Horror fans, I let you down. A score of 26 out of 100 on the Top Horror Movies blind ranking puts me firmly in "Unique Perspective" territory — which is a polite way of saying the community and I disagree on almost everything. My biggest crime? Opening with Midsommar at #1 and putting Silent Hill last. Here's what went wrong.

My Rankings vs The Community

The Closest Calls 👍

The Conjuring – #2 (±1 Off)

One of my best picks. The Conjuring is widely considered one of the finest mainstream horror films of the last two decades — James Wan's direction, the Warrens, the farmhouse — it's all there. The community agrees it belongs near the top. One position off is nearly perfect in a 10-item game.

The Conjuring 2 – #3 (±1 Off)

Back-to-back near-misses for the Conjuring franchise. I had the sequel right behind the original and the community placed it almost identically. Whether you prefer the first or second film, the community ranks them as a near-equal pair. Both solid picks.

The Blair Witch Project – #6 (±1 Off)

Slotting Blair Witch at #6 felt right — it's one of the most influential horror films ever made and basically invented the found-footage genre, but it's showing its age for some audiences. One position off. The community and I see this one almost the same way.

The Purge: Election Year – #7 (±2 Off)

Mid-list placement for the third Purge film — two positions off. Not a defining miss. The Purge franchise occupies a specific niche in horror, and we were broadly in agreement on where this sequel belongs relative to the rest of the list.

Where It Fell Apart

Silent Hill – #10 (±7 Off — The Worst Miss)

I put Silent Hill dead last. The community placed it 7 positions higher — meaning the consensus likely has it somewhere around #3. This is my biggest single miss in any game so far across all categories. Silent Hill (2006) is a visually stunning and atmospherically unique horror film based on the beloved video game series. The community clearly holds it in much higher regard than I do. Putting it at #10 was a catastrophic underestimation. The game adaptation audience is vocal and loyal, and this community reflection shows it.

Midsommar – #1 (±6 Off)

Here's the controversial one. I opened with Midsommar at #1 — Ari Aster's sun-drenched folk horror masterpiece set in a Swedish midsummer festival. It's visually breathtaking, deeply unsettling, and genuinely unlike anything else in modern horror. I stand by this as an artistic choice. The community, however, placed it 6 positions lower. To a broad horror audience, Midsommar is divisive — slow-burn, no jump scares, deliberately strange. It's a critics' darling but not a crowd-pleaser. I let my personal taste completely override my community instincts here.

Split – #8 (±6 Off)

M. Night Shyamalan's psychological thriller near the bottom of my list — 6 positions off from the community consensus. Split was a massive critical and commercial success, with James McAvoy delivering one of the most talked-about horror performances in years. The community rates it significantly higher than I placed it. I clearly underestimated how much the broader horror audience loves Split — it has none of the arthouse baggage that Midsommar carries, and it's accessible and entertaining in a way that earns mass consensus.

Dracula Untold – #5 (±5 Off)

I rated Dracula Untold mid-list at #5. The community moved it 5 spots. This might be the pick that reveals the most about the gap between critical opinion and audience feeling. Dracula Untold got mixed reviews on release but was a genuine box office hit and has built a loyal fanbase. The community appears to rank it closer to the bottom, suggesting the broader horror audience doesn't hold it in the same regard. Five spots is a significant miss.

The Invisible Man – #9 (±3 Off)

Near the bottom at #9 — three positions off. The 2020 Leigh Whannell remake of The Invisible Man was a critical hit and widely praised for its tension and Elisabeth Moss's performance. The community ranks it noticeably higher than I placed it. Three spots in a tight list is meaningful.

The Purge – #4 (±4 Off)

I put the original Purge film at #4 — high praise for a franchise starter. The community placed it 4 spots differently. The original Purge is a mixed bag: strong premise, divisive execution. The community clearly doesn't share my enthusiasm for it.

Final Verdict: 26/100 – "Unique Perspective!"

My taste in horror diverges significantly from the community average. I gravitate toward slow-burn, atmospheric, and artistically ambitious films — Midsommar is the perfect example. The community prefers accessible, well-crafted mainstream horror with broad appeal: Conjuring films, Split, Silent Hill.

The ±1 hits on The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2, and Blair Witch show I'm not completely out of touch — I understand which films belong near the top. But the catastrophic misses on Silent Hill (±7), Midsommar (±6), and Split (±6) pulled the score down to 26.

The lesson from every low-scoring game I've played is the same: the community rewards broad consensus quality, not personal taste. Midsommar is a better film to me personally. To 42+ players choosing between 10 horror films, it doesn't crack the top five. Know your audience.

Think you know horror better than the community? Play the Top Horror Movies blind ranking and see where you stand against 42+ community rankings.