You scream in delight when the killer butchers victims with a knife. You smile when a disfigured character named Freddy appears in the dreams of teenagers and terrorizes them until they die. You like the twists and turns of a cinematic mind fuck—case in point being DiCaprio’s fate in Shutter Island.
You’re a horror flick aficionado, a connoisseur of the macabre, and a lover of psychological thrillers.
But, like any other hardcore fan, you yearn for a genuine fright. You want a film that will make your heart race. You want to tremble. Anything less is unacceptable. And that actually is the challenge.
Nowadays, you can only choose from Paranormal Activity movies, the Resident Evil iterations, or Silence of the Lambs copycats. These options can’t address your need to shriek anymore. The deluge of the familiar has prompted you to search for new selections.
So, if you’re fed up with the customary or run-of-the-mill offerings, then you’ll find value in this article. This author presents for your twisted delight a sampling of horror and psychological thrillers that flew under the radar.
Horror Films
Lovely Molly (2012). This one tells the story of Tim and Molly, two newlyweds whose lives turn for the worse when they move into the latter’s childhood home. During their stay, Molly becomes eccentric. She starts talking to a dead deer, stares at a wall while naked, seduces a pastor, and goes on killing spree. What the fuck, right? The reason? Remember this name: Orobas.
Coherence (2013). In this film, a comet passes over a house where a dinner party is in full swing. The comet acts as a trigger for alternate realities to merge and crisscross. The characters therefore unknowingly interact with their identical and more sinister counterparts. Chaos ensues of course, killing and maiming follows. Watch if you’re interested.
Triangle (2009). The narrative focuses on Jess, a single mother who joins a boating trip with some friends. They are forced to abandon ship and transfer to a run-down ocean liner during the course of their trip, Are they saved? Hell no! A killer stalks them. But, that’s not the only interesting part. The story involves a time loop! Kill. Survive. Reboot. Kill. Survive. Reboot. Trapped ultimately. Get the picture?
Splinter (2008). If you like parasites, then this film is for you. Set in an isolated gas station, Splinter tells the narrative of how a couple and a convict are forced to work together in order to survive and outwit a parasite that turns its hosts into monsters.
Psychological Thrillers
Enemy (2013). This movie tells the tale of a bored professor named Adam who meets his doppelganger—a Hollywood actor who leads a more exciting life. Curious about his facsimile’s existence, Adam steps into his carbon copy’s shoes. Things go awry after that.
Prisoners (2013). The story revolves around the kidnapping of two young girls and the ensuing search for them. The police eventually arrest a suspect, but due to technicalities are forced to release the latter. The father of one of the missing girls then abducts the suspect to interrogate him. Not getting the info he desires, the father resorts to torture.
Bug (2006). In this film, we see a woman occupying a motel in Oklahoma. She becomes involved with a guy obsessed with conspiracy theories, i.e., that the government injects people with bugs that will eventually turn them into full grown insects. The man believes that the “bugs” are in his system already.
The Machinist (2005). This Christian Bale-led film narrates the account of a machinist whose insomnia and personal problems contribute to an accident involving a co-worker. Bale’s character is thereafter fired, thus causing his path to self-destruction.
Aside from the movies above, there are others worth mentioning like Nocturnal Animals, Primer, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Hard Candy, Lake Mungo, Frozen, and more. The point is that there are a lot of scary movies out there waiting to be discovered. So, don’t stick to the known franchises or the sought-after titles. Look for the unpopular, the unloved, and the uncherished. Allow yourself to be surprised.
So sit back, get your popcorn, and enjoy a good fright.
