I have a love-hate relationship with horror films. On the one hand, I love a good scary movie–as the author of books about ghosts, I enjoy being scared. On the other hand, too many horror movies have become formulaic and predictable. Too many films rely on cheap “jump scares” and gross-out body horror. Too many of them fail to deliver.
These are some of the creepiest videos I’ve seen on YouTube. They build a slow, smoldering sense of dread, a feeling of disquiet that sticks with you long after you’ve turned off your computer. Watch at your own risk.
1. “Lights Out”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUQhNGEu2KA
I first saw this a year ago, and it still makes it hard to go to sleep sometimes. Three of the most frightening minutes of film that I’ve ever seen.
Don’t Miss It!Five of the scariest short stories ever written.
2. Elevator surveillance video from the Hotel Cecil, Los Angeles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQcTuTXpj3c
The Hotel Cecil in downtown Los Angeles, CA has a dark past. In 2013, Elisa Lam checked into the hotel and then vanished. Her body was later found inside the water tank on the top of the hotel, with no clear signs of how she got in there. Right before she disappeared, this surveillance camera in the elevator captured footage of Lam behaving strangely.
She appears to be fleeing from an unseen attacker.
3. Android Tina singing “I Feel Fantastic”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLy-AwdCOmI
There’s an ominous creepiness to this anonymous video of an android singing “I feel fantastic” over and over. The source of the video has never been tracked down.
Even more disturbing is the urban legend behind it–some folks say that the android was created by a serial killer who dressed it in his victim’s clothes. The woods in the outdoor shot, they say, are where he buried his victims.
Probably just internet rumors. Still, this is one creepy robot.
4. “Whistle and I’ll Come to You”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYjtxHHjZ00
This short film from Great Britain, made in the 1960s, still manages to bring the creep factor. The professor’s dread slowly builds across each night he spends alone in his hotel room. A bit longer than the other videos, but well worth it.
Incidentally, this film was based on a short story, which you can find in my list of top five scary short stories.
5. “Bedfellows”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z6xGU2_g9s
Another well-executed short horror film. My only complaint is with the cheap jump-scare at the end. Still, good creepy storytelling.
Of course, no video compares to the horrors that your imagination conjures when you’re reading. Check out my list of the top 5 scary short stories–and get ready to sleep with the lights on.
BONUS VIDEO: Ladybaby Nippon Manju music video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8-vje-bq9c&feature=youtu.be
Okay, it may not be frightening. But it’s definitely disturbing.
Now check out my list of the top 5 scary short stories as well. And try to wipe the image of that bearded guy in a Japanese schoolgirl outfit from your memory.