10 Scariest Movies That Aren't Horror

Quite probably the most terrifying British film ever made, Threads is a docudrama depicting the fallout both literal and figurative of nuclear war between the United States and Soviet Union.

With its grounded setting of Sheffield, deeply immersive docu-style camerawork, and utterly relentless account of the physical, mental, economic, and overall societal impact of a nuclear strike, Threads makes almost all other post-apocalyptic films feel like cartoonish fantasies by comparison.

The down-to-Earth matter-of-factness of the filmmaking makes its many horrific sights feel cruelly believable even four decades later, while serving as perhaps cinema's greatest argument about any nation ever dropping another bomb.

Even going into Threads with an awareness of its reputation as one of the most terrifying films ever made, you're probably not ready for how anxious it's primed to make you feel.

There aren't any supernatural monsters or mask-wielding serial killers, but there is a basically never-ending parade of unforgettably harrowing imagery. And yet, it still never loses sight of the human factor nor devolves into pure misery porn.