10 Hidden Gem Body Horror Movies

1. Thanatomorphose

Tetsuo II Body Hammer
Bounty Films

For those wondering what the hell Thanatomorphose means, a quick online search (via educalingo) defines the word as referring to a "set of morphological alterations determined by death".

That word also happens to be the title of a 2012 body horror from Éric Falardeau.

Starring Kayden Rose as Laura, this is a film that's not for the weak of stomach. For disgruntled nurse Laura, she uses sex as a way to at least feel something in her life - with abusive d**khead Antoine her go-to partner for this. As Thanatomorphose plays out, though, the more Laura has sex, the more her physical form starts to wilt.

For those looking for something meaningful, Thanatomorphose can be viewed as a commentary on Laura's emotional state. For those looking for something gooey and garish, Thanatomorphose absolutely ticks those boxes and then some.

Throughout Thanatomorphose, horror hounds get to watch Laura's body wilt and decay in a brilliantly detailed, yet utterly gnarly way. Seriously, there's body parts falling apart, maggots are running rampant, and the whole process of Laura's transformation is showcased in all of its graphic glory.

Watch Next


Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.