I love horror films yet I can't deal with a lot of gore. This severely limits the stuff I can watch and not feel sick BUT there is still a huge amount of actually well done horror out there that isn't incredibly gory! I'm listing some of my personal favorites. If you've got some you'd like to suggest, point them out in the comments.
By gory, I mean nothing to the level of SAW or Hostel, basically nothing that's buckets of blood.
Session 9Most ghost or haunting movies are bloodless. Session 9 is about a group of cleaners working on clearing out an abandoned mental institution. Like many ghost stories this is all about feelings of isolation and being along in a place where great horror has occurred. The acting is well done and the writing is really really well done as well.
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?ONTD: The horror film. A pair of aging actresses deal with madness as well as their fading glory days. This is a classic film that uses nothing more than pure human cruelty and greed to illustrate how fame can destroy anything, including the bonds of family. A classic in psychological horror.
Cat PeopleThis 40's classic is one of the earliest pioneers of the jump scare. A woman realizes that she can never be sexually aroused lest she transform into a raging panther demon. This is a moody atmospheric film that pushed the boundaries in terms of sexual ideas and dialogue in a film of that age.
Lake MungoIf you love Dateline Mystiries you'll adore this film. While not big on scares this is a movie soaked in dread and gloom. A family has to come to grips with the drowning death of their daughter. Soon something starts to happen in the home. Done in the style of a true crime/mystery style documentary show.
HalloweenThe greatest slasher film ever made is nowhere near as gory as what the genre has turned into. We all know the story. A killer escapes the hospital and goes on a murder spree in a small town. Watch not only to see how the slasher genre got most of it's tropes but also to see how nothing has ever come close to matching it's quality (except for perhaps Scream or Nightmare on Elm Street.).
The RingMy favorite horror film of all time. No other film I've seen is more drenched in pure fear, darkness and dread. A woman finds a video tape that kills anyone who has seen it in 7 days. An overpowering feeling of horror fills every scene of this movie. It never feels like there's a safe moment.
The Texas Chainsaw MassacreYes THIS movie. Despite the name and the terrible sequels and prequels (the remake is ok) this is an amazing movie AND there is very little onscreen blood and guts. There is still a little bit but this is a movie that relies on it's feeling of dirty, gritty horror and isolation to do it's work.
It FollowsThe newest film on the list. It's actually still in theaters! A girl's first sexual encounter leaves her with a curse. Something is following her wherever she goes at all times. Blood but no gore plus it's got an incredible soundtrack. Critically acclaimed AND it's got some awesome acting PLUS an original idea! There's no reason not to check this out. VOD release is coming soon as well.