Despite being considered a niche film genre by some, horror works cover a vast range of movie genres. There are comedic crossovers, like 2009’s Zombieland, as well as endearing coming-of-age horror stories, like 2008’s Let the Right One In.

However, one of the most unique subgenres of horror is the mockumentary. Beginning with hits like 1999’s The Blair Witch Project and 2007’s Rec, directors from around the world have sought to create the most realistic tales through unique shooting styles and narratives. 

Still, there’s one horror genre that goes above and beyond in terrifying audiences and shaking out any lasting notion of safety: the horror documentary. Unlike narrative films, documentaries can get to the heart of a topic by using investigative means.

Documentaries, in general, run the gambit—for example, they can be obscure. Some of the top poker documentaries available to watch today can only be found on YouTube or Vimeo. Projects like 2014’s Nosebleed might not be major productions, but they dive deep into personal, granular topics on poker.

Documentaries also tend to be more heavy-hitting than narrative projects. For example, the Tiger King series on Netflix wasn’t just a whirlwind adventure with one of Oklahoma’s weirdest exotic animal wranglers—it literally launched an FBI-led look into one main character Carole Baskins (along with Joe Exotic).

Most horror projects dive into the obscure and gritty underbelly of some of the stories and legends that helped inspire great flicks like The Exorcist and The Deep. In other cases, they’re cryptic tales the world has yet to hear more about.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the best horror documentaries of all time.

Cropsey (2009)

Though most lists of horror documentaries tend to take a true-crime bend (fact is often stranger, and more terrifying, than fiction), Cropsey is the only project on this list with an affiliation with true crime. 

In this indie project, two filmmakers dive into the urban legends surrounding an abandoned mental asylum near where they grew up… only to find out that the legends weren’t mythic. In reality, five children disappeared; the film is an investigative dive into the factual roots that helped create an urban legend.

The Nightmare (2015)

This project from Rodney Ascher covers the experience of sleep paralysis from eight individuals who suffer from the phenomenon. There are shadowy figures galore, along with plenty of red eyes. However, the most curious aspect of the documentary is that sleep paralysis can be triggered simply by exploring the topic. Those with hypochondria may want to tread lightly with this true story.

The Donner Party (1992)

Those outside the US might not have learned about the Donners, a group of colonists headed to California who found themselves snowed-in in the Sierra Nevada mountains in the mid-1800s. What came next is a brutal story of survival, which includes cannibalism and murder.

This 1992 project from Ken Burns adds a stylistic element of cinematography to the documentary. Though it covers this horror story from a historically accurate perspective, there are enough chilling details to keep anyone up at night.

Demon House (2018)

Say what you will about Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventure’s head man Zak Bagans, but this project stands in a league of its own. After purchasing a notoriously haunted house in Gary, Indiana, Bagans sets about restoring it—but first, he’ll have to survive.

Think ghost stories aren’t real? Sit down and buckle up to hear chilling details from a diverse cast of individuals associated with the house, from social workers to neighbors. Those who want proof of paranormal activity need go no further.

Honorable Mentions: Häxan (1922) and Terror in the Aisles (1984)

Those with a penchant for creepy footage from the earliest days of film will find plenty to chew on in these documentaries. Häxan explores the concept of witches and hysteria—though from a fictional perspective. Terror in the Aisles, on the other hand, compiles terror-inducing footage from movies from 1930-1980, including sci-fi, crime, and horror films.