Scariest Movie?

I have a huge stack of horror novels I’m trying to get through, but unfortunately my Netflix queue has gotten a little skimpy.

To date, the scariest movie I have ever seen, which has rattled me at every viewing, at every year of my life, remains the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It isn’t nearly as bloody as you might guess from the title. What persists for me is the mood. I don’t like what it feels like to watch this movie, even when nothing disturbing is happening. It all manages to disturb me, long before things start moving fast in the final act.

I had a similar reaction to The Exorcist upon my first few viewings, but I watched it again recently and was mostly bored. Most of that movie is very slow for me, and the shocking bits don’t startle me anymore.

How about you? Got a nomination for scariest movie? How long has it been since you watched your choice?