The scariest movie of all time sparked a lively debate amongst our readers with responses ranging from classic horrors to family films.

Since the dawn of cinema, filmmakers have used the medium to scare cinemagoers

From silent era classics like Nosferatu and the Cabinet of Dr Caligari, through the heydays of the Universal Monsters in the 30s and 40s and Hammer Horror in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

The 70s and 80s saw the rise of new horror icons such as Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Pinhead, Chucky, and Jason Voorhees, that are still very much alive today.

Today, some of the biggest cinema franchises are scary movies, such as Insidious, The Conjuring, including the Nun and Anabelle series, and Paranormal Activity.

In a Halloween-inspired enquiry that saw plenty of jest as well as genuine chills, our readers were asked about the film which frightened them the most.

Popular titles included "A Nightmare on Elm Street", "Hellraiser", "The Exorcist" and "The Omen".

Horror classics were well represented among the responses.

"The Exorcist", deemed by many as the most terrifying ever adoption of a novel, was referenced multiple times.

"Salem’s Lot", Stephen King's classic, also found favour with some of our readers.

Among the more contemporary horror films, movies like "Hereditary" were also mentioned by our readers, indicating that new generation horror films continue to scare viewers despite advancements in graphic design and visual effects.

Some readers stated classic family films like "Bambi", "Pinocchio" and "Wizard of Oz" have traumatised generations of children.

Whether it was the traumatic death of Bambi's mother or the evil witch and her flying monkeys that scared people, these answers highlight the subjectivity of fear.

Readers also had a bit of fun with the question, citing "Your wedding video" and, "Your Christmas home movies" amongst the scariest things they'd ever encountered.

One reader gave a political twist by cheekily mentioning "Tory political broadcast" as his scariest movie.

While it may have been stated in jest, it speaks to a broader perspective on what terrifies.

Movies may give us crafted scares, but realities can prove far more terrifying for some.

While definitive judgement on the scariest film continues to remain largely subjective, our readers' responses provide an interesting insight into how fear can be effectively conveyed across genres and mediums.

Whether they make us laugh, scream or think about our fears in original ways, scary movies continue to captivate us, reminding us that an age old love for thrill does exist.

Despite the range of variety in each response, a singular theme of fear connects each reader to the other, underlying the universal appeal of a good scary movie.

Maybe the really scary part is that we seem to enjoy the vicarious terror of it all!

For those who missed our enquiry and brave enough to sit through some of these films, we wish you good luck!