10 Scariest Horror Movies That Aren't In English, Ranked

1 week ago 24

A scene of Incantation showing the many armed statue of the Mother Buddha with her face covered by a red veil

Published Jan 24, 2026, 5:20 PM EST

Very few people are going to complain about a horror movie being scary since, well, that's kind of the point of the genre. A horror movie works best when it's able to effectively scare the viewer, whether through its visuals, its tension, atmosphere, content, or implications. There are a bunch of different ways to go about it, which has resulted in loads of Hollywood horror films that have left audiences with new phobias and kept them awake for days and days.

But Hollywood doesn't deserve all the credit. One of the best parts about the horror genre is that the emotion of fear is universal, meaning it can be easily pulled off regardless of language. Even if one only speaks English (or at the very least, doesn't speak the language of the movie), they can still enjoy a good international horror movie for all that it's worth. These are the best horror movies that aren't in English.

10 'Martyrs' (2008)

Language: French

Morjana Alaoui with a bloodied face crying in 'Martyrs'

Martyrs is a movie that not everybody really "gets," and for numerous reasons. Number one, it's deeply philosophical and comes with an ambiguous ending. Number two, many people find themselves repulsed by it, because it really goes in hard with the blood and gore, not shying away from anything. It really pushed the boundaries of what should and should not be shown on screen, which is why many regarded it as a revolutionary film that broke down barriers.

The film follows a cult that is obsessed with finding the answers about the afterlife. To do this, they kidnap people and torture them to the brink of death, allowing them to slip briefly into what lies beyond before they are brought back. This is in the hopes that once they are brought back from death, they will know the truth about life after death, if any such life exists. The cult has largely been unsuccessful, hence their repeated attempts. This movie doesn't cut away from any of the torture, leading to an intense, distressing film that many saw as an act of brilliance.

9 'The Vanishing' (1988)

Language: Dutch

A blonde girl in a light tank top gently smiling at someone talking to her

The Vanishing is one of the most evil movies ever made--because it's actually about the concept of evil. Coming from the Netherlands, the story follows a Dutch couple on holiday in France. While at a rest stop, the woman is abducted, much to the man's dismay. However, three years later, the man begins receiving letters from the people who abducted his partner, prompting him to search out the ones responsible.

This movie is perhaps so disturbing because it remains completely grounded in reality. Nothing supernatural happens, there are no ghosts, no demons, nothing like that. Instead, the horror comes from abduction, something that happens pretty often in real life. On top of its disturbing content, renowned film director Stanley Kubrick actually listed this as the scariest movie he's ever seen. Considering Kubrick made The Shining, this really speaks volumes as to how scary this movie really is.

8 'Shutter' (2004)

Language: Thai

Shutter is a really distressing film about a Thai couple who is out driving one night when they accidentally run over a woman on the side of the road. They make the poor decision to make this a hit-and-run, fleeing the scene of the crime. However, some time later, the man in the relationship, who works as a photographer, begins seeing strange shapes in the picture he takes. His girlfriend becomes concerned that this may be the vengeful spirit of the murdered woman.

This movie received several remakes in other languages, but as always, you just can't beat the original. This movie is widely accredited for being the one to put Thai cinema on the map, showcasing how it can be effective and scary as any other international horror genre. It's also listed by critics and audiences alike as an intensely and unforgivingly scary film, one that clearly wants to leave its viewers awake at night.

7 'The Eye' (2002)

Language: Cantonese

The ghost of an old man faces the corner menacingly in 'The Eye' (2002)

The Eye is a film from Hong Kong that was shot in Cantonese. Though, it also has dubs in Mandarin and Thai. The premise itself is really intriguing: it follows a woman who has been blind since she was a child, who opts to undergo a corneal eye transplant, restoring her sight. The procedure is a success except for one small hiccup: the eyes she receives allow her to see ghosts.

The poor woman is constantly assaulted by horrifying visions of spirits and spectres, many of whom have died in really gruesome ways. This movie went viral back in the 2000s for its famous elevator scene, which became a masterful example of tension and slow-burn horror. The Eye is genuinely scary, and does a fantastic job at making the audience feel the level of fear and isolation that its protagonist does.

6 'Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum' (2018)

Language: Korean

Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum has a deceptively simple premise. It follows a group of Korean youths who decide to do some nighttime urban exploration in an abandoned asylum. This is like, rule number one of things you should never do, especially in a horror movie. As the title implies, the youths quickly become trapped inside, along with the disgruntled spirits of the patients and staff who died inside the facility.

This found-footage movie comes with some of the most eerie and disturbing visuals in Korean cinema, but also witha genuine warning about the dangers of social media and livestreaming. Gonjiam has received international acclaim, becoming immensely popular overseas due to just how scary it really is. This is a legendary movie that demands to be seen by every horror fan, especially fans looking for something with a little more "oomph" than standard horror movies.

5 'Ring' (1997)

Language: Japanese

Ring (also known as Ringu) is one of the quintessential J-horror flicks, which spawned a Hollywood remake three years later. The Hollywood remake is perfectly fine, but of course, it doesn't hold a candle to how frightening the original movie is. The movie is about a little ghost girl who tragically drowned in a well. She seeks revenge by way of a cursed videotape--upon watching the tape, the viewer will receive a phone call informing them they have seven days to live. After the seven days, the girl emerges from their television and drowns them, with the victim seeing the shape of a ring before they die.

The stereotypical J-horror trope of little ghost girls in white dresses with long black hair that covers their face originated with this movie. As such, it has become synonymous with the genre, and continues to stand strong as one of the scariest horror movies ever made. It doesn't even need to be overly blood or gory to do so, either, as it does a fine job of being scary without all the nasty murder scenes.

4 'Terrified' (2017)

Language: Spanish

A creature crawls from under a bed in Terrified (2017).

Terrified is quite the appropriate title for this one. This Argentinian film takes place in the national capital of Buenos Aires, where strange events begin plaguing a quiet suburban neighbourhood. These events start minor, but their unexplainable nature prompts the residents to seek the help of a paranormal investigator, which is when things really ramp up. Things that go bump in the night rapidly escalate to genuine encounters with the supernatural, and boy, does this film make the audience feel the heat.

Though it might not be super popular, this Latin-American horror film received rave reviews, with many critics calling it one of the scariest movies they'd ever seen. The creature effects, slow-burn tension, and jumpscares in this movie are really top-notch, and only serve to improve what is already a brilliantly-made movie. This is a hidden gem in the world of horror, one that is undoubtedly frightening.

3 'Rec' (2007)

Language: Spanish

Manuela Velasco as Ángela Vidal crying with photos on a wall behind in Rec.

Zombie apocalypse movies aren't usually known for being super scary. A lot of them are action movies, though some do stray into the horror territory. Even then, though, they're far from the scariest movies ever made, and tend to focus more on the survival aspect than the actual fear factor. Rec is not one of these movies. Hailing from Spain, Rec is a found footage movie set during a zombie apocalypse, which is something that hadn't really been done before.

The scale is much smaller than typical zombie movies, and serves as a constant bombardment of terror that never lets up for a second. This is one of those horror movies that proves that less really is more sometimes, as it doesn't need huge flashy sets or props to deliver fear at a rapid-fire pace. Rec actually spawned a franchise, but of course, no sequel could compare to the brilliance of the original, which is easily one of the scariest movies ever made.

2 'Ju-On: The Grudge' (2002)

Language: Japanese

Ju-On: The Grudge is another J-horror film that received a popular Hollywood remake. While the remake is really not the best, it still became immensely popular in the 2000s. The original film is basically a how-to on executing the perfect jumpscares. They don't feel like cheap cop-outs in this movie--they feel genuine, like actual effort was thrown into making them effective, and this makes the movie so much better.

The plot follows a family in turmoil, with the negative energy from their constant fighting placing a curse over their home. Later, the curse affects any family who moves into the home, who will inevitably be haunted by the ghosts of the previous owners. A lot of iconic sound effects came from this movie, and a lot of famous scenes, too. This movie is tense, frightening, yet infinitely rewarding in pretty much every aspect.

1 'Incantation' (2022)

Language: Mandarin

Li Ruo-nan, her body covered in Chinese letters, does the curse sign with her hands

Incantation hails from Taiwan, and might just be the scariest found footage movie ever made. The plot follows Li Ronan (Tsai Hsuan-yen), who visits a mountain cult for her ghost hunting web series. There, she violates their religious taboo, bringing a curse onto her and her family. After experiencing PTSD due to the incident, she gives her newborn daughter up to a foster care centre. Six years later, she is well enough to bring her daughter home and be a proper mother, which is when the curse really starts to show itself, turning their lives into a nightmare.

The film claims to be loosely based on true events, but in reality, the true incident doesn't resemble the movie at all. Regardless, this movie is absolutely brutal with its scares. It's genuinely terrifying, even to the most steadfast horror viewers. From the visuals to the buildup of tension, to that absolute bombshell of an ending, Incantation definitely takes the cake for being the scariest horror movie that isn't in English.