VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton WRITTEN BY: Shane O'Gorman, Nathan Sharp
#20: “Pencil Face”
Uploaded by SCADshorts in 2008, “Pencil Face” is a popular video that has amassed nearly 2.5 million views. A bizarre but creative work, “Pencil Face” shows a young girl interacting with a giant pencil. Said pencil has a creepy face and allows the girl to conjure objects out of thin air. Let’s just say, it doesn’t end too well for the pencil’s poor victim. It’s a very well made video, especially when it comes to early YouTube. It’s filmed well, the design of the pencil is incredibly eerie, and a disturbing musical motif repeats throughout the video, putting the viewer in a near-hypnotic trance. The mood it creates is one of extreme uncertainty.
#19: “The Sounds of Hell”
Scour YouTube for a minute and you’ll find dozens of videos on the Siberian “Sounds of Hell.” These videos have received millions of views, all of which tell the same story. The legend goes that Soviet engineers drilled a nine-mile hole into the Siberian ground, and when they lowered a microphone into the hole, they captured the literal sounds of Hell. Unfortunately, this story has proven to be fake, and the “sounds of Hell” are just spliced-together sound effects. Fake or not, the noises are still incredibly chilling, and we have to give major props to the talented editor who made it. They truly did capture the sounds of Hell - or, at least, what we would imagine Hell to sound like.
#18: “11B X 1371”
There are cryptic YouTube videos, and then there’s “11B X 1371.” Even its title defies sense! The video was originally uploaded in May 2015, before being reuploaded under another channel in October. A person in an old plague doctor outfit stands inside an abandoned building and performs many puzzling actions, none of which can be properly deciphered. Harsh, distorted noises can also be heard throughout the video, which helps aid in its confounding tone. Viewers scoured the footage to decipher its meaning, with many even conducting frame-by-frame analysis. In 2016, creator Parker Wright gave an interview with the Daily Dot and revealed that the video was made as a creepy art project. Maybe there’s no greater meaning behind it, but it sure is scary!
#17: “Cooking Idol”
We uh, we don’t really know what’s going on in this video. But we don’t like it. It was uploaded back in September 2010 by a user named nana825763 and has since amassed over three million views. It begins with a fantastic jump scare, as creepy whispering and demonic noises are followed by a doll’s face slamming into the camera. What follows is a pure, surreal nightmare, as the doll cooks, dances, and just kind of jiggles around. We don’t know what’s scarier - the bizarre visuals bathed in red or the disturbing sound effects that are played throughout the video. But we do know that both combine to create a truly unforgettable YouTube experience.
#16: “Sad Satan”
On June 25, 2015, a user named Obscure Horror Corner uploaded gameplay of a PC title called “Sad Satan.” The user claimed to have found the game on the deep web, and it proved deeply upsetting for many. As the player walks down darkened corridors, audio of serial killers can be heard and disturbing images continuously appear on screen, most of which reference horrific, criminal acts. What makes this even scarier is the fact that we don’t know much about it. Obscure Horror Corner disappeared after uploading the gameplay, and not much is known about “Sad Satan.” Some believe it was created by Obscure Horror Corner themself. Others aren’t sure what to believe. It’s an Internet legend, and one that has never been solved.
#15: “Chasing Alien Through Aussie Woods”
There are literally countless videos out there purporting to show alien encounters. This is one of the best. The user has uploaded a number of supposed alien sightings to his channel, but this is by far the most popular, generating nearly two and a half million views. He and his buddies panic after seeing an alien and chase it through the woods, resulting in some good “Blair Witch” style scares. Even though it’s likely scripted, it’s still a great bit of filmmaking and does a fantastic job in building tension. It just goes to show that you don’t need a lot of money to create an unforgettable short film.
#14: Edarem Sings “Pretty Woman”
Edarem was a very popular YouTuber in the late 2000s, known for his eccentric videos and somewhat creepy appearance. In this famous one from January 2009, the wild-haired Edarem dances for the camera and lip syncs to Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman.” The video alone is creepy enough, as it has an unsettling air of weirdness to it. But the context makes it even more disturbing. Edarem was a man named Edward Muscare, who served eighteen months in prison in the late ‘80s for sexual battery. It was these YouTube videos that eventually got Muscare re-arrested, as he was prohibited from owning a computer and uploading content. He was sentenced to five years in prison and died in custody.
#13: “14 Horror Stories Animated”
If Halloween season rolls around and you have nothing new to watch, try giving this video a try. It was uploaded by YouTuber Llama Arts, and it sees them animating fourteen unique scary stories. Running nearly one hour in length, the video is a wonderful bit of horror filmmaking. The stories are freaky, the narration is suitably haunting, and the accompanying animation visualizes the terror in a distinctive manner. The video proved incredibly popular, and as of 2023 it has been seen by nearly 22 million people. It speaks to the talent of Llama Arts and the quality of the stories in question.
#12: “The Swedish Rhapsody”
In January of 2011, YouTube channel TheConetArchive uploaded a video titled “The Swedish Rhapsody.” Despite its title, the audio was taken from a radio station broadcasting out of Poland. It consists of a repeating piece of music and what sounds like a small girl’s voice speaking in a cryptic and robotic manner. Just imagine tuning into this in the dead of night, not knowing what it was or where it was coming from. You may think the world is ending. Well, that’s kind of what it was for. This audio was taken from a numbers station run by Poland’s Ministry of Public Security, and it was broadcast to spies during the Cold War.
#11: “Spoons”
We’re going way back with “Spoons,” the first video in the famous “Salad Fingers” series. “Spoons” was first published on Newgrounds on July 1, 2004 and made the transition to YouTube in 2007. The animated short was a major success on both platforms and has since garnered over forty million views on YouTube. It’s an all-time classic bit of Internet horror, featuring unforgettable visuals, an uneasy storyline, and a wonderfully eerie vocal performance from creator David Firth. It was truly ahead of its time, and even to this day, “Spoons” remains a wickedly creepy little video.
#10: “Mass of Daddy Long Legs in a Tree”
KILL. IT. WITH. FIRE. In this video clip, someone from Arizona felt compelled to disturb a cluster of daddy long legs gathering together (for whatever reason). Anyone with serious arachnophobia watching this… avert your eyes! While daddy long-legs aren’t necessarily a harmful arachnid in comparison to other spiders in the world, the manner in which they scatter across the tree with those freakishly long legs of theirs definitely unsettles us. The second the person filming pokes them with a stick, they scramble into every possible direction and, even though we know there is a computer screen separating us from the creepy crawlers, we can help but be nervous that they might overflow right onto our laps. Ugh!
#9: “Hand Thing”
Have you ever done the “hand thing?” No? Neither have we, and we doubt we ever will after watching this creepfest. In this video, two people that have dressed themselves up to look like giant dolls speak to each other in very squeaky voices, while talking about and performing the “hand thing.” They make incredibly strange noises as they repeat the same hand movements over and over again. The repetitive nature of the video generates a heavy sense of madness, as we are sucked further and further into this mind-numbing and off-putting cycle of unparalleled insanity. It may not have grotesque monsters or unexpected jump scares, but “Hand Thing” proves that a descent into pure, inexplicable lunacy can sometimes be more effectively terrifying than anything else.
#8: “I Feel Fantastic”
We feel anything BUT fantastic after watching this one. In this disturbing video, a mannequin is dressed up in a variety of different outfits and placed into a plain-looking room. Seems more weird than scary with just the visuals alone, but it’s the combination of both the off-beat imagery and chilling audio that truly sells the scares this time around. The eerie soundtrack provides a calm but altogether unnerving atmosphere, as the lifeless doll does little but stare at you while the strange melody continues on. While we’re at it, what the hell is up with that video description? It brings up Greek mythology and the philosophies of what true beauty is. It kinda makes us feel like they are confusing the terms “fantastic” and “frightening” a little here.
#7: “The Disneyland Ghost”
Who is up for something more light-hearted to take a break from all of this horrifying material? How about a trip to Disneyland! Disneyland is the exact opposite of spooky! It’s the most approachable, friendly, charming place that we can think of… and, uh, WHAT WAS THAT?! Unfortunately, it seems like not even the wonderful world of Disney is safe from the supernatural entities of our universe, as cameras have captured strange footage of a ghastly presence prowling the grounds at night. Some people have hypothesized that this is the spirit of the man himself: Walt Disney! Whether it’s an actual ghost or just a video glitch, the image seen here will not be leaving our subconscious anytime soon.
#6: “Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared”
How could a video featuring colorful, happy-go-lucky puppets gathering together to “get creative” be even remotely scary? Well, let’s just say that “Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared” is the very definition of expecting the unexpected. Everything seems to be calm and collected at first, but the slow burn of the terror to come begins to build until the ending where the intensity reaches a fever pitch and things GET NUTS. Shocking, split-second shots of hearts, bloody pies and thunderstorms are accompanied by an ear-scratching soundtrack, all of which results in an incredibly disturbing experience. We never expected a seemingly “Sesame Street” style video to get so dark, so fast. Don’t follow the instructions in the video’s title; please hug us, we’re scared.
#5: “Obey the Walrus” [aka “Obedece a la morsa”]
This entry defies any sense of logic or explanation. After a brief and unexplainable inclusion of the villain Andross from the “Star Fox” video game series, the video suddenly bombards the viewer with a kaleidoscope of colors and visual patterns before the “main attraction” begins. The video is apparently a product made by a Latin American cult of people who worship an otherworldly entity known only as the “walrus;” whatever the individual dancing around has to do with this “walrus” is anyone’s guess. Supposedly, bad luck will follow anyone shortly after they witness this video so… if your life gets crappy shortly after watching our countdown, we’re sorry for dragging you into this.
#4: “Body of a Pig”
Let’s play count the “nopes,” shall we? “Nope” number one: the cameraman and his colleagues are exploring a dark and desolate environment. “Nope” number two: said environment was highly rumored to be haunted! “Nope” number three, and this one is the kicker: they decide to open a big, red, metallic door to see what is on the other side. Almost immediately upon opening the door, a grumbly voice is just barely audible, with the video repeating the sound several times just in case you don’t catch it. After being slowed down and cleared up, a voice can be heard saying “I have the body of a pig” just before making grunting sounds. What they heard, however, is nothing compared to what they saw.
#3: “Bedfellows”
We can all take some comfort in knowing that this video is 100% fake, as it is a short horror film, identifying itself as a work of fiction. However, this doesn’t make it any less scary. A woman lies in bed next to who we can only assume to be her husband, due to the numerous photographs of them that we are shown throughout the video. However, things take a twisted and unexpected turn when the woman gets a phone call from her husband, who is just letting her know that he went for a little walk. Well, that’s all well and good… but if that’s her husband on the phone…then who’s lying next to her? Cue the heart-stopping jump scare in three, two, one.
#2: “Dining Room or There Is Nothing”
Upon clicking the video, you are immediately shown a pale woman in drab clothing while a fire rages behind her. Things only get creepier from there as the woman stares blankly into the camera. As it pulls back, it reveals an empty-looking room and what appears to be a bowl set for someone sitting opposite of her. She also says phrases that can’t really be understood in her eerily monotone voice and we can’t help but jump in our seats when she suddenly smashes her face into her bowl. We aren’t really sure what’s happening here, but horror works best with that element of the unknown… and this video has it in spades.
#1: “Girl Goes Psycho During Makeup Tutorial”
Scary, horrifying, disturbing, creepy; take your pick over which words you wish to use to describe what happens in this video, because by the end, it left us completely speechless. It starts off innocently enough, with a woman providing helpful hints and suggestions for makeup advice. However, if “Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared” taught us anything, it’s that even the cheeriest setup can go south very quickly. The woman is proceeding to demonstrate various makeup techniques when, out of nowhere, her live feed is interrupted by what looks like a darkened room. After this, she seemingly becomes possessed by... something, loses control of her own body, and she proceeds to violently smash her face into a bloody and broken mess.
