To compile this "Top 100 Scariest Movies" list, we created a comprehensive scoring system designed to balance critical acclaim, audience reception, and lasting cultural impact. Each film's final score is an average of three distinct categories, weighted equally:

Quantitative Score (33.3%): The average rating from critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, and Metacritic.

Legacy Score (33.3%): A measure of cultural importance based on a film's ranking across 6 major "Best Horror of All Time" lists from Variety, Time Out, Rolling Stone, Slant Magazine, Rotten Tomatoes, and Screen Rant.

Awards Score (33.3%): A custom point system that measures a film’s prestige by tallying its wins and nominations from major institutions — including the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Saturn Awards, and top film festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, TIFF, Sundance, Sitges, and Fantastic Fest.

The result is a data-driven ranking that honors films for their critical acclaim and official awards just as much as their popular legacy.

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