10 Hidden Gem Indie Horror Movies You MUST Watch
8. They Look Like People
As the title suggests, They Look Like People follows a man named Wyatt (MacLeod Andrews) who suffers from a very real disorder called Capgras syndrome, so he believes people around him are possessed by evil creatures. Wyatt is desperate to protect his close friends, but is unsure if they are who they claim to be.
What makes the independent thriller work well is it puts you in Wyatt's position, so you can't tell what's real and what isn't. There are times where someone takes on demonic characteristics, but it's unclear if it's an elaborate hallucination.
Rather than exploiting mental illness for shock value, They Look Like People treats its characters with compassion, focusing more on inner demons than actual demons. Whether or not Wyatt's paranoia is just, it's apparent he's in turmoil since he wrestles with depression and suicidal thoughts. Though Andrews conveys Wyatt's anxiety perfectly, it's amplified further by the oft-kilter cinematography and eerie sound design.
Although They Look Like People could've gone over-the-top with the demonic visuals, it keeps things subtle and introspective, creating a very down-to-earth and horrifyingly relatable story.