10 Best Horror Movies Set In New York
3. Black Swan
Darren Aronofsky's Oscar-winning psychological horror drama nicely demonstrates how obsessing over perfection often leads to self-destruction. Despite Nina's immeasurable talent as a ballerina, prioritising her work over her mental health proves her ultimate undoing.
Though she's giddy at the prospect of becoming a star, an early interaction with a bitter ballerina highlights Nina's fragile state. As Nina feels like she's being attacked from all sides, she begins to suffer intense hallucinations, and when she suspects her colleague Lily is out to get her, Nina realises she will stop at nothing to fulfil her dream.
It's obvious that many of Nina's problems only exist in her head, but it's still hard to decipher what's real and what's fantasy. Subtle special effects are implemented to emphasise Nina's psychosis further, causing the viewers to question whether their eyes are playing tricks on them.
Despite the fact every aspect of the filmmaking is phenomenal, it's Natalie Portman's performance as Nina that stands out the most. Even though Portman clearly put in a lot of backbreaking (and toe-breaking) work for the role, her ability to convey Nina's deteriorating mind is what makes the character's journey endlessly fascinating and heart-breaking to watch.