Several outlets have published rankings of scary movies, with some focusing on recent releases since a film like "Hereditary" and others considering a broader time frame, such as the last 10 or 40 years. The rankings vary in terms of the number of movies included, from 6 to 25, and the criteria used to determine scariness, such as heart rate or general opinion. The lists appear to be timed for halloween, but the specific movies and rankings differ across outlets.