Horror films are usually rife with ghosts, ghouls, and all manner of monsters but some are much more mind-bending than others. There is something supremely disturbing about the darkest corners of the human mind, a concept that is showcased well in the following films featured on this list.
Talented directors have lent their names and skills to some of the most cerebrally haunting movies ever produced, giving birth to Horrors that are just as thought-provoking as they are terrifying. To celebrate these psychological Horror movies, we've put together a list of some of the best available. These tense offerings should leave some viewers in deep thought, while simultaneously raising their heart rates.
Updated January 10th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: There have been a ton of great psychological horror movies over the years, and picking the best psychological horror movies of the bunch is a tall ask. Every year new and returning horror masters set the stage and produce some truly mind-bending cinema that leaves audiences both frightened and intrigued. To better highlight the best psychological horror films that will leave audiences thinking long after the credits roll, the following list has been updated and now includes even more horror films from years past. These alarming movies are sure to keep viewers thinking throughout their terrifying runtime.
15 Cabin In The Woods (2012)
There are a myriad of great horror films out there that twist and turn throughout their runtime but Cabin in the Woods is arguably one of the best twist-type films ever made. It's an absolute blast for horror fans and a must watch for anyone who lives and breathes the genre. It's highly reccommended that viewers go into this one without any prior knowledge as the events that unfold are spectacular from a horror-perspective. We won't offer a synopsis on this one as we'd be remiss to spoil anything concerning this cult classic but it does provide some great acting and even features Chris Hemsworth before he became a global icon thanks to Marvel and Thor.
14 It Follows (2016)
Those that are looking for something truly unnerving in the Psychological Horror space should definitely check out It Follows. This 2016 horror film isn't filled to the brim with gory action or intense jumpscares. Instead, It Follows opts to build tension from start to finish during its entire runtime, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats while simultaneously providing a few truly unsettling moments. There is something supremely eerie about the film and it's easy to understand why it fits the psychological motif. The seemingly-invisible entity chasing down a young woman seems like a pretty cliche horror trope but It Follows manages to warp the analogy into something insidious that will definitely get under a viewer's skin and keep them looking over thier shoulder for hours after it ends.
13 Hereditary (2018)
Those looking for something truly unsettling should definitely check out Hereditary. This masterfully-written-and-shot Horror film twists and turns as it draws viewers in with some strange visuals and a story that seems disjointed at the beginning. As its runtime rattles on, viewers are introduced to a series of seriously terrifying events that devolve into a shudder-worthy story that seemingly comes out of nowhere.
Hereditary is the type of film that viewers can watch multiple times, discovering new details through each viewing.
12 Split (2016)
It doesn't get much more psychologically unnerving than James McAvoy's portrayal of a troubled man with multiple personalities in Split. Masterfully acted, it's difficult at times to tell who the characters are interacting with, ramping up the drama and Horror as the protagonists find themselves imprisoned with no hopes of escaping. The way that McAvoy switches from loving caretaker to unhinged killer will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
11 Mother (2017)
Psychological twists and turns are the name of the game for Mother, a Darren Aronofsky-directed Horror that follows an isolated couple that receives a very unsettling visit from a fairly strange guest. Viewers should go in on this film without any prior knowledge or expectations, allowing themselves to be immersed in an unraveling story that has gripped a lot of fans and created a bit of a cult following over the years.
This is a "love it or hate it" type of film for most but definitely worth a watch.
10 The Lighthouse (2019)
Horror doesn't always have to involve monsters, supernatural attacks, or creepy crawlies. In fact, some of the best Horror outlines what's capable in the human mind and how people are sometimes just as monstrous as the shadows crawling through most terrifying films. The Lighthouse is an amazing example of this phenomenon, crafted by excellent visuals (in an unsettling black-and-white style) and an unnerving soundtrack filled with crass ambient noise and some tension-building scores.
Robert Pattison and Willem Dafoe are excellent, portraying two men that aren't very fond of one another but find themselves trapped in a Lighthouse with only each other for company.
9 Psycho (1960)
We'd be horribly remiss not to include at least one Alfred Hitchcock film a list about psychological horror. There are a ton of great films that bear the icon's name but Psycho is perhaps his most well-known, and well-produced. Phenomenally acted by Anthony Perkins, Psycho builds tension steadily from the very start of the film, keeping audiences in a constant state of fight-or-flight as they watch Norman Bates carry out his devilish deeds. Everything ramps up into an absolute crescendo during the "big reveal" and there are a wide array of scenes that are more than unnerving. It's the kind of film that stays at the front of an audience's mind long after they've left the theater.
8 Ma (2019)
More manmade scares can be found with Ma, a story that starts out sweet and welcoming before turning into something sinister. This film follows a lonely woman (portrayed excellently by Octavia Spencer) that befriends a group of teenagers, offering them a motherly figure that most of them are in dire need of. After allowing the group to party at her home, things take a darker turn.
The teens who thought they'd found a positive influence in their life start to really question if "Ma's" motives are as pure as they seem.
7 The Babadook (2014)
The Babadook is one of the best psychological horror films to show up in recent years. It follows the story of a woman and her young son as they find themselves dealing with a supernatural entity that feels like nothing more than a "facade" at the start. The Babadook preys on the insecurities of a single mother having to deal with a seemingly problematic child all on her own and the actors do a fantastic job making the entire situation feel incredibly visceral and realistic.
The Babadook is a great mind-bending horror film that will keep audiences guessing if it's just a "boy who cried wolf" scenario or actually an evil entity trying to destroy a family.
6 Get Out (2017)
Jordan Peele had already made a name for himself in Comedy and now he's taking the Horror world by storm. So far, his scares have been cerebral, twisting and turning to bend the minds of his audience. Get Out is a great look into the discriminative state of some places and a Horrifying look at the evils that live inside the hearts of some people.
A man travels to meet the family of his beloved, only to be gripped by a series of events that leave him fighting for his life.
5 The Lawnmower Man (1992)
Horror meets Science Fiction with this 1992 classic that showcases Pierce Brosnan before his claim to fame as James Bond. A scientist's hubris gets the best of him as he recruits a seemingly simple gardener to help him with some brain-altering experiments. The end product sees a man growing in mental strength and power, with capabilities that soon spiral out of control. This blend of Sci-Fi elements and Horror overtones blend well to create a visually unnerving and trippy experience.
4 Misery (1990)
Many of Stephen King's stories provide a sense of mysticism and fantasy. With deranged monsters, vengeful ghosts, possession, and a myriad of other paranormal tropes, people don't usually have to worry about being chased by the hazards from the iconic writer's most prevalent works. Perhaps that's what makes Misery such a thought-provoking and downright unsettling horror film. It's one of the only things that Stephen King has ever written that feels as if it could happen to anyone, at any time. There are no ghosts and ghouls, nor unrealistic fantasy-like worlds filled with creepy creatures.
Instead, Misery focuses on one man's misfortunate accident and a rather deranged fan that plans to keep him all to herself.
3 Midsommar (2019)
The director of Hereditary, Ari Aster, is back with another mind-bending Horror film that follows a young couple traveling to a Scandanavian village to celebrate a mid-summer festival. What starts out as a seemingly happy and picturesque vacation into the Scandanavian wilderness quickly explodes into a Horror-filled trip as the couple is forced into a strange and unnerving competition thanks to a mysterious cult.
Midsommar may not be as visceral in its pacing as Hereditary but it's definitely a psychologically alarming tale.
2 Dead Calm (1989)
This late 80s Horror flick features Nicole Kidman in a riveting role and will keep audiences guessing as it builds tension through its one-and-a-half-hour runtime. This thrilling tale follows a husband and wife as they try to escape their grief and frustration by taking a seabound trip into the Pacific. All seems well and the solitude they're hoping for meets them during a "dead calm," until they spot a man that was left stranded after his ship sunk. As tension builds for the couple, they soon realize their rescue attempt may not have been such a good idea.
1 Creep (2014)
While James McAvoy portrayed a troubled man with a personality struggle in Split, Creep follows a man that is seemingly unhinged in a very different way. Actor Mark Duplass really helps to sell the psychological terror in this film, creating beautifully acted scenes that will keep audiences guessing as to what's going to happen next. His character development slowly ramps up, creating a mess of mind-bending scenes that have viewers constantly gasping, eager to see what's going to happen next with no hopes of looking away.