10 Awesome Horror Movies With No Sympathetic Characters

9. Matriarch (2021)

Piercing  movie
Disney+/Hulu

From writer-director Ben Steiner, Matriarch follows Laura (Jamima Rooper) as she decides to visit her mother, Celia (Kate Dickie), for the first time in twenty years after she has a near death experience following a drug overdose. When she arrives, however, she discovers that nobody in the quaint English village, including her own mother, appears to have aged since she left.

What follows is a madcap slow-burn tale that gradually brings the village’s dark secrets to light alongside unearthing the sinister events that shaped Laura’s childhood.

The bizarre and even hostile behaviour of the villagers we meet makes the Hot Fuzz cult look like model citizens. However, it’s Celia's shady behaviour and history of abuse which sets her apart as the most deviously evil character. Laura isn't much better either. She's a reckless mess who continually closes herself off to those around her and would prefer to go on another all-night bender.

The only seemingly caring character is Laura’s childhood friend, Abi (Sarah Paul). But even she, it turns out, had ulterior motives and was planning to betray Laura for her own gains.

It says a lot about these characters that the most sympathetic of them is a literal evil entity.

Contributor
Contributor

Glasgow-based cinephile who earned a Masters degree in film studies to spend their time writing about cinema, video games, and horror.