October 14, 2025 • 9 mins
Ever wondered which horror movie actually scares people the most — not just in opinions, but scientifically? In this Halloween episode of The Jubal Show, the team breaks down a study where researchers tracked heart rates, fear spikes, and even “bowel anxiety” to crown the #1 scariest movie of all time. From haunted Zoom calls to demonic home videos, you’ll want to hear how science proves what really makes us scream.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Do you like to get scared? It's the Jubile Show.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
No, well, it's that time of year when people huddle
around a screen and watch tragic stories filled with debauchery.
And I'm not talking about The Bachelor coming Back. I'm
talking about scary movies. And because it's Halloween, scientists did
a study to find out the scariest movies of all
time according to science.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
And we'll tell you what they are. Next. It's the
Jewbil Show. Sorry about that, it's a Jewble show. And
do you like scary movies?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Well, if you do, you're in luck because it's Halloween
time and scientists have figured out the scariest movies of
all time according to science. Oh, thank you science. We'll
go over them right now so you can hear what
the scariest movies are. And about the study because it's
actually kind of weird, but anyway, conducted in partnership with
the Institute for Cardiovascular Neurosurrealism, okay, whatever that is. Two
(00:50):
hundred and fifty adult participants ages eighteen to sixty two
are strapped into biometric vests eeg. Skull caps and wearing
sweat patch sensors, well seated in ikea recliners in a
climate controlled scary chamber nicknamed the dread box. What that's
interesting to test what movies were actually the scariest. Scientifically,
heart rates, pupil dilation, cortisol levels, and frequency of popcorn
(01:14):
skip popping.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
God, my headphones keep going out.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Sorry, So popcorn spills were all measured to see how
scary the movies were actually.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
So the number.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
We'll tell you what the number one scary movie, most
scary movie of all time is, according to science in
just a second. But let's go over some of the
top scary movies ever. If you like scary movies, Needa,
do you like scary movies?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
You know, I don't really like scary movies, but there
was a time where I started watching a bunch of them.
This is gonna sound really bad, but just deal with it.
Is when I found out, thanks to science, that watching
scary movies and having this kind of reaction actually helps
you burn calories. And so I was like, okay, so
let me watch these scary movies, eat my snickers, and
burn it off at.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
The same time.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
That's all it works.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Well, it was when I read the story.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
So that's how I feel about scary movies, but the
ones that really really get me. Sorry you asked the question,
is the ones about like like religion, you know, like
the oh that one chick on there, like the Exorcist
and all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah, I feel like it actually invites Stevens into your house. Yes,
they will go over. It was like, jeez, I can't
speak today. Sorry, my allergies are killing me. The We'll
tell you what the number one most scary movie of
all time is according to Science in just a second.
But what are the top ones. The Conjuring is in
(02:34):
the top five. If you don't know what the Conjuring is,
it's based on true events. The film follows paranormal investigators
Ed and Lorraine Warren as they help family who are
plagued by a sinister force in their Rhode Island farmhouse.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
See this is the stuff I believe in though, So
that's why these kind of movies I can't watch them.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
But they've they've made multiple conjurings. I just I'd be
so scared to play those two people, the parents of
that movie, because I don't. So it's like inviting, like
you're constantly going back into.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
A set and like, yeah, I wouldn't want to be
on a ser movie here.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Yeah, Like that's like so scary, especially if you're a
method actor.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
You're like, please because that's me.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Here's what they said about the movie.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Scientifically, people who watched they had an average resting heart
rate of eighty one, which is pretty high, max spike
of one hundred and twenty one beasts per minute, And
they said the scientific fear reason for it is the
unholy infrasound below twenty hurts buried in the soundtrack. So
they actually put like a tone in the soundtrack that
makes feel scared, but it actually caused participants bowel anxiety
(03:34):
metrics to increase by seven point four percent vowel anxiety passage.
I guess we don't think about it. You might be
seen there not even realize how scared your bowels are.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Your bowels do get triggered by anxiety, so I guess
I would imagine that's kind of similar.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Several viewers complained of a sense of religious doom, and
at least one test subject asked if the move was
an ad for an exorcism school.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Oh, is that a thing?
Speaker 5 (04:00):
I have no idea, but the audio makes a big difference,
Like if you were tried putting in like Jonah's brothers
into your headphones while you watch a scary movie.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
No, that would actually be a weird experience. I want
to do that now, just to see what that's like.
That was just so weird.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
My cornosol levels would spike.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
You would not be scared.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
Let me tell you, it makes a big difference when
you just not like scared of you've done that.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Yes, you put Jonah's brother Victoria, you put Jonah's brothers,
You put headphones on and listen to the Jones briends
watching a scary movie.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Yeah, because you were scared. Joe bros. Camp rocks just
like fun music.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
My stepmom and step sister love watching scary movies. So
when we all get together, we're watching a scary movie
and I'm like, well, did they put a blanket over
my face.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Or put into Jonas brothers?
Speaker 5 (04:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
That would Actually that actually makes you seem like a
psychopath to me.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
If you're watching people get stabbed to the Jonas.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Brothers, Yeah, that's way creepier than anything on the movie.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
It's like an exercise.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
It's like happening, like someone's on the wall, climbing the
ceilings and I'm like, I'm hot, rcles you go around.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
That sounds scarier than the actual soundtrack to me, I'm
like this, I'll tell you what the number one most
scary movie is, according to Science in just a second.
Number two on the list is Host the twenty twenty
scary movie Host.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
I don't know that one. It was filmed entirely over zoom.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
During the pandemic Pandemic, six friends hire a medium to
conduct to a virtual seance. What what begins as a
playful experiment quickly turns into a terrifying to terrifying when
a demonic entity hijacks the session, with webcams capturing each
horror in real time. The friends are picked off one
by one in their homes. Pretty scary, it's actually terrifying.
I've seen part of this movie.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
It's like, it's like weird because it is on zoom,
so sometimes you can get a little bored, but it's
like really scary because things will pop up behind them.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
While listening to the Jonas Brothers.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
This one didn't listen to.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
But the average beats per minutent resting heart rate for
that movie is eighty four. The max spike was one
hundred and twenty eight beats per minute and the scientific
fear reason that the scientists say is the reason it's
the second most scary movie of all time. It was
filmed entirely over zoom, and uh it activated the digital
(06:11):
dread reflex.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
I didn't know that was a thing.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
I didn't either. I think they're just making up names.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
In the Study for Things says where in participants showed
increased anxiety due to the fear of frozen screens mid seance.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
So are you serial?
Speaker 2 (06:28):
So apparently it's like even the zoom part of it
was just scary for people. Okay, it wouldn't be scary
for me because remind me of meetings. I would rather
have a demon show. There's been so many meetings I've
been sitting in on zoom where I'm like, would a
demon police show behind me?
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Just kill me right now? Take me out of about
to sit.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
For another hour and listen to this dude talk about
nothing so true.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Just sign out and be like, I'm sorry, demon, did
it wasn't This.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Meeting is supposed to be over five minutes ago and
it's now an hour and a half.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Gladly I would take a demon to take me out.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Yeah, I'm talking to a time stealing elf, right, Now,
that's what.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Those are people.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
That's what I feel like in meetings where they go
on too long. There's time stealing elf.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
That's kind of cute.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
I know, I might stay on the meeting with the
time stealing else.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
The number one most scary movie of all time, according
to Science The Sinister.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
The twenty twelve movie Sinister. It's a true true crime.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Writer Ellison Oswalt moves his family into a new home,
only to discover a box of disturbing home videos in
the attic. Each film shows a family being murdered, and
Ellison investigates. He uncovers a demonic presence known as Google. Okay,
I don't know if that's how it said. Well b
u g h u u L.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
I probably said that wrong.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
If you've seen the movie, I'd say you don't say
the name, because, like Willie.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Well, it consumes the souls of children through the images themselves.
The deeper he digs, the closer he brings doom to
his own family.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
I'm not watching that.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Scientists say it's the most scary movie of all time
because a resting heart rate of eighty six beats per
minute WHOA, and a max heart rate spike of one
hundred and thirty one beats per minute.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
The scientific fear reason Sinister was found to activate the
amygdala's imaginary panic loop due to prolonged Super eight home
footage scenes. It is true whenever they show home movies,
like in a movie, it actually is always creepy.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Yeah, they put music behind it, and it's like staticky.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
I always feel like I cry what. I don't know.
It feels so nostalgia does.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
The study notes show that seventeen participants attempted to blink
away the grainy visuals, believing they were malfunctioning like as
a person, like their eyes are messed up. Research also
observed elevated basement response syndrome.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
What is that?
Speaker 2 (08:51):
That's a thing that they made up to describe uncontrollable
foot twitching.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Oh I met Joe go in the basement. I'm like,
that's legit. I never go in the basement.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
It's uncontrollableot twitching when a character walks into an attic
or basement with zero lighting and zero urgency.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
I can't catch me in a basement
Do you like to get scared? It's the Jubile Show.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
No, well, it's that time of year when people huddle
around a screen and watch tragic stories filled with debauchery.
And I'm not talking about The Bachelor coming Back. I'm
talking about scary movies. And because it's Halloween, scientists did
a study to find out the scariest movies of all
time according to science.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
And we'll tell you what they are. Next. It's the
Jewbil Show. Sorry about that, it's a Jewble show. And
do you like scary movies?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Well, if you do, you're in luck because it's Halloween
time and scientists have figured out the scariest movies of
all time according to science. Oh, thank you science. We'll
go over them right now so you can hear what
the scariest movies are. And about the study because it's
actually kind of weird, but anyway, conducted in partnership with
the Institute for Cardiovascular Neurosurrealism, okay, whatever that is. Two
(00:50):
hundred and fifty adult participants ages eighteen to sixty two
are strapped into biometric vests eeg. Skull caps and wearing
sweat patch sensors, well seated in ikea recliners in a
climate controlled scary chamber nicknamed the dread box. What that's
interesting to test what movies were actually the scariest. Scientifically,
heart rates, pupil dilation, cortisol levels, and frequency of popcorn
(01:14):
skip popping.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
God, my headphones keep going out.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Sorry, So popcorn spills were all measured to see how
scary the movies were actually.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
So the number.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
We'll tell you what the number one scary movie, most
scary movie of all time is, according to science in
just a second. But let's go over some of the
top scary movies ever. If you like scary movies, Needa,
do you like scary movies?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
You know, I don't really like scary movies, but there
was a time where I started watching a bunch of them.
This is gonna sound really bad, but just deal with it.
Is when I found out, thanks to science, that watching
scary movies and having this kind of reaction actually helps
you burn calories. And so I was like, okay, so
let me watch these scary movies, eat my snickers, and
burn it off at.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
The same time.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
That's all it works.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Well, it was when I read the story.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
So that's how I feel about scary movies, but the
ones that really really get me. Sorry you asked the question,
is the ones about like like religion, you know, like
the oh that one chick on there, like the Exorcist
and all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah, I feel like it actually invites Stevens into your house. Yes,
they will go over. It was like, jeez, I can't
speak today. Sorry, my allergies are killing me. The We'll
tell you what the number one most scary movie of
all time is according to Science in just a second.
But what are the top ones. The Conjuring is in
(02:34):
the top five. If you don't know what the Conjuring is,
it's based on true events. The film follows paranormal investigators
Ed and Lorraine Warren as they help family who are
plagued by a sinister force in their Rhode Island farmhouse.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
See this is the stuff I believe in though, So
that's why these kind of movies I can't watch them.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
But they've they've made multiple conjurings. I just I'd be
so scared to play those two people, the parents of
that movie, because I don't. So it's like inviting, like
you're constantly going back into.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
A set and like, yeah, I wouldn't want to be
on a ser movie here.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Yeah, Like that's like so scary, especially if you're a
method actor.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
You're like, please because that's me.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Here's what they said about the movie.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Scientifically, people who watched they had an average resting heart
rate of eighty one, which is pretty high, max spike
of one hundred and twenty one beasts per minute, And
they said the scientific fear reason for it is the
unholy infrasound below twenty hurts buried in the soundtrack. So
they actually put like a tone in the soundtrack that
makes feel scared, but it actually caused participants bowel anxiety
(03:34):
metrics to increase by seven point four percent vowel anxiety passage.
I guess we don't think about it. You might be
seen there not even realize how scared your bowels are.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Your bowels do get triggered by anxiety, so I guess
I would imagine that's kind of similar.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Several viewers complained of a sense of religious doom, and
at least one test subject asked if the move was
an ad for an exorcism school.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Oh, is that a thing?
Speaker 5 (04:00):
I have no idea, but the audio makes a big difference,
Like if you were tried putting in like Jonah's brothers
into your headphones while you watch a scary movie.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
No, that would actually be a weird experience. I want
to do that now, just to see what that's like.
That was just so weird.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
My cornosol levels would spike.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
You would not be scared.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
Let me tell you, it makes a big difference when
you just not like scared of you've done that.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Yes, you put Jonah's brother Victoria, you put Jonah's brothers,
You put headphones on and listen to the Jones briends
watching a scary movie.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Yeah, because you were scared. Joe bros. Camp rocks just
like fun music.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
My stepmom and step sister love watching scary movies. So
when we all get together, we're watching a scary movie
and I'm like, well, did they put a blanket over
my face.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Or put into Jonas brothers?
Speaker 5 (04:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
That would Actually that actually makes you seem like a
psychopath to me.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
If you're watching people get stabbed to the Jonas.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Brothers, Yeah, that's way creepier than anything on the movie.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
It's like an exercise.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
It's like happening, like someone's on the wall, climbing the
ceilings and I'm like, I'm hot, rcles you go around.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
That sounds scarier than the actual soundtrack to me, I'm
like this, I'll tell you what the number one most
scary movie is, according to Science in just a second.
Number two on the list is Host the twenty twenty
scary movie Host.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
I don't know that one. It was filmed entirely over zoom.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
During the pandemic Pandemic, six friends hire a medium to
conduct to a virtual seance. What what begins as a
playful experiment quickly turns into a terrifying to terrifying when
a demonic entity hijacks the session, with webcams capturing each
horror in real time. The friends are picked off one
by one in their homes. Pretty scary, it's actually terrifying.
I've seen part of this movie.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
It's like, it's like weird because it is on zoom,
so sometimes you can get a little bored, but it's
like really scary because things will pop up behind them.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
While listening to the Jonas Brothers.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
This one didn't listen to.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
But the average beats per minutent resting heart rate for
that movie is eighty four. The max spike was one
hundred and twenty eight beats per minute and the scientific
fear reason that the scientists say is the reason it's
the second most scary movie of all time. It was
filmed entirely over zoom, and uh it activated the digital
(06:11):
dread reflex.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
I didn't know that was a thing.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
I didn't either. I think they're just making up names.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
In the Study for Things says where in participants showed
increased anxiety due to the fear of frozen screens mid seance.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
So are you serial?
Speaker 2 (06:28):
So apparently it's like even the zoom part of it
was just scary for people. Okay, it wouldn't be scary
for me because remind me of meetings. I would rather
have a demon show. There's been so many meetings I've
been sitting in on zoom where I'm like, would a
demon police show behind me?
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Just kill me right now? Take me out of about
to sit.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
For another hour and listen to this dude talk about
nothing so true.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Just sign out and be like, I'm sorry, demon, did
it wasn't This.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Meeting is supposed to be over five minutes ago and
it's now an hour and a half.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Gladly I would take a demon to take me out.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Yeah, I'm talking to a time stealing elf, right, Now,
that's what.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Those are people.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
That's what I feel like in meetings where they go
on too long. There's time stealing elf.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
That's kind of cute.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
I know, I might stay on the meeting with the
time stealing else.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
The number one most scary movie of all time, according
to Science The Sinister.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
The twenty twelve movie Sinister. It's a true true crime.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Writer Ellison Oswalt moves his family into a new home,
only to discover a box of disturbing home videos in
the attic. Each film shows a family being murdered, and
Ellison investigates. He uncovers a demonic presence known as Google. Okay,
I don't know if that's how it said. Well b
u g h u u L.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
I probably said that wrong.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
If you've seen the movie, I'd say you don't say
the name, because, like Willie.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Well, it consumes the souls of children through the images themselves.
The deeper he digs, the closer he brings doom to
his own family.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
I'm not watching that.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Scientists say it's the most scary movie of all time
because a resting heart rate of eighty six beats per
minute WHOA, and a max heart rate spike of one
hundred and thirty one beats per minute.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
The scientific fear reason Sinister was found to activate the
amygdala's imaginary panic loop due to prolonged Super eight home
footage scenes. It is true whenever they show home movies,
like in a movie, it actually is always creepy.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Yeah, they put music behind it, and it's like staticky.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
I always feel like I cry what. I don't know.
It feels so nostalgia does.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
The study notes show that seventeen participants attempted to blink
away the grainy visuals, believing they were malfunctioning like as
a person, like their eyes are messed up. Research also
observed elevated basement response syndrome.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
What is that?
Speaker 2 (08:51):
That's a thing that they made up to describe uncontrollable
foot twitching.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Oh I met Joe go in the basement. I'm like,
that's legit. I never go in the basement.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
It's uncontrollableot twitching when a character walks into an attic
or basement with zero lighting and zero urgency.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
I can't catch me in a basement
Host
Jubal Fresh
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