By definition, horror movies are generally rather scary. Many feature frightening creatures, intimidating killers, and high amounts of gore. Some of the best horror movies, however, rely more on disturbing ideas than these gruesome images to unsettle their viewers. These films, often referred to as psychological horror movies, capitalize on the natural fears and paranoia of their audiences to scare them in a way that is bound to resonate far beyond the end of the credits.
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Part of what makes psychological horror films so terrifying is how they force the audience to relate to their characters far more effectively than typical slasher or monster movies. As a viewer, seeing a freaky, otherworldly creature is bound to be unnerving, but it is still easy to differentiate yourselves from the characters, as you know these monsters aren’t real. However, with psychological horror movies, the mental torment endured by the characters is a genuine experience that can be felt by the viewers as well. These chilling films are bound to stick in viewers’ minds for a very long time.
10 The Lodge (2019)
Directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala
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6/10 The Lodge RThrillerDramaHorror
2019’s The Lodge is a psychological Horror film that sees a man’s new wife stranded at a remote Lodge with his two children, who don’t take well to bonding with their new stepmother. Filled with paranormal-style events and some disturbing dream imagery, a cult-infused story plays out over the course of a few days.
Director Veronika Franz , Severin Fiala Release Date February 7, 2020 Studio(s) Sony Distributor(s) Sony Writers Severin Fiala , Sergio Casci , Veronika Franz Cast Jaeden Martell , Lia McHugh , Alicia Silverstone , Richard Armitage , Riley Keough Runtime 108 minutes Expand
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Nothing sets the tone for a psychological horror movie quite like the idea of being isolated in a remote lodge during the winter, particularly when you’re unsure which characters can be trusted. This unsettling notion sets the scene for The Lodge, a chilling 2019 film by the Austrian filmmaking duo of Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala.
Related The 10 Most Common Psychological Horror Tropes (& Movies That Subvert Them)
There are plenty of gut-wrenching, memorable psychological films. Some proudly embrace the subgenre’s tropes, but others flip the script.
Following the death of his estranged wife, Richard Hall brings his soon-to-be new wife Grace and his children, Aiden and Mia, to a New England Lodge for Christmas. Things quickly descend into madness when Richard is forced to leave Grace alone with the children. Many elements contribute to making The Lodge an effective piece of psychological horror.
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The cold, isolated location, the uneasy relationship between the characters, and Grace’s disturbing past all work together to keep the audience fearful from beginning to end. Like many great films of the genre, the situation only gets worse as the film progresses, with more and more strange occurrences working to further deteriorate Grace’s mental state. Viewers are left on the edge of their seats wondering if Grace will figure out what’s going on, or if she will be forced to relive her violent past.
9 Soft & Quiet (2022)
Directed by Beth de Araújo
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Soft & Quiet RDramaHorrorMystery
Soft & Quiet is a horror-thriller film that follows elementary school teacher Emily – a woman who creates a group for women to congregate and discuss various topics in their community and society. While heading back to Emily’s house, the women head to a store to pick up additional wine, where a run-in with a woman from Emily’s past sets off a terrifying and ever-escalating series of events.
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*Availability in US Director Beth de Araújo Release Date November 4, 2022 Studio(s) Blumhouse Productions , Second Grade Teacher Productions Distributor(s) Momentum Pictures Writers Beth de Araújo Cast Stefanie Estes , Olivia Luccardi , Dana Millican , Melissa Paulo , Eleanore Pienta , Cissy Ly Runtime 91 Minutes Expand
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Soft & Quiet, the 2022 psychological horror/thriller film by Blumhouse Productions, is as frightening as it is disturbingly topical. The film primarily follows four members of a women-only white supremacist organization, and the hostile, violent actions they take against an innocent pair of Asian-American sisters.
The main characters in this film are not otherworldly creatures; rather, they are simply human beings, making their gross actions even more haunting.
The film is consistently tense and disturbing, largely because of the unsettlingly plausible nature of its story. The main characters in this film are not otherworldly creatures; rather, they are simply human beings, making their gross actions even more haunting. Among the most effective aspects of Soft & Quiet relates to the perspective through which the story is told.
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The film is not presented through the eyes of Anne and Lily, the sisters who serve as the only characters to whom the audience can really be sympathetic. Instead, the entire film is from the perspective of the grossly close-minded group of individuals who torture them. Putting the audience in the shoes of these vile characters proves remarkably effective in creating an uneasy feeling that will last with the viewers for a while.
8 I Saw the Devil (2010)
Directed by Kim Jee-woon
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9/10 I Saw the Devil RThrillerHorror
I Saw The Devil is a South Korean thriller directed by Kim Jee-woon. The narrative follows a secret agent who embarks on a relentless and personal quest for vengeance after his fiancée is brutally murdered by a psychopathic serial killer. The film stars Lee Byung-hun and Choi Min-sik, and is renowned for its intense and gritty portrayal of the cat-and-mouse game between the two central characters.
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*Availability in US Director Kim Jee-woon Release Date August 12, 2010 Studio(s) Softbank Ventures , Peppermint&company , Siz Entertainment , Finecut , Michigan Venture Capital , CJ Entertainment , Showbox Writers Park Hoon-jung , Kim Jee-woon Cast Lee Byung-hun , Choi Min-sik , Jeon Kuk-hwan , Cheon Ho-jin , Oh San-ha Runtime 144 Minutes Main Genre Thriller Expand
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The 2010 Korean film, I Saw the Devil, presents a brutal story of revenge and torture, one that is bound to haunt even the most intense audiences. After his fiancé is violently murdered by serial killer Jang Kyung-chul, NIS agent Kim Soo-hyun goes to extreme measures to make sure his vengeance is achieved to the utmost extent.
Related 10 Incredible Performances In Korean Horror Movies
From Choi Min-sik’s chilling role in I Saw the Devil to Gong Yoo’s touching performance in Train to Busan, their work defines the genre.
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Upon capturing Kyung-chul, Soo-hyun forces him to swallow a transmitter, which allows the grieving agent to track all of his movements and listen to all of his conversations. Soo-hyun uses his newfound tracking abilities to relentlessly torment Kyung-chul. The actions of the serial killer in I Saw the Devil are incredibly disturbing, as one would expect, but the extreme tactics used to torment him may be even more shocking.
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Watching Soo-hyun actively preventing Kyung-chul from being arrested proves to viewers that his desired vengeance goes far beyond any legal repercussions for the killer’s actions. Audiences are left with the chilling idea of someone being able to track their every movement and expression, especially when that person is determined to make their life as miserable as possible.
7 Possessor (2020)
Directed by Brandon Cronenberg
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Possessor Not RatedThrillerHorror Sci-Fi
Possessor, directed by Brandon Cronenberg, is a 2020 science fiction horror film that follows Tasya Vos, a corporate agent who uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people’s bodies and perform assassinations. As Vos struggles with her identity and loses control over her host, the boundaries between her own mind and her host’s begin to blur, leading to catastrophic consequences. Starring Andrea Riseborough and Christopher Abbott, the film explores themes of control and identity.
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*Availability in US Director Brandon Cronenberg Release Date October 2, 2020 Writers Brandon Cronenberg Cast Andrea Riseborough , Christopher Abbott , Jennifer Jason Leigh , Sean Bean , Rossif Sutherland , Tuppence Middleton Runtime 103 minutes Main Genre Sci-Fi Expand
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Brandon Cronenberg’s 2020 feature, Possessor offers a creative, science-fiction-based spin on the psychological horror genre. The film stars Andrea Riseborough as Tasya Vos, a trained assassin who uses a futuristic technology which enables her to transmit her consciousness into another person, allowing her to kill her targets through the body of someone else.
Matters quickly spiral out of control for Vos as she finds herself having to battle to maintain control of the mind she is occupying during a major job. Possessor is a positively brutal film, both physically and mentally.
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For one, the film does not shy away from the violent nature of Vos’s occupation, including the chilling reality that the bodies she occupies must be killed in order for her to return to her original state of being. The movie also becomes increasingly stressful as Vos’s mind becomes more and more fractured, struggling to maintain the proper balance between both sides of her own life, as well as the dueling voices inside the bodies she uses.
6 Split (2016)
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
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7/10 Split PG-13HorrorThriller
M. Night Shyamalan’s Split follows Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), a man with dissociative identity disorder, who kidnaps three teenage girls and imprisons them in an underground facility. When Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) realizes that she can play Crumb’s personalities against one another, she begins to form a plan for escape before she is sacrificed to a creature he refers to as “the Beast”.
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*Availability in US Director M. Night Shyamalan Release Date September 26, 2016 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers M. Night Shyamalan Cast Kim Director , Betty Buckley , Haley Lu Richardson , Brad William Henke , Anya Taylor-Joy , James McAvoy , Jessica Sula Runtime 1h 57m Expand
M. Night Shyamalan is no stranger to psychological horror, but none of his films epitomize the genre quite as much as his 2016 feature, Split. The ominous film follows three teenage girls who are suddenly kidnapped and imprisoned in an underground lair, prompting them to have to struggle to survive and escape.
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This proves to be no easy feat, as their captor’s mind is occupied by over twenty distinct identities, all battling for control. The girls must find ways to communicate with the more merciful personalities before they can be killed by the violent ones. Though the concept is eerie enough on its own, Split is massively elevated by the outstanding twist and performance of James McAvoy as the girls’ captor.
McAvoy effectively manages to embody all the personalities shown in the film, never coming off as a person just doing various impressions, but rather offering a compelling portrayal of a singular man with a fractured mind. Even as a figure who poses a legitimate, deadly threat to the main characters, McAvoy manages to evoke sympathy from the audience at times, creating a thoroughly intriguing character.
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5 Misery (1990)
Directed by Rob Reiner
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8.8/10 Misery RHorrorThrillerDrama
Based on the Stephen King novel, Misery is a 1990 horror movie centered around fictional writer Paul Sheldon (James Caan), who gets trapped by his biggest fan, Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), who tortures him until he rewrites the finale of his famous novels.
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*Availability in US Director Rob Reiner Release Date November 30, 1990 Studio(s) Columbia Pictures Distributor(s) Columbia Pictures Writers William Goldman Cast Richard Farnsworth , James Caan , Lauren Bacall , Frances Sternhagen , Kathy Bates Runtime 107 minutes Expand
When it comes to iconic horror stories, few names are more recognizable than Stephen King. Rob Reiner’s 1990 adaptation of King’s novel, Misery, highlights the acclaimed author’s ability to explore the psychological side of horror. The eerie film takes place in a remote Colorado house, where Annie Wilkes offers to care for the renowned author, Paul Sheldon, after he crashes his car during a blizzard.
Annie’s behavior soon becomes aggressive, holding Paul prisoner and forcing him to write a new novel after he reveals that he plans on killing off her favorite character. With a captivating script and an Oscar-winning performance by Kathy Bates, Misery is a true classic of the psychological horror genre.
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The film thrives as a rare Stephen King adaptation that features zero supernatural elements, instead presenting an entirely plausible story. Misery‘s haunting portrayal of extreme obsession is certain to stick with viewers, and leave them wondering about the dark side of fame. The film also features an unnerving ending that reminds viewers that true horrors don’t end when you walk away from them.
4 Get Out (2017)
Directed by Jordan Peele
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9.5/10 Get Out RHorrorMysteryThriller
Jordan Peele made his directorial Horror debut with Get Out, a terrifying Psychological Horror film starring Daniel Kaluuya. In the 2017 release, Chris Washington heads to Upstate New York to meet the family of his girlfriend, Rose. What follows is a horrifying ordeal for the anxious photographer.
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*Availability in US Director Jordan Peele Release Date February 24, 2017 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Jordan Peele Cast Lyle Brocato , LaKeith Stanfield , Caleb Landry Jones , Betty Gabriel , Allison Williams , Marcus Henderson , Erika Alexander , Bradley Whitford , Jeronimo Spinx , Catherine Keener , Daniel Kaluuya Runtime 1 hour, 44 minutes Expand
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Jordan Peele dazzled the entertainment industry when he made the leap from making television comedy to writing and directing his own horror movie. His debut feature film, Get Out, immediately established him 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 starts noticing a series of bizarre phenomena while visiting the family of his white girlfriend.
Get Out
has a Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score of 98%.
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Get Out offers a unique, inventive commentary on race, and the true horrors that can be lurking below the surface of the people we know. Backed by Peele’s Oscar-winning screenplay, Get Out is one of the most critically acclaimed psychological horror films ever made, earning four total Academy Award nominations and a slew of other honors as well.
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Kaluuya’s impressive performance elevates the film even further, powerfully capturing the horrific feeling of realizing everyone around you is scheming against you, especially when no one else seems to believe you. Get Out has its comedic moments as well, but the gripping psychological terror at its center is what really resonates with its viewers.
3 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg
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10 Cloverfield Lane PG-13DramaHorrorMysterySci-FiThriller
From Dan Trachtenberg, 10 Cloverfield Lane follows Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a young woman who awakens after a car crash in a bunker alongside two strangers. Howard (John Goodman) tells her that it’s not safe to leave, and that he saved her life, but Michelle becomes increasingly suspicious of Howard’s motives and his past and begins to plan a daring escape to see what exactly has happened to the outside world.
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*Availability in US Director Dan Trachtenberg Release Date March 10, 2016 Studio(s) Bad Robot Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Writers Josh Campbell , Matthew Stuecken , Damien Chazelle Cast John Goodman , Mary Elizabeth Winstead , John Gallagher Jr. , Douglas M. Griffin , Suzanne Cryer , Bradley Cooper Runtime 103 Minutes Main Genre Thriller Expand
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Though starkly different from the original Cloverfield film, 10 Cloverfield Lane presents a horror story that relies much more heavily on its elements of psychological terror than it does on any creatures that may (or may not) exist above the surface. Following 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 of them must stay in the bunker in order to survive. The psychological horror of 10 Cloverfield Lane is rooted in one simple thing: uncertainty. Until the final moments, it is unclear whether Howard is telling the truth, or if he is merely keeping Michelle prisoner for some other disturbing reason.
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Michelle is forced to make many impossible decisions throughout the film, guiding viewers to wonder how they would act in the same situation.
Michelle is forced to make many impossible decisions throughout the film, guiding viewers to wonder how they would act in the same situation. When the possible outcomes include imprisonment and/or certain death, every choice becomes much more challenging.
2 The Invisible Man (2020)
Directed by Leigh Whannell
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6/10 The Invisible Man RHorror Sci-FiThriller
Inspired by H.G. Well’s novel of the same name, The Invisible Man is a modern retelling of the sci-fi horror classic. After narrowly escaping her abusive and powerful tech mogul boyfriend (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) is relieved to hear of his death. However, she soon becomes convinced that he’s watching her, and little by little, she comes to believe that he’s found a way to not only cheat death but the laws of reality, too.
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*Availability in US Director Leigh Whannell Release Date February 28, 2020 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Leigh Whannell Cast Zara Michaels , Storm Reid , Sam Smith , Oliver Jackson-Cohen , Anthony Brandon Wong , Aldis Hodge , Amali Golden , Harriet Dyer , Bianca Pomponio , Elisabeth Moss , Benedict Hardie Runtime 124 minutes Expand
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Sometimes the most frightening enemies aren’t the ones you can see, but the ones you can’t. Based on the H.G. Wells novel of the same name, The Invisible Man effectively terrorizes its protagonist and its audience alike 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 unseen.
In addition to other elements, the film received high praise for its commentary on the horrors of domestic abuse. Among the scariest aspects of The Invisible Man is its portrayal of the genuine helplessness Cecilia feels when no one seems to believe her story.
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When put in such a dangerous and stressful situation, understanding and assistance are two simple ideas that anyone would desire more than anything. Realizing that she will not be given either of these things only adds to the horror felt by Cecilia, and thus the audience as well. The viewers are practically the only people who really want to help Cecilia, making it all the more distressing that they cannot.
1 It Comes at Night (2017)
Directed by Trey Edward Shults
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4.5/10 It Comes at Night RThrillerHorror
Written and directed by Trey Edward Shults, It Comes At Night is a Psychological Horror film starring Joel Edgerton and Christopher Abbott. The 2017 release chronicles the fate of a family that attempts to hide in the woods away from society when the world is overtaken by a deadly virus.
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*Availability in US Director Trey Edward Shults Release Date June 9, 2017 Studio(s) A24 Distributor(s) A24 Writers Trey Edward Shults Cast Kelvin Harrison Jr. , Joel Edgerton , Christopher Abbott , Carmen Ejogo , Riley Keough Runtime 97minutes Expand
One cornerstone of many psychological horror films is an element of distrust. This concept is the driving force behind It Comes at Night, a chilling movie from A24. Set in a world that has been largely overcome by a deadly, 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 woods.
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Related 10 Horror Movies That Are Considered Masterpieces
From psychological thrillers to supernatural terror, these horror films transcend simple scares, elevating them into cinematic masterpieces.
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Neither family is sure whether they can trust the other, and with everyone’s life on the line, levels of hostility quickly begin to rise. It Comes at Night is a film that really succeeds at putting its audience in the shoes of its characters. As a viewer, it is difficult not to imagine how you would act if you were in the same situation.
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The stress of making these decisions is further complemented by every tiny moment, which makes the characters’ trust in each other waver even further. By the shocking ending of the film, audiences will be left with the harsh realization that their own decisions may very well have resulted in their deaths if they had been there too.
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