Four horror movie scenes that are actually scary

Hereditary's Twitter account is a constant source of entertainment for me. In the run up to the movie's cinematic release, they've been retweeting the visceral reactions some cinemagoers have been having to the film – from audible screaming to under-the-breath chains of expletives. 

Hardened horror fan that I am, I only jumped once when I finally saw the movie. It was scary yes, and expertly made, but there comes a point when horror films don't work the way they used to. I used to be petrified during relatively tame outings like Insidious and The Cabin in the Woods. Now I can watch Ringu with barely a shudder.

There are times, however, when the adrenaline truly started to pump during a horror flick. For those who, like me, are tired of the hyperbolic "will haunt your every waking moment" tosh you get on horror film posters, these pulse-raising moments from classic and modern horror films might actually do it for you.

When a tall man breaks into your house (It Follows, 2015)

What's going down: Jay (Maika Munroe) has contracted the mother of all STIs: a sexually-transmitted curse which means she's relentlessly pursued at walking pace by a shape-shifting monster. At first she can't tell if it's all in her head, until the sound of breaking glass alerts her to an intruder in her house. Fleeing from the beast (who appears to her as her naked sister, naturally), she locks herself in her bedroom. Her friends call her from outside – they don't see anything. Is she going crazy? She opens the door...

Why is it scary: Maika Munroe's superior acting; those tight close-ups on her face; Disasterpiece's score, which is like an amped up John Carpenter. This is just one moment in a consistently terrifying movie.

Is the rest of the film any good: It's one of the most inventive and scary horrors ever made

Where can I watch: Netflix

When you're lost in the woods and it looks like you're being hunted (In Fear, 2013)

What's going down: When Tom (Iain De Caestecker) and Alice (Alice Englert) head for a romantic weekend in the country, the signs to their luxury hotel seem to be taking them round in circles. As night begins to fall, they start to get the sense that someone or something is hunting them. There's no sign of civilisation and their car is running out of gas...

Why is it scary: So much of this movie relies on the relationship between Tom and Alice, a couple who haven't been dating that long and whose bond easily cracks under the pressure of their terrifying predicament. It's reminiscent of Blair Witch, but more claustrophobic. We're trapped in the car with Tom and Alice and who knows what's lying in wait outside.

Is the rest of the film any good: Horror at its most psychological, simplistic and effective

Where can I watch it: YouTube for £2.49

When you're summoning spirits in the basement and your mate says there's a ghost right behind you (The Innkeepers, 2011)

What's going down: Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) work at a shabby hotel faced with closure. They hope to prove the place is haunted to attract tourists and save their jobs. After a number of pratfalls, false alarms and a drunken conversation where Luke almost opens up about his feelings for Claire, the ghost is no closer to being discovered. As a final shot, Claire decides to hold an amateur seance in the basement. Luke is less than keen, especially when Claire reveals that the ghost they're trying to summon is right behind him...

Why is it scary: Like Luke, you don't see the ghost that Claire says is heading straight for him, thereby making it ten times as scary. While the characterisation in this movie isn't brilliant, Claire and Luke are relatable people. You care about them and want them to hook up, not meet violent, supernatural deaths.

Is the rest of the film any good: A very old-school ghost story that is rich with suspense, although perhaps it's not original enough for some horror fans. Also wins the prize for Most Bizarre Lena Dunham Cameo. 

Where can I watch it: Amazon Prime

When you're being chased by a man with a chainsaw in the middle of the night (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 1974)

What's going down: Five friends hit the road to visit a grave. A seriously odd hitchiker puts a dampner on their mood, as does their car breaking down in hillbilly country. Like a group of people who have never seen a horror film before, they all split up and are picked off one by one by Leatherface, the guy in a mask and apron doing the chainsaw massacring. After her brother is unceremoniously butchered, Sally (Marilyn Burns) has to run for her life...

Why is it scary: It's one of the most relentless chase scenes in cinema. The sound of the chainsaw; the fact that all of the doors Sally tries are locked and there's no one out there to help her. It feels like your life is on the line too.

Is the rest of the film any good: Does anybody really need to sing the virtues of Tobe Hooper's masterpiece anymore?

Where can I watch it: Shudder

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