The horror genre is having a serious comeback at the moment. True crime shows are more popular than ever, scary movies have never been as authentic and original (thank you Ari Aster, Jordan Peele and Robert Eggers!) Even officials from the U.S. military have admitted that UFOs are real. Well, more accurately, they said that the government is in possession of “inhuman” remains. That probably creeped us out even more.

To celebrate this resurgence of all things creepy, we have prepared another list of unsettling photographs from the r/OddlyTerrifying subreddit. Whatever, I wasn’t planning on sleeping tonight anyway. Let’s scroll down and satisfy our morbid curiosity together, pandas! And to know more about why we’re so into recreational horror, read our interview with American Literature lecturer Dr. Kevin Corstorphine.

#1 Was Leaving My House At 6am And Found This In The Dew On The Front Steps

Image credits: NastyPotatoes

There's certainly something to be said about why people actively seek out and are fans of horror. There seems to be something about scary things that draws people in. It can’t be just the fact that people like to be scared, right? Bored Panda spoke about the specifics of horror with Dr. Kevin Corstorphine, lecturer in American Literature at the University of Hull.

Dr. Corstorphine says that one of the reasons we like horror is because of its soothing element. This might sound counterintuitive, but scary things might provide comfort to us. “Being scared is thrilling,” Corstorphine says, “but I think that most people who really enjoy horror and actively seek it out find an element of solace in it. Horror is unfortunately a part of life, and fiction lets us explore it and make sense of it somehow.”

#2 Subtropical Swamp In Louisiana, USA

Image credits: colapepsikinnie

#3 Hidden Microphones

Image credits: One_Warthog_3520

Different types of media might scare and terrify us in different ways. An eerie song might unsettle us, a scary book can conjure up different creepy images in our minds. Film, of course, is more explicit, it leaves less to the imagination, and so does photography. Thus sometimes visual media is best at evoking a scare out of us.

Dr. Corstorphine agrees: “Even though a film might have many components that work together, it's interesting that images stick out so strongly for us: Regan's possession in The Exorcist, Carrie dripping with blood at the prom, or even some of the gruesome torture scenes from the Saw films. The visual is definitely the element that stays with us and comes back even if we try to forget about it!”

#4 My Dog Was Pretty Nervous About Heading Down This Trail For Some Reason

Image credits: grichardson526

#5 A Female Omothymus Spider Spotted In Malaysia

Image credits: damagedgoodz99824

#6 Sinkhole In Turkey

Image credits: j3ffr33d0m

However, horror is not always as explicit as it is in the Saw franchise. The photos in this list are proof that sometimes things scare or unsettle us even if they’re seemingly mundane. It’s the strangeness we find in ordinary things, what Freud called unheimlich (the unhomely). 

#7 A Tunnel Dug By The Giant Ground Sloth In Brazil (10,000 Years Ago)

Image credits: Monsur_Ausuhnom

#8 Driving At Night With Astigmatism

Image credits: Mint_Perspective

#9 Abdandoned House's Porch Looks Like A Mouth With Fangs

Image credits: allthecoffeesDP

Dr. Corstorphine explains the uncanny: “[It’s] that weird mix of the familiar and strange, like when you wake up and just for a second, your dressing gown is a hooded figure standing in your bedroom. In visual art and film, I think this comes across frequently with the look in someone's face, and the eyes in particular. It's that sense that something is not quite right that's so unsettling.”

#10 My Job Is To Inspect Every Single One Of These Car, Night Time Hits Different

I can't ever shake the feeling someone, or something, is going to jump out from one of these. Always hearing these weird whisper noises that I'm sure is the wind, but still makes your hair stand up.

Image credits: TikTokBoom173

#11 This Monstrosity On The Bathroom Ceiling Of A Local Restaurant

Image credits: yarbed

#12 Coal Miners Returning From The Depths After A Days Work, Belgium, Circa 1900

Image credits: Homunculus_316

Dr. Corstorphine’s research interests include horror and Gothic fiction and he has written extensively on authors such as Bram Stoker, H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King. “I'm a big fan of the Evil Dead films, including the latest ones,” he shares his favorites. “It's that mix of body horror, tension, and a bit of humor that works for me.”

#13 Lighthouse Perched On A Rock Pillar In The Westman Islands, Iceland

Image credits: j3ffr33d0m

#14 Nasa's James Webb Telescope Has Spotted A Giant 'Question Mark' Object In Deep Space

Image credits: MrSpankMan_whip

#15 Vegetables Shaped Like Humans

This farmer couple used silicon to create molds in the shape of their own feet. They then planted turnips using these molds. As the turnips grew, they filled the molds and took on the shape of their feet.

Image credits: Blueberry_Conscious_

Corstorphine is also aware that picking favorite pieces of horror (or any kind of) media is notably personal. “I think there's a nostalgic element to horror films as well: they're bound up with the experiences you've had watching them in a specific time and place,” the academic says.

He also includes the video game franchise Silent Hill amongst his favorites for its inventive visuals. For anyone interested in visual horror, he would also recommend the art of Clive Barker, the creator of the Hellraiser franchise.

#16 Wait… A Victim Of The What??

Image credits: Quick_Presentation11

#17 The Sun Being Compared To A Lovecraftian Deity Is Terrifying

Image credits: aconnor105

#18 Chris Mccandless Note That Was Found In His Truck In The Middle Of Alaska

Image credits: CapitalCompass201

Aarhus University in Denmark has a Recreational Fear Lab which studies the human fascination with all things frightening. Its director Matthias Clasen told The Washington Post he and his team identified three broad types of horror genre enthusiasts. “Adrenaline junkies”, “white knucklers” and “dark copers”.

#19 Pyongyang, North Korea

Image credits: psychoPiper

#20 Hiding In The School’s Communal Showers During A Code Yellow Turned Red (Few Months Ago)

Image credits: yaniiiio

#21 The Cork-Lid Trapdoor Spider. If You See What Looks Like An Ancient Coin Buried In Sand, Leave It Alone

Image credits: badlybloviate99

“Adrenaline junkies” get an adrenaline rush from the recreational fear experience and seek it on purpose. This heightens their mood as the endocrine system releases cortisol and noradrenaline as well, resulting in a kind of high, driven by experiencing fright. 

#22 Brine Pools At The Bottom Of The Sea

Image credits: Rumhed

#23 Two Prison Guards Posing For A Photo With Ed Kemper, Who Was 6’9 And 300lbs

Image credits: CalmlyOpen

#24 David And Louise Turpin Together With Their Children They Kept Imprisoned And Abused For Many Years

Image credits: austinpowers100

“White knucklers” tend to look for that sweet spot that is neither too scary, nor too boring. They usually employ humor or try to lessen their exposure to the frightening stimuli. Thus they’re more motivated by self-learning than attaining some sort of high from adrenaline.

#25 Ad About Work Accidents On A Colombian Magazine, Posted 30 May 2001

Image credits: Absolve_N0ne

#26 Sinking Of Amoco Cadiz In Brittany 1978 Looks Like A Giant Whale Surfacing

Image credits: Monsur_Ausuhnom

#27 What Rip Current Looks Like

Image credits: zhangyuandyou

Lastly, “dark copers” are the closest to what Dr. Corstorphine described. Through frightening stimuli, they’re able to challenge themselves and challenge their fears in order to deal with their anxieties in the real world. The researchers at the Recreational Fear Lab found that horror fans are more resilient psychologically, as was proved in the beginning of the 2020 pandemic.

#28 This Is A Single Shot And Not Two Pictures

Image credits: Monsur_Ausuhnom

#29 A Nursing Home Flooding

Image credits: WhitePinoy

#30 The Vegas Msg Sphere

Image credits: Kalunda2

Whether you’re an adrenaline seeker or just looking for how to survive in the world, horror is a great form of entertainment to enjoy. There’s no need to think that liking scary and unsettling things is somehow wrong. So don’t forget to upvote the best terrifying photos from this list, pandas!

#31 Saw The Full Mirror In My Hotel Room Randomly Shake And Discovered This Space In The Wall Behind It

Image credits: Schlower288

#32 Ferris Wheel On A Local Night Fair

Image credits: steikul

#33 This Is Jocelyn Wildenstein, The Wealthy Socialite Nicknamed “Bride Of Wildenstein” And “Catwoman” Because Of Her Extreme Plastic Surgery

Image credits: No_Pea_476

#34 Abandoned Summer Camp Closed Due To A Child Drowning In The Lake. Sound Familiar ?

Image credits: darkexploration_

#35 House While Hiking In The Appalachian Trails. There Were No Paths Or Roads Going To This House

Image credits: Mobile-Historian-33

#36 Youtuber Dallmyd Vlogged Their Trip To The Same Submersible That Would Later Implode A Few Days Later. Their Trip Down The Titanic Was Cancelled Due To The Weather. This Is What The Inside Looked Like

Image credits: TheWebsploiter

#37 Close-Up Of An Ant

Image credits: goldensnakes

#38 I Was There… January 15, 2018

Image credits: Historical-Remove401

#39 1 Am And My Cop Neighbor Is Doing This Through My Kitchen Window

Image credits: Trick_Tracy1125

#40 Came Across This Abandoned Building In Vermont While Hiking In The Woods. There’s No Door And The Windows Have Been Boarded Up And Caged

Image credits: lawyersgunznmoney90

#41 Texas City Shares Photo Of Unidentified "Entity' Outside Zoo

Image credits: PrestonGarveyFo76

#42 Having A Barbecue And There's A Tent In My Backyard

Image credits: sj12000

#43 A Restraining Device Used To Immobilize Infants During Circumcision

Image credits: i-d-even-k-

#44 Lil Tay's Youtube Page's 'About Me' Was Changed To 'Help Me.'

Image credits: beguiledhydra34

#45 Poor Matthew

Image credits: smoothloam

#46 Walked Outside To See What The Dog Was Barking At

Image credits: sparkzsims

#47 Partially Submerged Statue Of Shiva The Destroyer During The Flash Flood In Uttrakhand

Image credits: lonely_dude__

#48 Hong Kong Apartments

Image credits: tandyman234

#49 Got Home Late From Work To Find My Entryway Vent Like This

Image credits: rafaelninja13

#50 Maybe Its Because Im Not American, But This Looks Terrifying To Live In

Image credits: imaunicorndonttell

#51 Dendrocnide Moroides, Or Deadly Stinger, Is One Of The Most Dangerous Shrubs In The World And Even Morphine Is Rendered Ineffective Against Its Venom

Image credits: reddit.com

#52 I Don't Even Know What The Middle Emoji Is Supposed To Mean

Image credits: Optimal_Test3280

#53 Friend Found This Outside Her Door With Some Damage At The Lock, What Would This Be?

Image credits: revoltinglemur

#54 The Wreck Of The Titanic From Afar

Image credits: clusterlove

#55 What My Fingers Look Like When I Get Out Of The Bath After Years Of Biting Them

Image credits: LORROTORRO

#56 Dark Hedges Ireland

Image credits: Monsur_Ausuhnom

#57 The Mummified Head Of Saint Catherine Of Siena (1347-1380) On Display At The Basilica Of San Domenico, Siena, Italy

Image credits: beefeater1987

#58 This Shark Has Seen Some Shit

Image credits: Unfair_Buddy_870

#59 Our Hr Team Just Received A Stapelia Flower As A Thank You From A Candidate. There's A Note Warning Not To Touch It Because It Will Sting And Not To Smell It Because It Smells Like Rotten Flesh

Image credits: Yachisaorick

#60 This Was New York City Earlier Today, Which Was Temporarily Ranked #1 For The Worst Air Quality In The World Due To The Wildfires In Canada

Image credits: consoLe_-

#61 Was Awoken In The Middle Of The Night To The Wind Blowing The Bedroom Door Shut, Then I Thought I Heard The Floor Creaking Like Someone Was Walking Around. I Opened My Camera App And This Was The First Screengrab I Saw

Image credits: shepherdish

#62 I Also Found Something While Digging In My Yard Today

Image credits: bcmoyer

#63 The Thoughts On What Kind Of Accidents This Stair Might Cause In The Future

Image credits: steikul

#64 This 9000-Year-Old Stone Mask Is The Oldest Mask In The World, And Was Found In The Judean Desert In Israel [3000x4000]

Image credits: -SimplyLemonade-

#65 This Dead(?) Spider I Found In My Basement Cellar

Image credits: sleepynatt

#66 The Control Room Of A German Sm Ub-110 Submarine From 1918

Image credits: RaidensReturn

#67 The “From Hell” Letter, Sent By Jack The Ripper To The President Of The Whitechapel Vigilance Committee That Was Pursuing Him

Image credits: silvercatbob

#68 I Need Help Identifying This Creature. It Came With A Fish We Ordered To Our Restaurant

Image credits: mista0000

#69 Bear Paw Armor, Used By Warriors In Islamic, Indian, Persian & Pakistani Civilizations

Image credits: secretslut991

#70 A Package I Received Today

Image credits: eat_mor_bbq

#71 Horseshoe Crabs

Image credits: volossaveroniki

#72 Found This In My Dog's Water. Assued That A Grasshopper Somehow Got Atuck In Some Weeds And Drowned. Yeah These Are No Weeds, I'm Uncertain What Exactly They Are But They Are Moving

Image credits: TromMF

#73 These Hand/Paw Prints On My Back Door

Image credits: Coduuuuuuuuuuuuu

#74 Found This Package Leaving My Apartment Building

Image credits: stosolus

#75 Found In A House In Eastern Oregon (High Desert Area). Described As “Oozing” When Touched

Image credits: ecanem63

#76 This Was Discovered While Renovating Our Home. The Previous Owners (25 Years) Have Never Seen It Before. We Removed Over A Foot Of Pine Needles

Image credits: Following_Confident

#77 Just Found At The Beach

Image credits: AccomplishedRuin4802

#78 Took A Photo Of My Baby Playing With A Light Up Ball. No Filters

Image credits: reddit.com

#79 Underwater Tunnel Connecting Denmark And Sweden

Image credits: Mint_Perspective

#80 This Smiling Dog

Image credits: Avonturian

#81 Found This In My Yard When I Was Trying To Dig A New Garden Bed

Image credits: ElizabethDangit

#82 In Response To The Truck Hauling Pork Blood, I Introduce You Liquid Chicken

Image credits: Icantfindmypinksock

#83 The Red House West Maui

Image credits: Mint_Perspective

#84 Elephant Seal

Image credits: socklayblue

#85 Dude Suddenly Wakes Up, Game Over!

Image credits: girolski07

#86 Kola Superdeep Borehole Is Under The Cap (40000 Ft Deep)

Image credits: Monsur_Ausuhnom

#87 GF Taking The Dog Outside For A Shit And The Crappy Amazon Solar Lights Illuminating Her Face

Image credits: KennKennyKenKen

#88 The Packaging Of These Barbies

Image credits: shah_mazing

#89 Zombie Ant Tank?

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#90 Since We’re Doing Houses Today…

Image credits: moodybeetle

#91 The Black Eyed Children Exist, I Was One. This Is An Unedited Film Photo Of Me Circa 1990s. No, My Parents Didn't Put Scleral Lenses On A Baby

Image credits: milkweedbro

#92 Unattended Toddler Crawled Inside An X-Ray Machine Scanner

Image credits: AbatNaBitin

#93 Someone Just Dropped Off Possible Malware At My Front Door

Image credits: Douglas_duh_dragon

#94 Concept Art For Bruce From Finding Nemo

Image credits: Few_Republic1136

#95 The Brain Of Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Middle) A Human Brain (Right) And A Wild Boar (Left)

Image credits: Movie_Advance_101

#96 My Kid At Costume Camp

Image credits: cornonthecobster

#97 Almost Swallowed This

Image credits: StrawberryBanner

#98 Kidney Stones Under An Electron Microscope

Image credits: damagedgoodz99824

#99 These Clothes Are Next To The Lake For A Few Days Now. I Hope There Is A Harmless Explanation (I Checked, No Missing Persons In The Area)

Image credits: reddit.com

#100 Ella Harper, 1885

Image credits: nachtraum

#101 "Human" Feet On A Language Learning App

Image credits: PastCalligrapher1624

#102 Southern California Just Got Hit With An Earthquake During A Hurricane

Image credits: He-is

#103 This Milk Has Been Rotting In A Broken Fridge At My Local Dg For A Month. They Don’t Even Have The Decency To Throw It Out

Image credits: sulindalee

#104 What The Feet?!?

Image credits: Recyart

#105 Abandoned Diner

Image credits: Monsur_Ausuhnom

#106 Built In The 18th Century, This Is One Of The Oldest Buildings In Hattfjelldal Municipality In Norland, Norway

Image credits: Photon_Pharmer

#107 This Persons House

Image credits: firefighter_82

#108 6 Year Old Paperboy, 1910

Image credits: VincentKo

#109 "The Wizard Of Oz' Wrap Party - 1939

Image credits: joelman0

#110 Godzilla Ramen. Big Seller In Taiwan

Image credits: goldensnakes

#111 A Black House In Germany

Image credits: Monsur_Ausuhnom

#112 This Is New

Image credits: Yoshikage-Kira-4