Veronica… is it really the scariest movie in the world ever made?

veronica scariest movie in the world ever made

So, you’ve embarked on a mission to find the scariest movie in the world ever made. Don’t worry, it happens to every horror fan at some point, this need to find the holy grail of terror-inducing film. In your search, you have probably come across a curious film called ‘Veronica’ and are wondering…

Is Veronica really the scariest movie in the world ever made?

Veronica (2017) is a Spanish horror film by director Paco Plaza. Many movie news sites have been telling us that ‘Veronica’ is the scariest movie in the world ever made, supposedly so terrifying that people are unable to finish watching it. Is it just marketing hype, or… is there some truth to its claim as the scariest movie ever?

We watch, analyse and review Veronica, to being you our honest and brutal opinion on the matter.

Veronica movie plot


With no father figure in her life and a mother who works all day to ensure a normal life, Veronica takes on the role of a parent on a daily basis. She has to care for her naughty younger family members, and does not have time to enjoy all the benefits of her teenage years. The girl misses her late father, so she buys an ouija board. During an eclipse at school, Veronica and two friends decide to summon the spirit of Veronica’s father and the spirit of their late friend. The séance works, much too well, and what Veronica lets out is something dark that starts haunting her and her family.

Veronica true story


You are probably already aware that ‘Veronica ‘is based on a true story. Right from the beginning, we learn that the script for Veronica was based on a true story that happened in early 1990s in Madrid. However, if you are interested in what was really going on here, you should understand that the film does not necessarily follow the actual events. This is the case for almost all movies based on a true story, wherein the writer takes a basic idea and builds it up into a more interesting story, because after all we are talking about a movie for entertainment not a documentary. The ‘true story’ technique can also be purposefully used to make horror films seem even more terrifying than they might otherwise be, as they give the story a greater sense of realism and aim to get under your skin. Deviation from actual events is not the result of the director’s misunderstanding of the facts, but rather the freedom to express his vision of what is happening.

Is Veronica REALLY the scariest movie in the world ever made?


Our conclusion is that ‘Veronica’ is neither the scariest movie in the world ever made, nor the best horror movie ever made. However, it deserves attention, definitely more than the typical Hollywood ouija board movies that are just a copy of the copy.

The acting is extraordinary. There are creepy and scary violent moments, and paranormal abuse that you will not soon forget. Even if you decide to neglect the ‘paranormal’ side of the story and prefer the psychological analysis of it, you will certainly not be bored. This does not mean that ‘Veronica’ is a deeply philosophical film that will serve as inspiration for other films in this genre however, but at least it offers a deeper philosophical exploration than the rest. Until director Paco Plaza surprises us with a new movie, you should watch it and take some time to come to your own conclusion.

The reason ‘Veronica’ is different from other ouija-demonic films is not the story itself. You’ve seen, heard, and read the story thousands of times before, but that shouldn’t be a reason to bypass this Spanish horror. The cinematography is really interesting, because it’s not something you see every day. From the very beginning to the end, the movie looks fantastic with the help of audio and visual effects, as well as camera tricks. The horror segments are visually very interesting.

Of course, there are all the horror elements we always see, including jump-scare moments. But what is both phenomenal and scary, is that after the jump-scare happens the horror continues, and you are forced to watch it for the next few minutes. That might be why people reportedly couldn’t make it to the end and had to stop watching. Nobody can predict when you will be scared in this film, because just when you think that the situation will calm down a little now, on the contrary, something that you could not guess will happen. You need to pay special attention to a couple of scenes to understand what is camouflaged in the frame.

The story is crafted so that we, as an audience, cannot decipher how much of the film is based in reality and how much is in Veronica’s mind. Therefore, there is an alternative view by some critics that the film portrays Veronica under a lot of pressure and struggling with depression, so the entire movie could be seen as the psychological state of a young girl seeking purification and peace.

Veronica movie reviews from other critics

The review website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 90% approval rating from critics, whereas for the audience gives the film a low score of 48%. The website’s critical consensus reads, “A scarily effective horror outing, Veronica proves it doesn’t take fancy or exotic ingredients to craft skin-crawling genre thrills” (Rotten Tomatoes).

As for the audience score on IMDb, they gave it an average score of 6.2 out of 10 based on 32,476 reviews.

So, what is the scariest movie in the world ever made then?


Ok we know, you came here hoping to find out the scariest movie in the world ever made.

We don’t want to disappoint you. It may not be ‘Veronica’, but here are some other contenders. Then again, perhaps it is better for you to come to the realisation that there is no single holy grail of scary movies, the ‘scariest movie ever’ so to speak. These are all great, terrifying films, and we recommend them all to anyone looking for a truly soul-disturbing experience.

  1. The Exorcist (1973)
  2. Sinister (2012)
  3. Hereditary (2018)
  4. The Conjuring (2013) Read our full review here
  5. The Ring (2002)

While ‘Veronica’ may not be in our opinion the scariest movie in the world ever made, we think you should add it to your watch list anyway because it is certainly well-crafted enough to give viewers a really hard scare.

Your suggestions for the scariest movie in the world ever made

Here we have shared our opinion on ‘Veronica’ which many are calling the scariest movie in the world ever made, but what do you think? Do you think Veronica is the scariest movie ever? What do you think IS the scariest movie ever made? Please share your thoughts in the comments, we’d love to hear them and let others know about them too.

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