10 Best Body Horror Movies of All Time

Between Horror movie Subgenres, body horror is one of the most revolting, with The most prominent offenders standing the test of time vi Delightful disgusting films. Body horror is a term that encompasses a wide range of spooky subjects, from disgusting inhuman transformations of the flesh to traditional blood and rendered in increasingly creative ways. The most gruesome body horror scenes tend to skew toward the former, making for some of the genre’s standout films that have withstood ages of scrutiny.

Interestingly, despite their reliance on special effects to work, some of the best body horror movies are rubbish at practical effects, with the device somehow working more realistically when done with lovingly-crafted prosthetics. The infamous work of David Cronenberg stands out in this arena, responsible for some chilling images that explore the true lengths that the human body can go to in cinema. Whether traditionally sculpted or computer generated, the most recognizable Body horror films stand out for their grotesque imagery and strange stories.

10

The flight

Remade a charming B-movie into a nightmare

David Cronenberg’s most famous film by far, The flight is a true test of one’s stomach for terrifying gore and an exploration of the human mind’s capacity for animalistic influence. Loosely based on the iconic science fiction B-movie of the same name, the film follows Brundle, a brilliant scientist on the precipice of inventing teleportation technology.

Just as he begins a relationship with a reporter fascinated by his work, Brundle suffers from a literal fly in the ointment—a common housefly that merges with his body, causing him to slowly transform into an insectoid monster. Jeff Goldblum is uniquely excellent Like the eccentric scientist, whose kind nature is gradually being corrupted by the influences of the creature that now lives in his DNA.

Whereas the original The flight Can only suggest Vincent Price’s head squalling”Help me!“In a high-pitched voice on a fly’s body, Cronenberg’s version explores the limits of human transformation. Brundle’s flesh slowly sloughing off to give way to his terrifying new hybrid form is an unforgettable image.

9

Tetsuo: The Iron Man

Metal meets meat in a garish union

As disturbing as biological transformation can be, Tetsuo: The Iron Man Unleash the full force of artificial machinery in the human form, for twisted results. The narrative of Heat Dream begins with an unnamed white-collar protagonist, simply referred to as “The Salary,” who performs a hit-and-run on a strange figure obsessed with grafting metal to his flesh.

Before long, the salaryman begins his own painful metamorphosis, with twisted, jagged pieces of metal growing from his skin, until he becomes an unstoppable monster. The lack of clear explanations for the salary change only makes the story all the more terrifying, the audience remained just as confused about the situation as the screaming characters.

The black-and-white footage is the perfect mask for the impressive special effectsWhich makes it hard to tell where the human body ends and cold, hard steel begins. With a strong helping of psychosexual images to top off his scares, Tetsuo: The Iron Man is a completely unique body horror chiller that more than makes up for its advanced age.

8

The thing

The template for many body horror films

It would be wrong not to mention The thing When it comes to discussing body horror. Perhaps the legendary John Carpenter’s single greatest film, the extraterrestrial invasion story begins with an eclectic crew of misfits conducting research at an isolated station on Antarctica. When a disguised alien organism makes its way into the facility, the crew is soon turned against each other, not knowing who to trust, as the titular amorphous creature tears through the station’s staff with its jaw-dropping creation abilities before hiding in clear sight.

Despite being an alien invasion movie, The thing Wrings a lot of body horror out of the unique abilities of his eponymous villain. The legendary spider-head scene is a shining example of body horror done right, and the lengths the creature is willing to go to in order to reproduce and survive are almost dizzying. With a tense, uncertain ending and a handful of excellent action beats leading up to it, The thing is a visionary work of horror that has since spawned countless imitators.

7

The brood

Links body horror to mental health

A strong one Blend of psychological horror and body horror, The brood Manages to touch on fears of every kind while navigating its dark premise. Another one of David Cronenberg’s unsurprisingly dominant body horror features, The brood Follows a mentally tortured woman who is left in the clutches of a strange psychiatrist by her ex-husband after an incident in which their child was injured. Before long, the attacks of a strange pack of dwarf-like children threaten to break her already fragile sanity.

The drama of The brood is just as gripping as its mutant antagonists, with the custody battle between Nala and Frank clearly inspired by Cronenberg’s own experiences in post-divorce co-parenting. But make no mistake, The brood Truly shines in its horrific depictions of gore and disturbing homunculiWho wreak havoc on their “mother’s” unshakable soul. The disgusting scenes of the psychosomatic birth of the creatures is the terrible cherry on top of an already tasty scary body horror efforts.

6

Creams of the future

Cronenberg’s most recent exploration of body horror

Even in the modern day, Cronenberg’s legendary body horror sensibilities remain unmatched, as verified by the likes of Crimes of the future. The film, which is unrelated to his previous 1970 film of the same name, takes place in a far-flung science fiction future. Mankind’s advances in medicine have led to a golden age of body modification. Here, an eccentric artist uses surgery to create terrifying pieces that push the limits of human evolution.

Despite being a more recent entry in his filmography, Crimes of the future is just as graphic as Cronenberg’s older works. The film does not shy away from the surgical undertakings of its main character, showing full-frontal nudity, stomach-churning vivisection and gruesome final “art pieces” that are difficult for all but the most seasoned body horror fans to stomach. Beyond the surface level spectacle, Crimes of the future Has a real point to his madnessRuminating on the dark possible intersection between performance art, eroticism, and scientific development.

5

Videodrome

A surrealist masterpiece with accurate claims about the future

Cronenberg’s first big cinematic outing, Videodrome Proved for the first time that the legendary director’s name deserved to become synonymous with body horror. The movie follows the exploits of the CEO of a small-time UHF cable channel who stumbles upon a broadcast of sleazy films that showcases vile and intense acts of violence. James Woods’ Max, with the hopes of chasing sensationalist ratings, soon dives into a corrupt investigation in the broadcasts, uncovering what twisted means they hope to manifest.

in many ways, Videodrome Is rooted in 80s technology, with the influence of cable TV is hard to buy as a threat in the modern age. However, the film was quite prescient in its vision of a world overtaken by screens, something the digital age could very well have made into a reality. Like a body horror film, The undulating combination of human flesh and digital consciousness runs up against the limits of human imaginationMaking for a unique and unforgettable staple of the subgenre.

4

Slider

A sick evolution of alien and the thing

Although he is better known today for superhero movie franchises, James Gunn’s filmography actually began with a slick body horror comedy called Slider. Taking clear inspiration from the likes of Alien And the story Slider is named for its main villains, a series of slug-like alien parasites that infect the residents From a small town in South Carolina.

When one of these beings forms into a powerful monster that establishes a local hivemind, it’s up to a local police chief and a small band of recruits to take down the monster and kill the pack of creatures before they can infect anyone else. Slider Deserves praise for the sheer breadth of body horror it is able to show off.

From violently gory kills to sickening transformations and the disturbing implications of the aliens capturing certain targets for “breeding”, there are many different types of trauma to digest during the festivities. Between his high body count and hard-hitting humor, it’s easy to see why James Gunn was able to launch a career off of Slider.

3

Makerhead

The last thing from easy viewing

The premiere work of surrealist visionary David Lynch, Makerhead is a terrifying experience that defies typical convention and classification. The loose story revolves around a nervous young man who is spurred into marriage by his girlfriend’s family after the two unexpectedly become pregnant.

However, what the girl gave birth to is far from a typical human baby, and the maddening assault of the senses that goes around the frustration of the man in his circumstances. Makerhead is a deeply personal film rooted in Kafkaesque stagnation and surreal nightmare sequences that smear the structure of traditional storytelling.

The monstrous baby’s invisible wails are just one small equation of the body horror that springs up in the vague narrative’s wake, with deformed dancing women living in radiators and diseased sperm creatures all contributing to the confusing fever dream of terror. an assault on the senses, Makerhead Earns its reputation as an extraordinary, but incredible horror movie unlike anything else.

2

Re-animator

Another body horror comedy that stretches its source material to great lengths

Even if it doesn’t qualify as a true Lovecraftian horror movie, Re-animator Earns props as one of the only movie adaptations of HP Lovecraft’s iconic horror stories to be played for laughs. The film stars Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West, the same character from Lovecraft’s original story who becomes obsessed with resurrected corpses Through a special serum of his own design. However, as is often the case with movie necromancy, his subjects soon begin to exhibit some unsightly side effects, coming back as zombie-like monstrosities.

Re-animator May play much of its absurdity for laughs, but still knows when to dial back the humor to let the horror shine. Beats like the infamous head scene exemplify the film’s goulish B-movie sensibility, as well as demonstrating its sheer creativity. Combs is endlessly entertaining as the horribly amoral Herbert West, who is nevertheless hard not to root for no matter how depraved his experiments become.

1

Roy

Jokes the modern appetite for visceral gore

The best body horror movies are able to take something mundane and turn it into a depraved act that seems unthinkable through sheer exaggeration. Roy Sets his sights on Meat Eaters as a thoughtful dissection of human consumptionCentering on lifelong vegetarian veterinary student, Justin. After being forced to eat raw meat for the first time in her life due to a hazing ritual, Justin soon finds herself with an insatiable desire for the stuff, progressing from simple hamburgers to freshly-slaughtered human flesh.

Roy is one of the best body horror films for how closely it ties its themes to the depravity unfolding on screen, making a true statement with its bloody carnage. The psychosexual and thoughtful meditation it offers on the nature of basic human desires more than earns its most stomach-churning setpieces, never inflicting violence without a good thematic reason. Simultaneously a great comedy, coming-of-age film and body horror movie, Roy is a modern classic in a subgenre full of legacy picks.