The horror genre may be associated with gruesome kills and threats from beyond the grave, but I’d argue that some of the most effective scary movies deal with realistic fates worse than death. From maniacal super-fans to methodical serial killers, being kidnapped and then kept alive at the mercy of a ruthless antagonist is one of the most terrifying fears imaginable precisely because of how plausible it is.

That’s why sinister abductions have been at the heart of so many creepy horror flicks over the years, and with Scott Derrickson’s recent The Black Phone delivering on its thrilling premise of a boy attempting to escape the clutches of a child-kidnapping murderer, we’ve come up with this list of 6 of the best captivity-based horror movies – just in case you’re in the mood for some more confined scares.

As usual, this list is based on personal opinion, but we’ll try to only include pictures that deal with kidnappings and wrongful incarceration as their main themes, so no horror movies that happen to feature creepy abductions but don’t really use that idea as their main source of scares. We’ll also be limiting entries to one movie per franchise so things don’t get too repetitive.

Don’t forget to comment below with your own favorites if you think we missed any important captivity-based thrillers.

Now, onto the list…

6. The Collector (2009)

Marcus Dunstan’s The Collector shows up in last place due to the experience being more about avoiding capture by the titular killer rather than dealing directly with the horrors of captivity, but I think that the story’s cat-&-mouse thrills and chilling finale are more than enough to earn the film a spot on this list.

Not only is this one of the most memorable slashers of the 2000s, nearly gluing audiences to their seats as it forces them to watch a master thief attempt to out-maneuver a trap-setting serial killer, but it also makes the masked antagonist even scarier by suggesting that being killed off early is better than the alternative.

And if you enjoy this one, don’t forget to pray to whatever celestial power you believe in so that Dunstan’s long delayed The Collected might finally see the light of day!

5. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

While the commonly cited “Stockholm Syndrome” is largely contested by the scientific community due to the inherent difficulty of conducting repeatable studies about a condition related to kidnappings, there’s no doubt that fictional abductions are more interesting when the kidnapper is a charismatic figure. That’s why Dan Trachtenberg’s unexpected spin-off to 2008’s Found Footage kaiju thriller is so compelling, using John Goodman’s down-to-earth charms to keep audiences on their toes as it spins a claustrophobic story about apocalyptic paranoia.

I can still vividly remember the audience’s gasps during the third act of 10 Cloverfield Lane, which made the experience some of the most fun I’ve ever had in a theater. The film also contains some of the best use of a single location in genre cinema, proving that solid performances and a good story can make up for a lack of big-budget sets (though I still adore the flick’s bafflingly over-the-top finale).

4. Saw (2004)

The Saw franchise is now mostly known as the progenitor of the so-called “torture porn” sub-genre, but even hardcore horror fans often forget that the first film in the series was a tightly constructed thriller that relied on the hopeless terror of captivity to scare audiences.

Sure, the Seven-inspired police procedural elements were interesting enough, but the real meat of the film was the banter between two desperate men fighting against a simple yet horrific situation as they tried to escape a desolate bathroom. In fact, this minimalist approach to terror is so effective that it’s easy forget that the film’s entire plot can be traced back to a single memorable scene from the finale of 1979’s Mad Max.

3. Frontière(s) (2007)

Folks who claim that the 2000s were a bad time for the horror genre clearly aren’t aware of cinematic movements like the New French Extremity, which sought to produce hardcore scary movies that pushed the limits of terror. Among this collection of disturbing pictures is Xavier Gens’ Frontière(s), an unfortunately relevant thriller about a diverse group of thieves who are captured by a murderous family of neo-Nazis.

While often lumped together with other similar “torture porn” flicks, Gens’ brutal film stands out because of the realistic nature of its subject matter, coupling the very real horrors of political intolerance with masterfully directed gore and visceral scares. It’s certainly not for everyone, but rest assured that there’s a reason why this unsettling film ranks so high on this list.

2. Dread (2009)

One of my favorite Clive Barker adaptations and one hell of a disturbing indie horror flick, Anthony DiBlasi’s Dread may take a while to get to the actual “captivity” part of the story, but trust me when I say that it leads to one of the most haunting climaxes in all of horror fiction.

There’s a reason why this is one of the few Barker yarns that doesn’t need to rely on supernatural shenanigans to deliver abject terror, so suffice to say that it successfully explores a series of believably down-to-earth fears during a terrifying dive down human psychology.

1. Misery (1990)

It’s rare for an “old” movie to become even more relevant with the evolution of social media, but Rob Reiner’s Misery does just that by depicting the unsettling consequences of fandom gone wrong. One of the best Stephen King adaptations out there, this chilling film tells the classic story of a famous author unfortunate enough to find himself being held captive in the home of his biggest (and most unhinged) fan.

James Caan and Kathy Bates were simply made for these iconic roles, but the film truly excels at extracting terror from mundane situations like literary conversations and awkward dinners. And in the days of toxic online fanbases and obsessed followers, what could be scarier than being kept at the mercy of a fanatic with nothing left to lose?