Movies that will haunt you.
Whether due to graphic content or effective psychological manipulation, these movies are sure to get under your skin and not allow you to forget about them for a long time to come. Some are outright sick, others bizarre, many disturbing, a few simply heartbreaking; the one thing they have in common is your inability to put them out of your mind once you reach the end credits. Feel free to suggest additions to the list in the vein of any of the above!
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- DirectorTim RothStarsRay WinstoneAnnabelle ApsionKate AshfieldAn alienated teenager, saddened that he has moved away from London, must find a way to deal with a dark family secret.Far and away the most haunting film I've ever seen. Read the trivia section. Even the actors and crew had a difficult time keeping it together while filming; watching it is agonizing. The sense of dread you feel throughout can't prepare you for what takes place.
- DirectorGaspar NoéStarsMonica BellucciVincent CasselAlbert DupontelEvents over the course of one traumatic night in Paris unfold in reverse-chronological order as the beautiful Alex is brutally raped and beaten by a stranger in an underpass tunnel.There are two scenes in this film that are unforgettable, and possibly up there with the most disturbing and graphic things we've seen in mainstream cinema. One of those scenes is the very first. Proceed with a LOT of caution.
- DirectorPier Paolo PasoliniStarsPaolo BonacelliGiorgio CataldiUberto Paolo QuintavalleIn World War II Italy, four fascist libertines round up nine adolescent boys and girls and subject them to 120 days of physical, mental, and sexual torture.A sick, twisted and graphic visual representation of some of the Marquis de Sade's writings. It breaks just about every taboo you can imagine, and never lets up for a moment. Very grueling to watch.
- DirectorPascal LaugierStarsMorjana AlaouiMylène JampanoïCatherine BéginA young woman's quest for revenge against the people who kidnapped and tormented her as a child leads her and a friend, who is also a victim of child abuse, on a terrifying journey into a living hell of depravity.Part horror film, part torture porn, and the rest is just plain bizarre. Extremely violent, and the ending will make you wonder if it was really worth watching all of that nastiness just to arrive at a question nobody seems to be able to answer.
- DirectorJohn CrowleyStarsAndrew GarfieldPeter MullanShaun EvansThe story of a young Jack, newly released from serving a prison sentence for a violent crime he committed as a child.Psychologically devastating. Seeing what a child killer's life is like after he's set free - and watching what happens to him - sounds a lot easier to watch than it ultimately is.
- DirectorAgustí VillarongaStarsGünter MeisnerDavid SustMarisa ParedesA former Nazi child-killer is confined in an iron lung inside an old mansion after a suicide attempt. His wife hires him a full-time carer, a mysterious young man who is driven slowly mad by the old man's disturbing past.I don't even know where to begin with this one. Profoundly disturbing on every level.
- DirectorDaniel GrouStarsClaude LegaultRémy GirardMartin DubreuilA doctor seeks revenge by kidnapping, torturing and killing the man who raped and murdered his young daughter.Not only graphically violent, but also psychologically disturbing; the line blurs between justice and vengeance, leaving us to ask ourselves how we would react if we had a chance for revenge on someone who had raped and murdered our child.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsMalcolm McDowellPatrick MageeMichael BatesIn the future, a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn't go as planned.Somehow this manages to maintain its punch-in-the-gut effectiveness decades after its release. Ultraviolent, indeed.
- DirectorSerge BeckerPeter ChristophersonEric GoodeStarsTrent ReznorJames DuvalBob FlanaganTrent Reznor presents his dark vision of the EP 'Broken' by telling the story of a man kidnapped and forced to watch Nine Inch Nails videos, disturbing in their own right, while being tortured.Not exactly a movie; rather, it's a series of videos by Nine Inch Nails, linked together by a subplot featuring a kidnapping and a pretty convincing faux-snuff film.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsChoi Min-sikYoo Ji-taeKang Hye-jeongAfter being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must track down his captor in five days.It's hard to classify this movie. All I can say is "see it." The ending will slap you in the face, hard. (Also worth seeing are the other two in this "series": "Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance" and "Lady Vengeance.")
- DirectorFruit ChanPark Chan-wookTakashi MiikeStarsBai LingLee Byung-hunKyoko HasegawaAn Asian cross-cultural trilogy of horror films from accomplished indie directors.The title is fitting, although each of the three short films are very different, and will therefore affect viewers on various levels. I made the mistake of seeking out the full-length version of "Dumplings," and I don't think I'll ever fully recover.
- DirectorÉric TessierStarsMarc-André GrondinNormand D'AmourSonia Vachon5150 ELM'S WAY is located at end of a quiet street in a small town. When Yannick fell off his bike.Strange and shocking. Unlike some of the others on this list, it's quite clear who the "good" and "bad" guys are from the outset, but that makes it even harder to watch.
- DirectorNeil LaButeStarsAmy BrennemanAaron EckhartBen StillerUnhappy couples fall apart and hop into other beds with other people.There is one scene - a monologue expertly given by Jason Patric - that makes this movie a part of my list. The rest is forgettable, but that one long, astonishing speech in a gym's steam room will stay with you.
- DirectorEric SteelStarsEric GeleynseChris BrownSusan GinwallaFilmmakers use hidden cameras to capture the various suicide attempts at the Golden Gate Bridge - the world's most popular suicide destination. Interviews with the victims' loved ones describe their lives and mental health.Far from your average documentary. Not only does the camera capture several people's suicides as they jump from the Golden Gate Bridge, but the filmmaker also delves into the whys and wherefores behind what drove them to jump in the first place. Utterly heartbreaking.
- DirectorBlutchCharles BurnsMarie CaillouStarsAure AtikaGuillaume DepardieuNicole GarciaSeveral scary black-and-white animated segments in different styles appeal to our fear(s) of the dark.A startlingly fascinating set of short films, any one of which might inspire a sleepless night or two.
- DirectorGrover BabcockBlue HadaeghStarsFred CorralSherwood DixonJulie WilsonUnblinking and unsettling, this documentary lays bare a mysterious process that goes on all around us - what happens to people who die with no next of kin.You can't help but contemplate your own mortality, and what will become of you after you die, as you watch these unidentified remains being "dealt with" by the coroner's office.
- DirectorMartin WeiszStarsThomas KretschmannKeri RussellThomas HuberIn Germany, as graduate student Katie Armstrong researches cannibal killer Oliver Hagen for her thesis, she becomes obsessed with her subject and ultimately plunges into a lifestyle similar to Hagen's and the thousands of people like him.I didn't expect this to be as unnerving as it was. It quite quickly takes a turn from standard horror fare into a truly, deeply dark psychological place. Knowing it's based very closely on the true story of a man who posted on Craigslist his desire for a suicidal person to volunteer to be eaten...? That makes what we're shown here feel even worse. Sick, sick, sick.
- DirectorTakashi MiikeStarsBilly DragoShihô HarumiMichiéIn the 1800s, an American returns to Japan to find the prostitute he fell in love with, but instead learns of the physical and existential horror that befell her after he left.I think I remember hearing that this episode of "Masters of Horror" was banned - or at least not aired - in most places where the rest of the series was. I had to rent it online to see why for myself, and...yeah, it is beyond grotesque, and disturbingly well made. Takashi Miike outdid himself.
- DirectorTun-Fei MouStarsGang WangDai Yao WuRunshen WangJapanese troops round up Chinese and Russian prisoners of war and take them to unit 731, where they're horribly tortured and experimented on to test new biological weapons.Also known as "Hei tai yang 731," this film uses real footage of unspeakable things (experiments on animals, human torture, other atrocities of war) to illustrate life in a Japanese POW camp post-WWII.
- DirectorGaspar NoéStarsNathaniel BrownPaz de la HuertaCyril RoyAn American drug dealer living in Tokyo is betrayed by his best friend and killed in a drug deal. His soul, observing the repercussions of his death, seeks resurrection.Unlike anything else I've ever seen. This story is told from the perspective of a young man in Tokyo who is murdered, and becomes omniscient as he tries to keep his promise of ensuring his sister's safety. Surreal, bizarre, original and thoroughly unforgettable.
- DirectorLars von TrierStarsWillem DafoeCharlotte GainsbourgStorm Acheche SahlstrømA grieving couple retreat to their cabin in the woods, hoping to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage, but nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse.Astonishingly beautiful to look at, in contrast with the terrible things it depicts. Everything from the visuals to the ominous "soundtrack" lends itself to the feeling of impending doom. Some really twisted sexual and violent imagery to behold.
- DirectorRuggero DeodatoStarsRobert KermanFrancesca CiardiPerry PirkanenDuring a rescue mission into the Amazon rainforest, a professor stumbles across lost film shot by a missing documentary crew.It veers into schlock territory, but because of its actual footage of animal torture, it usually makes its way onto most "disturbing films" lists.
- DirectorMeir ZarchiStarsCamille KeatonEron TaborRichard PaceAn aspiring writer is repeatedly assaulted, humiliated, and left for dead by four men she systematically hunts down to seek revenge.I'll never really understand why the original title of this is "Day Of The Woman," aside from some fairly sick revenge fantasies being played out. This is basically one long rape scene, followed by a whole lot of gory "justice" for the victim. Depraved. Don't even bother with the remake.
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsJeremy IronsGeneviève BujoldHeidi von PalleskeTwin gynecologists take full advantage of the fact that nobody can tell them apart, until their relationship begins to deteriorate over a woman.Jeremy Irons will convince you that he has a twin brother. He will also make women never want to go to the gynecologist's office again. One of Cronenberg's creepiest films, and that's saying a lot.
- DirectorLarry ClarkStarsLeo FitzpatrickJustin PierceChloë SevignyA day in the life of a group of teens as they travel around New York City skating, drinking, smoking and deflowering virgins.This is one of those movies where you're pretty sure you know what's coming, and you thoroughly dread actually seeing it, but like a train wreck you can't look away.
- DirectorDavid GriecoStarsMalcolm McDowellMarton CsokasRonald PickupA disgraced communist schoolteacher in Kyiv becomes a brutal, unfeeling serial killer. Based on the crimes of Andrei Chikatilo.Malcolm McDowell out-creeps his own creepy characters with this one. Not a great film, but his performance and a few key scenes will make just about anyone cringe in horror.
- DirectorSrdjan SpasojevicStarsSrdjan 'Zika' TodorovicSergej TrifunovicJelena GavrilovicAn aging porn star agrees to participate in an "art film" in order to make a clean break from the business, only to discover that he has been drafted into making a pedophilia and necrophilia themed snuff film.I'm fairly certain this movie contains things never before put on film. Sick, sick, beyond sick. Only those seeking a really nasty movie will want to go anywhere near this one.
- DirectorKinji FukasakuStarsTatsuya FujiwaraAki MaedaTarô YamamotoIn the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill one another under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.The plot for the newly popular "Hunger Games" book trilogy may as well have been lifted from this movie, but believe me when I say this film is far superior and absolutely engrossing.
- DirectorMarina de VanStarsMarina de VanLaurent LucasLéa DruckerA woman grows increasingly fascinated with her body after suffering a disfiguring accident.If you're squeamish about self-mutilation, avoid this at all costs.
- DirectorTakashi MiikeStarsRyo IshibashiEihi ShiinaTetsu SawakiA widower takes an offer to screen girls at a special audition, arranged for him by a friend to find him a new wife. The one he fancies is not who she appears to be after all.At first glance this might look like a typical horror movie. Not so. There are a lot of truly squirm-worthy moments in this film. One of Miike's best, in my opinion.
- DirectorDanny BoyleStarsKerry FoxChristopher EcclestonEwan McGregorThree friends discover their new flatmate dead but loaded with cash.It may be because of the levity with which this movie begins that its downward spiral into hell is so effective.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsCatherine DeneuveIan HendryJohn FraserA sex-repulsed woman who disapproves of her sister's boyfriend sinks into depression and has horrific visions of rape and violence.This Polanski classic gets overlooked in most modern lists, but like "A Clockwork Orange" it has retained the qualities that made it disturbing in the first place.
- DirectorGregg ArakiStarsBrady CorbetJoseph Gordon-LevittElisabeth ShueTwo pre-adolescent boys both experienced a strange event and later it affects their lives in different ways. One becomes a reckless, sexually adventurous prostitute, while the other retreats into a reclusive fantasy of alien abduction.Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance is totally devastating; you'll want to look away, but you won't be able to.
- DirectorLynne StopkewichStarsMolly ParkerPeter OuterbridgeJay BrazeauOver the years, a child's romantic ideals about death blossom into necrophilia, the study of embalming and the most profound relationship of her life.One of the most disturbing things about this film is how well Molly Parker's character communicates why she's a necrophile...and how much sense it starts to make to the viewer.
- DirectorAlexandre BustilloJulien MauryStarsAlysson ParadisJean-Baptiste TabourinClaude LuléFour months after the death of her husband, a woman on the brink of motherhood is tormented in her home by a strange woman who wants her unborn baby.Nothing can be said aside from "not recommended for pregnant women."
- DirectorTakashi MiikeStarsKen'ichi EndôShungiku UchidaKazushi WatanabeA troubled and perverted family find their lives intruded by a mysterious stranger who seems to help find a balance in their disturbing natures.Once again, Takashi Miike makes the list.
- DirectorJohn BoormanStarsJon VoightBurt ReynoldsNed BeattyIntent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it's dammed and turned into a lake, outdoor fanatic Lewis Medlock takes his friends on a canoeing trip they'll never forget into the dangerous American back-country.It's been spoofed endlessly and refashioned a lot in the last decade (i.e. "Wrong Turn," etc.), but there are still few scenes as troubling as the infamous "squeal like a pig" moment here.
- DirectorBob BadwayStarsMarguerite MoreauBrittany CurranColin HayA young woman's nightmarish past returns to trigger off a bizarre phobia she was once cured of; an intense fear of space, eased only by closeness to walls. She becomes a psychological survivalist when her remote house suddenly becomes a spiritual battleground, as evil forces gather to torture her during a night of terror.Not to be confused with the recent Elizabeth Banks J-horror remake (or any of the other movies with this same or similar title), this film is weirdly claustrophobic, and while the payoff isn't great, the atmosphere throughout will definitely get to you.
- DirectorPeter BrookStarsJames AubreyTom ChapinHugh EdwardsSchoolboys marooned on a Pacific island create their own savage civilization.I saw the '90s remake first (I'd actually read the book before both), but the original packs a wallop.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsEllen BurstynJared LetoJennifer ConnellyThe drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep..Summed up: Gut-wrenching.
- DirectorDavid SladeStarsPatrick WilsonElliot PageSandra OhHayley's a smart, charming teenage girl. Jeff's a handsome, smooth fashion photographer. An Internet chat, a coffee shop meet-up, an impromptu fashion shoot back at Jeff's place. Jeff thinks it's his lucky night. He's in for a surprise.Be preapred for some lively debate after watching this. Trying to figure out who is the worst offender - or which is the offender at all? - will mess with your head.
- DirectorDaniel BarberStarsMichael CaineEmily MortimerDavid BradleyAn elderly ex-serviceman and widower looks to avenge his best friend's murder by doling out his own form of justice.Probably not an obvious choice, but seeing Michael Caine go from raw grief to galvanized rage - and all of the carnage left in its wake - is jarring. The unexpected burst of graphic violence that opens the film sets a very definite tone.
- DirectorMort RansenStarsHelena Bonham CarterKate NelliganClive RussellMargaret MacNiel, a girl living in a Cape Breton coal mining town, finds her life changing when she meets Neil Currie, a cheerful bagpipe-playing dishwasher. Unfortunately, neither of them are able to escape the industry around them.A truly weird movie that looks like a straightforward love story...until you get to see exactly what Margaret keeps in her museum.
- DirectorDusan MakavejevStarsCarole LaurePierre ClémentiAnna PrucnalAfter winning the "most virgin" contest, Miss Canada is married to a rich milk tycoon. But she quickly flees the marriage to experience the world around her, full of sweetness and anarchy.I hated this movie, but I'd be remiss if I didn't add it to this list.
- DirectorMichael HanekeStarsArno FrischAngela WinklerUlrich MüheA 14-year-old video enthusiast obsessed with violent films decides to make one of his own and show it to his parents, with tragic results.Quietly affecting in the way only Haneke can manage. I'd recommend his "Funny Games," too, if you're feeling masochistic.
- DirectorTim Blake NelsonStarsDavid ArquetteVelizar BinevDavid ChandlerA Nazi doctor, along with the Sonderkommando, Jews who are forced to work in the crematoria of Auschwitz against their fellow Jews, find themselves in a moral gray zone.Of all the excellent movies out there about the Holocaust, I can't quite explain why this one stands out. But it does. I found it very hard to get through.
- DirectorDavid LynchStarsJack NanceCharlotte StewartAllen JosephHenry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.David Lynch isn't to everyone's taste - not even mine in many cases - but disturbing? Deranged? Unforgettable? "Erasherhead" fits the bill.
- DirectorLynne RamsayStarsSamantha MortonKathleen McDermottLinda McGuireAfter her beloved boyfriend's suicide, a mourning supermarket worker and her best friend hit the road in Scotland, but find that grief is something that you can't run away from forever.From the quiet jolt of the opening to the last frame, this movie has atmosphere in spades. Dark, puzzling, and haunting.
- DirectorTom FordStarsColin FirthJulianne MooreMatthew GoodeAn English professor, one year after the sudden death of his boyfriend, is unable to cope with his typical days in 1960s Los Angeles.This is one of those "it's the heartbreak that's unforgettable" ones. If you manage to crack a smile within 24 hours of seeing this bleak and heartbreaking movie, you're a much more cheerful person than I am.
- DirectorMike NicholsStarsEmma ThompsonChristopher LloydEileen AtkinsA renowned professor is forced to reassess her life when she is diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer.Not a single moment that isn't completely devastating. Forces you to face mortality and the likelihood that we will suffer in the end. Emma Thompson is a wonder.
- DirectorMark RomanekStarsKeira KnightleyCarey MulliganAndrew GarfieldThe lives of three friends, from their early school days into young adulthood, when the reality of the world they live in comes knocking.Even if you already know the basic story behind why these kids are in this "special school," seeing it on film is pretty tough to take. No matter how inevitable the ending seems, you won't be able to stop wishing it could end any other way.
- DirectorDon McKellarStarsDon McKellarSandra OhRoberta MaxwellA group of very different individuals with different ideas of how to face the end come together as the world is expected to end in six hours at the turn of the century.Moments of levity don't detract from the impending end of the world in this "apocalyptic" movie with a knife-in-the-heart emotional twist.
- DirectorFernando MeirellesStarsJulianne MooreMark RuffaloGael García BernalA city is ravaged by an epidemic of instant white blindness.You have to see it (ironic, I know) to absorb its impact.
- DirectorLars von TrierStarsKirsten DunstCharlotte GainsbourgKiefer SutherlandTwo sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide with Earth.Lars von Trier does it again: he somehow creates the most breathtakingly gorgeous visuals to accompany incredibly grim and unsettling subject matter. If you can, see it in a theatre. The final 5 minutes, with a big screen and surround sound, are positively visceral.
- DirectorJohn McNaughtonStarsMichael RookerTracy ArnoldTom TowlesArriving in Chicago, Henry moves in with ex-con acquaintance Otis and starts schooling him in the ways of the serial killer.Whatever pushes your "disturb" buttons - gore, rape, torture, murder - it's all packed into this 81 minutes of hell.
- DirectorDavid MackenzieStarsEwan McGregorEva GreenLauren TempanyA chef and a scientist fall in love as an epidemic begins to rob people of their sensory perceptions.I felt this film got a raw deal from critics. Upon first viewing it may not hit you like a Mack truck, but if you're anything like me, you'll find yourself thinking about certain scenes months after the fact. Not as effective as "Blindness," but certainly worth a look. So to speak.
- DirectorAmy BergStarsOliver O'GradyThomas DoyleAdamDocumentary about Father Oliver O'Grady, a Catholic priest who was relocated to various parishes around the United States during the 1970s in an attempt by the Catholic Church to cover up his rape of dozens of children.Want a documentary that will mess you up? Try this one. The interviews with the priest/pedophile that take place at a children's playground, with him describing what arouses him, are just horrifying.
- DirectorTodd SolondzStarsJane AdamsJon LovitzPhilip Seymour HoffmanThe lives of several individuals intertwine as they go about their lives in their own unique ways, engaging in acts which society as a whole might find disturbing in a desperate search for human connection.I can't count how many times I rented and then returned this movie before getting all the way through it. What a perverse slice of life it is.
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsAntonio BanderasElena AnayaJan CornetA brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.There is a lot going on in this film. And a lot of really uncomfortable moments. Which all build up to something that definitely earns Almodovar's latest its rightful spot on this list.
- DirectorKim Jee-woonStarsLee Byung-hunChoi Min-sikJeon Gook-hwanA secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.Fans of the "Oldboy" ilk will surely appreciate this. It doesn't go easy on the gore nor does it skimp on the emotional punches.
- StarsSamuel WestAdolf BuchnerJutta RüdigerAn examination of how a cultured people could have allowed Adolf Hitler's rise to power.As documentary series go, this one is unmatched. I had to take a couple of days between watching each disc in the collection, because in spite of having studied much of the material in depth during my university history courses, the BBC has managed to put together things that most of us have never seen before...and wouldn't have wanted to, but should make ourselves see, all the same.
- DirectorJordan ScottStarsEva GreenJuno TempleMaría ValverdeA look at the lives and relationships among girls at an elite boarding school.Take a mentally unstable, beautiful, young teacher and throw her into a mix of needy, unwanted boarding school girls. Watch the twisted relationships unfold. Dread the way you know it's going to turn out. Swear you'll send your own kids to public school.