Our 5 Most Frightening Travel Films Of All Time

With Halloween just a few days away, we thought it our duty to get you into the spirit of things with a few films that will get the little hairs on the back of your neck to stand to attention.

5. The Blair Witch Project - Camping Disaster

The Blair Witch Project may not be the most frightening film of all time, but there's no denying that watching it made your next camping trip feel a lot more exciting. Part of the film's genius was never showing the witch - she only exists in your mind, so viewers are left to create a monster on their own.

Although it has dated, this film can be credited with starting the Faux-documentary horror genre, which lead to the more recent Paranormal Activity franchise - some of the most terrifying movies ever made (in our opinion, anyway). Films like The Blair Witch Project play games with our psyche, leaving us to question truth from fiction. You'll feel the effect most when you're in bed late at night, and your mind wonders back to the witch you conjured up while sitting on the couch.

4. An American Werewolf In London - Local Backpacking Gone Wrong

Our backpacker insurance policies are pretty comprehensive, but I'm not so sure we can cover being attacked by werewolves. This is exactly what happens to the two young backpackers who find themselves travelling through the British countryside. The frightening part is the grotesque scenes where the 'hero' of the film is transformed into a werewolf. The ground breaking make-up team did an incredible job of displaying the horrific curse of the werewolf - these scenes are still an eye-full, even by today's standards.

Besides gore, this is also a great film for laughs, as horror and comedy are cleverly woven into the plot. The comedy helps to lighten the action, though the dream sequences are still slightly disturbing. You may have a different opinion of your family pets after seeing this one...

3. A Nightmare On Elm Street - A Cutting Astral Travelling Experience

The scene where Tina's limp, sleeping body is suddenly thrust into the air and slashed to pieces by an invisible baddie is enough to scare the pants off most of us. The frightening idea of Freddy Krueger grabbing hold of you in your dreams helped create an entire generation of insomniacs back in 1984. Unlike other slasher films, Freddy didn't wear a mask and you could clearly see his hideously burnt face, which was terrifying enough! Wes Craven delivered a timeless film when he made Nightmare On Elm Street, and coupled with the eight sequals, he is responsible for months of lost sleep.

2. Psycho - Motel Madness

The horrific slaying of Janet Leigh's character in the shower is where the slashing of beautiful heroines in horror films all started. The accompanying musical score, which gave the scene a tension never experienced by viewers, has added to the shower scene becoming one of the most iconic horror moments of all time. Alfred Hitchcock literally changed the way people cleaned themselves. After Psycho was released, doors were locked and people kept their eyes peeled at all times, even if that meant getting a whole bottle of shampoo in their eyes. We can assure everyone that hotels these days are in no way as terrifying as the Bates Motel that Hitchcock gave us.

1. The Exorcist - A Curse From The Past

When watching the Exorcist, it's hard to decide which scenes you should keep the lights on for - we have concluded that you should keep them on for the entire film! A sweet and innocent little girl being possessed by a demon is perhaps the scariest film plot we can imagine. Before the demon can be defeated (or even attacked) you are required to believe in it - this is what leaves you wondering about your own beliefs afterwards.

All heaviness aside, the Exorcist delivers all the right ingredients - scary musical score (tubular bells), unexpected frights (the face of the demon flashing when least expected) and innocence turning into pure evil (the young girl, Regan, who is possessed) all come together to give you the perfect reason to stay up late into the evening, watching cartoons to try to take your mind off the creaks and bumps around the house.