10 Great Movies That Scared You Without Showing Anything

Like Blair Witch, the micro-budget Paranormal Activity makes effective use of creepy audio along with overwhelming darkness. 

In a typical scene, you'll be be staring into the empty hallway when footsteps are suddenly heard. The fact that you can't quite make out what's hiding in the darkness turns a shot of an open door into of the scariest images of all time. And because mainstream audiences aren't used to shots lasting more than a few seconds, when the camera holds on this one scene for minutes at a time, it just feels eerie.

Paranormal Activity also plays on the terrifying idea of things happening around you while you're sleeping. The scariest moment involves Katie standing over the bed for hours at a time just staring at Micah, who has no idea she's even there. How horrifying is it to imagine someone watching you sleep all night while standing perfectly still?

It's a simple film that might not overwhelm you on the initial viewing, but just try getting it out of your head as you go to sleep the night after.