5 Favorite Horror Films that Mess with your Head
Comments(49)
- By Venkman
There are a lot of horror films that have been made over the years, but there are really only a few of them that can actually scare a person. For me getting scared is not a loud noise or a door slamming or a monster jumping out of the trees suddenly. A real horror movie is disturbing, a real horror movie messes with your head and makes you think. Here are five movies that I think does this to the people watching them, because it affected me in ways that regular cheap thrill horror films just don’t do.
Session 9
Session 9 is the most recent movie to date that has freaked me out. It takes place in one of the scariest places imaginable… an abandoned insane asylum. A group of guys take a job to remove the asbestos from the decaying hospital. One of the workers begins listening to old recorded psycho therapy sessions. While he listens to them the madness begins.
This movie does a great job of keeping the audience on the edge of their seat. You have no idea what is going on until the very end. The recorded sessions of the movie are really the scariest part. It puts your imagination to work and you can’t help but get an incredibly disturbing mental picture of what was going on in the patient’s head. The movie does a great job with playing with the viewers emotions and fears.
The Exorcist
This satanic horror film had people fainting and throwing up in the movie theaters when it came out. I guess this could be considered one of the most evil movies ever made. To this day when I watch it, the movie makes me feel uneasy. I don’t see how you can watch this movie and not feel an evil presence watching it with you.
The Exorcist follows a mother dealing with the demonic possession of her young daughter. She seeks out the help of a priest in hopes that through an exorcism her daughter can be saved.
The visuals used in this film were practical but effectively chilling. The 360 head turn, the throwing up of green goo, and the demonic voice coming from a little girl were just a few of the iconic things that made this movie a horror classic. The subject matter itself was effective in making your soul duck and cover. What takes this story to a whole new level of creepy is that it was based on an actual documented exorcism that took place in 1949 on a 14 year old boy.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
This little film took horror movies to a whole new level of craziness. It’s a nightmare of death you will never forget. It looked way too real to be a movie, and that is why it was so messed up. If you look at the remake it is very polished and cinematic. The original version was just ground down and dirty.
The film follows a group of five close friends who end up at the residence of a demented family of cannibalistic psychopaths. The leading lady finds herself an involuntary guest at the home of death.
One of the scenes that’s burned into my memory is when they bring down the grandpa who looks like a walking rotting corpse. The family members hold the poor girls head over a bucket while the old man tries to knock her out by repeatedly by dropping a hammer on her head. It’s such an intense movie and the whole time you really want that girl to get out of that situation. It can be an exhausting movie to watch.
Jacobs Ladder
This horror film took me on trip that I still have flashbacks from. This is one of the trippiest movies I have ever seen. It does a great job with screwing with your head. The film is about a guy who begins to have severely insane hallucinations, which he thinks is all part of a government conspiracy.
This movie takes you down so many rabbit holes you don’t know what to believe. It’s an unsettling series of events that leads to, in my opinion, one of the greatest most mind-blowing endings ever in a movie.
Rosemary’s Baby
This film was brilliantly twisted and sadistic. I’ll admit it kept me up at night, but not because I was scared. It was because I just couldn’t get it out of my head. I couldn’t help but think about and what happened in the story. I was trying to figure out why and I just couldn’t.
Rosemary starts to experience these incredibly odd, unpleasant things in her new apartment. She finds out she is pregnant after a crazy nightmare in which Satan pretty much makes love to her. It’s not the most pleasant scene to watch. She starts suspecting that her neighbors have something to do with all the strange things going on around her.
What happens at the end of this movie is very awkward and quite troubling.
I have heard the new film Paranormal Activity is incredibly scary, but I haven’t seen it yet so I can’t put it on the list. What are some other “mess with your head” horror movies that you’ve seen that we should know about.
How about REC, Seven?
Great list. Jacobs Labber and Session 9 are 2 very underated movie gems.
seven was more of a crime/thriller imo. but im really glad jacobs ladder is there
Who could forget 'Phantasm?!'
Blair Witch Project. Seriously the tent scene where you start hearing the children voices outside… Bye bye sleep!
The Others. I can't remember when I last saw a horror film in a theater, where the WHOLE audience screamed. Superb.
The Descent. Ignore the Gollum-creeps, they are not what the movie is about. This is all about women and what they are like. Watch again and pay attention to the back story, the look on Juno's face when Paul removes her helmet and her line "We all lost something in that crash!"
Damn I love this film, brilliant!
The Haunted. Made in the 70s, it creeps the living daylights out of me. The rape-scene, the whispers, the ghostly figures…
Pet Sematary. You'll never want kids after watching this.
The Eye (the original version). I'm unable to go to elevators now.
watch antichrist when it comes out. That'll be at the top of your list
I loved REC. It was fantastic. And the very end is one of those scenes that rambles around in your head for months afterwards.
Martyrs is the last movie i saw that messed with my head after watching that i took a break from watching horror for a few weeks
Oldboy and the first Saw are on my list.
I agree with Chainsaw, Exorcist and Session 9.
Never seen Rosemary’s Baby.
Just recall hating Jacob’s Ladder. I might revisit it now.
You guys are way too young.
"The Thing" has the paranoia ratcheted up the whole time.
Prince of Darkness mixes Satan, the End of the world, The Exorcist and Quantum Physics to F with your head.
And almost Every "Body Horror" film from Cronenberg. Everything from "Shivers" to "The Fly" mess with you so much, that human flesh creeps you out.
Rosemary's Baby? The Exorcist? Really? Those are good films, yes, but one cannot deny the fact that they are both a little too dull and boring (plot for the prior, setting for the latter) to be good psychological thriller/horror films. Not to mention they don't really do what this list was really looking for – a plot that messes with your head.
LIke Dan said before me, what about Seven? And as for my personal favorites, what about The Sixth Sense, Identity, or the critically acclaimed Muholland Dr.?
Event Horizon really freaked me out, particularly the footage they find from the old crew's logs. I had nightmares about the voice speaking in Latin.
The St Francisville Experiment was unexpectedly creepy, too.
Also, American Psycho scarred me for life!
They really are underrated!
As disturbing as Seven was I see it more as a thriller. I loved REC as well but it didn't jack me up.
Nice list! Pet Sematary! Hell yes! That movie gave me crazy nightmares. I couldn't sleep for weeks because I thought Zelda was crouched down in the dark corner of my room ready to pop out and scare the hell out of me.
Antichrist looks insane!
I am going to have to watch it! Thanks for the tip!
Nice to see someone reckonizing Session 9 for what it really is. An awesome disturbing horror. only 5 to pick from is kinda difficult. The Thing (yeah gory but the music and tone is still creepy) and Blair Witch are easily on par with the others. Sixth sense ehh . . . no sorry. Its kinda like SAW. The movie is pretty good but the ending is the kicker. Twistsed but not so disturbing.
I loved the story telling build up for Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist. I didn't find them dull at all. But I can see how some people can see it as boring. You've got great list of movies though.
You should revisit!
Loved Event Horizon! I haven't seen St Francisville Experiment so I am putting that on my list! Thanks!
I heard that people who had seen special screenings were -intensely- disturbed by what they saw. I don't remember what the article said specifically, but it was enough to make me wonder whether the movie would actually make it to theaters.
Your Right about The Thing, that movie was awesome! And I love Cronenberg's stuff!
I was thinking of watching Event Horizon because I used to be a big Jason Isaacs fan, but I read the description a few times and decided that I would be too creeped out by it…glad I'm not alone.
I don't watch horror movies* because I don't enjoy being scared and I don't understand the psychological reasons behind the thrill of watching such movies.
However, I watched the trailer for "The Surgeon" (AKA: "Exquisite Tenderness") the other day on accident and it freaked me out so bad I had to stop a few minutes in. Considering I see commercials for horror movies all the time and never have a reaction beyond a little shudder, I assume it's quite a movie. (They should get rid of the alternate title…I thought "Exquisite Tenderness" was a steamy romance movie with James Remar in it. *headdesk*) (There's my first problem…imagining that I'd ever see Remar in a romance! LMAO)
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* Except for "End of Days"–there may be plotholes galore, but Gabriel Byrne is great in that movie. And "The Craft", which I didn't know was considered somewhat of a horror until I'd seen it several times.
One of my all time favorite Sci-Fi horrors!
it's another one of those chopped-post-test-group films; they said it was too disturbing. i don't mind a bit of the gore cut out though, for my sake. i don't do well with blood
the sad part is, for fans other than myself, most of the footage taken out was lost because they didn't save extras for dvd's in those days!
Oh man I totally agree with The Exorcist. I mean, I was pretty young when I first saw it, but I couldn't stop thinking about it for days. Truly a classic.
Yeah, or that kid under your bed with that scalpel!
Thank you for posting this list Doc! I have not seen Session 9, but I found out it was made by Brad Anderson from Machinist fame! Gotta rent it because I believe that the scariest places EVER are abandoned insane asylums from the 30's. I also saw Paranormal Activity and it was great! The film kept me engaged the entire time and I was actually afraid to go home after leaving the theater.
I suggest watching "The Girl Next Door" if you'd like to see a truly disturbing movie. Funny, I wouldn't classify it as horror, although that was the section we found it in, but it is truly horrifying in how it shows the dark depths of human nature. Based on the murder of Sylvia Likens…
Session 9 is one of my favourite movies ever, I recommend it to everyone. I agree with the poster that said Oldboy as well. I think for me personally, one of the most disturbing I've seen is Odishon.
Nice! I love Session 9. Good call. Very creepy film. What do you think of Heavenly Creatures? It's not straight-up horror, but it messed with my head in a serious way. Very disturbing, especially given that it was based on true events.
Yes, Pet Semetary. That was damn unnerving. The part where Gage wanders out into the road haunts me to this day, and also the part with the achilles tendon. If you've seen the film, you know what I'm talking about!!!
Have to also give kudos to The Descent. That was underrated and brilliant. And horrifyingly effective in its psychology.
Well also the French Movie Called INSIDE, its awesome
I agree with everything on the list. Session 9 was one of the few movies that freaked me out. Some of the other ones mentioned were pretty good too. I might also add the original Japanese versions of The Grudge and The Ring (much creepier than the English versions).
Se7en was more of a crime-drama and Event Horizon was more sci-fi but they're both pretty freaky.
I had to chuckle at The Girl Next Door… the first thing that popped into my mind was the 2004 movie starring Elisha Cuthbert lol
I remember seeing a movie when I was a kid called "The Changeling" starring George C Scott that scared the Hell out of me.
I liked Heavenly Creatures but Dead Alive was pretty disturbing as well.
I'll have to check that one out! Thanks for the tip!
Oh! The Changeling! I love that movie! I actually just bought it on DVD. It's been a long time since I've seen it.
Just added it to my Netflix! Thanks for the suggestion!
As much as I love Oldboy and as disturbing as it is, I don't consider it a horror movie. as for Odishon A.K.A Audition, yes. That movie was jacked up.
Martyrs gives you one serious mind fuck.
serpent and the rainbow crazy ass voodoo film way trippy
I totally love Rosemarys baby, especially the ending cause its one of those omg kind of endings.
I always hate gore for the point of gore ive always loved the physiological horrors much more because there more likely to make you truly jump
One of the very classics that i loved was The Haunting, not the remake but the black and white original when i watched it for the first time i could sleep properly for ages. thats the kind of horror that i love
I've never seen jacobs Ladder, it was one of the movies my father had but would always say its wayto scary for me to watch, so im going to go out and rent it after seeing that trailer it looks great!
Great list and great comments! I just put Session 9 on my must-see list for Halloween. One of my favorite "mess-with-your-head" movies is High Tension. Blood, suspense, and a WTF-ending.
Um… I just got home from Paranormal Activity and it was absolute garbage. No scarey at all. Handy cam was just annoying. Martyrs was amazing and will change anyone who watches it. The ending of [REC] is the scariest end to a zombie movie ever. And Let The Right One In is probably the BEST movie in the vampire genre to possibly ever come out. If you want some amazing life changing horror and genrre films look up Toronto After Dark Film Festival. They know what they are doing.
Paranormal Activity is not very scary, it's mainly just very loud and unexpected noises. There are a few pretty good scenes, but it is nothing compared to any of the five movies in your article.
The only one I haven't seen is Session 9, gonna have to downlo…rent that. Jacobs Ladder has always been one of my favorite movies. Such a great movie. As for the others, all good stuff. Nice list.