Top 10 Movies That Make You Afraid of Going on a Road Trip

Holiday road trips are typically fun. But when there’s family involved, anything can happen. In this French horror flick, dad strays from his usual routine, and the consequences are deadly. One by one, the Harrington clan disappears, with the backwoods making everybody crazy, along with a mystery hearse. “Dead End” was made on the cheap, but the horror is effective. It reminds that a bad driver can make you nervous, but a reckless driver will make you afraid. In his case, Marion Harrington must decipher what’s real and what’s not - at least if she wants to survive the madness.

Road trips are about spontaneity. Just ask Lewis Thomas, who buys a Chrysler Newport, picks up his love interest, and even helps out his bro in John Dahl’s American thriller. Nobody knows the road like truck drivers, of course, and things go south when the gang horses around with a CB Radio. In “Joy Ride,” a simple prank leads to fear AND paranoia, with death not far around the corner. Lewis, Fuller, and Venna can’t predict what “Rusty Nail” will do, but they do learn that he’s not fooling around. And so, this joy ride is buzz-killed by pure road rage, with the baddie overcoming all obstacles to inflict his revenge.

In Texas, there’s plenty of land to explore. Then again, there’s also plenty of evil lurking in the shadows, apparently. In Rob Zombie’s horror flick, he utilizes classic genre tropes to highlight the dark side of road tripping. A kind gesture leads to a bizarre family dinner, and poor communication reveals a horrible family secret. And so, “House of 1000 Corpses” reveals a nasty web of terror, and it all could’ve been avoided if the road-trippers weren’t so curious about “Dr. Satan.” They put their trust in Baby, and Baby takes them directly to hell on earth.

In this bloody horror, fear arises through anticipation. Two British tourists and a Sydney native explore the Australian outback, and their lust for life, or naiveté, leads them to Wolf Creek National Park and a friendly man named Mick Taylor. Unsurprisingly, it’s all just an act, as it’s all just a part of a deadly game. The extreme violence is terrifying, and the raw visuals contrast some of the more stylistic horror films. Directed by Greg McLean, “Wolf Creek” will make you think twice about road tripping, as the subjects are victimized for their trust.

Road trips can feel liberating, but some people take unnecessary risks. In Quentin Tarantino’s grindhouse flick, a killer named Stuntman Mike McKay cruises around in his roll-caged rig while strategically intimidating his victims. So, when he spots a trio of thrill-seekers, he makes sure his presence is known. Regardless of the end result, “Death Proof” is a public service announcement for reckless road trippers, especially those who make an extra effort to be badass. In “Death Proof,” the mix of sensuality and intrigue is merely a method for the madness.

There are many reasons NOT to road trip in West Virginia, one of them being in-bred killers with a taste for their own kind - at least according to this film. But for the collegiate road trippers in “Wrong Turn,” they’re mostly worried about flat tires. A simple twist of fate leads them deeper into the woods, bringing them directly to evil. With a narrative supposedly based on urban myths, “Wrong Turn” reminds us that some roads aren’t meant to be explored and that you can’t always be sure if you’re trespassing. Mind your Ps and Qs in mountain territory. Otherwise, the locals will be on your trail if you make a wrong turn.

In this Alfred Hitchcock classic, it’s not about what you see, but how it makes you feel. Marion Crane needs money to get married, and a criminal act puts her on the road to California, with a stop at the Bates Motel. It doesn’t go well. “Psycho” paved the way for psychological horror, in which violence is implied rather than shown. By killing off the lead, Hitchcock suggests that nobody is safe, both in the movies and in the real world. Some filmmakers rely heavily on dialogue and gore to scare you off the road, yet Hitchcock does it through the set-up.

Road trips are about the moment. With “Nocturnal Animals,” director Tom Ford provides a terrifying spin on family outings, as the inciting incident is part of a meta-narrative. In West Texas, Tony Hastings hits the road, at night, with his wife and daughter. They’re in the middle of nowhere, and a group of baddies show up, setting the stage for a deadly chapter in Edward Sheffield’s fictional narrative. In “Nocturnal Animals,” the roadside terror feels authentic, made even worse by the final outcome and Tony’s complete desperation.

In this Wes Craven classic, Bob Carter learns a valuable lesson: listen to the local gas station owners. He doesn’t, of course, and so, a family road trip is shattered in “The Hills Have Eyes,” as the Carter family comes face to face with pure evil. Some movies suggest that hard work pays off, but this horror flick will teach your kids a different type of lesson, evidenced by all the hillside fails. When navigating the Great American West, it’s probably best to just keep your hands at 9 and 5.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“The Hitcher” (1986)
If You Needed Another Reason Not to Pick Up Hitchhikers, This Thriller’s Got It

“Duel” (1971)
Steven Spielberg’s Directorial Debut Will Make You Think Twice About Tailgating

“Vacancy” (2007)
You Should Probably Take Blood Curdling Screams as a Sign Not to Book a Room at a Motel

Just the title of this horror flick will give many people the heebie-jeebies. The location is established, while death – a specific manner of death – is implied, too. As you may have guessed, “The Texas Chain Saw Massacres” takes a dark turn when a group of kids decide to investigate a graveyard… at night… in Texas. As the title suggests, the gang has a rough time after picking up a hitchhiker, who takes them directly to “Leatherface.” He’s an iconic baddie of the horror genre, and let’s just say he’s got more than a few tricks up his sleeve. The moral? Don’t road trip. Ever.