As a fan of the horror genre I am excited to watch just about every new horror on the shelf, but the basic plot or "slasher" film can get old after a while. A good horror movie isn't just about guts and jump-scares. Every now and then there are really great ones that break the mold, and keep you entranced. But the best horror films are the ones that dig right under your skin and leave you pondering their messages for weeks.
It's pretty hard to find the time to watch all the horror movies online to find one of those gems, and sometimes even harder to find something online that suggests something amazing that you haven't seen. So here is a list of my 10 favorite crawl-under-your-skin horror films, from dark-comedy indies to disturbing foreign horror.
WARNING: Some of these are extremely gory. Most are disturbing.
1. "Goodnight Mommy" (2012)
"Goodnight Mommy" is a psychological horror from Severin Fiela and Veronika Franz focusing on young twin brothers Lukas and Elias while adjusting to their new home. After a traumatic car accident, "Mother" receives facial reconstruction surgery and is released from care to watch over her boys. Visually striking cinematography and a very quiet scoring keep the audience as unsettled as Lukas and Elias, who are slowly starting to realize that Mother may no be who she claims.
2. "The Divide" (2011)
Xavier Gens' post-apocalyptic thriller takes place almost entirely in a fallout shelter populated by a group of strangers. The film setting provides an appropriate atmosphere of claustrophobia as the characters grow ill, go mad, and ultimately turn on each other in brutal and terrifying ways.
3. "We Are What We Are" (2013)
After the death of their mother, Rose and Iris Parker take the weight of their reclusive family's yearly tradition upon their shoulders. The paranoia the girls endure from the newfound attentions of the outside world clash with their father's strict focus on providing and partaking in "the feast". "We Are What We Are" from director Jim Mickle is a slow burn, but promises to deliver decadent depravity.
4. "Three...Extremes" (2004)
An all-time favorite of this writer's, "Three...Extremes" is a foreign horror anthology featuring three twisted tales from directors Fruit Chan, Takashi Miike, and Chan-wook Park. "Dumplings" focuses on a woman who will do anything for youth and beauty. The segment "Cut" is an intimately told tale of revenge. The final short film "Box" walks you through the horrifying childhood of a young woman who lost her twin. Each of these stories exemplifies a totally different atmosphere and artistry, and is totally worth the trouble of finding the film.
5. "Maggie" (2015)
Director Henry Hobson brings an entirely new version of "zombie virus" than has been seen before, it's key difference being a slow turn which can take up to a month or more. "Maggie", featuring Abigail Breslin and Arnold Schwarzenegger, showcases the last days of a teen who got infected after the widespread outbreak of a virus which ultimately turns it's victims into mindless, rage-filled, flesh-eating monsters. Knowing she will not be forever herself, the teen spends her last month as a human fighting the virus in order to spend time with her family and friends.
6. "High Tension" (2003)
Originally titled "Haute Tension" from Alexandre Aja, "High Tension" is an extreme thriller following two girls on break from University. A family is slaughtered, and they are caught in the crossfire. Having to wring out every ounce of self-preservation within themselves, the girls engage this fight-to-the-death kidnapping with all that they have, and leave you with an ending you'll never forget.
7. "American Mary" (2012)
How could the Soska sisters ever disappoint? "American Mary", from Jen and Sylvia Soska, is the story of a young medical student who has had enough of the straight and narrow. After all, being a good girl hardly gets ya' anywhere, right? The survivor of a horrendous sexual attack, Mary drops out of medical school to follow her calling in the underworld of body modification surgery. Disturbing, witty, and full of gore, this feminist horror film is sure to leave you with a load of mixed feelings.
8. "Martyrs" (2008)
Not to mistake for the American remake (also good, just not nearly as disturbing), "Martyrs" is a french horror. Extremely heavy on torture, this black gem from Pascal Laugier focuses an unsettling amount on religion, which is what stands out most about the film. Years after the escape of a young girl from a group of captors, the same girl engages the group with help from her best friend. Not being able to rid the world of the captors right way, the girls are subdued and subject to a series of stomach-churning of torture techniques in the name of faith.
9. "The Boy" (2015)
"The Boy" (very different from "The Boy" of the same year, about an enchanted doll featuring Lauren Cohan) directed by Craig William Macneill is the story of a young boy who must rely on himself, and the occasional wild animal, for companionship and learning. The boy lives out in the middle of nowhere with his alcoholic father who spends most of his time running the family-owned roadside motel. Abused and emotionally neglected, the boy houses an aggression which dwarfs his empathetic capabilities. A dark venture to the heart of "nature v nurture".
10. "The Neon Demon" (2016)
This fantastical cinematographic horror from Nicolas Winding Refn is a trip into the savage world of modeling. Elle Fanning plays an innocent young girl who weaves her way into a modeling contract in Los Angeles. It isn't long before the modeling world's love for her boils the blood of fellow models and inflates her ego to deadly levels. This movie is beautiful to watch and an amazing commentary on the alarming rate of obsession with physical perfection, and cut-throat competition, within the modeling world.
I hope you guys enjoy these reccomendations as much as I did! Have fun!
