10 Horror Films With Terrifying Sound Design

If you want to see the full effect sound has in cinema, look no further than the works of auteur filmmaker David Lynch. Mullholland Drive, Lost Highway, and Blue Velvet are all equally fantastic examples of how Lynch manipulates sounds to create the dream-like landscapes of his films, but none are arguably as disturbing than Eraserhead, his first feature film.

Shot entirely in black and white and taking a staggering five years to film, to attempt to summarise this film is an impossible task due to its surrealist and abstract nature. Despite describing Eraserhead as his “most spiritual film”, Lynch hasn’t elaborated on its deeper meanings as we watch oddball protagonist Henry's (Jack Nance) descend into a nightmare world.

Now an iconic part of cinema, this film is best known for its menacing soundtrack. Created by Lynch himself, every aspect of the sound design is engineered to create discomfort.

The constant low, industrial drone humming in the background, the inhuman cries of Henry’s child, and the penetrating hiss of a radiator, everything about the soundscape is supposed to sound off. The impact of which is an uncompromisingly unsettling experience from start to finish.