extremely rare for a horror movie. 

The film spans less than an hour long at 56 minutes and was filmed only 12 weeks before its release. It also uses a group of unknown actors, whose characters are named after their real life first names, i.e. Jemma and Haley, and earned rave reviews from critics. 

Host is available to stream via the Shudder channel on Prime Video now.

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