By definition, horror movies They are usually quite scary. Many feature frightening creatures, intimidating killers, and copious amounts of blood. Some of the best horror films, however, rely more on disturbing ideas than these horrific images to disturb their viewers. These films, often called psychological horror films, capitalize on their audience’s natural fears and paranoia to scare them in a way that is sure to resonate far beyond the end of the credits.
Part of what makes psychological horror films so terrifying is how they force the audience to relate to their characters much more effectively than typical slasher or monster films. As a viewer, seeing a strange, otherworldly creature can be unnerving, but it’s still easy to differentiate yourself from the characters since you know these monsters aren’t real. However, with psychological horror films, the mental torment endured by the characters is a genuine experience this can also be felt by spectators. These chilling films are sure to stay in viewers’ minds for a long time.
10
The Store (2019)
Directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala
Nothing sets the tone for a psychological horror film like the idea of ​​being isolated in a remote lodge during the winterespecially when you’re not sure which characters are trustworthy. This disturbing notion sets the stage for The Storea chilling 2019 film from Austrian filmmaking duo Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala.
After the death of his ex-wife, Richard Hall brings his future wife, Grace, and their children, Aiden and Mia, to spend Christmas at a lodge in New England. Things quickly go crazy when Richard is forced to leave Grace alone with the kids. Many elements contribute to making The Store an effective piece of psychological horror.
The cold, isolated location, the difficult relationships between the characters, and Grace’s disturbing past work together to keep the audience in fear from beginning to end. Like many great films of this genre, the situation only gets worse as the film progresseswith more and more strange occurrences working to further deteriorate Grace’s mental state. Viewers are on the edge of their seats, wondering if Grace will ever find out what’s going on or if she’ll be forced to relive her violent past.
9
Gentle and Silent (2022)
Directed by Beth de Araújo
Smooth and silentthe 2022 psychological horror/thriller film from Blumhouse Productions, is as scary as it is disturbingly current. The film mainly follows four members of an all-female white supremacist organizationand the hostile and violent actions they take against an innocent pair of Asian-American sisters.
The main characters in this film are not creatures from another world; rather, they are simply human beings, which makes their gross actions all the more frightening.
The film is consistently tense and unsettling, largely due to the disturbingly plausible nature of its story. The main characters in this film are not creatures from another world; rather, they are simply human beings, which makes their gross actions all the more frightening. Among the most effective aspects Smooth and silent relates to the perspective through which the story is told.
The film is not presented through the eyes of Anne and Lily, the sisters who are the only characters the audience can truly sympathize with. Instead, the entire film is from the perspective of the group of closed-minded individuals who torture them. Putting the audience in the shoes of these vile characters proves extremely effective in creating an uncomfortable feeling that will last for some time in viewers.
8
I Saw the Devil (2010)
Directed by Kim Jee-woon
The 2010 Korean film, I saw the devilgifts a brutal story of revenge and torturewhich is sure to haunt even the most intense audience. After her fiancé is violently murdered by serial killer Jang Kyung-chul, NIS agent Kim Soo-hyun takes extreme measures to ensure his revenge is achieved to the fullest.
Upon capturing Kyung-chul, Soo-hyun forces him to swallow a transmitter, which allows the grieving agent to track his every movement and listen to his every conversation. Soo-hyun uses his new tracking skills to relentlessly torment Kyung-chul. The actions of the serial killer in I saw the devil are incredibly disturbingas you’d expect, but the extreme tactics used to torment him may be even more shocking.
Watching Soo-hyun actively prevent Kyung-chul from being arrested proves to viewers that his desired revenge goes far beyond any legal repercussions for the killer’s actions. The audience is left with the chilling idea of ​​someone being able to track your every movement and expression, especially when that person is determined to make your life as miserable as possible.
7
Possessor (2020)
Directed by Brandon Cronenberg
Brandon Cronenberg’s 2020 feature film, Possessor offers a creative, science fiction-based take on the psychological horror genre. The film stars Andrea Riseborough as Tasya Vos, a trained assassin who uses futuristic technology that allows her to transmit her consciousness to another person, allowing her to kill her targets through another person’s body.
Things quickly spiral out of control for Vos as she finds herself having to fight to maintain control of the mind she occupies during important work. Possessor is a positively brutal film, both physically and mentally.
On the one hand, the film does not shy away from the violent nature of the occupation of Vosincluding the frightening reality that the bodies she occupies must be killed in order for her to return to her original state of being. The film also becomes increasingly stressful as Vos’s mind becomes increasingly fractured, struggling to maintain the proper balance between the two sides of her life, as well as the dueling voices within the bodies she wears.
6
Division (2016)
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
M. Night Shyamalan is no stranger to psychological horror, but none of his films epitomize the genre as much as his 2016 feature, To divide. The sinister film follows three teenagers who are suddenly kidnapped and trapped in an underground lair, leaving them to fight to survive and escape.
This does not prove to be an easy task, as Your captor’s mind is occupied by more than twenty distinct identitieseveryone fighting for control. The girls must find ways to communicate with the most merciful personalities before they are killed by the violent. Although the concept is quite strange in itself, To divide is massively elevated by James McAvoy’s excellent turn and performance as the girls’ captor.
McAvoy manages to effectively embody all of the personalities shown in the film, never seeming like one person just doing various impressions, but offering a compelling portrait of a singular man with a fractured mind. Even though he is a figure who represents a legitimate and deadly threat to the main characters, McAvoy sometimes manages to arouse the audience’s sympathy, creating a totally intriguing character.
5
Misery (1990)
Directed by Rob Reiner
When it comes to iconic horror stories, few names are more recognizable than Stephen King. Rob Reiner’s 1990 adaptation of King’s novel, Miseryhighlights the acclaimed author’s ability to explore the psychological side of horror. The mysterious film is set in a remote Colorado home where Annie Wilkes volunteers to care for renowned author Paul Sheldon after he crashes his car during a blizzard.
Annie’s behavior soon turns aggressive, keeping Paul prisoner and forcing him to write a new novel after he reveals that he plans to kill his favorite character. With a captivating script and an Oscar-winning performance from Kathy Bates, Misery is a true classic of the psychological horror genre.
The film thrives as a rare Stephen King adaptation that features no supernatural elements, instead presenting an entirely plausible story. MiseryThe haunting portrayal of extreme obsession is sure to grip viewers and leave them wondering about the dark side of fame. The film also has an unnerving ending. it reminds viewers that the true horrors don’t end when you walk away from them.
4
Get Out (2017)
Directed by Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele dazzled the entertainment industry when he made the leap from television comedy to writing and directing his own horror film. His debut feature film, To go outimmediately established it as a new powerhouse in the world of psychological horror. The film tells the story of Chris Washington (played by Daniel Kaluuya), a black photographer who begins to notice a series of bizarre phenomena when visiting his white girlfriend’s family.
To go out offers a unique and inventive commentary on race and the true horrors that may be lurking beneath the surface of the people we know. Supported by Peele’s Oscar-winning screenplay, To go out is one of the most critically acclaimed psychological horror films ever made, earning four Oscar nominations and a number of other honors as well.
Kaluuya’s stunning performance elevates the film even furtherpowerfully capturing the horrible feeling of realizing everyone around you is plotting against you, especially when no one else seems to believe you. To go out It also has its comedic moments, but the gripping psychological horror at its center is what really resonates with its viewers.
3
10 Cloverfield Street (2016)
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg
Although totally different from the original Cloverfield film, 10 Cloverfield Street presents a horror story that relies much more heavily on its psychological horror elements than in any creature that may (or may not) exist above the surface. After a car accident, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up in an underground bunker where she is being held by a man named Howard (John Goodman) and his assistant, Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.).
Howard insists that some form of alien invasion has just occurred and that the three must remain in the bunker to survive. The psychological horror 10 Cloverfield Street It’s rooted in one simple thing: uncertainty. Until the final moments, it’s unclear whether Howard is telling the truth or if he’s just keeping Michelle prisoner for some other disturbing reason.
Michelle is forced to make many impossible decisions throughout the film, leaving viewers to wonder how they would act in the same situation.
Michelle is forced to make many impossible decisions throughout the film, leaving viewers to wonder how they would act in the same situation. When the possible outcomes include imprisonment and/or certain death, each choice becomes that much more challenging.
2
The Invisible Man (2020)
Directed by Leigh Whannell
Sometimes the scariest enemies aren’t the ones you can see, but rather the ones you can’t. Based on the novel of the same name by HG Wells, The Invisible Man it effectively terrifies its protagonist and its audience with its elusive villain. The film stars Emmy winner Elisabeth Moss as Cecilia, a woman who is tormented by her scientist ex-boyfriend, who created an invisibility suit so he could continue to manipulate her life without being seen.
In addition to other elements, the film received widespread praise for its commentary on the horrors of domestic violence. Among the scariest aspects The Invisible Man is your portrait of the true helplessness that CecÃlia feels when no one seems to believe her story.
When placed in such a dangerous and stressful situation, understanding and assistance are two simple ideas that anyone would want more than anything. Realizing that she will receive none of these things only adds to the horror felt by Cecilia, and therefore the audience as well. The viewers are practically the only people who really want to help CecÃlia, which makes the fact that they can’t help even more distressing.
1
Comes at Night (2017)
Directed by Trey Edward Shults
A cornerstone of many psychological horror films is an element of distrust. This concept is the driving force behind Arrives at nighta chilling film from A24. Set in a world that has been largely dominated by a deadly and highly contagious disease, the film follows the tense interactions that occur between two small families of strangers who decide to try to wait out the epidemic together in a remote house in the forest.
Neither family is sure they can trust the other, and with everyone’s life at riskHostility levels quickly begin to rise. Arrives at night It’s a film that really manages to put the audience in the shoes of its characters. As a viewer, it’s hard not to imagine how you would act if you were in the same situation.
The stress of making these decisions is compounded further by each small moment, which causes the characters’ trust in each other to diminish even further. In the film’s shocking ending, audiences will be left with the stark realization that their own decisions could very well have resulted in their deaths if they had been there too.