This horror film is so scary it's making Apple Watch think viewers are having a heart attack

The outwaters film
(Image credit: The Outwaters)

A new horror film from Robbie Banfitch that debuted last month is so scary it made one viewer's Apple Watch notify him of a high heart rate not once, but twice during the course of the film.

The Outwaters debuted in the U.S. last month. In short, "four travelers experience a mind-bending trip through terror while camping in a remote stretch of the Mojave desert." The trailer itself is enough to set pulses racing, and one viewer's experience saw the life-saving high heart rate alert on his Apple Watch triggered during the film.

"I’d say tonight was pretty damn eventful! Robbie Banfitch you’re amazing, hilarious, and this rewatch of The Outwaters has solidified my opinion that I believe this to have one of the most horrific and traumatizing sequences I’ve ever experienced in a found footage horror film," said Twitter user Joseph. 

The Outwaters sets pulses racing

In Joseph's tweet, he shared an image of his Apple Watch's high heart rate warning, after his pulse rose about 120BPM while they were sitting enjoying the film. "I actually got two of them throughout the movie," he said, describing the film as "not even just a descent into madness, but a full-blown assault to the senses…much like the hatchet to the head."

“Mysterious sounds haunt them, and when a menacing force descends, their horrifying journey into soul-shattering darkness begins," the film's synopsis reads. Other experiences collected by the Independent include someone who claimed they had to leave the theater to vomit. 

Apple's high heart rate alert is a life-saving Apple Watch feature that can detect signs of heart problems before they become a major issue. If The Outwaters isn't your scene, the new season of Ted Lasso, which started airing this week, is much less likely to send your pulse through the roof or make your dinner resurface. The best show on Apple TV Plus is available to stream now, with new episodes airing weekly. 

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9