The scariest movies of 2014 that have kept us up all night

It has either kept you up all night, forced you to sleep with the lights on or just completely changed your perception about a certain totally normal activity like visiting a friend or buying dolls. Pulse’s ROSE KWAMBOKA looks at the scariest movies of 2014, which will add that much needed paranoia to your life

We all have that scary movie that was too terrifying we wish we never watched it and this year has not been any different in Hollywood. Jessabelle If you rarely visit your upcountry home, make a point of never returning there. Do not say I did not warn you. After losing her fiancé and the use of her legs in a car accident, Jessie retreats to her father’s rundown Louisiana mansion to recuperate from the horrific car crash. There she finds a strange gift from her long-dead mother and comes face-to-face with a long-tormented spirit that has been seeking her return, and has no intention of letting her escape. Annabelle John Form has found the perfect gift for his expectant wife, Mia - a beautiful, rare vintage doll. But Mia’s delight with Annabelle does not last long. On one horrific night, their home is invaded by members of a satanic cult, who violently attack the couple. When the cultist Annabelle kills herself, she conjures a supernatural entity that will continue to live inside the doll and terrorise the young family. Annabelle the doll is creepy and makes you want to exorcise all demons from dolls before you buy them, or not buy any at all. As Above, So Below When a team of explorers venture into the uncharted maze of bones they uncover the deadly secret of the city of the dead. Descending into madness and terror, they will be forced to confront their sins head on or be extinguished. Willow Creek A believer drags his long-suffering girlfriend around Bigfoot tourist sites and then deep into Six Rivers National Forest in Northern California, video camera in tow, hoping to shoot his own Bigfoot footage at the site of the famous Patterson-Gimlin film. As night falls they start to realise what a dangerous situation they have put themselves in and is a reminder of the power of suggestion. Deliver Us from Evil A New York City police officer who had put his Irish-Catholic faith behind him, teams with an unorthodox priest, schooled in the rituals of exorcism, to investigate a series of disturbing and inexplicable crimes involving the occult and possible demonic possession. Together they are to combat the frightening and demonic possessions that are terrorizing their city. Afflicted After watching this one, you will never want to go on a trip, ever. Two best friends documenting their global backpacking trip have things take a dark turn when one of them is struck by a mysterious affliction during an encounter with a woman. Imbued with incredible powers of speed and durability, he initially revels in it. However, soon blood is being spilled. Now, in a foreign land, they must race to uncover the source before it consumes him completely. Horns Maybe this one may be the answer to your drinking problem. Horns follows Ig Perrish the number one suspect for the violent rape and murder of his girlfriend, Merrin. Nursing a hangover from a night of hard drinking, Ig awakens one morning to find horns starting to grow on his head and soon realises their power drives people to confess their sins and give in to their most selfish and unspeakable impulses – an effective tool in his quest to discover the true circumstances of his late girlfriend’s tragedy and for exerting revenge on her killer. The Babadook Six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia is at a loss. She struggles to discipline her ‘out of control’ 6 year-old, Samuel, a son she finds impossible to love. Samuel’s dreams are plagued by a monster he believes is coming to kill them both. When a disturbing storybook called ‘The Babadook’ turns up at their house, Samuel is convinced that the Babadook is the creature he has been dreaming about. Amelia, genuinely frightened by her son’s behaviour, is forced to medicate him but when she begins to see glimpses of a sinister presence all around her, it slowly dawns on her that the thing Samuel has been warning her about may be real. Tusk When a podcast journalist goes missing in the backwoods of Manitoba while interviewing a mysterious seafarer, his best friend and podcast co-host team up with the missing journo’s girlfriend to find him. They are soon to realise that what they thought as the seafarer’s incredible past lies his dark secret that involves a walrus. Makes you want to meet people in places you know. Stage Fright Can you sing to save your life? Seriously, can you? Teenager Camilla Swanson is forced to do so when, in her attempt to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a Broadway diva, she sneaks into auditions for the summer showcase and lands the lead role in the play. Just as rehearsals gets underway, the bodies start to drop. A masked killer who despises musical theatre is on the prowl and Camilla soon finds herself terrified by the horror of musical theatre, keeping her tongue in check to the music. Talk about a musical horror.