The horror genre is one of the best choices for fans looking to explore their own feelings of fear and unease that come with watching the movies, though they can sometimes unlock certain primal terrors that can make the viewer feel like they are being watched, followed or even hunted down.
These horror movies all feature a similar theme that can inspire these kinds of feelings in those watching that is often felt by the characters in the movies as well. Viewers might look back over their shoulder when out for the night or even run quickly up the stairs after turning off a light switch during the night, especially after watching a few of these terrifying thrillers.
10 A Salesman Is Followed And Harassed By An Unknown Truck Driver In Duel
Steven Spielberg's directorial debut was the 1971 cult hit Duel, which starred Dennis Weaver as a salesman who ends up on the wrong end of a tanker truck's rage after the two end up passing each other on the highway.
The unknown driver follows him to various truck stops and torments him on the road, nearly causing the salesman's death a number of times. Duel touches on fears of road rage that nearly every driver has seen or experienced in some way, as well as the inability to escape someone on the road who may be following you at every turn.
9 The Blair Witch Project Followed Documentarians As They Are Hunted By A Witch
1999 saw the release of The Blair Witch Project, which terrified audiences and reignited the "found footage" style of filmmaking. The movie follows a documentary crew who are researching an ancient legend about the Blair Witch, though as they enter the woods they begin to experience paranormal events that soon lead to them getting lost.
They hear things at night and see objects arranged around them when they wake up, which leads to the constant fear that they are being followed and hunted by the deadly witch. They soon find themselves being herded towards the witch's house in the woods where it was reported that a number of children went missing.
8 A Couple On A Camping Trip Are Targeted With A Rifle's Laser Scope In Red Dot
An interracial couple heading on a camping trip to a secluded cabin in the mountains experiences prejudice which leads to a series of confrontations with a group of locals in 2021's Red Dot. Once they set up camp, they find themselves tormented by the red dot from a rifle's laser scope.
An unknown assailant continues to terrify them with gunshots and the ever-present targeting laser. The couple is forced to flee and survive while being continuously followed in the tense and surprising Swedish thriller.
7 It Follows Introduces A Supernatural Threat That Never Stops Following Its Victim
2014's It Follows terrified audiences with a new supernatural monster that began hunting down a young woman after she had the curse passed to her through sexual activity. The mysterious monster was only visible to the person currently afflicted with the curse and could take on any humanoid form.
This sometimes even included horrifying versions of loved ones as the monster tracked down its prey no matter the distance they went to escape. The slow-moving but unstoppable monster from It Follows is sure to make anyone question their own fear about strangers.
6 A Motorist Is Hunted And Tormented By A Murderous Hitchhiker In The Hitcher
Rutger Hauer starred as the titular murderous hitchhiker in 1986's The Hitcher, which saw him picked up by a traveling motorist (C. Thomas Howell) who is delivering a car. When he revealed his plans to murder the driver, he is kicked out of the car and the driver continues on his way.
However, he soon sees the hitcher in another family's car later on the road who he tries but fails to warn before they are killed, which begins his ongoing torment as he is followed across the state by the killer until he is forced into a final and brutal confrontation. The movie was remade in 2007, though the original Hitcher is the superior choice for horror fans.
5 In Fear Follows A Lost Traveling Couple Who Become Targets For A Masked Killer
A new couple heading to a music festival in Ireland get lost on the way to their romantic but secluded hotel in 2013's In Fear, where they soon become targeted by a mysterious white-masked man who begins to torment them as they attempt to find their way to safety.
They are forced to hide in the woods when their car runs out of gas, which only intensifies the intense terror as they are separated. In Fear is a psychological thriller that plays on a number of different fears, including being lost and followed which will leave fans on the edge of their seats until the shocking ending.
4 A College Student Is Followed Back To Her Dorm And Hunted Down In Kristy
2014's Kristy starred Haley Bennett as college student Justine, who finds herself left behind at her school while the rest of her friends head home for the holidays. After a confrontation with a woman (Ashley Greene) at a convenience store, she discovers she has been followed back to her campus.
She is the next target of a secret cult that has murdered privileged women they called "Kristys," which they then recorded and streamed on the internet. Justine is forced to fight for her life against masked assailants as she is followed to various locations seeking help.
3 Maniac Is Shot From The Perspective Of A Serial Killer Who Stalks Female Victims
Elijah Wood starred in the 2012 remake of Maniac as a serial killer with a dark past and a mannequin obsession. This leads him to stalk and kill sex workers that he scalps in order to turn them into horrifying art pieces.
While the premise of Maniac is disturbing enough, Alexandre Aja makes the movie even more terrifying by filming it in the POV of the murderer as he follows and kills a number of victims. The movie was banned in numerous countries due to its gore and troubling imagery that will stay with viewers long after the credits roll.
2 A Lawyer And His Family Are Harassed By The Criminal He Put Away In Cape Fear
While more of a thriller than horror by some fans, there's no denying the feelings of dread and being watched or followed that come with Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake of Cape Fear, starring Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte.
Nolte plays the lawyer whose family is stalked and harassed by a released rapist, played by De Niro, who blames the lawyer for his incarceration. He goes to extreme lengths to torment the lawyer by preying on his young daughter, invading their home, and keeping them in a constant state of tension and fear that ultimately leads to a brutal confrontation.
1 Halloween Introduced The Silent Stalker Michael Myers As He Followed His Prey
John Carpenter introduced fans to the silent masked killer Michael Myers in 1978's Halloween, which saw him target a group of high school teenagers that he began to follow around town. His focus was on young Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), who was revealed to be his baby sister in later sequels before modern continuations retconned their connection. Myers managed to remain mostly inconspicuous as he moved around the town of Haddonfield before he began his murderous spree that continued to terrify viewers and babysitters for years.
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