If you’ve ever walked past a field at dusk and sworn that the scarecrow moved, this list is for you. Horror movies about scarecrows tap into something oddly specific and deeply creepy: that feeling that something is supposed to be lifeless, yet seems just a little too aware of you. Fans have been voting, debating, and arguing online about which scarecrow horror movies are the scariest, bloodiest, or just the most fun. Here’s a fan-informed ranking of the 19 best scarecrow horror movies that will make you look twice at every straw-filled figure you pass.
Why Scarecrows Make Perfect Horror Villains
Scarecrows are already uncanny before you add demons, curses, or vengeful spirits. They’re human-shaped but hollow, stuck between nature and civilization. They live outside, motionless, in liminal spaces where fog rolls over empty fields and the wind does most of the talking.
In horror, scarecrows work on several levels:
- They’re liminal guardians. Put a “protector” in a field and you’re already flirting with folklore, gods of the harvest, and spirits of the land.
- They’re perfect jump-scare props. A row of identical scarecrows means one of them can moveand you won’t know which one until it’s too late.
- They scream rural isolation. These movies rarely happen in crowded cities. It’s you, some friends, a rickety farmhouse, and one very wrong-looking scarecrow.
- They hide the monster in plain sight. Whether it’s a demon, a serial killer, or some ancient thing from the soil, a scarecrow is the perfect camouflage.
Put all of that together and you get a surprisingly rich little subgenre that fans return to every fall.
The 19 Best Horror Movies About Scarecrows, Ranked By Fans
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1. Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)
Still the gold standard for scarecrow horror, Dark Night of the Scarecrow is a made-for-TV movie that punches way above its budget. A gentle, developmentally disabled man named Bubba is lynched after being falsely accused of harming a child. When the truth comes out, the vigilantes start dying one by one, and a scarecrow in the field seems to be watching them. The movie leans heavily on atmosphere instead of gore: dusty small-town streets, whispers in the dark, and a scarecrow that never quite seems to be where you left it. It’s slow-burn revenge horror with a strong moral backbone and autumn vibes for days.
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2. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
Based on the beloved (and traumatizing) children’s books, this anthology-style film isn’t all scarecrows, but when Harold shows up, he steals the show. The Harold segment takes the eerie illustration from the book and turns it into a full-on nightmare: a bullied farmhand and a scarecrow that silently decides it’s done being abused. The transformation elements are gross in the best way, and the movie balances YA-friendly storytelling with imagery that sticks with adult viewers too.
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3. Husk (2011)
Husk drops a group of friends into the mother of all wrong turns: a car accident near a decrepit farmhouse surrounded by corn. The scarecrows in the field are not only animated, they’re tied to a sinister ritual. The film uses the claustrophobia of cornfields to great effectwalls of rustling stalks, glimpses of burlap faces between the rows, and attacks that come from everywhere at once. It’s an underrated, efficient little nightmare that scarecrow fans consistently recommend.
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4. Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Technically, the Creeper is a winged monster, not a literal scarecrowbut it loves using scarecrow imagery. One of the most memorable visuals is that figure in the field that may or may not be made of straw. The movie follows two siblings on a road trip who stumble across evidence of something terrible living under an old church. As they’re hunted, the Creeper’s scarecrow disguise becomes part of the film’s iconography, blending folk-horror visuals with creature-feature energy.
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5. Scarecrows (1988)
Scarecrows is what happens when you throw armed criminals into a field guarded by supernatural guardians. After a group of mercenaries hijacks a plane and parachutes into remote farmland, they discover that the scarecrows around them are not only alivethey’re vindictive. The film has an aggressive, grim tone: lots of night-vision, whispered betrayals, and killers who suddenly realize they’re not the scariest things out there. The practical effects and gooey, stitched-together victims give it a cult following among gorehounds.
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6. Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
This Halloween anthology is better known for Samthe pumpkin-headed enforcer of holiday rulesbut scarecrow imagery is everywhere. Sam himself is essentially a scarecrow with a burlap mask and child-sized pajamas, and one of the film’s segments leans into rural legends and vengeful spirits. The movie is playful, twisty, and surprisingly mean when it wants to be. If you like your scarecrows mixed with old-school Halloween folklore and dark humor, this is a must-watch.
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7. Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003)
In the sequel, the Creeper goes full scarecrow mode. The movie opens with a farmer watching over his fields as a scarecrow on a post slowly becomes something else. Later, a bus full of high school athletes breaks down in the middle of nowhere and ends up trapped, surrounded by fields and ominous figures. The scarecrow disguise here isn’t just a costume; it’s a hunting strategy, turning something familiar into the herald of a monster’s feeding frenzy.
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8. Scarecrow Slayer (2004)
Low budget? Absolutely. Serious cult energy? Also yes. Scarecrow Slayer, a sequel to the earlier Scarecrow, follows a possessed scarecrow who plays both victim and villain, jumping between bodies and wreaking havoc on anyone unlucky enough to cross paths with it. Fans who love B-movie charm, clunky dialogue, and practical effects that overshoot their ambition often rank this one higher than you’d expect. It’s not “good” in a classic sense, but it’s a fun party watch.
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9. Rise of the Scarecrows: Hell on Earth (2021)
This indie flick amps up the chaos by turning the scarecrows into an outright army. A small town finds itself besieged by undead scarecrows resurrected by dark forces, and the survivors must band together to fight back. Think zombie movie structure, but with burlap faces and straw-stuffed torsos crashing through windows. It’s rough around the edges but earnest, and that sincerity has earned it a loyal little fan base.
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10. Messenger of Wrath (2017)
In Messenger of Wrath, three siblings decide it’s a great idea to test an urban legend about a vengeful scarecrow-like entity. Spoiler: it’s not a great idea. The story leans into small-town myths, religious symbols, and the idea that some stories were never meant to be “proven.” Fans appreciate its slower pace and focus on obsession, consequences, and the way horror legends worm into daily life.
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11. Night of the Scarecrow (1995)
Here, a cursed scarecrow becomes the vessel for an executed warlock’s spirit, and the entire town pays for past sins. Night of the Scarecrow mixes rustic, straight-to-video ’90s vibes with surprising flashes of creativity: grain silos become death traps, cornfields are full of lurking threats, and the scarecrow itself feels like an extension of the land. It’s the kind of mid-budget horror that used to haunt late-night cable and now lives on through nostalgia and streaming.
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12. Scarecrow Gone Wild (2004)
If you’ve ever thought, “What if the college mascot was an evil scarecrow cursed by a hazing ritual?” this movie heard you. A prank gone wrong puts a student in a coma, and a burlap-masked scarecrow takes bloody revenge. It’s campy, occasionally ridiculous, and peppered with early-2000s fashion. Fans rank it as a so-bad-it’s-fun entry that works best with friends, snacks, and very low expectations.
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13. Scarecrow (2002)
The original Scarecrow is pure early-2000s direct-to-video energy: bullied teen, humiliating death, and a DIY-looking scarecrow body for his vengeful spirit to inhabit. The acting is uneven, the effects are cheesy, and that’s precisely why it has a following. Viewers who grew up renting random horror DVDs remember this one as the strange little movie that made scarecrows briefly cool again.
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14. Dark Harvest 3: Scarecrow (2004)
This third entry in the Dark Harvest series leans into demonic possession and cursed farmland. A mysterious scarecrow becomes the focal point of increasingly violent events as a protagonist digs into its origins. While continuity across the series is a bit loose, fans who stick with it enjoy the commitment to cornfield carnage and homemade, gritty scares.
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15. Scarecrow’s Revenge (2019)
As the title suggests, Scarecrow’s Revenge is all about payback. A mistreated figureliteral or symbolicreturns in burlap form to settle scores. Expect a blend of supernatural slasher and revenge thriller, complete with an unstoppable scarecrow that feels more like a force of nature than a simple monster. It’s rough but earnest, the kind of movie fans dig up when they’ve already watched the classics and want something new and angry.
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16. Jeepers Creepers 3 (2017)
By the third outing, the Creeper’s scarecrow-like image is firmly established. Jeepers Creepers 3 dives deeper into the creature’s lore while letting it once again use scarecrow poses and silhouettes as part of its stalking toolkit. Fans are divided on the film overall, but for scarecrow horror completists, its imagery still helps cement the connection between scarecrows and things that really shouldn’t be hanging quietly in a field.
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17. Dark Harvest (2004)
Not to be confused with other projects with similar names, this indie slasher follows a group of young people trapped and hunted by malevolent scarecrows during a road trip detour gone sideways. The acting and production values are very DIY, but there’s something charming about how completely it commits to the premise: fields, a curse, and scarecrows that really, really don’t want you trespassing on their turf.
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18. Jeepers Creepers: Reborn (2022)
The most recent chapter in the franchise doubles down on the Creeper as an urban-legend icon, once again leaning on scarecrow-like visuals. A horror festival, local myths, and visions of the Creeper create a meta layer where scarecrow imagery is part of the show and the threat at the same time. Even critics who aren’t wild about the movie admit the franchise helped cement “scarecrow pose = something awful is about to happen” in modern horror.
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19. Dark Harvest II: The Maize (2004)
This sequel goes all-in on maze imagery: endless corn, confusing paths, and scarecrows that could be around any corner. It’s a low-budget fever dream with uneven pacing, but fans who love the “lost in the corn” feeling get exactly what they came for. The movie understands that the real star is not just the scarecrow, but the entire field closing in around you.
How Fans Judge the Best Scarecrow Horror Movies
Looking at fan votes and discussions, scarecrow horror movies tend to rise or fall based on a few simple questions:
- Is the scarecrow truly central? Movies like Dark Night of the Scarecrow and Husk rank high because the scarecrow is the story, not just a quick visual gag.
- Does the setting feel lived-in? Fans love detailed rural worldssmall towns, struggling farms, and places that feel like they existed before the scarecrow woke up.
- Is it atmospheric? Fog, moonlight on corn, creaking windmills, and long, quiet shots of fields matter just as much as kills.
- Does it deliver on the promise? A scarecrow movie that never really uses the scarecrow will tank in fan rankings. People want at least a few iconic shots they can’t forget.
That’s why some slicker, bigger-budget films may rank below scrappy indies: fans reward movies that take scarecrows seriously as horror icons.
Watching Order: How to Build the Perfect Scarecrow Marathon
If you’re planning a marathon, you can use this ranking as a guide but tweak it to fit your mood. One simple structure:
- Start with a classic: Dark Night of the Scarecrow to set the tone with slow-burn dread.
- Add a modern entry: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark or Husk for sharper visuals and more intense scares.
- Drop in a franchise hit: Jeepers Creepers or Jeepers Creepers 2 for creature-feature energy.
- Finish with something wild: Scarecrows or one of the low-budget sequels like Scarecrow Gone Wild for a messy, fun finale.
By the end of the night, you’ll know exactly where you stand on the eternal question: “Are scarecrows scarier standing still or when they move?”
Real-Life Experiences: What It’s Like to Binge Scarecrow Horror
Scarecrow horror doesn’t just live on screenit seeps into the way fans watch and talk about these movies. Spend any time in horror forums or group chats and you’ll see the same patterns: people stumble onto one scarecrow movie, think it’s a weird little one-off, and then discover there’s a whole hidden subgenre waiting in the fields.
A typical journey goes something like this: someone streams Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark around Halloween, gets obsessed with Harold, and types “best scarecrow horror movies” into a search bar. Suddenly they’re knee-deep in lists, fan rankings, and arguments about whether the Creeper really “counts” as a scarecrow. Next thing they know, they’re queuing up Dark Night of the Scarecrow and wondering how a 1981 TV movie manages to feel creepier than half the theatrical horror they’ve seen recently.
By the time a viewer has made it through Scarecrows and a couple of the lower-budget titles, something funny happens: the scarecrow itself stops being a simple gimmick and starts to feel like a recurring character type. You start recognizing certain beatsthe long shot of the field at sunset, the moment someone notices the scarecrow’s head is turned a different way, the scene where a character decides to pull the sack off its face (never do this, by the way). Instead of rolling your eyes, you find yourself judging how creatively each movie uses those familiar beats.
Fans also talk about how these movies change the way they experience real spaces. After a late-night binge, a simple night drive past farmland can feel like a deleted scene. That lonely shape on a fence post? In daylight, it’s farm equipment; at midnight, it’s the opening shot of something you’re not equipped to handle. People share stories of pulling over to take photos of actual scarecrows, then realizing halfway through that getting out of the car in the dark, next to a field, was maybe not the best idea.
There’s also a communal, slightly goofy side to scarecrow horror fandom. Because many of these movies live in that “cult favorite” zonebeloved but not mainstreama lot of the fun comes from watching them with friends. Horror fans organize themed nights where everyone ranks the movies in real time, votes on “most unsettling scarecrow design,” and hands out unofficial awards like “Most Unnecessary Trip into the Cornfield” or “Character Who Most Deserved to Notice the Scarecrow Was Gone Sooner.”
And then there’s the seasonal element. These movies are practically built for October marathons. Fans talk about pairing them with pumpkin carving, bonfires, or backyard projectors pointed at a sheet between trees. By the end of the night, the rustling leaves sound a little too much like footsteps, and the shadows in the yard seem suspiciously straw-shaped. Even if you know the scarecrows are just costumes and foam, something about that burlap grin lingers.
That’s the real power of these 19 movies, ranked and re-ranked by fans: they take a simple, nearly forgotten piece of farm equipment and turn it into a recurring nightmare. Whether you’re here for genuinely chilling classics or the silliest low-budget killers ever stuffed with straw, scarecrow horror offers a strangely cozy kind of fearone that smells like dry leaves, cold air, and the uneasy feeling that something in the field is watching you back.
Conclusion: The Fields Are Never Really Empty
From TV classics to scrappy direct-to-video experiments, scarecrow horror has grown into a surprisingly deep subgenre. Fans gravitate toward stories that treat the scarecrow as more than a propwhether it’s a wronged soul seeking justice, a demon using burlap as a disguise, or a monster that just happens to like standing very still among the corn. If you’re building a watchlist for spooky season or just want to explore something a little off the beaten path, these 19 scarecrow horror movies are the perfect place to start.
Just remember: after you’ve watched them, walking past a field on a windy night will never feel quite the same again.
