10 Intense Horror Movies That Dared You To Sit Through Them

10. The Girl Next Door

The Girl Next Door opens with David Moran reflecting on his time as a child, when he fell for his neighbour, Meg Loughlin. As he spent more time with Meg's carer, Aunt Ruth, he realised she and the rest of her family were mistreating Meg.

One of the reasons The Girl Next Door is so impactful is because it has no horror elements whatsoever at first. For the first 30 minutes, it feels like a coming-of-age story, akin to Stand By Me or The Sandlot.

Even when darker elements start being incorporated, no one expects The Girl Next Door to go as dark as it does. As Ruth compels her children to perform unspeakable acts of evil on Meg, she genuinely comes across like a cartoon villain.

Which brings us to the scariest part - This is based on a true story. The Girl Next Door doesn't embellish any of the real-life events, because it doesn't need to. Without relying on theatrics or flair, it shows the terrifying malevolence which human beings are capable of. Although gore is minimal, it's unneeded, since the film has no trouble conveying the atrocities which Meg endured.