# Best Psychological Horror Movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961 "2004-02-13T01:56:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/21 "2004-02-13T21:57:17Z")
I’ve heard great things about In the Mouth of Madness, and I intend to see it eventually. I hate gore and sadism and nastiness, but I like truly chilling stories, or even “normal” stories with dark twists at the end. I’d rank Seven (Se7en) as one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen, especially because we see so little of the murders themselves, only the aftermath from each. Angel Heart is an excellent detective movie, but turns out to be much darker and scarier than you’d expect. I recommend it highly. Dark City and Donnie Darko, as **Darkhold** mentioned, are great as well, although I wouldn’t call either a “horror” movie. Is Clive Barker’s Lord of Illusions a good movie? Keep in mind I hate scenes of gore, torture, mutilation… I already know I’d hate the Hellraiser series, which originated with Clive Barker as well. But I heard Lord of Illusions is almost a film noir take on the horror genre, with a heroic magician as the central character. I found this interesting because so many horror movies seem to have the villain as the “main” character, and I just can’t get into that. And what about The Prophecy? I kinda want to see it just because it has Christopher Walken as an angel and Viggo Mortensen as Lucifer. But is it cheesy and gory, or actually COOL? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/22 "2004-02-13T22:07:40Z")
**Dung Beetle** , I’ll bet anything **N. Sane** is referring to the earlier version of _The Haunting_ instead of the recent craptastic remake. **Lou** , in my opinion _In the Mouth of Madness_ is the last movie from the hand of Mr. Carpenter that makes a legitimate claim to greatness, or at least near greatness. There’s a lot of it that doesn’t work, but it has a way of getting under your skin. And if you find the first hour effective, the last five minutes will blow your mind. I’m going to follow up on something **mrunlucky** started by nominating a psychological horror film _without supernatural elements._ (I don’t understand why so many horror movies feel the need to include demons or vampires or ghosts or whatever. All you have to do is frighten and/or disturb the audience, right? _Texas Chainsaw Massacre_, anybody? Isn’t _Silence of the Lambs_ a horror movie? And yet when we think of modern horror we have stuff like _The Ring_ and _The Others_ and (yak) _Event Horizon._ My nominee for a movie that will freak your shit out: _ **Das Experiment.** _ It’s a German film from a couple of years ago. It explores, fictionally, the scenario behind the famous Stanford Prison Experiment: A group of volunteers is placed in a fake prison setting by researchers, and divided into guards and inmates. And that’s all I’m going to tell you. There isn’t really a lot of gore, but the movie is fucking _intense._ And yes, I consider it a horror movie, because it’s _horrifying_ what human beings are capable of doing to one another and then rationalizing away. At the end, I was quite literally shaking; I felt like my soul had been dropped into a swimming pool full of broken glass. Thumbs up. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/23 "2004-02-13T22:12:28Z")
[_Don’t Look Now_](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/DontLookNow-1006104/) might be worth your time. Real creepy and unnerving throughout, lots of nice camera work to emphasize the suspense and psychological truama. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/24 "2004-02-13T22:38:07Z")
Hey, nobody’s mentioned _The Hitcher_ yet. I thought it was really creepy. And from about the same time period, _The Stepfather_ was pretty good small movie with a couple of good jumps. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/25 "2004-02-13T22:57:32Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > Is Clive Barker’s Lord of Illusions a good movie? Keep in mind I hate scenes of gore, torture, mutilation… I already know I’d hate the Hellraiser series, which originated with Clive Barker as well. But I heard Lord of Illusions is almost a film noir take on the horror genre, with a heroic magician as the central character. I found this interesting because so many horror movies seem to have the villain as the “main” character, and I just can’t get into that. Clive Barker and ‘good’ movie are two different categories. You only watch Clive Barker movies for the style and the excellent quotes (“I was a man that became a god…and changed his mind”) The ‘main’ character is a detective the magician guy is at best a secondary character. Interesting dialogue? Yes Interesting style and direction? Yes. Stupid plot? Yes Good movie? Not really. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/26 "2004-02-14T00:08:39Z")
Great suggestions so far, you guys. **darkhold** : I’m a fan of the Evil Dead movies. Scary they’re not, but Bruce Campbell as Ash is the MAN, man. I heard that _Bubba Ho-Tep_, in which Bruce plays an elderly Elvis, finally got a theatrical release. I’ll probably snatch it up once it comes to DVD, because I highly doubt it’ll hit the cities nearest to me in the theatres. I’ve also seen bits and bobs of Dark City. A couple of good ones from Stephen King: _The Stand_ was an admirable movie. I’d read the book first, and it amazes me that someone actually made a six-hour long movie that doesn’t drag anywhere. _IT_ made a fairly decent movie. They had to cut out a lot of stuff, but some of it was understandable. Particularly the smoke-hole ritual (don’t want some dumbass kids trying it), the explanation of the cosmos which lead to IT (God is a turtle? BLASPHEMY!), and of course the pre-adolescent gang bang (fucking DUH) ---
**Author:** ![LucysLogic101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19b73/32.png) [@LucysLogic101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LucysLogic101)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/27 "2004-02-14T06:00:04Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > While not really a horror movie… **Wait until Dark** is chilling. if you watch this movie, be sure to have ALL of the lights turned off. Yes, ALL. no pausing, you must watch it straight through. it’s the only way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Quint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/76d3ee/32.png) [@Quint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/28 "2004-02-14T06:58:39Z")
Well, it’s definitely not _the best_, but [A Tale of Two Sisters](http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=6085) had two of the scariest scenes I’ve seen in the past five years. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/29 "2004-02-14T06:59:56Z")
The old B&W \*The Haunting \* is a GREAT flick! ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/30 "2004-02-14T08:39:34Z")
> [@Tentacle Monster](#): > > darkhold: I’m a fan of the Evil Dead movies. Scary they’re not I actually think the first Evil Dead is in fact scary. All the sequals suck though. Even Bruce ‘the man’ Campbell can make them worth watching. I’ve been trying to come up with some more ideas but I’m pretty tapped. All I can remember are crappy Scream clones and slasher shows. ---
**Author:** ![Stimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@Stimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stimpy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/31 "2004-02-14T10:35:01Z")
Again, not horror, but my favourite psychological thriller is definately the original The Vanishing. Not the silly remake with Jeff Bridges - although Jeff Bridges, to be fair, did an okay job. Also a big fan of The Hitcher. Personally don’t think this is horror either. I got the DVD this Christmas, and it has some nice extras, including a full-length commentary I can’t wait to get stuck into. I _love_ the music in the film. Rutger’s finest hour IMO. And C Thomas Howells… I swear he’s pissed on the DVD! ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/32 "2004-02-14T16:38:42Z")
Since my girlfriend barely got through it with me last night, I’ll recommend the Shining. A lot of psychological stuff, and the best part is that there isn’t much gore (ok, so there is blood pouring out of elevators, but there isn’t much death). My girl had to continuously talk to Jack to lessen her fear of him. ---
**Author:** ![Journeyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@Journeyman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Journeyman)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/33 "2004-02-14T19:03:55Z")
Anyone here seen an anime called Perfect Blue? ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/34 "2004-02-14T19:17:44Z")
> [@Journeyman](#): > > Anyone here seen an anime called Perfect Blue? I have. I wouldn’t call it horror though. It’s got the psychological angle down. And the confusing as hell angle down as well. ---
**Author:** ![vhsiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/cc9497/32.png) [@vhsiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vhsiv)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/35 "2004-02-14T21:13:05Z")
I’m on board for Polanski’s _Repulsion_ and _Rosemary’s Baby_… How about Brian DePalma’s ‘_Sisters_’ (1974?) - that’s psychological horror, albeit in an LSD-meets-Hitchcock kind of way. Also of note: ‘_The Stepford Wives_’ (1974), curently being remade by Frank Oz, w/ Nicole Kidman in the lead ‘_The Man Who Fell To Earth_’ (or maybe it was just my own sleep deprivation) and, one of my all time favorites, '_The Haunting of Hell House_ (1973) - script by Richard Matheson, starring Roddy McDowell and Pamela Franklin. Word is that Matheson grew frustrated with inferior adaptations of his work, and made an effort to set things right, by writing this one himself. _**Now on [DVD](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005LIRD/ref=ase_imdb-adbox/104-0180003-8463170?v=glance&s=dvd)**_ (widescreen!). ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/36 "2004-02-14T23:08:44Z")
The movie **Flatliners**? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/37 "2004-02-14T23:40:53Z")
I liked _Fraility_ myself. I also agree with those whose nominated the original _The Haunting_ and _The Innocents_ ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/38 "2004-02-15T04:07:32Z")
I’m always creeped out by **The Changeling** with George C. Scott. He’s a bereaved musician who moves into a big creepy old Seattle mansion, all by himself, after the death of his family. Bad stuff ensues. **Dead Again** with Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson is fun too. ---
**Author:** ![Termital](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Termital](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Termital)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/39 "2004-02-15T04:44:06Z")
Of unmentioned films: More suspence than thriller, but it is a Hitchcock film after all. _Vertigo_ is awful and disturbing if you empathise with the main character, and it was one of the rare occasions that happened to me. \*The Ring \* I watched just going into the theatre because I came across a friend who was also going. It starts in a way that made me think ‘bad scream clone’. Then it became apparent to me it was a japanese remake (which my friend later confirmed), and I spent most of the movie looking for the cultural references. I may have well been engaged in that activity because , for all the travelling that takes place, the film exuded a diluted sense of being locked in a toilet with a rabid pitbull. (As opposed to say, what is that creepy noise behind me.) It was only when I had walked a good ten minutes away from the cinema that I felt a CHILL. So yes, I recommend it 😃 . ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961/40 "2004-02-15T18:29:58Z")
> [@Journeyman](#): > > Anyone here seen an anime called Perfect Blue? I saw the live-action movie based on the anime. It was very dull. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-psychological-horror-movie/228961.md?page=3)