From ‘Pulse’ to ‘Host’ and ‘Unfriended,’ fans debates the best internet-heavy horror movies

For something that’s become engrained in our daily lives to the point of feeling less than mundane, today’s technology carries some awfully terrifying possibilities with it; how often do we think about how easily someone could find out where we live, or the fact that nearly every aspect of our lives, from our finances to our personal information, all hinges on the safety of cyberspace? Our lives are truly in the hands of the internet, the modern embodiment of chaos itself.

Thankfully, the horror genre is known for taking advantage of any and all avenues it’s presented with, and the chilling possibilities that surround this new age of technology is delightful fuel for the creative mind. Now, with the folks of r/horror on the hunt for some good techno-horror, everyone has pitched in to compile the best of the best, and the ones we’re best off avoiding.

One user kicked off the discussion by sharing their experience with We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, a 2022 film that toyed with elements of influencer “challenge” culture against a coming-of-age backdrop. With some of the trends that go around on TikTok, perhaps future generations may mistake it for a documentary.

One responder went international, pitching 2001 Japanese horror film Pulse as one of their all-time favorite horror films, followed quickly by another user warning everyone to avoid the 2006 American remake.

And, of course, we shouldn’t talk about techno-horror without mentioning Host, the independent homerun of a film that still boasts a 100 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, two years after its release.

And the scariest thing is, technology is only going to get more bizarre and all-encompassing as time goes on; who knows what alien-esque mediums the techno-horror films of tomorrow will get the chance to play around with?