10 Seriously Messed Up Psychological Horror Movies

10. Possessor (2020)

If you hear someone say they are "going into the family business", you can usually assume they're taking over a company or becoming a doctor like their parents. But, what you don't expect is for them to become the creator of disturbing body horror movies. Well, that is unless the person comes from the Cronenberg household.

From the mind of Brandon Cronenberg (the son of horror icon David Cronenberg), Possessor is a twisted and disturbing sci-fi tale that pits ultraviolence against mind-melding psychological storytelling.

It follows Tasya Vos, an assassin working for a secretive organisation with the technology to let their killers invade other people's bodies. However, after losing control, Vos ends up battling inside the body of a possessed host.

You can certainly see that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree here, as the younger Cronenberg has the same affinity for gruesome practical effects as his father. This is a bloody movie to the max, but what makes it stand out is the focus on psychology.

The inner torment of the protagonist and the literal fighting inside someone's mind make the film visceral and intense. In this movie, the hero doesn't need weapons or strategy to win, they just need mental fortitude - it's a literal battle of wits.